Cursed by the alpha's mark

The Blackthorn Pack's held their ceremonies underneath an ancient oak tree, its branches reaching to the starless sky. Torches surrounded the ceremonial grounds, casting shadows across the ground that was already touched by frost. Anticipation surrounded the air, the scent of pine was heavy, woodsmoke, and the musky undertone of the restless pack. Lia Blackwood stood alone at one edge of the gathering, her heart was racing fast in her chest. The Moon Ceremony was about to begin, the sacred ritual where the Moon Goddess revealed fated mates.

At twenty-two, Lia had dreamed of this night since she was a pup, her wolf yearning for the one destined to complete her soul.Her simple gray dress clung to her frame, its hem frayed from years of wear. She ignored the sidelong glances and whispered sneers from the pack. "Half-witch," a beta's mate hissed to another. "She was tainted by her mother's blood." Lia's jaw tightened, her silver eyes narrowed. Her mother was a witch, a coven outcast who had died giving birth to her, leaving Lia to live with the burden of her hybrid nature. Half-werewolf, half-witch, she'd never fully belonged in Blackthorn. But the Moon Goddess didn't err. If she found a mate, he'd be her guide, see her strength, how loyal she is, maybe he would see her heart. The crowd parted, and Alpha Kael walked into the path that was being cleared. At twenty-six, he was already one of the strongest alpha, tall with broad shoulders, with black hair that fell in waves and amber eyes that burned like molten gold. His presence made the whole pack silent, he commanded both respect and fear in equally. Kael had been the alpha of Blackthorn since his father's death five years ago, his ruthless leadership transformed the pack into being a powerhouse. Lia's heart skipped a beat as his gaze paused on her while it was sweeping through the crowd.Her wolf surged, Mate was being roaref in her mind.The bond snapped into place, a golden thread connecting her soul to Kael's. Lia went weak on her knees from the weight of it, a warmth flooding her chest. The Alpha was her fated mate? She took a step forward instinctively, her silver eyes met with his. For a split, she saw something in his expression, hunger, perhaps, or was it finally recognition. Her lips parted, her inside filled with hope.Then his face turned into a snarl."You?" Kael's voice was a low growl, sharp enough to slice through the silence. The pack turned, their eyes pinning Lia like a deer in a hunter's sights. "A half-witch as my Luna?"Lia's stomach lurched, the warmth of the bond curdling into dread. She lifted her chin, forcing her voice steady. "The Moon Goddess chose me, Alpha. The bond doesn't lie.""Chose you?" Kael's laughter was a cruel blade, echoing in her head. He stepped closer to her. His scent, leather, cedar, and raw power, overwhelmed all her senses. "You are a mistake. Tainted. Unworthy of Blackthorn."The words struck deeper than claws. Lia's wolf wailed within her. She clenched her fists tightly nails were digging into her palms. "You feel it too, Kael. Deny it all you want, but the bond is real."His amber eyes flashed, and for a heartbeat, she thought he'd falter. Pain flickered in his gaze, quickly buried beneath cold resolve. "I don't need a witch's spawn at my side," he spat. He raised a hand,his claws extending and filled with dark and unnatural energy. Lia froze, her witch senses could feel danger. This wasn't wolf magic-it was something older,forbidden."I reject you, Lia Blackwood," Kael snarled. "You'll never be my mate."Agony exploded in her chest, the mate bond shattering like glass. Lia gasped, falling to the ground on her knees. But that wasn't all. Kael's darkened claws slashed across her collarbone, a small fire where they met her skin. She screamed, the sound raw as a cursed mark appeared into her flesh-a jagged crescent moon, pulsing with ominous energy. The pack shocked, then erupted into jeers. "Witch!" a warrior shouted. "Banish her!"Lia clutched the mark, her vision swimming. The curse went deep, bounding her wolf's strength, her magic also dwindling. Her silver eyes met Kael's, searching for a anything she could hold on to. She found none. His face was covered in disgust and anger."Get out, leave Blackthorn," he said, his voice low and final. "If you ever think of returning, I'll personally kill you."Tears filled Lia's eyes, but she didn't to let them fall. She staggered to her feet, the mark felt like it was online and in sync with every her every heartbeat. The pack's taunts surrounded her-"Freak!" "Cursed!"-but she tuned them out. "You will regret this," she whispered, trying to steady her voice despite the pain. "I swear it on the Moon Goddess."She turned, her legs trembling, and stumbled toward the forest. The pack's jeers followed, but Lia didn't look back. The cursed mark kept burning hotter. She placed her hand to her stomach, where a faint pulse of life had stirred days ago. Kael's child, a secret she hadn't dared voice. The realization steeled her resolve. She needed to survive, not for herself alone, but also for her baby growing inside her.Hours later, Lia collapsed by a frozen stream. The forest was silent, the moon covered by a veil of clouds. The cursed mark pulsed, draining her energy, but Lia's mind raced. She'd heard of rogue lands to the south, where outcasts carved out their own packs. Or perhaps a witch coven might take her in, if she could find one willing to defy Blackthorn. Her fingers brushed the mark, its heat a constant reminder of Kael's betrayal."I'll protect you," she murmured to her unborn child, her voice fierce. "No matter what."As dawn painted the sky in shades of gray, Lia stood, her silver eyes glinting with defiance. Kael thought he'd broken her. He thought the curse would bury her. He was wrong. She'd survive. She'd grow stronger. And one day, she'd return to make him pay.

