Alpha Queen: Fated to Three Alphas

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Chapter 10: The Strange Mark

Dana POV

The first time I noticed it, I thought my eyes were playing tricks on me.

It was already well late in the night, and the hallways had already emptied.

I had been changing out of my uniform after school when I caught a glimpse of something on my left arm.

At first, I thought it was a bruise… maybe, some bruise mark I picked up from sparring drills and didn't notice.

But when I leaned in to get a closer look, my breath caught.

It wasn’t a bruise.

The shape was very unique and well crafted, almost like a pattern.

It was a faint silver glow drawn across my skin.

It had a crescent shape, like a sliver of moon.

The more I stared, the more it seemed to shimmer, alive, as if my very heartbeat fed its glow.

A chill ran through me.

What is this?

Taryn stirred uneasily inside me, making a restless vibration that made my chest tighten.

And usually that meant this wasn't right.

“Is this bad?” I whispered to my wolf.

‘Don’t panic, it’s just a symbol. Not a claim. We’ll figure it out, okay?.’

I growled, not satisfied with her answer. “It wasn’t there before Taryn.”

‘We know it’s surely not from him,’ Taryn said to her, now referring to Zade.

“Well, we have to find out what it is then.”

I grabbed my hoodie and shoved my arm into the sleeve, pulling it down to cover the mark, even though no one was there to see. My heart wouldn’t stop racing.

By the time I stepped out into the night air, the campus grounds were quiet and there was

barely any student outside.

I needed the air, but what I really needed was someone to tell me what wsd happening to me.

That someone, inevitably, was Marcus.

I found him leaning against the railing near the courtyard like he was taking in the cool night air as well.

When he spotted me, his brows lifted.

“You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” he said, straightening from the railing.

I swallowed hard. “Can we… talk?”

His expression changed, reading the tension in my voice. “What happened? Did someone… ”

“No, nothing like that,” I cut in quickly.

I hesitated, glancing around to make sure no one else was nearby.

Then, with a shaky breath, I tugged my sleeve up to my elbow.

His eyes dropped to my arm, and for the first time since I’d known him, Marcus didn’t have a quick remark ready.

He leaned in, his gaze narrowing at the mark under my skin.

“What the hell…” he muttered, reaching out like he might touch it, then stopping himself. “Dana, that’s not…”

“I thought it was a bruise,” I blurted.

“But it isn’t. I don’t know what it is. It showed up today, but I can't make sense why it did. None of this makes sense.”

Marcus looked at me, his expression still remained calm despite seeing the freaky mark on my arm.

“You’ve heard of bond marks, right?” he asked slowly.

My stomach dropped. “Bond marks? As in… mate marks?”

He shook his head. “Not exactly. A mate mark only happens after someone bites you and claims you. But this…” He motioned toward my arm. “This doesn’t look like that. It looks older and different. I’ve only ever read a mention or two, but…”

“But what?” My voice came out sharper than I intended.

Marcus held my gaze. “We need to check the library.”

I blinked, unsure I heard him well. “The library?”

He smiled faintly, though it didn’t reach his eyes. “Where else do you think they hide all the creepy, ancient, wolf-history no one wants to talk about?”

Despite the tension I was feeling right now, I managed to let out anervous laugh.

“You mean those dusty shelves no one goes near unless they’re cramming for history exams?”

“Exactly those. I'm sure we'll find something helpful there.”

“Fine.” I exhaled slowly. “It's worth a shot.”

We walked in silence towards the library, my sleeve tugged down again.

The academy library was tucked into one of the oldest wings of the building.

Even at night, it stayed open… students were free to study late, though few dared venture this far after dusk.

The massive oak doors creaked when Marcus pushed them open.

Inside, the library was dimly lit, the strong scent of dust tingling my nostrils.

Rows upon rows of books stretched through the building. It was the kind of place that you knew always held secrets.

“Where do we even start?” I whispered.

Marcus nodded toward a far corner. “There’s a restricted section. That’s where they keep the more darker and dangerous stuff. Prophecies, bloodlines, anything that doesn’t go into class lectures.”

We moved through the aisles at once, going deeper and deeper into the library.

I trailed my fingers along spines of books.

I never liked reading, but for this, I'd make an exception.

Marcus finally pulled one down, flipping through pages.

He muttered under his breath, scanning for keywords. I watched him as he pulled away book after book and then…

Finally, he froze. “Dana. Here.”

I leaned over his shoulder, my eyes catching on a faded illustration that made my chest tighten. It was almost identical to the mark on my arm…the crescent shape mine had as well.

The caption beneath it read:

The Alpha’s Bond Mark; bore by one per generation, chosen by the Moon herself. A binding mark, tethering the bearer to the fates of other Alphas across bloodlines. The mark cannot be given by another. It is born.

My breath hitched. “Born? But… I wasn’t…”

“Marked by anyone,” Marcus finished for me. His jaw tightened. “Yeah. That’s because this isn’t a mate mark. It’s… something bigger.”

I shook my head, panic now rising in my chest.

“No, that doesn’t make sense. I’m not!! I’m not chosen anything. I can't be… I’m barely holding it together after.. ” My throat closed around the word rejection.

Marcus shut the book gently, but his eyes never left mine. “Dana, whether it makes sense or not… that mark is real. And if what this says is true, then it means you’re tied to more than just yourself. Your tied to other Alphas as well... It’s bigger than either of us.”

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