CHAPTER 6

Rayne POV

"Don't think for a second you're safe, Rayne," the stranger's voice echoed in my mind, dark and taunting, lingering long after he'd disappeared into the dark night. 

I could still feel the weight of his grip, the lingering pull of his power tugging at me like a chain around my neck, even though he was nowhere to be seen.

Mateo stood beside me, his breaths heavy, his face drawn and tense as he scanned the darkened forest, while my heart racing with thoughts of different kind. 

"Rayne," he said, his voice barely above a whisper, "are you… are you alright?"

I pulled my gaze from the shadows where the stranger had disappeared and turned to him, shaking slightly as the adrenaline began to fade up .

 "I don't know. He… he did something to me that I can just know. I don't know how to explain it, but it's like he… branded me, somehow."

Mateo's jaw tightened, anger flashing in his eyes at almost same time.

 "He marked you with his darkness. It's a twisted claim—a threat to remind you that he has a hold on you and whatever you do."

I could feel it, too—like a scar on my soul, the invisible claws he'd left behind of me.

 Every time I closed my eyes, I felt his presence, as though he was lurking just beyond the edge of the darkness, waiting for a chance to pull me back.

"What am I supposed to do now with my life?" I asked, my voice cracking up. "How do I fight something I can't even see with my naked eyes?"

Mateo reached for my hand, hesitating for a brief second before wrapping his fingers around mine. The touch was warm, steadying and cunning.

"You're not alone, Rayne. Whatever he's done, whatever he's planning, we'll face it together. You don't have to fight this alone."

I pulled my hand back, shaking my head to agreement to his words, but within me I have double thoughts of believing the man who Rejected me in front of everyone for a more stronger lady. 

"But you don't understand any of this?." My eyes locked on his." do you."

"This isn't just about him. It's about what he made me feel like. For the first time… I didn't feel weak the way you told me I was. I felt powerful, Strong, unstoppable. I wanted revenge. And it felt—" I swallowed hard with my eyes close. 

"It felt good."

Mateo's face fell, his eyes searching mine. 

"Rayne, revenge can be a powerful motivator to do what you never want. But that's not who you really are. Don't let him twist you into something you're not."

I let out a harsh laugh, bitterness coating my words, with my face looking so pale and weak already.

 "Who I am? I've spent my life trying to be what everyone else wanted from me, especially you. I thought I was supposed to be strong, to be the Luna you deserved for yourself. But you never gave me the chance to prove myself."

His shoulders slumped, guilt flashing in his eyes at almost same time.

 "I know. And I know that's on me. But I'm asking you, please, don't let him take you from me. I don't want to lose you… not like this."

A part of me wanted to believe his words,to cling to the warmth of his words, to let him shoulder the burden of my pain. But another part of me fueled by the darkness that lingered around—felt betrayed, reminded of every wound he'd left on my heart.

"I don't know if I can trust you anymore, Mateo," I said, stepping back to give him some breathing space.

 "I don't know if I can trust anyone, anymore."

Before he could respond to my word, a sound pierced the silence. It was faint at first, but it grew louder, closer—a rhythmic thumping, like the heartbeat of the forest itself.

Mateo's posture shifted, his gaze snapping toward the trees area. 

"Do you hear that?"

I nodded, my senses suddenly on high alert. The sound grew, the underbrush rustling as shadows moved between the dark trees. Then, one by one, figures emerged from the darkness, cloaked and hooded, their eyes glinting with an unnatural light.

"Who are they?" I whispered, gripping Mateo's arm tightly.

"The Night Hunters," he replied, his voice tight with fear. 

"i think they serve him, I mean the stranger. They're his eyes and ears, his enforcers. And they're here for you... I think."

One of the cloaked figures stepped forward, lowering his hood to reveal a scarred face, his eyes burning with the same dark energy that had marked me.

"Rayne," he intoned, his voice rough and unwavering. 

"You bear the mark of the Darkness on you. You belong to him now. Surrender, and you may yet survive."

I squared my shoulders, fighting the tremble in my limbs.

 "I don't belong to anyone and that should be final"

The man's lips twisted into a grim smile.

 "Then you've made your choice, Rayne."

In an instant, the Night Hunters closed in, surrounding us in a tight circle without giving us both a breathing space. I felt Mateo's hand on my shoulder, grounding me, his voice a low murmur in my ear.

 "Stay close. We can't let them separate us."

"Think you can fight them all alone?" I whispered back, a faint tremor in my voice.

He nodded, his jaw set in determination.

 "I'll die trying to fight for myself."

One of the Night Hunters lunged, and Mateo met him head-on, shifting in a blur of movement, his wolf form barreling into the man and sending him sprawling to the sky.

 I didn't have time to watch as another figure came at me, his dark eyes gleaming with intent.

Without thinking, I reached inside myself, trying to call forth the same power the stranger had given me, the dark energy that had felt so potent to destroy anything at anytime. I felt a flicker, a spark, but it was weak, fading too fast.

"Come on," I muttered under my breath, my heart pounding as the Night Hunter advanced, his weapon gleaming in the moonlight. "Come on!" I screamed out.

And then, like a dam breaking, the power surged through me, filling every corner of my wolf being. I lashed out, a dark bolt of energy erupting from my hand, hitting the man square in the chest and sending him flying.

I stood there, breathing heavily, staring at my hand in shock. I'd done it. I'd actually used it.

"Rayne!" Mateo's voice broke through my thoughts. "Behind you!" he screamed out.

I spun just in time to dodge another attack, the Night Hunter's blade whistling past my ear. I ducked and rolled, coming up behind him and sending another pulse of dark energy his way. He crumpled to the ground, motionless.

Around us, the remaining Night Hunters hesitated, their eyes darting between me and Mateo. They seemed to assess the situation, weighing their chances, before one of them barked an order in a harsh language I didn't understand at all.

"Fall back!" he shouted, his gaze fixed on me, filled with something that looked almost like fear or something worst.

 "The master will not be pleased."

They retreated into the trees, their figures melting into the shadows as quickly as they had come. Mateo shifted back, breathing heavily, his face etched with worry as he looked at me.

"You used his power," he said, his voice laced with a mix of awe and fear.

I didn't respond at same time, too shaken by what had just happened to me. 

The power still thrummed inside of me, stronger now, like a living entity, coiling around my heart, whispering promises of strength, of vengeance.

"You're changing, Rayne," Mateo said, his tone filled with dread. "This power… it's consuming you faster than you think."

"I had no choice," I replied, clenching my fists. "They would have killed us."

He took a step toward me, his expression softening. "But at what cost? Every time you use it, you let him gain access into you. And soon enough, there may be nothing left of you."

I looked away, unable to meet his gaze. The truth of his words settled heavily on my shoulders. But before I could respond, a voice, cold and mocking, echoed through the clearing.

"Ah, my little wolf," the stranger's voice came from everywhere and nowhere, wrapping around me like a veil "I knew you'd embrace the gift have given unto you. And now, there's no turning back."

I froze, a chill running down my spine as I realized—he'd been watching all along even without giving an extra word.

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