MARK OF THE FORSAKEN

The morning sun rose faintly, allowing dim light over the forest as if it, too, feared what the day might bring. Liana hadn't slept. Her thoughts had been a bag of mixed emotions, thinking between Ryker's offer, the mysterious symbols around her cabin, and the haunting howls she'd heard the night before.

This couldn't go on. She needed answers, and Ryker was the only one who might have them.

With her decision made, Liana stepped out of her cabin. The forest seemed awfully quiet, the stillness increasing her unease. Following her instincts, she moved toward the small clearing where she had last seen Ryker.

When she arrived, she paused. Ryker was bent down beside a large, dark-furred wolf lying on its side, breathing heavily. His hands moved carefully, applying a substance to the creature's wounded leg.

The sight shocked Liana to her bones. For all his strength and authority, Ryker looked… gentle. The Alpha who had burst into her life with a burning determination, was now attending to his injured companion with the care of someone who deeply understood pain.

"You're good with him," Liana said, her voice breaking the quietness of the situation.Ryker glanced up, his expression softening. "He's been with me since I was a boy," he replied. "He's more than just a companion—he's family."

The sincerity in his voice struck a nerve in Liana system, but she quickly shook it off. She couldn't afford to let her guard down.

"I need answers," she said, stepping closer. "If you're going to bring me into your cursed pack's problems, I deserve to know everything."

Ryker straightened, meeting her gaze. "I'll tell you what I can. But we should talk somewhere safer. The forest isn't as quiet as it seems."

Before either of them could move, a sudden rustling of leaves in the underbrush made Liana's heart seize. Ryker's behavior changed instantly. He stood, his body became tense, his eyes checking the trees carefully.

"Stay close to me," he ordered, his voice low but firm.

Liana opened her mouth to argue but stopped when the rustling grew louder. From the shadows, figures emerged—wolves, their eyes shining with anger.

"Rogues," Ryker hissed, his jaw tightening.

The wolves were lean and angry-looking, their fur disordered and their bodies marked. But what truly sent a chill through Liana was the strange, sickly glow coming from their eyes.

The curse.

Ryker stepped in front of her, his posture protective. "They've been corrupted by the curse. Stay behind me."

The first rogue jumped without warning, its movements was clumsy but seriously fast. Ryker met it head-on, shifting partially into his wolf form. His claws shone as they slashed through the air, meeting the rogue with brutal precision.

Liana shifted away, her heart pounding. She had no weapon, no idea how to defend herself. As she stumbled, another rogue wolf charged at her.Panic went through her, but then, something strange happened. Her mark, usually dormant, began to burn fiercely into her body. The sensation spread through her arm, itching and electric.

She raised her hand instinctively, and the rogue stopped mid-jump, its glowing eyes locking onto her. For a moment, it hesitated, as if struggling against an unseen force.

Then Ryker was there, fighting the rogue with a swift, powerful blow.

"What just happened?" Liana gasped, holding onto her arm.

Ryker didn't answer immediately. He was too busy fighting off another attacker. But his eyes shifted to her briefly, and in them, she saw something that looked like realization—and fear.

The fight was chaotic and brutal. Ryker moved like a force of nature, taking down rogue after rogue, but they kept coming. Liana's mark continued to burn, each pulse stronger than the last.

Finally, the rogues began to run for their dear lives into the bush, their howls sounding through the forest as they disappeared into the shadows.

Ryker stood breathing heavily, blood dripping from his arms and chest. He turned to Liana, his expression serious. "You felt it, didn't you? The power in your mark."

Liana nodded slowly, her hand shaking as she touched her arm. "What's happening to me?"

Ryker hesitated as if checking how much information to tell her. "Your mark… it doesn't just tie you to the curse. It connects you to those it affects. The power inside you can either control them—or destroy them."

Liana's breath seized. The idea of owning such power was terrifying enough for her.

"I didn't mean to do anything," she whispered. "It just… happened."

"That's the point," Ryker said, his tone urgent. "This isn't something you can ignore, Liana. It's a part of you, and if you don't learn to control it, it could destroy you—and everyone around you."

Ryker's words remained unattended because she was digesting the facts in them, and Liana felt a mix of emotions she couldn't contain. Anger, fear, confusion—they are all developing within her.

"I didn't ask for this," she snapped. "I didn't ask to be marked, to be exiled, to be dragged into your mess!"

"I know," Ryker said softly. "But you can't run from it anymore. wolves with the curse are increasing and they are spreading everywhere, and if we don't stop it, there won't be anything left to save."

Liana turned away, staring at the blood-filled ground. she knew what he said was right but just didn't want to accept it initially but now She couldn't continue hiding, not when the curse had finally gotten to her surroundings.

"What happens if I come with you?" she asked finally.

"We go to my pack," Ryker said. "We find out what your mark can do, and we use it to fight the curse. Together."

"And if I don't?"

Ryker's jaw tightened. "Then others will come for you. And they won't care about your choices."

Liana shivered. She thought of the strange symbols carved into the trees, the howls in the night. It was clear she was no longer safe here.

"Fine," she said with a whisper of her voice. "I'll go with you. But don't think for a second that I trust you."

Ryker nodded, his expression unreadable. "that's Fair enough."

As they prepared to leave, Liana couldn't forget the uneasy feeling that she was walking into something far bigger than she could understand.

She glanced at her mark, its faint glow still visible under her clothes. Whatever power was growing within her, she had no idea if it would save the pack—or destroy it.

That night, as they rested near the edge of the forest, Liana dreamed of flames and shadows. She saw the faces of wolves she didn't recognize, their eyes shining in the same cursed way as the ones she saw physically.

When she woke, her mark was burning again, and in the distance, a low, mournful howl sounded through the darkness.