Chapter 9: The Mark on My Wolf

The instructor dismissed the assessment as a malfunction.

Nobody believed him.

Especially Rowan.

After shifting back, I wrapped the robe around myself and stepped down from the stage.

Questions immediately came from every direction.

"Nessa, what bloodline are you?"

"Was that a Moonmark?"

"Why did the crystal break?"

"Are Willowmere wolves normally like that?"

I had no answers.

My wolf had always been pale cream.

But the golden markings were new.

At least, I thought they were.

During training, I rarely saw my entire shifted form clearly.

Rowan reached me first.

"We need to talk."

"You're becoming very fond of that sentence."

"Nessa."

His tone made my smile disappear.

"What's wrong?"

His gaze moved toward the crowd.

"Not here."

Knox approached before we could leave.

"What was that?"

"Apparently my wolf."

"Don't joke."

He looked genuinely unsettled.

"Those markings aren't normal."

Elodie followed him.

Her earlier confidence had disappeared.

"The crystal was obviously defective."

Tessa snorted.

"Funny how it worked perfectly until Nessa scored higher than you."

Elodie's cheeks reddened.

"I wasn't talking to you."

"Lucky me."

Rowan placed a hand lightly against my back.

"We're leaving."

Knox blocked us.

"You know what those markings mean, don't you?"

Rowan's expression turned cold.

"Move."

"Tell her."

"I said move."

Alpha pressure rolled through the room.

Knox's shoulders stiffened.

For a second, it looked like he might challenge Rowan.

Then instinct won.

He stepped aside.

Outside Moonveil Hall, Rowan guided me toward a quiet courtyard.

Tessa followed until Rowan stopped.

"Can you give us a minute?"

She looked at me.

I nodded.

"Fine. But if Supreme Prince Charming murders you, scream."

"Helpful."

"Always."

When she left, I faced Rowan.

"Talk."

He remained silent for several seconds.

"Have your parents ever told you anything unusual about your ancestry?"

"No."

"Grandparents?"

"My mother's parents died before I was born. My father's side is Willowmere going back generations."

"Your mother?"

"She joined Willowmere after marrying Dad."

"What Pack was she born into?"

I frowned.

"I don't know."

That suddenly seemed strange.

Mom almost never discussed her childhood.

Whenever I asked, she said her family was gone and there was nothing worth remembering.

"Why?"

Rowan looked toward the moon.

"Those markings."

"What about them?"

"I've seen them before."

A chill traveled down my spine.

"Where?"

He hesitated.

"In Nightvale's archives."

"On what?"

"Paintings."

"Of wolves?"

"One bloodline specifically."

I waited.

Rowan finally looked at me.

"The Lunaris bloodline."

The name meant nothing to me.

"Who are they?"

"They were one of the oldest Lycan families."

"Were?"

"The main line disappeared almost twenty years ago."

My stomach tightened.

"And their wolves had these markings?"

"Gold markings on pale fur."

"Coincidence."

"Maybe."

He didn't sound convinced.

"But there's something else."

"Of course there is."

Rowan stepped closer.

"The assessment crystal doesn't measure beauty or physical strength alone. It responds to bloodline potential, wolf strength, instinct, and Alpha compatibility."

"Alpha compatibility?"

"Some wolves are naturally capable of carrying more Pack authority."

I stared at him.

"You're saying my wolf broke it because I'm secretly important?"

"I'm saying we shouldn't assume anything until we know more."

"Finally, something reasonable."

He smiled faintly.

Then I remembered his reaction.

"Why were you afraid?"

"What?"

"When I shifted. You looked scared."

His smile disappeared.

For a moment, I thought he wouldn't answer.

"Because I remembered something."

"What?"

"You."

My heart skipped.

"We've never met before yesterday."

"I thought so too."

"Rowan."

He rubbed his forehead.

"When I was eight, I got lost during a diplomatic gathering."

"You got lost?"

"I was eight."

"Future Supreme Alpha defeated by directions."

"Can I finish?"

"Please."

"There was another child there. A girl."

Something in his voice made my amusement fade.

"She was younger than me. Chubby. Loud. Completely fearless."

I stared at him.

"Rowan..."

"I couldn't shift properly yet. Some older boys cornered me because they wanted to see whether the Supreme Alpha's son was really stronger than them."

"What happened?"

"The girl attacked them."

"At what age?"

"Maybe six or seven."

I almost laughed.

"That sounds stupid."

"It was extremely stupid. She bit one of them."

A strange image flashed through my mind.

Trees.

Mud.

A crying boy with black hair.

Blood on someone's sleeve.

Then nothing.

I grabbed my temple.

Rowan immediately stepped closer.

"Nessa?"

"I'm fine."

"What happened?"

"Nothing. Just a headache."

But my heart was racing.

"What happened to the girl?"

"She disappeared from my life after that gathering."

"You never knew her name?"

"I did."

His blue eyes locked onto mine.

"Nessa."

The courtyard seemed to tilt.

"That's impossible."

"That's what I told myself at the airport."

"There are thousands of Nessas."

"I know."

"And you would've recognized me."

"I barely remembered her face. Just her laugh and her wolf."

"Her wolf?"

"She partially shifted when she attacked those boys."

My breath caught.

"Pale fur," Rowan whispered.

"With gold beneath it."

Neither of us spoke.

The Moon Goddess suddenly felt far less metaphorical.

My phone rang.

Mom.

I stared at the screen.

Rowan looked at it too.

"Answer."

I accepted the call.

"Mom?"

Her voice came immediately.

"Nessa, where are you?"

"At Hollowcrest. Why?"

"Did you shift tonight?"

Every hair on my arms rose.

"How did you know?"

Silence.

"Mom?"

When she spoke again, her voice was shaking.

"Did anyone see the markings?"

I looked at Rowan.

"You know about them."

My mother inhaled sharply.

"Nessa, listen carefully."

"What's happening?"

"Come home."

"Why?"

"Now."

"Mom-"

"And whatever you do, don't tell anyone what those markings look like."

I stared toward Moonveil Hall, where half the freshman class had already photographed them.

"I think we're a little late for that."