Marked by Fire

That night, Aurelia dreamed of flames again.

Not the fire that killed her—but the one she carried now. The one that lived beneath her skin, humming with power, whispering her vengeance with every heartbeat.

She stood in a dark forest. The moon was high and full. Her hands glowed with witchlight, and a voice echoed all around her. A woman's voice—familiar, ancient, and heavy with prophecy.

"The second mark is born in blood. The fire that burns shall awaken the bond. If he loves her, he dies. If she loves him, she falls."

Aurelia opened her mouth to speak, but flames erupted from the ground, swallowing the trees, the stars, the moon—

She awoke with a gasp.

Her sheets were drenched in sweat. Her heart pounded. And the skin over her chest—right above where her heart should be—burned.

She pushed down her tunic and saw it.

The mark.

It had grown.

What once was a faint crescent etched in silver now shimmered like a brand, glowing dimly with golden heat. The bond was deepening. Strengthening. Reacting.

Damn the Moon Goddess.

Aurelia climbed out of bed and padded silently to the window. The forest beyond the Bloodfang Packhouse glowed under the silver light, deceptively peaceful.

But peace was never hers to hold.

Behind her, the bedroom door creaked.

She turned sharply.

Kael.

Barefoot. Shirtless. Jaw clenched.

His chest rose and fell like he'd been running. Or dreaming.

He stared at her with a look she didn't like—raw, confused… desperate.

"I can't sleep," he said.

She arched a brow. "Is that my problem, Alpha?"

"I saw you," he whispered.

Her spine stiffened.

"In my dream," he clarified. "You were standing in fire. Your hair was white. Your eyes were gold. And you said my name like you knew what I'd done."

Her throat dried.

"What do you think it means?" she asked, voice quiet.

Kael took a step forward. "I don't know. But I've never had dreams like that. Never… felt anything like this."

Another step.

Too close.

She backed up.

He followed.

His eyes dropped to her collarbone. To the faint shimmer of the mark glowing through her skin. He didn't recognize it—but his wolf did.

His fingers hovered near the fabric of her shirt. "What is that?"

"Nothing," she lied, tugging the collar higher. "You should go."

But Kael didn't move. His jaw tightened, and he whispered, "I feel like I'm losing my mind."

"Maybe you are."

"I know I shouldn't want you. I don't even know you. And still—" His voice cracked. "You smell like a memory I never had."

She hated how much those words burned.

Kael leaned in, just a breath between them. "Tell me who you are."

If he kissed her now, the bond might fully awaken.

If he touched her mark, it might brand them both.

And if that happened—he would die.

The prophecy had been clear.

"If he loves her, he dies."

Aurelia stepped away. Her voice was cold again. "I'm no one. Just an orphan you found at the gate, remember?"

Kael's face shuttered. Hurt flickered across his features, quickly masked by pride.

"Right," he said stiffly. "Just a girl with no past."

He turned to leave—but paused at the door. "Stay away from me, Ember."

She didn't answer.

Because deep down, she wasn't sure she could.

The next morning, training resumed as usual—but something had shifted.

Kael wasn't there.

Instead, Cassian led the drills, his eyes sharp, his gaze never far from Aurelia.

After a brutal round of hand-to-hand combat, he approached her.

"You've fought before," he said.

Aurelia blinked. "I told you—I don't remember."

Cassian circled her slowly. "That story's wearing thin. You move like someone trained by the Ancients. And your reaction time? Not human."

"I'm not human," she said. "I'm a wolf. Aren't we all?"

Cassian's voice dropped. "Are you?"

Before she could answer, a raven cawed overhead.

A black one. With silver eyes.

Aurelia stiffened.

The raven circled once, then dove straight toward her, landing on the edge of the sparring ring.

It opened its beak and spoke.

In the old tongue.

"She who was burned has returned. Fire-wrapped. Bloodbound. Twice-marked. The curse awakens."

Gasps echoed all around.

The raven vanished into smoke.

Cassian snarled. "What the hell was that?"

Aurelia forced her knees to buckle, dropping to the ground like she was dizzy.

"I—I don't know," she whispered, voice trembling. "What was that?"

But her magic pulsed beneath the surface.

That raven was a summon—sent by someone from her coven. A warning.

They knew.

The second mark had awakened.

And now, others would come for her.

Later that night, Aurelia sat by the moonlit window of her room, writing runes across her skin in ink made from ash and blood.

She didn't know how much longer she could keep the mask on.

Kael was breaking through it. Slowly. Stubbornly.

The bond between them was no longer just spiritual—it was magical. Tangible. And if he tried to claim her… he'd seal his fate.

She had to destroy Bloodfang before that happened.

She had to kill the bond.

Even if it meant killing him.