I woke up screaming, my wrist on fire. Not actual flames, thank God, but it might as well have been. Pain seared through my skin, sharp and relentless, like someone was carving me up with a hot blade. I bolted upright on my cot, my auburn hair sticking to my sweaty forehead, my heart slamming against my ribs. In the dim light of my room in the Silverclaw pack's lodge, I saw it—a glowing crescent mark pulsing on my wrist, like it had a life of its own. My breath caught, and I clutched my arm, willing the pain to stop. It faded slowly, leaving a silver scar that tingled under my touch. Today was my 21st birthday, the day every werewolf in our pack waits for, hoping for a mate mark. But this? This wasn't a gift. It felt like a warning.
I swung my legs off the cot, the wooden floor cold against my bare feet. The Silverclaw territory, all lush forest and jagged mountains, was dead quiet in the pre-dawn hours, but my mind was a mess. I'm a tracker—one of the best, if I do say so myself. I've spent years dodging the elders' stuffy rules, their whole "loyalty above all" shtick. I've never been one to bow down, and I wasn't about to start now, not even for some mystical mark. But my stomach churned as I yanked on my leather jacket, hiding the thing under my sleeve. I needed answers, and there was only one place to get them: the sacred circle where the elders hung out, acting all wise and mighty.
I slipped out of the lodge, my boots crunching on the forest path. The air smelled of pine and earth, with a faint wolf howl echoing in the distance. I love this place—our pack's home, where every tree feels like family—but today, it felt suffocating. The sacred circle wasn't far, a clearing ringed with old stones that hummed with pack history. By the time I got there, the elders were already gathered, their faces grim like they'd been expecting me. Elder Mira, this wiry old woman with silver-streaked hair and eyes like steel, stood in the center, staring me down. Alpha Torin was there too, all broad shoulders and blond hair, his blue eyes sharp enough to make you feel guilty for breathing. At 35, he ran the Silverclaws like a machine, and I'd never quite gotten on his good side.
"Lila," Mira said, her voice low, like she was afraid the trees were listening. "Show us your wrist."
My heart skipped. How the hell did they know? I hadn't told anyone—not Jace, my brother, not Mara, my best friend. My jaw tightened, but I rolled up my sleeve, showing off the crescent mark, now a faint silver but still tingling like it was alive. The elders gasped, and Torin's eyes narrowed, dark and dangerous.
"It's as we feared," Mira whispered, stepping closer. "The mark of the cursed Alpha."
"Cursed Alpha?" I snapped, my voice louder than I meant. "What's that supposed to mean? This is my mate mark, right?"
Mira's lips thinned, and she looked at me like I was a kid who'd just broken something precious. "It is a mate mark, Lila. But it binds you to Kael Draven."
The name hit me like a punch. Kael Draven. The Silverclaw pack's biggest scandal. He was their golden boy once, an Alpha who led us through wars, his gray eyes and fierce strength the stuff of legends. I was just a kid when he got exiled five years ago, accused of betraying us to the Blackfang pack. They said a Blackfang witch cursed him, that he'd die if he ever met his fated mate. He was a ghost story we told around campfires, a warning to stay loyal. And now, my wrist was screaming that I was tied to him.
"No way," I said, shaking my head. "Kael Draven's probably dead. And I'm not anyone's mate, cursed or otherwise."
Mira's eyes softened, but her words were hard as stone. "The mark doesn't lie. It ties you to Kael. But the curse is real. If you meet him, his death begins—and it might take you with him."
My pulse roared in my ears. I wanted to laugh it off, to tell them they were crazy, but the mark burned again, like it was daring me to argue. "So what?" I said, my voice shaking but defiant. "I just ignore it? Pretend it's not there? I'm not letting some mark ruin my life."
Torin stepped forward, his growl making my skin prickle. "You don't have a choice, Lila. This bond threatens the pack. The Blackfangs are already circling, itching for war. If they find out you're linked to Kael, they'll come for you—and us."
I clenched my fists, my nails biting into my palms. "So you're gonna lock me up? Exile me like you did him?"
Torin didn't answer, which was answer enough. The elders swapped nervous looks, and Mira spoke again. "Hide the mark, Lila. Tell no one—not Jace, not Mara. We'll consult the Moon Goddess's rites, but until then, you're a danger to us all."
I wanted to scream, to tear the mark off my skin, but I forced myself to nod. I turned and stormed back into the forest, my head spinning. Me, a danger? I'm Lila Thorn, the girl who's tracked rogues through blizzards, who's never backed down from a fight. No mark, no curse, no banished Alpha was going to control me. But as I wove through the trees, a weird pull tugged at my chest, like a string tied to something far away.
I stopped, my breath hitching. Then it hit me—a vision, clear as day, stealing the air from my lungs. A dark forest, wilder than ours, with twisted trees and a heavy, electric feel. A man stood in the shadows, tall and scarred, his gray eyes glowing with pain and power. Kael Draven. He looked right at me, and I felt him—his anger, his loneliness, like they were my own. The vision vanished, leaving me gasping, my mark burning like it was trying to speak.
"Lila?" Mara's voice snapped me back. She stepped out from the trees, her blonde hair catching the dawn light, her hazel eyes wide with worry. "You okay? You look like you just saw a wolf spirit."
I yanked my sleeve down, hiding the mark. "I'm fine," I lied, forcing my voice to stay steady. Mara's been my best friend since we were pups, but Mira's warning rang in my head. Tell no one. "Just… didn't sleep well."
Mara frowned, crossing her arms. "Bull. Is this about your birthday? The mate mark? Did you get one?"
My throat tightened. I hated lying to her, but I couldn't risk it. "Nope," I said, faking a grin. "Guess the Moon Goddess isn't ready for me yet."
She didn't buy it, I could tell, but she let it go. "Good. With the Blackfangs sniffing around, a mate's the last thing you need. Torin's already got everyone on edge."
I nodded, my mind elsewhere. The Blackfangs—our rivals, holed up in their creepy mountain fortress. Their witch, Isolde, was the stuff of nightmares. If Kael was tied to them, if my mark was tied to him, I needed to know more. "I'm going for a walk," I said, cutting Mara off. "Need to clear my head."
"Lila, don't do anything stupid," she called, grabbing my arm. "Torin's watching everyone."
I pulled free, guilt twisting my gut. "I'm fine, Mara. Promise." But as I slipped deeper into the forest, my mark burning, I knew I was lying. I couldn't stay here, waiting for the elders to decide my fate. I had to find Kael, figure out this curse, and stop it before it ruined everything.
The trees thickened, the air heavier as I crossed into neutral territory. My tracker senses kicked in—every rustle, every scent on high alert. Then I felt it, a shift in the air, a scent like pine and wild earth. My mark flared, and there he was, stepping out of the shadows. Kael Draven, all scars and gray eyes, just like my vision. My heart pounded, but I held my ground.
"You shouldn't be here," he growled, his voice low and rough.
"And you shouldn't be my problem," I shot back, my dagger ready. "But here we are. So, Kael Draven, tell me why my life's falling apart because of you."
His eyes darkened, and he took a step closer. "Go home, Lila. You're my mate—and if you stay, we're both dead."