Moon Marked

2| Mark of Torment

I could feel the ache of it shoot right down my spine.

She didn't even back down as I caught her in the act of her patient perusal of me, the obvious purpose in my gaze mirroring her surprise. I tilted my head towards her in amusement, but before I could do anything about it, she disappeared behind the ledge.

There was no doubting the conviction of my wolf when I felt the neediness flourish in my chest from her sudden absence.

That woman—whoever she was, had to be my mate.

I hadn't seen the mark she had or whether or not it matched my own, but I knew with almost unwavering certainty that she had to be mine.

Unless. Unless—this was all part of some sort of test.

Maybe the moon was taunting me again, punishing me with the thought of a beautiful woman who was not meant for my hands or my bed. Maybe the witches were testing me to see if I was still worthy so that history would not have the opportunity to repeat itself all over again.

Nonetheless. I took a step towards her, on the verge of risking it all—

"Alpha Adriel," I was interrupted, a voice calling to me before I could make my mistake. I reluctantly pulled my gaze away from the faraway roof and settled my attention on a much more discerning type of woman. "You must have had a long journey from the mountains, let me show you to a place where you can take your rest." The matron said simply, pursing her lips as she took me in. The judgement was clear in her eyes, still—she extended her arm and requested that I should follow her.

I fought the urge to turn my back and look towards the roof once again, hoping to catch a glimpse of the woman that was showered in the favour of the moon, but I knew it would do me no good.

Instead, I followed the matron across the clearing until we reached a building built from white clay and glass. It stood tall and spanned across a substantial amount of land, its extravagance a contrast to the purpose it held, built larger than any of the homes that I had even built within my own pack lands and used more sparingly too.

The matron didn't hesitate as she walked me through the front doors, my body taut with tension as she paused to offer me a drink in the entryway.

"You are the second Alpha to arrive here tonight," She let me know as I welcomed the glass of red wine, knocking it back in one heavy gulp. "We expect the third to be here soon." She extended her arm again, leading me down a corridor and towards another set of doors.

"When all Alphas have arrived, we will brief you all on the rules you will have to uphold on your stay here. As guests of this sanctuary, your fate is in the hands of the magic that flows through this place—and to the witches who provide this for us, they do not look kindly to those who disregard their traditions." Her words held a sudden sharpness, her gaze piercing like she could see all the way through me.

She knew my name.

She knew the name of the pack I held rank over.

Surely, she had heard the whispers about it too—and yet, she still did not make a remark about it.

I nodded my head, thankful that for once I did not have to fight for a place that had every right to be mine. Something like surprise flared in her eyes as she took in the scent of my gratitude, but then she shook her head and took a step away from me.

"Make yourself comfortable, Alpha Adriel." She said, turning on her heel before she walked out of the room and closed the doors behind her.

My heart was a dull pressure in my chest as I took in my surroundings, hating the look of the bare white walls and rigid furniture.