56 Alpha's Mark
With every word, Lena’s lips tightened, her hands curling into fists, and her expression darkened into something colder than ice. For the first time, I felt real fear sitting across from her. I don’t know how to explain it, but it was like a shadow passed through her soul, like she became the embodiment of pure darkness.
The air around her changed. I swear I felt an actual chill radiate from her body, so cold it gave me goosebumps like I’d stepped out into winter. My hysteria shrank under that energy. She looked the same, but something deep inside her… shifted.
And I felt it. Every instinct I had screamed to pay attention.
“Girls?” I heard Artyom’s concerned voice as he came downstairs—wearing only one slipper, as if he’d rushed. His worried eyes went straight to Lena, and only then did she start to blink, slowly coming back to herself as she looked at her husband.
“What’s going on here?” he asked gently, taking her hand in his and exhaling in relief. “I think it’s time for you both to rest. Tomorrow, we can sort everything out.”
“You’re right,” Lena finally replied, her eyes softening with love as she looked at Artyom. “It’s just... right now, I’m so angry at our Alpha.”
“I noticed,” he chuckled, his voice calm and comforting. “Alright, let’s wrap it up. I’ve prepared the guest room for Aline.”
He headed upstairs, and Lena led me to the room they’d kindly set up for me.
“Lena, wait,” I stopped her just before she turned to leave. “Tell me… what does this mark mean for me?”
“You’ll carry a strong scent of that man now,” Lena sighed, her voice low and serious. “The bite wasn’t a full mark, not entirely. Normally, when a werewolf marks his mate, he latches onto her neck with much more force and for longer. What’s left behind is a deep imprint from nearly every tooth. But in your case... just four shallow punctures.”
“Probably because I’m not his mate,” I exhaled, thinking out loud. “That’s why the bite is weak.”
Lena stayed silent, simply watching me—though her gaze was oddly unreadable.
“But why would he do it?” I asked, my voice trembling with pain and confusion. “Does Wayland mark all of his lovers like this?”
She didn’t answer, and I felt my chest tighten even more.
“You once told me I had a fated mate… but what if it’s a werewolf?” I added quietly, almost afraid to voice the thought. “Will this mark... will it ruin everything with him?”
Lena studied me in silence for a moment, her thoughtful gaze sharp and unsettling. Then she let out a heavy sigh and began explaining.
“Because the bite wasn’t very deep, it will be difficult to identify who exactly left it. But Wayland is an Alpha—one of the strongest wolves—and his scent is much more potent than most. So right now, you’re carrying the scent of a dominant wolf. Still, it’ll be hard for someone to tell it’s him specifically.”
She paused, as if choosing her next words carefully.
“If, hypothetically, your fated mate is a werewolf, he would constantly feel someone else’s scent on you. A human mate wouldn’t notice anything at all. But…” —she exhaled again, this time with sorrow— “the mark isn’t just about scent. There's also a spiritual and emotional link now. It will draw you to him even more… and, to some extent, he’ll feel the same pull toward you.”
“Well, I highly doubt that,” I scoffed bitterly, blinking away fresh tears of frustration and pain. As if things weren’t hard enough already—I was already suffering because of him. And now she tells me it’s only going to get worse?
Perfect. Just perfect.
All I ever dreamed of was falling head over heels for a married jerk.
"And one more thing..." Lena looked at me with eyes full of sorrow and sympathy.
"You may face difficulties getting pregnant by another werewolf."
I froze, barely breathing as her words sank in.
"If a regular werewolf had bitten you, this would be a lot easier to fix. But the bite from someone as powerful as an Alpha—even if it wasn’t deep—makes your chances of conceiving with anyone else almost zero. His genetic code, carried through his saliva, entered your bloodstream and… it’s already preparing your body to bear his offspring."
My stomach twisted painfully.
"If you ever try to have a child with a human man… there’s no chance at all. If it’s with another werewolf, there’s some hope, because wolves have stronger genetics, but the odds are still incredibly low. His Alpha code overrides everything else."
Tears stung my eyes, and I clutched the fabric of my shirt over my stomach, suddenly feeling violated all over again.
Without permission. Without love. Without even a choice.
I'm in total shock. Complete horror. There’s no other way to describe it.
So even if I do meet my true mate one day… we won’t be able to have children.
I’ve always wanted kids. Not right now, maybe, but someday—definitely. And most men want that too. But now…
“So basically, Wayland ruined my life. Just to satisfy his own damn whims…” I murmur in a numb, distant voice.
Something inside me breaks.
Without saying another word, I walk into the guest room, quietly closing the door behind me.
Like closing the lid on my own coffin.