Chapter 2: The Mark on My Skin

Aria’s Point of View

I curled up tighter on the cold floor, my arms wrapped around my knees. That howl outside made my heart stop. It was him. The bad man. Roman. The one who hurt me before I ran away. His howl was like a knife in my chest, sharp and cold. I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to make it go away, but it echoed in my head. He was close. Too close.

The heat in my body was worse now, like fire crawling under my skin. It made my legs shake and my breath came fast. I didn’t want to feel like this. I wanted to be strong, to run again, but my body wouldn’t listen. It was like the moon was pulling me, making me feel things I don't understand.

The door creaked open. I jumped, my eyes snapping to the doorway. It was Darius. His tall frame filled the space, his gold eyes bright in the dim light. He looked at me, and I saw his jaw tighten, like he heard the howl too.

“He’s here,” I whispered. My voice was small, like a scared puppy. I hated it.

Darius nodded. He didn’t say anything at first, just stepped inside and closed the door. The lock clicked, but it didn’t make me feel safer. Roman was out there, and he wanted me back.

Darius knelt down, not too close. His eyes were soft, but his hands were fists, like he was holding back something big. “I won’t let him take you,” he said. His voice was low, like a growl, but it wasn’t mean. It made my tummy feel funny, like when you swing too high on a swing.

I shook my head. “You don’t know him. He’s strong. He’s bad. He’ll hurt you.” My throat was hurt from talking. I didn’t want Darius to get hurt because of me. I didn’t know why I cared, but I did.

Darius’s eyes didn’t leave mine. “I’m stronger,” he said. He sounded so sure, like he wasn’t scared at all. But I saw his shoulders high, like he was ready to fight.

I wanted to believe him, but the heat in my body was making it hard to think. My skin felt too tight, like it was burning. I pulled up my sleeve to scratch my arm, and that’s when I saw it. A mark on my shoulder. It was small, like a crescent moon, but it wasn’t there before. Or maybe it was, and I forgot. My heart raced. I didn’t know what it meant, but it felt wrong.

Darius saw it too. His eyes went wide, then narrow. He moved closer, slow, like he didn’t want to scare me. “Let me see,” he said.

I pulled my arm back. “Don’t touch me!” I snapped. I didn’t mean to shout, but I was scared. The mark felt like a secret I didn’t want to share.

He stopped, his hands up like he was showing he wouldn’t hurt me. “I won’t,” he said. “But that mark… it’s not mine.”

My tummy dropped. Not his? Then whose? I stared at the mark, my fingers brushing over it. It was warm, like it was alive. A picture flashed in my head. Roman’s face, his cold eyes, his hand on my arm. I gasped and pulled my sleeve down. “It’s his,” I whispered. “Roman’s.”

Darius’s face changed. His eyes got darker, like a storm. I heard a low growl in his throat, like his wolf was mad. “He claimed you,” he said. It wasn’t a question. It was like he knew.

I nodded, my eyes stinging. I didn’t want to cry, but the memory hurt. “I didn’t want it,” I said. “He made me. I was just a kid. I ran away after.”

Darius was quiet for a long time. He looked at the floor, then back at me. “We can break it,” he said. “The mark. The bond. It’s not forever.”

I blinked my eyes. “How?” My voice was shaking. I wanted to believe him, but I was scared. Roman’s mark felt like chains, holding me even though I was far away.

“There’s a way,” Darius said. “It’s called the Moon Severance. It’s a special thing, like a magic promise to the moon. It can cut the bond without hurting anyone.”

I frowned. “Magic? Like a spell?” I didn’t know much about wolf stuff, even though I was one. I spent so long running, I never learned the old stories.

Darius nodded. “It’s not easy. You have to give yourself to the moon, let it take the bond away. It means trusting me. And trusting yourself.”

I didn’t like that word trust. I didn’t trust anyone. Not after Roman. But when I looked at Darius, his eyes were steady, like a warm fire on a cold night. My body still burned, and that tug inside me was stronger when he was close. It's like my wolf knew him, even if I didn’t.

“What if it doesn’t work?” I asked. “What if Roman finds me first?”

Darius leaned closer, just a little. “He won’t,” he said. “I’ll keep you safe. I promise.”

I wanted to believe him, but another howl cut through the air. It was louder this time, closer. My heart was beating so hard I thought it would break my chest. I stood up, my back against the wall. “He’s coming,” I said. “He knows I’m here.”

Darius stood too, his body tense. He moved to the door, listening. I heard footsteps outside, heavy and fast. Voices, too, but I couldn’t make out the words. Darius turned back to me. “Stay here,” he said. “Lock the door when I leave.”

I shook my head. “Don’t go! He’ll hurt you!” My voice was loud now, panicky. I didn’t want to be alone, not with Roman so close.

Darius looked at me, his eyes soft again. “I’m not leaving you,” he said. “I’m just going to talk to my guards. We’ll stop him.”

He opened the door, and I saw shadows moving outside. Wolves. Not just one or two, but a lot of wolves. My stomach twisted. Was Roman bringing his whole pack? Darius stepped out, and I rushed to the door, locking it like he said. My hands were shaking so bad I almost dropped the key.

I pressed my ear to the door, listening. I heard Darius’s voice, strong and loud, talking to his guards. Then I heard another voice from Roman’s. It was cold, like ice. “Give her to me,” he said. “She’s mine.”

My knees went weak. I slid to the floor, hugging myself. The mark on my shoulder burned, like it was answering him. I didn’t want to go back. I’d rather die than let him take me.

Outside, Darius’s voice got louder. “She’s not yours,” he said. “Not anymore.”

I heard a growl, then a shout. Something crashed, like wood breaking. My heart beats. Were they fighting? I wanted to run out, to help Darius, but my body wouldn’t move. The heat was so bad now, I could barely stand. I closed my eyes, trying to breathe.

Then I heard a new sound. Footsteps, soft and sneaky, coming from the back of the shed. Not from the door. From somewhere else. My eyes snapped open. There was a hole in the wall, small but big enough for someone to crawl through. And someone was there.

A face appeared in the shadows. It wasn’t Roman. It was a woman, with gray hair and kind eyes. She held a finger to her lips, telling me to be quiet. “Aria,” she whispered. “I’m here to help you.”

I stared at her. My heart stopped. I knew her voice, even though I hadn’t heard it in years. It was my mom.