Mark By The Beast Within
*Celeste’s POV*
The halls of Shadow Keep were quiet as I made my way to Kaelen’s chambers. My steps echoed against the cold stone, each one a mix of hesitation and determination. I clutched the edge of my cloak tightly, steeling myself for what I was about to say.
My mother’s words echoed in my mind–her tale about fated mates lifting curses, the bond between them stronger than any darkness. If there was even a chance I could help Kaelen fight his curse, I needed to tell him.
As I reached his chamber doors, Beta Dorian stepped into my path, his tall frame blocking the entrance.
“You can’t go in, Luna,” he said, his tone firm but laced with urgency.
I squared my shoulders, meeting his gaze with all the authority I could muster. “As Kaelen’s Luna and Queen of Shadow Keep, I demand to see my Alpha and my husband. Now move, Beta Dorian.”
His jaw tightened, and for a moment, I thought he would refuse. But then a deep, guttural growl erupted from inside the chamber, sending a shiver down my spine. “Luna, it’s not safe,” Dorian said, panic flickering in his green eyes. “You mustn’t see him like this.”
“What’s happening?” I asked, fear creeping into my voice.
Dorian stepped closer, his voice low. “He’s fighting it. The curse. You can’t be in there. Please, Luna…leave.”
1 hesitated, but another growl, a sound of pure agony, pierced through the door, and my resolve snapped. “I’m going in,” I said, pushing past Dorian with more force than I thought I had.
“Luna, no!” he shouted, but I was already inside.
The sight before me froze me in place.
Kaelen stood in the center of the room, his broad chest heaving with labored breaths. He was half–naked, his body glistening with sweat, but it wasn’t his usual commanding presence that struck me. His left eye burned red, a stark contrast to the gray of his right. A twisted horn was slowly emerging from the side of his head, and his hands- no, his claws–were covered in dark, matted hair, each finger tipped with sharp, gleaming points.
“Alpha Kaelen…” I whispered, my voice trembling.
His head snapped toward me, the red eye blazing with feral hunger. His body convulsed as another growl tore from his throat, this one deeper, more guttural. He was fighting it, but the curse was winning.
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Mark By The Beast Within
I turned to Dorian, who stood frozen in the doorway, his expression grim but
unsurprised. “Don’t just stand there!” I shouted. “Help him!”
Dorian shook his head, panic flashing in his eyes. “It’s too dangerous. You must leave,
Luna. You can’t see him like this!”
“I’m not leaving him!” I screamed, turning back to Kaelen.
The pain in his expression, the agony in his body was unbearable to watch. He was
still there, somewhere beneath the monster trying to consume him. I saw it in his right
eye,
the gray flickering like a dying flame.
“Kaelen,” I said softly, stepping toward him. “Look at me. You’re stronger than this. Fight it.”
He growled again, a sound that sent Usla howling in my mind. “He’s slipping!” she cried. “He can’t hold on!”
I reached his side, my heart pounding as I placed a trembling hand on his arm. His skin was burning, his muscles taut with strain.
“Kaelen, it’s me,” I whispered, staring into his gray eyes, desperate to find the man beneath the beast. “I’m here. You’re not alone.”
For a moment, he stilled, his gaze locking with mine. But then his red eye flared, and he let out a roar of pain. His claws shot out, grabbing me by the neck and lifting me off the ground as though I weighed nothing./
I gasped, my hands clawing at his arm as my feet dangled in the air. “Kaelen…” I choked, struggling to breathe.
“Alpha!” Dorian shouted, rushing forward. “That’s your Luna! You’re hurting her! Let her go!”
Kaelen turned to him with a snarl, his other arm lashing out and sending Dorian flying across the room. The Beta hit the roof and crumpled to the floor, groaning in pain.
I was alone. Alone with the monster.
But I wasn’t giving up.
I stared into Kaelen’s gray eye, ignoring the burning in my throat, the sharpness of his claws pressing into my skin. “Kaelen,” I whispered again, my voice barely audible. “ Come back to me.”
His grip tightened, and black spots danced at the edges of my vision. But I lifted my right hand, trembling with the effort, and placed it on his forehead.
