CHAPTER 38: THE SHADOW WOLVES

The three wolves stared down at her, and she could only stare back at them. Their features were lost to her. She had no idea what they looked like, not even the colour of their fur. All she could see were the faintly glowing eyes cutting through the darkness as they circled her slowly, step by step, like predators deciding whether or not to strike.

She kept herself perfectly still. Her wolf screamed at her to move, to run, to do anything but remain rooted in place. Yet she forced herself to stay calm. She had to remind herself again and again that this was likely in her mind, a test of some kind. That she was prepared for this moment. That she knew exactly what she was doing. The Shadow Wolves were the protectors of their race. They would not harm her. They couldn’t... could they?

Suddenly, one of the three stepped forward.

"Do you know what you have done?"

The voice was cold, no louder than a whisper, but it carried weight like thunder rolling through her chest. The pressure in the words made her feel slightly sick, as if the air itself thickened around her. A shiver ran the length of her spine before she could stop it.

She nodded once, not trusting herself to speak.

The wolf’s eyes burned brighter. "You are willing to pay the price?"

For this, she hesitated. Because the truth was, she didn’t know. She had no idea what the price would be. She had searched and questioned for so long, trying to find the answers, and yet every path had led to silence. No one had ever told her what it might cost.

But she nodded again. Whatever it was, whatever the price may be, she was willing to pay it.

Her answer did not soothe him. Instead, it seemed to ignite something darker. The wolf’s stance shifted, the air around him growing heavier, his gaze sharp enough to slice through her composure as his anger rolled off him in a low, almost inaudible growl- as if he wanted to attack her.

And she braced herself for what might come next.

Just as she felt the wolf might actually kill her, another one stepped forward, closing in on her," You have one chance. Think again. We will momentarily protect you, give you a chance to escape from your pack so you don’t have to do this."

She shivered at the tone of the voice as the third wolf growled, as if protesting giving her a chance. But she could only nod. No. It was not enough to run away. She would be caught again. She needed to escape this place well so that she would be able to get her revenge in the future.

The first wolf stepped closer until the glow of his eyes was all she could see.

"Then speak it," he ordered, his voice cutting through the night like a blade. "Repeat the vow after me. Word for word. Once spoken, there is no breaking it."

Her throat felt tight, but she nodded. The wolf’s tone deepened, cold and deliberate.

"From this moment, until death takes me, I belong to the three Alphas."

She echoed softly, "From this moment... until death takes me, I belong to the three Alphas."

"My body, my life, my soul—I surrender them all."

"My body, my life, my soul... I surrender them all."

"No law, no bond, no man will ever claim me but you."

"No law, no bond, no man will ever claim me but you."

"Until my last breath, I will obey. Until the end, I will serve."

"Until my last breath, I will obey. Until the end, I will serve."

"This is the price I give."

"This is the price I give."

When the final words left her mouth, the air shifted, and the three wolves, which had been away, walked closer. "Bare your neck.."

She did. She knew what was coming and braced herself for it.

And then, the wolf, the one with the coldest aura, stepped closer and closer, until she could feel his breath on top of her head. She shivered and closed her eyes, wanting to stay still and not let her terror overtake her. Suddenly, she felt teeth sink into her neck. She jerked and bit down her lips as sensations that she had never known ran through her.

Immediately, the wolf stepped back, but before she could breathe a sigh of relief, another one took its place, letting its teeth sink into the same place. She gasped at the sensations. They were each hot and almost painful but almost different too. It felt as if the wolves’ essence itself was binding into her soul. The third wolf came next and she received another quick, sharp bite, and she could now feel the power running through her. Her own wolf whimpered and yet, it seemed to be trying to get close to the warmth instead of moving away from it.

Before she could move, a rough tongue licked over the sting and she felt her body go limp, the tension escaping her slowly. And then she felt a small whisper beside her ear, "Go to the Stormhold Pack after your heat has passed. Follow the princes."

Before she could answer, her legs gave way and the world tilted.

The three wolves began to fade, their shapes melting into the darkness until nothing remained but silence. She wanted to scream. Were they not going to take her with them? How was she supposed to escape the Moonville territory then? But all those questions remained unanswered as she lost her consciousness.

It was only as her eyes closed that she felt her skin burning where the wolves had bitten her. Her hand moved, trying to soothe the burning, making her feel as if her skin was being branded, but she could not touch it. And that is when three distinct marks appeared on her neck... Marks as if she had been branded.