Chapter 6 Blood And Bond

• The next morning, Mooncrest Academy felt wrong.
• Too quiet. Too still. Even the wind that usually carried the scent of pine and mist seemed to hesitate.
• Whispers spread before first bell.
• Someone had spotted wolves—rogues—beyond the east wall at dawn.
• By the time I got to class, every student was on edge. Vanessa and Tessa sat together, whispering loud enough for everyone to hear.
• “Bet they’re here for her,” Tessa murmured.
• Vanessa smirked. “Wouldn’t be the first time trouble follows the stray.”
• I ignored them, even though my heart was pounding. That burning ache under my collarbone—where the mark rested—had started again. Not sharp, but steady, pulsing with something I didn’t understand.
• The air shifted.
• Lucien entered. His scent hit before I saw him—cedarwood, smoke, and rain. My wolf stirred inside me, restless and aware.
• His eyes locked on mine instantly, as if he’d felt my unease. You okay? he mouthed.
• I nodded… but before I could breathe again, the academy alarms wailed.
• Screams. The sound of crashing glass.
• And then — the scent of blood.
• Lucien was out of his chair in seconds. “Stay here!” he ordered.
• But I was already moving.
• Something deep in my chest snapped awake, urging me toward the chaos outside. I ran down the corridor, ignoring the shouts, until I reached the courtyard.
• Rogues. At least six of them—feral eyes, black fur matted with blood. The guards were trying to contain them, but they were strong. Too strong.
• And they were looking for something.
• No—someone.
• Me.
• I froze. The nearest rogue turned its gaze toward me and growled, a guttural sound that sent a shiver down my spine.
• Before it could leap, a blur of motion slammed into it midair—Lucien, in wolf form, silver-gray and magnificent. He tore into the rogue with ruthless precision, his snarl echoing across the courtyard.
• The others lunged forward, and chaos erupted.
• I wanted to move, to help, but the mark on my skin burned hotter than ever. My pulse raced. The world spun—light and sound melting together.
• Then I heard a voice—not Lucien’s.
• Scarlet… let me in.
• Pain surged through me. I fell to my knees, clutching my chest as the mark began to glow—a deep crimson light that pulsed with each heartbeat.
• Every rogue stopped mid-fight, whimpering. Even Lucien froze, eyes wide.
• The energy exploded outward like a wave. Rogues screamed and stumbled back, their bodies writhing as if something unseen burned through their veins. Then, just as suddenly, they fled—howling into the woods.
• Silence.
• I blinked, disoriented, trembling as Lucien shifted back and ran toward me. He was bleeding from a deep cut on his shoulder, but his focus never wavered.
• “Scarlet,” he breathed, kneeling beside me. “What just happened?”
• “I—I don’t know,” I gasped. My hands were shaking, glowing faintly red. “They were after me. I could feel it.”
• Lucien’s hand brushed mine. The moment his skin touched my wrist, the glow softened. The burning mark dimmed to a faint ember.
• We both stared at it, then at each other.
• Something electric passed between us—an invisible tether, thrumming with recognition.
• Lucien’s eyes darkened, his voice almost a growl. “This… this isn’t normal.”
• “I think it’s the mark,” I whispered. “It reacts when I’m in danger.”
• Lucien exhaled shakily. “Or when I’m near you.”
• The words hung between us—heavy, real, terrifying.
• And as the sirens faded, and guards rushed in to secure the grounds, I realized something that made my heart stop:
• The rogues hadn’t come to kill me.
• They’d come to test me.
• And whatever I was… I’d just proven I wasn’t ordinary.