Mother, guide me, I prayed silently.
I closed my eyes and began to chant, the words spilling from my lips like a song I’d known my entire life.
“By the light of the Moon, by the power of her grace, shadows retreat, let the darkness erase. Feral beast, hear my plea, Release him now, set his spirit free.”
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The air around us seemed to shift, a faint glow emanating from my hand as the chant continued. Kaelen’s growls faltered, his body trembling as the red in his eye began to fade.
Dorian watched from the floor, his eyes wide with shock and awe. “Luna…” he whispered, his voice filled with disbelief.
Kaelen’s claws loosened around my neck, and I fell to the ground, gasping for air. I looked up to see him collapsing to his knees, his body slowly returning to its human form. The horn retracted, the hair on his hands disappeared, and his eyes–both of them–were gray again.
For a moment, the room was silent, save for the sound of Kaelen’s labored breathing. I crawled toward him, my body trembling, and placed a hand on his shoulder.
“Kaelen,” I said softly.
He looked at me, his eyes filled with a mixture of relief and shame. “You shouldn’t have seen that,” he whispered, his voice hoarse.
“I had to,” I replied, my voice shaking but firm. “You don’t have to fight this alone.”
Kaelen closed his eyes, his shoulders sagging. “You don’t understand. The prophecy-”
“Then explain it to me,” I said, gripping his arm. “Help me understand.”
He hesitated, then finally spoke. “The prophecy says I must find my fated mate. If I don‘ t… the darkness will consume me. I’ll become….. that.”
My heart twisted at his words, at the pain in his voice. “Then we’ll figure it out,” I said.” Together. There has to be a way to break the curse.”
He shook his head. “You don’t understand. If I don’t find her, it’s over. There’s no coming back.”
I wanted to tell him that I was his fated mate, that I felt it in my soul. But something deep inside held me back–a sense of something hidden, something my mother had sealed away.
For now, I would hold onto hope.
“You’re stronger than this,” I said softly. “And you’re not alone. Not anymore.”
Kaelen’s gaze met mine, and for the first time, I saw a flicker of vulnerability in his eyes. “Celeste…” he murmured.
I placed a hand on his cheek, offering him the only thing I could: my unwavering resolve.
“Together,” I repeated.
And this time, he didn’t push me away but I felt his huge to hid his face of shame.
Kaelen’s gaze burned into mine, the walls between us crumbling as something raw
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and ancient surged through the bond. It wasn’t just Kaelen–it was Vedmus and Usla, our wolves yearning for each other with a hunger that could no longer be denied.
No more waiting, Vedmus growled, his voice rough with need.
Usla’s response was immediate, her voice trembling with desire. I need him. We need
him.
Kaelen’s hand cupped my face, his touch firm yet reverent. “Celeste,” he murmured, his voice low and rough, “I’ve fought this, but I can’t anymore. You’re mine.”
And you’re mine,” I whispered, the words carrying every ounce of truth I felt in that
moment.
His lips claimed mine, urgent and demanding, igniting a fire that spread through every inch of me. My body arched into his, my fingers threading through his dark hair as he pulled me closer. His mouth trailed to my neck, and I shivered at the heat of his breath.
Vedmus’s growl rumbled deep within Kaelen, his need for Usla mirrored in the way Kaelen’s teeth grazed my skin. “I’m going to mark you,” he rasped, his voice thick with
emotion.
“Then do it,” I replied, breathless.
に
His bite was swift, a perfect blend of pain and ecstasy as his teeth sank into my neck. A gasp escaped me, and my body trembled as a fiery heat surged through the bond, binding us as one.
الله الله
A sharp, searing sensation spread across my back, and I realized a claw mark was forming, glowing faintly. Outside, the moon blazed brighter than ever before, illuminating the land in a silver radiance that hadn’t been seen in two thousand years.
Kaelen pulled back, his eyes wide as he stared at me, his voice filled with awe and fear. “The moon… it speaks. An ancient force is awakening.”
And as the light bathed us, I felt it too a presence older than time itself, stirring with the power to change everything.
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