The forest was thick and huge; it swallowed Lia as she stumbled through tangled underbrush. It was barely dawn, the sky was beautiful but she couldn't appreciate it cause she was exhausted. Each step she took sent some kind of pain through the cursed mark. Her wolf, that was now silent which was not natural cause it has always been a fierce in her mind, weakened by the curse. Her witch magic also, usually a warm feeling an untapped energy in her core-felt like dust, almost nonexistent . Lia gritted her teeth, one hand placed on her stomach. She wasn't running for herself alone anymore.

The faint life inside her, Kael's child, was the only thing pushing her forward through pain.Her boots deeped into the muddy parts of the once stream now frozen with ice, cold water water slipping through the worn leather. She'd been on the move for hours, maybe even days-the concept of time was no longer important as she was fatigue and scared. Blackthorn's territory was far behind, but safety was a distant dream. Lone wolves didn't survive long, especially not hybrids branded with a curse. Lia's silver eyes darted to the trees, half-expecting Kael's enforcers to emerge from the mist. Had he sent them to ensure she never returned? Or did he trust his dark magic to finish her?A twig snapped. Lia froze, her senses straining despite the curse's dampening effect. Her wolf growled faintly, a ghost of its former strength. She crouched behind a fallen log, heart racing, her breath shallow to avoid detection. Footsteps crunched closer, deliberate but not stealthy. Not a wolf-too clumsy. A human? No, the scent was wrong: earth, blood, and something feral. A rogue."Who's there?" a rough voice called, male and edged with suspicion.Lia weighed her options. Running was risky-the curse sapped her strength, and her legs trembled from exhaustion. Fighting was out of the question; her claws wouldn't extend, and her magic was a faint sputter. She stood slowly, hands raised to show she meant no harm. "Just passing through," she said, voice hoarse from disuse. "You can relax, I am not a threat."He came out from the shadows of the mist, he looked battle scarred and muscular, he had long brown hair and dull green eyes, he sized her up. His boots caked with mud. "You are not just a random stray," he said, sniffing the air. "Blackthorn scent, but... something else. Witch?"Lia got tensed up, her hand getting ready to go for the dagger at her belt. "And?"He smirked, revealing a chipped tooth. "Name's Torren. I lead a rogue camp south of here. You're either running from something or to something. Which is it?""Running," Lia admitted, her voice low. "From Blackthorn."Torren's eyes narrowed, lingering on the cursed mark peeking from her torn dress. The jagged crescent glowed faintly, pulsing with her heartbeat. "That's no ordinary wound. Alpha Kael's work?"Her silence confirmed it. Torren whistled low. "You've got guts, crossing him. Come with me. My camp's no paradise, but it's better than dying alone out here."Lia's instincts screamed caution. Rogues were outcasts-wolves who'd abandoned pack laws, often violent and unpredictable. But she had no allies, no plan. The mark flared, sending a wave of nausea through her-her pregnancy, already complicating her survival. "Why help me?" she asked, eyes narrowing.Torren shrugged, his smirk fading. "We rogues stick together. Besides, anyone who pisses off Kael is worth knowing. You coming or not?"With no better option, Lia nodded. The rogue camp was not too far, hidden in the thickness of the forest where patched up tents and huts were built around a smoldering fire pit. A dozen and half rogues,men, women, and a few wary children all watching her arrival. Their scents were a chaotic mix: wolves, half-breeds, even a faint trace of vampire blood. Outcasts, like her, bound by survival rather than loyalty.Torren led her to Mara, a wiry woman with gray-streaked hair and a healer's satchel slung over her shoulder. "She's got a curse," Torren said, nodding at Lia's mark. "Can you help?"Mara's eyes widened as she peeled back Lia's collar to examine the crescent. "Dark magic," she muttered, her fingers hovering over the mark without touching it. "Not wolf-made. Old, maybe from a blood pact. It's draining her life force." She looked at Lia's pale face, then to the hand resting protectively on her stomach. "You're pregnant. The curse could harm the pup."Lia's heart stuttered, fear spiking. "Will you be able to stop it?" she asked, voice almost inaudible .Mara shook her head, her expression grim. "I can slow it with herbs, maybe a warding spell, but breaking it? That's beyond me. You need a witch stronger than whoever fueled Kael's claws-someone who knows blood magic."Lia's mind reeled. Kael had used forbidden magic to curse her-why? To ensure she'd never challenge his rejection? Or was it personal, a twisted punishment for her hybrid blood? She pushed the questions aside. Survival came first, for her and her child. "Do what you can," she told Mara.Over the next week, Lia settled into the rogue camp, an uneasy guest among outcasts. The rogues were rough but not cruel. Torren taught her to hunt without her wolf, relying on traps and stealth, his gruff demeanor softening as she proved her grit. Mara's herbal poultices dulled the mark's pain, though it never stopped burning, and her warding spells kept the curse from spreading-for now. At night, Lia layed down on a blanket in a shared tent, her hand on her stomach, whispering to her unborn child. "We'll survive," she vowed. "I'll find a way to keep you safe."But safety was fleeting. One evening, as Lia helped Mara grind herbs by the fire pit, a scout burst into camp, his face slick with sweat. "Blackthorn wolves," he panted, clutching his side. "Three miles out, moving fast. They're tracking a scent."Lia's blood ran cold. Kael's enforcers. Had he learned she'd survived? Or worse-did he sense the child she carried, a bond even his rejection couldn't sever? The camp erupted into chaos, rogues grabbing weapons and shouting orders. Torren appeared, his axe gleaming in the firelight. "We fight or we run," he said, his green eyes locking on Lia. "Your call."Her silver eyes hardened. She wasn't the broken girl who'd fled Blackthorn. The curse might weaken her, but it hadn't killed her spirit. She gripped the dagger Torren had given her, its weight steadying her trembling hands. "We fight," she said, her voice ringing with defiance. "I'm done running."Mara grabbed her arm, eyes wide. "Lia, if Kael's enforcers find you, they'll kill you-and the child."Lia's hand tightened on her stomach, the faint pulse of life grounding her. "They won't," she said. "Not if I stop them first."As howls echoed through the ravine, closer now, a chill ran through her. Kael's wolves were relentless, and the cursed mark burned hotter, as if sensing their approach. Lia glanced at the rogues-her unlikely allies-and steeled herself. Kael wanted her dead, but he'd underestimated her. This time, she'd fight back. But as the first wolf's silhouette appeared on the ridge, a familiar amber glow in its eyes, Lia's heart sank. It wasn't just enforcers. Kael himself was coming.

