Chapter 2: Marked
1131 Words
The next morning, the entire school was staring at me.
Not whispering.
Not giggling.
Staring.
I felt it the second I stepped through the gates of Silvercrest Academy.
Phones lowered.
Conversations paused.
Girls glared.
And standing in the center of it all—
Was her.
Vanessa Hale.
Blonde. Perfect. Untouchable.
The Queen of Silvercrest.
And apparently… Aiden Cross’s unofficial girlfriend.
She looked me up and down slowly, lips curling.
“So,” she said loudly, making sure everyone could hear, “you’re the new charity case living in Aiden’s house.”
The world tilted.
They knew.
My stomach dropped. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Oh please,” she laughed. “The staff talk. You think secrets last in this town?”
Her eyes narrowed.
“You must be enjoying the attention.”
“I’m not—”
She stepped closer.
“Listen carefully,” she whispered, voice sugar-sweet and venomous. “Aiden doesn’t share. And he definitely doesn’t date strays.”
Heat flooded my face.
Before I could respond—
A shadow fell over us.
The air shifted.
Every instinct in my body went rigid.
Aiden.
Vanessa immediately straightened. “Aiden,” she purred.
He didn’t look at her.
Not once.
His golden eyes were locked on me.
And they were furious.
“What,” he said slowly, “is going on?”
Vanessa looped her arm through his. “Just welcoming the new girl.”
His gaze dropped to where her hand touched him.
His jaw flexed.
“Remove your hand.”
The cafeteria gasped.
Vanessa froze. “What?”
“I don’t repeat myself.”
The softness in his voice made it worse.
She stepped back like she’d been burned.
I felt something dangerous roll off him.
Something wild.
His eyes flickered gold.
Only for a second.
But I saw it.
And judging by the sudden tension in the room—
I wasn’t the only one.
Vanessa swallowed. “You’re choosing her over me?”
Aiden’s gaze finally slid to her.
Cold.
“You were never a choice.”
The silence that followed was brutal.
Vanessa’s face paled.
And then she looked at me.
Not embarrassed.
Not hurt.
Hateful.
“This isn’t over,” she whispered.
Oh no.
No, no, no.
This was exactly what I didn’t want.
---
By the end of the day, I was officially ruined.
Rumors exploded.
“She seduced him.”
“She’s manipulating him.”
“She moved into his house on purpose.”
I wanted to scream.
Instead, I walked home alone.
A mistake.
Because halfway down the empty forest path behind the academy—
The wind shifted.
And every hair on my arms stood up.
The woods were too quiet.
Then—
A twig snapped.
I turned slowly.
Three boys stepped out from behind the trees.
But something was wrong.
Their eyes.
They weren’t normal.
They glowed faintly.
Not gold.
Red.
One of them smirked. “So this is the girl.”
My blood ran cold.
“Wrong place,” another said. “Wrong mate.”
Mate.
My heart slammed.
“You’re from his pack,” I whispered.
They laughed.
“Pack?” the tallest one said. “Sweetheart, we’re not from his pack.”
Oh.
Oh no.
“He’s been weak since you showed up,” the red-eyed one continued. “Distracted.”
They were circling me now.
“He doesn’t deserve a mate.”
Fear tightened my throat. “Stay away from me.”
“Or what?”
The wind roared suddenly.
Violent.
Explosive.
The three boys stiffened.
Then—
A growl.
Low.
Terrifying.
Primal.
The ground seemed to vibrate with it.
And from the shadows—
A massive black wolf stepped forward.
Larger than any natural creature.
Golden eyes blazing.
Aiden.
The red-eyed boys backed up immediately.
“You can’t protect her forever,” one spat.
The wolf lunged.
Fast.
Inhumanly fast.
They scattered.
Gone within seconds.
Silence returned.
Heavy.
Breathless.
The wolf turned toward me.
And even knowing it was him—
My knees nearly gave out.
He walked closer.
Slow.
Controlled.
His gaze searched my face.
Checking.
Protecting.
Possessive.
“I’m fine,” I whispered shakily.
The wolf stepped closer.
So close I could feel his heat.
Then—
Before my eyes—
His body shifted.
Bones realigned.
Fur disappeared.
And Aiden stood there again.
Bare chest rising with heavy breaths.
He grabbed my shoulders.
“Did they touch you?”
“No.”
His hands trembled slightly.
Anger radiated from him.
“They’re rogue wolves,” he said. “Exiled from neighboring territory.”
“Because of me?”
“Because of us.”
My heart stuttered.
“This is why I tried to stay away from you,” he continued. “You make me vulnerable.”
Something in my chest tightened.
“I didn’t ask for this,” I whispered.
His eyes softened.
“I know.”
The forest air felt charged.
Heavy with something unspoken.
“I don’t want a war,” I said.
“You don’t get to choose that,” he replied quietly. “You’re already marked.”
Marked?
I froze. “What does that mean?”
He hesitated.
Then slowly…
He brushed his thumb over my collarbone.
A spark shot through me.
I gasped.
And heat bloomed under my skin.
I looked down.
Faint.
Barely visible.
A golden crescent mark shimmered just below my shoulder.
My breath stopped.
“It appeared last night,” he said.
“When?”
“When you touched me.”
The world tilted.
“That means—”
“Yes,” he said softly. “The bond has begun.”
I stared at the glowing mark.
“This can’t be real.”
He cupped my face gently.
“It is.”
The forest seemed to close in around us.
“I don’t know this world,” I said.
“You will.”
“I don’t want to lose myself.”
His thumb brushed my cheek again.
“You won’t,” he said. “But you might have to fight.”
“For what?”
“For your place.”
A distant howl echoed through the woods.
Not friendly.
Not welcoming.
Aiden’s body tensed instantly.
“They know now,” he murmured.
“Know what?”
“That the Alpha has found his mate.”
Alpha.
The word echoed in my mind.
“You’re the Alpha?”
His expression turned dark.
“Yes.”
And suddenly—
This wasn’t just forbidden romance.
This was power.
Territory.
Enemies.
And me—
A human girl standing in the middle of a supernatural war.
“I don’t belong in this,” I whispered.
His eyes burned gold again.
“You belong with me.”
And that terrified me more than the rogues ever could.
- Writer
