Chapter 37: The Mark of Destiny

Selene’s breath hitched as the figure stepped forward, his silver eyes gleaming with dark amusement. The energy radiating from him was suffocating, pressing against her like an invisible force. Her wolf snarled within, both terrified and enraged.

Kalen positioned himself between them, his stance rigid. “Who are you?”

The figure chuckled, his voice smooth as silk. “You already know, don’t you, little wolf?” His gaze flickered to Selene, and her skin prickled. “I have waited centuries for you.”

Selene clenched her fists. “If you’ve come to kill me, you’ll have to fight for it.”

The man tilted his head, amused. “Kill you? No, Selene. You are far too important to destroy.”

A dark mist curled around his fingers as he raised a hand. The air pulsed, and suddenly, Selene felt an unbearable heat flare across her skin. She gasped, dropping to her knees as pain ignited in her chest. When she looked down, a strange mark was burning itself into her skin—a symbol of interwoven lines and ancient glyphs.

Kalen roared and lunged at the figure, but with a flick of his wrist, the enemy sent him flying against the stone wall. He crashed with a sickening thud, groaning in pain.

Selene struggled to rise, her body trembling. “What… what did you do to me?”

The figure knelt before her, his voice a whisper. “I’ve only awakened what’s already inside you.”

Her vision blurred as a surge of memories—not her own—flashed through her mind. Wolves bowing to a shadowed king. Blood spilled in the name of an ancient power. A voice whispering her name through time.

“You are the key, Selene.” His fingers grazed her chin. “Accept your fate, and I will show you what true power feels like.”

She slapped his hand away, her strength returning. “I’ll never join you.”

He smirked. “You say that now.”

A gust of wind swirled around him, and in an instant, he was gone. The room fell eerily silent, leaving only the lingering echo of his voice in her mind.

Kalen staggered to her side, his grip firm on her shoulder. “Selene… what happened?”

She touched the burning mark on her skin, her eyes filled with uncertainty. “I think… I think I just became his target.”

She started pondering what the new mark on her skin truly meant and how she was going to fight against her dark destiny.