The forest was eerily silent. Aria Silversky stood at the edge of the Moonborne Pack's territory, her bare feet sinking into the cold earth. The dense pine trees towered over her, their gnarled branches stretching toward the crescent moon like skeletal fingers. She shivered, pulling her thin cloak tighter around her shoulders. The air smelled of damp earth and something metallic—like blood.
"Back already, wolfless?" A sharp voice cut through the night.
Aria turned to see Lucas, one of the enforcers of the pack, leaning against a tree. His golden eyes glinted with amusement, his lips curled into a sneer. He was everything she wasn't—tall, powerful, and radiating dominance. He crossed his arms, his broad chest heaving with mock laughter.
"I wasn't aware patrols were a spectator sport," Aria said, keeping her voice steady.
Lucas chuckled, pushing off the tree and closing the distance between them. "I'm just wondering why the Alpha even bothers sending you out here. You're not a wolf. You're dead weight. No rogue would waste their time with you."
The words stung, but Aria kept her expression blank. She was used to the insults. Being wolfless in a pack of shapeshifters was a curse, one she had carried her entire life. While the others transformed into majestic wolves, she remained painfully human, unable to feel the call of the moon in her blood.
"I'm not here for your approval," she said, brushing past him.
Lucas grabbed her arm, his grip bruising. "Careful, runt. You might want to show some respect to your betters."
Before she could reply, a low growl echoed from the shadows. Both Aria and Lucas froze. The sound was deep, guttural, and unmistakably threatening.
"Rogues," Lucas hissed, releasing her arm and shifting into his wolf form in one fluid motion. His tawny fur bristled as he lowered himself into a crouch, his teeth bared.
Aria stepped back, her heart pounding. She scanned the treeline, her breath hitching as a pair of glowing red eyes emerged from the darkness. Then another. And another.
The rogues moved as one, stepping into the moonlight. Their wolves were larger than normal, their black fur matted and reeking of decay. Their eyes burned with a savage hunger, and their lips pulled back in feral snarls.
Lucas lunged at the nearest rogue, his claws slashing through the air. The rogue met him head-on, their bodies colliding in a blur of fur and teeth. Aria stumbled back, her chest tightening as she watched the chaos unfold.
She was defenseless.
A rogue broke away from the fight, its gaze locking onto her. It prowled closer, saliva dripping from its jaws.
Run.
Her instincts screamed at her to flee, but her legs refused to move. The rogue lunged, and Aria braced herself for the impact.
Then it happened.
A surge of heat erupted in her chest, spreading through her veins like wildfire. Her vision blurred, and the world seemed to tilt. As the rogue leaped, a blinding light exploded from her, illuminating the forest in silver. The rogue yelped and veered off course, crashing into a tree.
Aria staggered, clutching her chest. The light faded, but the heat remained, pulsing like a second heartbeat. She looked down at her hands, which were trembling and glowing faintly with silver veins.
"What… what just happened?"
Lucas, now in his human form, stared at her with wide eyes. Blood dripped from a gash on his shoulder, but he seemed oblivious to the pain. "What are you?" he whispered.
Before she could respond, more howls echoed in the distance. Reinforcements were coming, but Aria knew she couldn't stay. Whatever had just happened, it wasn't normal. And if the pack found out…
She turned and ran.
---
Later That Night
The small cabin Aria called home was nestled at the edge of the pack's territory, far from the main village. It was a lonely, dilapidated place, but it was hers.
She slammed the door shut and collapsed against it, her chest heaving. Her mind raced, replaying the events in the forest. The light, the heat, the power—it had felt like something had awakened inside her, something ancient and untamed.
She stared at her hands, which had stopped glowing but still tingled with residual energy. "What am I?" she murmured.
A knock at the door made her jump.
"Open up, Aria," a deep voice said.
Her heart sank. It was Darian, the Alpha of the Moonborne Pack—and her uncle. His tone was cold, authoritative, and left no room for argument.
She opened the door reluctantly. Darian stood on the threshold, his towering frame casting a long shadow. His dark hair was slicked back, and his piercing blue eyes bore into her with a mixture of suspicion and anger.
"Do you have any idea what you've done?" he demanded, stepping inside without waiting for an invitation.
"I didn't mean to—"
"Save it." He turned to face her, his expression hard. "Lucas told me what happened. The rogues are dead, but not because of him. They're dead because of you."
Aria swallowed, her throat dry. "I don't know how it happened. I didn't—"
"You unleashed something," Darian interrupted. "Something dangerous. The kind of power that doesn't belong to someone like you."
Someone like you. The words cut deeper than she wanted to admit.
"I don't even know what it was," she said.
Darian's eyes narrowed. "That's exactly the problem. Whatever you did, it put the entire pack at risk. If the rogues had survived, they would've come back with more, drawn to whatever… thing is inside you."
Aria clenched her fists. "I saved Lucas's life."
"And in doing so, you've painted a target on your back." Darian stepped closer, his voice lowering. "You're wolfless, Aria. You don't belong here. You never have."
The words felt like a slap, but she held her ground. "Then exile me. If I'm such a threat, why not just get rid of me?"
For a moment, Darian said nothing. Then he sighed, his shoulders slumping. "The only reason you're still here is because you're my blood. But that doesn't mean I can protect you forever."
Aria's chest tightened. She wanted to scream, to cry, to demand answers. But instead, she nodded. "I understand."
Darian studied her for a long moment before turning toward the door. "Stay out of sight. And whatever you do, don't use that power again."
He left without another word, leaving Aria alone in the suffocating silence.
---
The Marked Stranger
Later that night, sleep eluded her. She sat by the window, staring at the crescent moon. The tingling in her hands had faded, but the questions remained. What was the power? Why did it choose her?
A faint rustling outside caught her attention.
She tensed, grabbing the small dagger she kept under her pillow. Slowly, she crept to the door and eased it open. The forest beyond was bathed in moonlight, but nothing seemed out of place.
Then she saw him.
A man stood at the edge of the clearing, his tall figure cloaked in shadow. His silver hair glinted under the moonlight, and his piercing green eyes seemed to glow. He was unlike anyone she had ever seen—otherworldly, dangerous, and yet strangely familiar.
"You shouldn't be here," she called, gripping the dagger tightly.
The man stepped closer, his movements graceful and deliberate. "Neither should you," he said, his voice deep and smooth.
"Who are you?"
He stopped a few feet away, his gaze locking onto hers. "My name is Kael Duskbane. And you, Aria Silversky, are not what you think you are."
Aria's blood ran cold. "How do you know my name?"
Kael smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. "Because I've been looking for you."