Wolf in the shadows

ar-nothing made sense, and yet everything seemed to fit into place with an eerie precision. Elias's words echoed in her mind: *You've been marked

crossed. His posture was tense, but his eyes remained fixed on her with an intensity that unsettled

nce simple and predictable, was now a confusing tangle of questions and mysteries. What did Elias mean when he said she was *marked*? What was this war he spoke

You're not just here by chance, Lily," he said, his voice low but firm. "You were

oing on. I'm just... I'm just me." Her voice cracked at the last

You may think you're just you, but you're not. You've been marked by the moon, by f

"Marked by the moon?" she repeated, shaking her head.

ias followed her gaze and nodded, as though anticipating her question

, like a shadow under the dim light. Rook's eyes, glowing with that same eerie silver hue as Elias's, were locked on hers, unblinking a

out to spring into action. Elias immediately held up a hand, and

tension in his voice that made Lily uneasy. "He's bound to you, just lik

t. "Why me?" she whispered. "Why

he rogue Alpha, his name is Zev, he's hunting you. He believes you're the one

She was just a librarian in a quiet town. She had no skills, no training. She had never fought anyone

wly, almost to herself. "Is that.

f our people. It represents our connection to the earth, to the wolves within us. And you.

different about her, something she couldn't explain. It was in her dreams, in the way she

?" she asked, her voice small

rd her, his fingers brushing against the collar of her shirt, just above her collarbone. She froze, unsure of what he was doing.

th awe. "The mark of the wolf. The mark of the moon

, a gentle but undeniable sensation that seemed to light her skin on fire. She looked down, her hand instinctively

on. "It's a spiritual one. It's part of you, hidden beneath

at does this mean for me? If I'm... if I'm pa

kept secret from the world. But now, the time has come for you to take your place among us. The prophecy has for

y in her chest, and the room seemed to close in around her. "What kind of p

u have the strength inside you. It's in your bloo

the creature that both terrified and comforted her. She could feel the weight of its gaze, like it was waiting for her to take s

y for this,"

f us are ever ready, Lily. But when the time comes, you will be. We'll he

become whatever Elias thought she could be. But deep down, something told her she didn't have a choice. Whatever this mark wa

down on her, and she realized that the path ahead wasn't one she could escape from.

id, her voice steadying.

alize just how heavy the burden was that she was about to take on. "We will hel

de from the truth. She was marked by the moon. She had a role to play in this wo