Chapter 3 Blood in the Shadows

The Shadow Woods swallowed Mara whole.

One moment she could still see the fading light behind her. The next moment, darkness pressed against her from all sides. The trees were so thick and twisted that no moonlight could get through. Mara could barely see her own hands in front of her face.

She stumbled forward, trying not to panic. Somewhere in the distance, she heard another howl. It sounded closer this time.

Keep moving, she told herself. Don't stop. Don't think about what's following you.

Branches grabbed at her clothes and scratched her face. The ground was uneven, full of roots that tried to trip her. After what felt like hours but was probably only minutes, Mara's foot caught on something and she fell hard.

Pain shot through her knee. She bit her lip to keep from crying out. Making noise would be stupid. She didn't know what was hunting her, but she knew it was listening.

Slowly, carefully, Mara stood up. Her knee hurt badly, but she could still walk. She limped forward, using her hands to feel for trees in the darkness.

Then she heard it. A sound that made her freeze in terror.

Breathing. Heavy and slow. Right behind her.

Mara turned around slowly. At first, she saw nothing but darkness. Then two yellow eyes opened, floating in the air at the height of her chest.

No. Not floating. The creature was just so black that it blended perfectly with the shadows.

"Please," Mara whispered. "Please don't hurt me."

The creature growled. It was a low, rumbling sound that Mara felt in her bones. The yellow eyes moved closer.

Mara did the only thing she could think of. She ran.

She crashed through the forest, not caring about the branches that whipped her face or the roots that tried to trip her. Behind her, she could hear the creature following. It was fast—much faster than her.

I'm going to die, Mara thought. I'm going to die in these woods and no one will even find my body.

Something hot and painful slashed across her back. Mara screamed and fell forward. She rolled and found herself at the edge of a steep hill. Below her, she could hear water running.

The creature appeared above her, silhouetted against the slightly lighter sky. It was huge, with a body like a wolf but much bigger. Its teeth gleamed white in its black face.

"Stay back!" Mara shouted, even though she knew it was useless.

The creature lunged.

Mara rolled to the side, and the creature's claws hit the ground where she had been a second before. But her movement sent her sliding down the steep hill. She tumbled and rolled, hitting rocks and branches, until finally she splashed into icy water.

The cold shocked her system. Mara gasped and went under, swallowing water. She kicked hard and broke the surface, coughing and choking. The current was pulling her downstream, fast.

Above her, she heard the creature howl in frustration. It paced at the top of the hill but didn't follow her into the water.

Mara let the current carry her, too weak to fight it. Her back burned where the creature had clawed her. Her whole body hurt from the fall. The icy water was making her numb.

I have to get out, she thought desperately. I have to get to shore before I freeze to death.

She saw a fallen tree ahead, its branches reaching into the water. With the last of her strength, Mara grabbed onto a branch. She held on tight as the current tried to pull her away. Slowly, painfully, she dragged herself along the branch until she reached the muddy shore.

Mara crawled onto the bank and collapsed. She was shaking so hard her teeth rattled. Her clothes were soaked and the night air was freezing. If she stayed here, she would die from the cold.

Get up, she told herself. Get up or die.

Somehow, Mara forced herself to stand. She stumbled away from the river, looking for any kind of shelter. Her vision was getting blurry. She was so cold she couldn't feel her fingers anymore.

Then, through the trees, she saw a faint orange glow.

Fire.

Someone had a fire.

Mara knew she should be careful. Anyone in the Shadow Woods was probably dangerous. But she was dying from the cold. She had no choice.

She stumbled toward the light. As she got closer, she saw a small cave. Outside the cave, a fire burned brightly. And sitting beside the fire was a figure wrapped in a dark cloak.

Mara took one step closer. A branch snapped under her foot.

The figure's head whipped around. In the firelight, Mara saw a woman's face. She was young and beautiful, with long dark hair and strange purple eyes.

"Well, well," the woman said, standing up. "What do we have here? A little human, all alone in the Shadow Woods? How interesting."

Mara tried to speak, but her teeth were chattering too hard.

The woman tilted her head, studying Mara like she was an interesting bug. "You're hurt. And frozen. You'll be dead within the hour." She paused. "Unless I help you."

"P-please," Mara managed to say.

The woman smiled. It wasn't a kind smile. "I'll make you a deal, little human. I'll let you warm yourself by my fire. I'll even give you medicine for your wounds. But in return, you must answer my questions truthfully. Do you agree?"

Mara didn't have time to think about whether this was a trap. She was dying. "Y-yes."

"Come here then."

Mara stumbled to the fire and collapsed beside it. The warmth felt so good it almost hurt. The woman handed her a blanket, and Mara wrapped it around herself gratefully.

"Drink this," the woman said, holding out a cup.

Mara drank. The liquid was bitter but warm. Almost immediately, she felt stronger. The shaking stopped. The pain in her back faded to a dull ache.

"What is your name?" the woman asked.

"Mara."

"And why is a human wandering the Shadow Woods alone at night, Mara?"

"I'm... I'm being tested," Mara said. "I have to survive here for three nights."

The woman's purple eyes widened. "A test? How interesting. And why would anyone test a human?"

