The first light of dawn stretched across the horizon, painting the sky in hues of orange and pink. Alina stood by the edge of the clearing, her eyes fixed on the distant hills, her mind still reeling from the events of the night. The encounter with Lysander had left her with more questions than answers, but one thing had become painfully clear her life was no longer her own. She was caught between two worlds, and the weight of that truth felt unbearable.
The wind shifted, carrying with it the scent of pine and earth. It was both familiar and foreign, as though it belonged to a place she had never been but somehow knew intimately. She closed her eyes, trying to steady her breath, but the anxiety swirling within her was relentless.
"You're still here."
The voice was soft, but it cut through the quiet like a blade. Alina turned to find Lysander standing a few feet away, his presence as imposing as ever. The first rays of sunlight caught his features, casting them in a soft glow, and for a moment, he seemed almost… ethereal. But there was no mistaking the intensity in his eyes.
"I didn't know if I would be," Alina admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. "This feels like a dream. Or maybe a nightmare."
Lysander's gaze softened, but there was an unspoken understanding between them. He had seen that look before the look of someone torn between the reality they knew and the one they were being forced to accept.
"You're not dreaming, Alina," he said quietly, his tone steady but filled with an edge of something deeper. "This is real. And it's your reality now."
She looked away, fighting the swirl of emotions that threatened to overwhelm her. "I don't understand any of this. Why me? Why now?"
Lysander stepped closer, his eyes locked on hers with a quiet intensity. "Because your bloodline is more than just human. You were born for this whether you accept it or not."
Alina shook her head. "I don't want this. I don't want to be part of a world that's… so different from everything I know."
"And yet," Lysander said, his voice laced with quiet strength, "you're already part of it. The moment you felt the pull, the moment you came here, you took the first step. There's no turning back, Alina."
Alina's heart pounded in her chest, the weight of his words sinking in. She had known it, of course, that something deep within her had always felt different, as though she were standing at the edge of two realities. But she had never wanted to acknowledge it, never wanted to accept the possibility that she was tied to something so powerful, so dangerous.
"And what does that mean for me?" she asked, her voice cracking slightly as the fear threatened to consume her. "What happens now?"
Lysander was silent for a long moment, as though weighing his words carefully. "It means you have a choice. The same choice we all had when we first came into this world: to embrace what you are or to run from it. But running…" He let the word hang in the air, heavy with meaning. "Running doesn't lead to freedom, Alina. It only leads to more pain."
The words hit her harder than she expected. She had always been good at running—at avoiding the things that scared her. But could she keep running from this? From the truth of who she was?
Her gaze flicked to the stone in the center of the clearing, its ancient runes still glowing faintly under the morning light. She could feel the pull of it, the call of something beyond her comprehension. It wasn't just the stone that called to her, but the world it represented a world she had been born into, whether she was ready for it or not.
"What happens if I choose to stay?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Lysander's eyes darkened, and for the first time, she saw a flicker of something ancient in his gaze. "You will be marked. The mark of the wolf. It is a symbol of your bond with us, with the pack. And it will never fade. Not even in death."
Alina's breath caught in her throat. A mark. The thought of it sent a shiver down her spine. It felt permanent, like a scar on her soul.
"And if I refuse?" she asked, already knowing the answer.
"If you refuse, you will be left to live as you were before," Lysander replied, his voice now tinged with something colder. "But the pull will never leave you. You will always feel it, tugging at you, calling to you. And the longer you deny it, the more dangerous it becomes for you, and everyone around you."
Alina's mind raced, the gravity of his words sinking in. There was no easy choice here. No simple way out. She could stay and face a life she wasn't ready for, or she could run, knowing that the consequences would follow her forever.
"What would you do?" she asked, meeting his gaze.
Lysander's lips curved into a small, knowing smile, but there was an undeniable weight behind it. "I've already made my choice. I've accepted what I am."
Alina swallowed hard, her heart heavy with the enormity of the decision before her. She had always been someone who valued control, someone who wanted to carve her path. But in this world, this world of wolves and ancient powers control was a luxury she could no longer afford.
With a steadying breath, she nodded, her voice barely audible. "Then I'll accept it, too."
Lysander stepped forward, his presence overwhelming as he reached for her hand. His fingers brushed against her skin, sending a shock of energy through her, as though the very air around them crackled with power.
"Are you sure?" he asked, his voice low and solemn.
Alina met his gaze, her pulse racing. The choice was hers, and at that moment, she realized something deep within her. She had been running from herself for too long. It was time to face the truth of who she was.
"I'm sure," she said, her voice steady despite the storm raging inside her.
Lysander's gaze softened, and for a fleeting moment, he seemed almost… human. He held her hand tightly, the warmth of his touch grounding her as the power of the moment enveloped them.
Then, without another word, he stepped back, his eyes never leaving hers. He raised his hand, and the runes on the stone flared to life, glowing brightly in the early morning light.
Alina felt a sharp, sudden pain on her wrist, as though something were branding her skin. She gasped, her hand instinctively flying to the spot where the pain had struck. When she looked, she saw it was the mark of the wolf. A silver crescent, intricately carved into her skin, glowing softly under the sun's rays.
Lysander's eyes glinted with something fierce, something protective. "You belong to the pack now," he said, his voice thick with an unspoken promise. "And there's no going back."
Alina's heart pounded in her chest, the reality of the situation settling over her like a heavy cloak. She was no longer just human. She was something more. And that mark, that symbol of her bond with the wolves, would forever tie her to a world she was just beginning to understand.