The forest echoing from birds fleeing as the Blackthorn wolves were closing in. Lia's heart ran riot, pounding fast, she tightened her grip on the dagger Torren gave to her. The rogue camp was destabilised, rogues searching for weapons, mothers taking their children and hiding in tents, and Torren giving last minute orders. The mark on Lia's flared, it was almost as if it could sense Kael's presence. She was at the edge of the camp, her eyes scanning the round before locking on a wolf, its amber eyes glowing like twin embers. Kael.

Not just his enforcers-he'd come himself."Why's he here?" Mara whispered, her gray-streaked hair whipping in the wind as she joined Lia. The healer clutched a satchel of herbs, her face pale. "No Alpha leaves his pack to chase a reject."Lia's stomach churned. Did Kael sense the child she carried, a bond even his rejection couldn't break? Or was it the curse, calling him to finish what he'd started? "He wants me dead," she said, voice steady despite the fear clawing her chest. "I won't let him win."Torren strode over, his axe slung over his shoulder. "Three wolves, maybe four," he said, squinting at the ridge. "Kael's leading. His betas are fast, but we've got the terrain. We can hold them off."Lia nodded, her resolve hardening. She wasn't the broken girl who'd fled Blackthorn a week ago. The rogues, rough as they were, had given her a chance to survive-for her child's sake, she'd fight. "Set traps at the ravine's mouth," she said. "Draw them in and flank them."Torren raised a brow, a flicker of respect in his green eyes. "You've got a head for this. Done." He turned, shouting to the rogues to rig snares and sharpen stakes.Mara grabbed Lia's arm, her grip firm. "The curse is worsening," she warned, glancing at the mark. "Fighting will strain you. If it spreads to the pup..." Her voice trailed off, but the fear in her eyes spoke volumes.Lia's hand flew to her stomach, the faint pulse of life grounding her. "I don't have a choice," she said. "If Kael finds me, he'll kill us both."Mara hesitated, then pressed a vial of murky liquid into Lia's hand. "Drink this. It'll boost your strength, maybe wake your wolf for a bit. But it won't last long."Lia downed the bitter concoction, grimacing as it burned her throat. A spark flared in her core-her wolf stirring, faint but alive. She handed the vial back, nodding her thanks, and joined the rogues at the ravine's mouth.