Mara hesitated. But she had made a deal to answer truthfully. "Because I... because I formed a mate bond with a wolf."

The woman went very still. "A mate bond? With which wolf?"

"Zevran. They call him the Silent Beast."

The woman laughed. It was a cold, sharp sound. "Oh, this is too perfect! The cursed one has finally found his mate, and she's a human!" She leaned closer, her purple eyes gleaming. "Tell me, Mara. Do you know why they call him cursed?"

"No," Mara admitted. "I don't know anything about him. This all just happened yesterday."

"Then let me tell you a story," the woman said. She added more wood to the fire, making it burn brighter. "Ten years ago, Zevran was not the Silent Beast. He was a prince—King Darius's younger brother. He was kind and strong and beloved by everyone."

Mara's eyes went wide. "He's a prince?"

"Was a prince," the woman corrected. "Until the day of his wedding. You see, Zevran was supposed to marry a beautiful wolf named Selene. The entire kingdom celebrated. But on their wedding day, something terrible happened."

"What?" Mara whispered.

"Selene died. Right there at the altar, in front of everyone. She just... collapsed. And when they examined her body, they found poison in her blood."

Mara gasped. "Someone poisoned her?"

"Yes. And everyone believed Zevran did it."

"But why would he poison his own bride?"

The woman shrugged. "No one knows. Zevran never spoke to defend himself. He just went silent. King Darius wanted to execute him, but the Elders said that would bring bad luck to the kingdom. So instead, they cursed him."

"What kind of curse?" Mara asked, though part of her wasn't sure she wanted to know.

The woman smiled mysteriously. "The Curse of the Lone Wolf. Zevran can never have a pack. He can never have a family. He can never have a mate. If he tries to bond with anyone, that person will die within three days."

Mara's blood ran cold. "Three days?"

"Yes. Which is exactly how long your trial lasts, isn't it?" The woman's smile grew wider. "You're not being tested to see if you're worthy of Zevran, little Mara. You're being sent here to die. King Darius knows the curse will kill you before the three days are up."

"No," Mara whispered. "No, that can't be true."

"Ask yourself—why would King Darius allow this bond to exist? He hates Zevran. He's afraid of him. The only reason he hasn't killed Zevran is because the Elders won't allow it. But you?" The woman laughed. "You're just a human servant. No one will care when you die."

Mara felt sick. Everything made sense now. The trial wasn't about testing her at all. It was about getting rid of her without making it look like murder.

"Then I'm going to die," Mara said numbly. "The curse will kill me."

"Oh, most definitely," the woman agreed. "Unless..."

Mara looked up sharply. "Unless what?"

The woman's purple eyes glowed in the firelight. "Unless you break the curse."

"How?"

"That's the question, isn't it?" The woman stood up and walked to the edge of the firelight. "Every curse has a weakness, Mara. Every spell has a loophole. You just have to be clever enough to find it."

"Do you know how to break it?" Mara asked desperately.

The woman turned back, and for a moment, her face looked different. Older. Sadder. "I know many things. But some answers you must find on your own." She pointed to the cave behind them. "You can sleep there tonight. The fire will keep the shadow creatures away. But tomorrow, you must continue deeper into the woods."

"Why?"

"Because that's where the truth is hidden," the woman said mysteriously. "In the heart of the Shadow Woods, there is an ancient shrine. If you can reach it, you'll find what you need to know."

"Will you come with me?" Mara asked.

The woman shook her head. "This is your path, not mine. But I'll give you one more gift before I go." She pulled something from her pocket and pressed it into Mara's hand.

It was a small stone that glowed with a soft white light.

"This is a moonstone," the woman explained. "It will light your way in the darkness. And it will protect you from lesser creatures. But be warned—its power only lasts for one night. Use it wisely."

"Wait," Mara said. "I don't even know your name."

The woman smiled one last time. "Call me Nyra. And Mara? Don't die. I have a feeling you're going to change everything."

Then Nyra walked away from the fire and disappeared into the darkness, as if she had never been there at all.

Mara sat alone by the fire, clutching the moonstone. Her mind was spinning with everything she had learned.

Zevran was a prince. He had been engaged to someone who died. And now he was cursed so that anyone he bonded with would die too.

Which meant Mara had less than three days to live.

"No," she said out loud. "No, I won't just accept that."

She stood up, feeling strength return to her body. Whatever was in that drink Nyra had given her, it had healed her. Her back didn't hurt anymore. She wasn't cold.

I have to reach that shrine, Mara thought. I have to find out how to break this curse.

She looked at the moonstone in her hand. It pulsed gently, as if it could hear her thoughts.

Somewhere far away, she heard Zevran's voice in her mind. It sounded pained, desperate.

Mara. Where are you? Are you safe?

She didn't know if he could hear her response, but she thought it as hard as she could.

I'm alive. I'm going to stay alive. And I'm going to break this curse, Zevran. I promise.

The fire crackled and popped. Dawn was still hours away. Mara knew she should rest while she could.

She went into the cave and lay down, still wrapped in the blanket. As she drifted off to sleep, she heard one last sound.

A wolf's howl, lonely and full of pain.

It was Zevran, she knew. Calling for her in the night.

"I'm coming back," she whispered. "I promise I'm coming back."