Ethan's POV
I left my father's chamber with my head spinning. The air in the hallway felt heavier than before, like the walls themselves carried the weight of everything I'd just heard.
Why is all this not making sense? I thought, dragging a hand through my hair. None of it aligned. The past my father spoke of and the history I'd been told didn't fit together.
And now he wanted me to mark Soraya.
Even though that had been something I'd secretly wanted, his plan twisted it into something dark.
What would happen after I claimed her? Would my father let her die from the curse… or would he ask me to use her for the sacrifice instead? The thought made my stomach turn.
I slowed my steps, the memory of the crescent mark on her back flashing before my eyes — that pale curve against her skin, shaped like the rising moon. Her pack had called it a curse, a bad omen. But her mother — Remi — believed it was a blessing. What does it really mean?
Then, another thought crept in. My own curse.
