The moment the book touched her skin, a sharp, warm tingle ran down her wrist. She gasped, pulling back, only to see a pale, silvery sigil glowing where the edge of the leather cover had brushed her skin. It was shaped like a crescent moon wrapped in delicate runes, twisting and shifting as though it were alive.
Her fingers hovered over it. It wasn't painful, but it burned with power, a magic she had never felt before. The whispers she had heard from the book grew louder now, soft and demanding, like the air itself was speaking to her.
The Alpha was immediately aware. His eyes locked onto her wrist, silver pupils widening slightly. He took a step closer, his breath low and measured, scent of wild pine heavy in the night air.
"You shouldn't have this," he said, voice rough, almost frantic. "That mark… it's forbidden. Only mates… only witches… can hold it."
Her heart thumped painfully. "W-what does that mean?" she asked, voice trembling.
He reached out, brushing his fingers lightly against her wrist. The sigil pulsed under his touch, reacting to him as if alive. His expression darkened, a mix of awe and warning in his silver eyes.
"This mark," he murmured, "chooses its bearer. And now it has chosen you."
She swallowed hard, staring at the glowing crescent. "Chosen me for what?"
Before he could answer, the forest shifted again. Leaves rustled violently, shadows moving in ways that didn't belong. His senses sharpened instantly, body tensing, eyes scanning the darkness.
"They're coming," he said, voice low but urgent. "I have to take you somewhere safe. Now."
Her pulse raced, and the book hummed in her hands, almost urging her to move. She didn't know if it was fear or exhilaration that made her legs shake, but instinctively, she followed him into the trees, the glow from her wrist lighting their path like a beacon in the dark forest.
He moved through the forest with effortless speed, guiding her over roots and through undergrowth as though he knew every step by heart. The book pulsed in her hands, brightening with every step, and the mark on her wrist flared in response to his presence. It was as if the magic recognized him too, binding them in ways she didn't yet understand.
"Stay close," he warned, his voice low and commanding. "The mark… it draws attention. Dangerous attention."
She stumbled slightly, and he reached out instinctively, catching her wrist with a firm but careful grip. The warmth of his hand against hers sent a shock through her chest she wasn't prepared for. "You're shaking," he observed, tone softer now, almost protective.
"I… I can't help it," she admitted, eyes wide as the forest shadows seemed to lean closer. "It's… it's too much."
He didn't answer immediately. Instead, he kept his gaze forward, scanning the treeline, every muscle in his body taut with readiness. "The mark isn't just a symbol," he said finally. "It links you to forces older than this forest, older than any pack. You don't know what you're carrying."
Her heart thumped wildly. "What will happen to me?"
He glanced at her quickly, silver eyes flickering with something she couldn't name—concern, possessiveness, and something darker. "For now, you survive. That's all that matters. Once we reach the pack, we figure out what comes next."
The wind shifted, carrying a faint sound that made his body go rigid. His nostrils flared, and his gaze snapped toward the direction of the noise.
"Two more," he muttered under his breath, voice tight with warning. "Two more alphas have sensed you."
Her stomach dropped. She had thought only he had noticed her, only he had tracked the magic. The thought that others were already aware of her… it made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end.
He didn't waste a moment. Taking her hand again, he pulled her along faster, deeper into the shadows of the forest, the glow from her wrist and the book casting flickering light over the trees as the first distant howls echoed through the night.
The howls came again, louder this time, cutting through the stillness of the forest like knives. Her heart hammered painfully as the Alpha tightened his grip on her wrist, guiding her through the undergrowth with precision and urgency. Every step felt like running on glass, the tension in the air pressing down on her chest.
"They're close," he murmured, voice low but firm. "And they won't stop until they find you… until they claim you."
She glanced at the glowing mark on her wrist. It pulsed as if echoing his words, sending heat curling up her arm. "Claim me? But why me?" she whispered, fear and disbelief threading her voice.
He didn't answer immediately. His silver eyes scanned the treeline constantly, alert to every rustle and shadow. Then he spoke, slow and deliberate, every word weighted with meaning. "Because the book chose you. The mark chose you. And now… every Alpha in the region strong enough to feel its awakening will want you."
The forest seemed to close in around them, the shadows stretching longer, moving in rhythm with the pounding of her heart.
Her breath caught as another howl split the air, closer than the last. Her pulse surged, adrenaline sharp in her veins.
He stopped abruptly and turned to face her, placing both hands on her shoulders, holding her steady even as the wind tugged at her hair and the trees groaned overhead. His gaze drilled into hers, intense, unyielding.
"You need to understand this," he said, voice almost a growl. "You are not just carrying a book. You are carrying power, danger… and the attention of three Alphas who will not ignore it."
She swallowed hard, trying to steady her shaking hands around the glowing book. "Three… Alphas?"
A distant howl answered her question, echoing through the forest with a promise of pursuit and obsession.
He nodded, jaw tightening. "Yes. And they are already on their way."
Her stomach twisted, a mixture of fear, exhilaration, and something else—something dangerous and thrilling—as she realized that her life had changed forever. The hunt for her, for the magic, for her very fate, had begun.