Chapter 7

Anger surged inside me, cutting through the fear. “You don’t get to decide that. You rejected me, Aiden. You have no claim over me.”

His eyes flashed with something primal, something possessive. “The bond says otherwise.”

I opened my mouth to argue, but before I could speak, a sharp, burning pain shot through my chest.

I gasped, clutching my side as the pain spread like wildfire, searing through my veins. My skin felt like it was on fire, and I fell to my knees, struggling to breathe.

“Layla!” Aiden’s voice was distant, but I could feel his hands on me, trying to steady me.

The pain intensified, and I looked down at my arm, my heart stopping at the sight.

A glowing mark was appearing on my skin, twisting and curling like ancient runes. It pulsed with a strange, ethereal light, as if something deep within me was awakening.

Aiden’s eyes widened in shock, his hands hovering over the mark but not touching it. “What... what is this?”

“I don’t know,” I gasped, my body trembling from the intensity of the pain. “It’s burning.”

He cursed under his breath, his face pale as he watched the mark spread. “This... this isn’t supposed to happen.”

“What do you mean?” I demanded, barely able to speak through the agony. “What’s happening to me?”

Aiden shook his head, panic flickering in his eyes for the first time. “I don’t know. But whatever it is... it’s not normal.”

Before either of us could react, the mark flared brighter, and suddenly, everything went black.

When I woke, I was lying in the clearing, the moon high above me. The pain had faded, but the mark still glowed faintly on my arm, a reminder of whatever had just happened.

Aiden knelt beside me, his face drawn with concern. “Are you alright?” he asked softly, his voice gentler than before.

I nodded slowly, my head spinning. “What was that?”

He hesitated, his eyes lingering on the mark. “I don’t know. But we need to find out.”

As I stared up at him, a cold realization settled over me.

The moonlight flickered through the trees as Aiden helped me to my feet, his touch cautious, as if he feared triggering another painful reaction.

My body felt heavy, weighed down by the strange energy coursing through me. The mark on my arm continued to glow faintly, a reminder of the unknown now etched into my skin.

“We need to get you to the pack healer,” Aiden said, his voice firm but laced with worry.

“No,” I replied quickly, shaking my head. “We can’t. Zara... everyone will know.”

Aiden’s jaw tightened at the mention of Zara, but he didn’t argue. He was right, though, whatever this was, I needed help. But not from the pack healer. I didn’t trust anyone in Aiden’s inner circle, especially not with something like this. If Zara found out, it would only give her more reason to see me as a threat.

“I need to speak to James,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper.

Aiden’s expression darkened. “James isn’t going to help you with this.”

I swallowed hard, standing my ground despite the fear clawing at my insides. “James has been researching ancient pack lore. He knows more than you think.”

Aiden’s eyes narrowed, but he didn’t stop me. He knew I wasn’t backing down on this. Without another word, I started walking back toward the packhouse, my limbs weak but determined.

Aiden followed, silent but ever present, his gaze heavy on my back.

.................

The packhouse was quiet when I arrived, the night still clinging to the air. I made my way toward the wing where James stayed, hoping he hadn’t gone to bed yet.

The halls were dimly lit, casting long shadows as I passed.

I reached James’s door and knocked softly.

It took a moment, but the door finally opened, revealing a very groggy looking James. His eyes widened when he saw me, and immediately, concern washed over his face.

“Layla? What’s wrong?”

I stepped inside, grateful for his warmth, the familiar scent of pine and earth that always made me feel safe.

James closed the door behind me, and before I could say a word, his eyes landed on the glowing mark on my arm.

“Goddess... what is that?” he asked, his voice filled with shock.

“I don’t know,” I whispered, holding out my arm. “It started burning... and then this appeared.”

James moved closer, inspecting the mark with a mixture of awe and confusion.

His fingers hovered just above the glowing runes, careful not to touch them. “I’ve read about something like this before,” he said, his brow furrowed. “But I didn’t think it was real. This... this is ancient magic.”

“Ancient magic?” I repeated, my heart racing. “What does it mean?”

James shook his head, clearly unsettled. “I’m not sure yet. But this isn’t something that happens by accident. The bond you have with Aiden... it’s powerful. More powerful than any normal Alpha omega bond.”

At the mention of Aiden’s name, I felt the weight of his presence once again.

He had followed me into the room and now leaned against the doorframe, his arms crossed, watching us with an intensity that made my skin prickle.

James’s eyes flicked toward him, his jaw tightening slightly, but he said nothing.

“What do we do?” I asked, my voice small.

“We need to figure out what these symbols mean,” James replied. “If it’s tied to pack magic, there’s a chance the answers are in the ancient archives.”

“I’ll go with you,” Aiden said, his voice breaking the silence.

I looked up, startled. “What?”

“If this is connected to our bond, I need to be there,” he continued, pushing off the doorframe. “Whatever is happening to you, Layla, it’s happening to me, too.”

James opened his mouth to protest, but I raised a hand, silencing him.

As much as I hated to admit it, Aiden was right. We were connected by something deeper than I understood, and if we were going to figure this out, he needed to be involved.

“Fine,” I said, my voice steady. “We’ll go together.”