Traps had been set: pits hidden under leaves filled with spikes, boulders waiting to be dropped. The rogues waiting in the shadows, weapons ready .The howls grew louder, joined by the crunch of paws on gravel. Lia's heart raced as four wolves with dark furs burst into the scene. Kael led them, his massive black form unmistakable, his amber eyes locked on her. Two betas flanked him, their teeth bared, while a third wolf-a lean female with a scarred muzzle-hung back, sniffing the air."Now!" Torren roared.The traps sprang. A boulder crashed down, forcing the betas to scatter. One yelped as a spiked pit snared its leg, blood staining the dirt. Lia lunged, her dagger flashing, aiming for the scarred female. Her wolf surged briefly, lending her speed, but the curse clawed at her strength, the mark burning like fire. The female dodged, snapping at Lia's arm. Pain seared through her as teeth grazed her skin, but Lia drove her dagger into the wolf's flank, sending it limping back.Kael's growl shook the ravine. He shifted mid-stride, his human form towering as he charged toward Lia. His amber eyes filled with fury and something else, a shadow of what looked like pain that caught her off guard. "You should be dead," he snarled, his voice raw. "Why are you still fighting?"Lia's silver eyes flashed. "Because you don't get to decide my fate." She threw a handful of Mara's blinding powder, a witch trick her mother had taught her. Kael staggered, coughing, but his claws slashed out, grazing her shoulder. The cursed mark flared, stealing her breath, and her knees buckled.Torren tackled Kael from the side, his axe swinging. "Get back, Lia!" he shouted. The rogues swarmed, overwhelming the betas, but Kael was a storm. He threw Torren off, his strength unnatural, fueled by the same dark magic that had cursed her. Lia scrambled to her feet, the vial's boost fading, her wolf retreating. She couldn't win this-not like this."Kael!" she shouted, desperation rising. "You want me? Let the others go!"His head snapped toward her, eyes narrowing. The bond flickered-a ghost of the connection he'd shattered. He looked down to her stomach, and his expression shifted, a mixture of confusion and rage. "What are you not telling me, what are you hiding?" he growled, stepped closer. He sniffed the air, he caught a scent he couldn't place.She panicked. He couldn't know about the child-not yet. Lia backed away, dagger raised, but the curse pulsed, draining her. Mara's warning echoed: The curse could harm the pup. She had to end this. Drawing on her fading magic, Lia whispered a spell her mother had taught her-a burst of light to blind and disorient. It flared, weak but enough to make Kael flinch."Run!" Lia screamed to the rogues. Torren hesitated, then nodded, rallying the others to fall back. Lia stumbled after them, her vision swimming as the curse tightened its grip. The rogues vanished into the forest, but Kael's howl followed, closer than before.Lia collapsed against a tree, gasping for air. The mark became hotter than it ever had , and a sharp pain twisted in her abdomen, taking her breath. Her hand flew to her stomach, consumed with fear. The baby-was the curse attacking it? Mara's words rang in her ears: You need a witch stronger than whoever fueled Kael's claws. She needed help, and fast, or she'd lose everything.A rustle in the bushes made her spin, dagger raised despite her trembling hands. But it wasn't Kael. A woman stepped out, cloaked in black, her eyes glowing violet under a hood. Her presence hummed with power, the air around her crackling with witch magic. "You're the one Kael cursed," she said, her voice low and melodic, like a song laced with danger. "I can help you, hybrid. I can break the curse and save your child. But it comes at a price."Lia's breath hitched. A savior or a trap? The woman's violet eyes gleamed with knowing, as if she saw straight through Lia's fears. "What price?" Lia asked, her voice hoarse.The witch smiled, sharp and unreadable. "Your loyalty. Join my coven, and I'll teach you to wield the power Kael fears. Refuse, and the curse will claim you both."Another cramp hit, sharper this time, and Lia gasped, clutching her stomach. Kael's howls grew louder, his scent closing in. She had seconds to decide. Trust a stranger whose magic reeked of secrets, or face Kael and risk her child's life? The witch extended a hand, her nails glinting like obsidian. "Choose now, Lia Blackwood," she said. "Or the Alpha will choose for you."As Kael's silhouette appeared through the trees, his amber eyes locked on her, Lia's heart raced. The witch's offer was her only hope-but at what cost?