The Wolf Mark

fear. The weight of Eleanor's revelation was almost too much to process in one sitting. The wolves were once men, and now they were bound

There was no softness in the older woman's gaze-only a cold understanding,

ed, her voice steady, as if she had

r chest felt tight, constricted. She nodded slowly

ly a whisper, "I don't. But I ne

ant to be permanent. It was meant to contain them for a time. The wolves were meant to remain as beasts, as creatures bound to the moon's cycle, forever locked away in the forest. But over

re trapped, bound by some ancient power that her family had once controlled. And now,

rier breaks?" Amber asked,

wolves will not be the only ones to be freed. The curse will spread-flesh will become fur, and not just in the forest. The entire town will be

t, but she found herself paralyzed by the enormity of the situation. Her thoughts kept

s my bloodline the one that's connected to the

re part of something bigger than themselves. They weren't just protectors of the land. They were the prison keepers. They made a pact with something much older, something powerful and dangerous. The pac

ber any of this. My aunt-she never told me anything like this. She just..." She tra

ou would come to this place, seeking answers. She knew that you would be the one to bear the weight of this legacy. And she kept it hidden

settling deep inside her-this was not just some family secret; this was her life now, her burden

e way to keep the wolves contained. But it is not something you can do alone. The bloodline t

ening. "The others? What do you mean? Ar

e other families fell away, lost to time, or to their own greed. But there are still others out there-descendants of the original protectors. Yo

re connected to the wolves, people who were part of the same legacy-seemed impossible. Ho

rt?" she asked,

to the woods. There, you will find the first of the bloodlines. The forest has changed, Amber. It is no longer just a plac

at the door the entire time, his presence barely noticeable until now. "She's right," he

to Marcus. "You? Wh

e caught up in this mess. And because I know the wolves better than anyone here. They trust me." He paused, a tightness around his mouth a

er that he wasn't telling her everything. Still, she couldn't afford to be pic

r voice hard. "But you're right abo

ne grave. "Remember this, Amber. You are not just walking into the forest. You are stepping into the past, into the

re lurking in the woods, something darker and older than the pack of wolves s

tled heavily on her shoulders. This was no longer just about her or the wo