Supernatural Marks Book 1 (Completed/unedited)

Chapter 1: The Legend

NEW AND FINAL EDIT <3 LONG TIME WAITING! 11/16/2024

"There's a good reason why wolves are in so many stories, and why people are afraid of us," Clair started, settling into her favorite armchair as her grandchildren gathered around her feet. While many stories are false, ours will make you question what's real. It takes just one tragic event to shatter everything humans think they know about us. It's rumored that the story of the big bad wolf started with Alpha Damian Shaw of the Blackhaw Pack.

"You mean like the one in Little Red Riding Hood?"" Lena asked, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

Clair smiled warmly. "The very one, sweet Lena."

"What does he look like, Nana?" Toby asked, his eyes wide with curiosity.

"Well, dear child," Clair leaned, lowering her voice, "I've never seen him myself, nor has anyone from our pack. But those who have survived encountering him say he's the biggest wolf of our kind—as massive as a bear, towering over normal wolves like they're mere ants. His fur is so black that in the darkness no one would be able to see him. His eyes..." she paused for dramatic effect, "...are the color of obsidian, and they say you can see the souls of those he's claimed reflected in them." The young grandchildren's eyes widened with fear and curiosity as they listened intently to Nanas story.

As Clair continued, her voice grew more serious. "Alpha Damian is the only known black wolf, and that's because of the power he holds. The color black represents independence, strong will, and determination. He radiates prestige and power like no other, that is why he's been the most feared Alpha for the past two hundred years. He's an Original."

"Is he real?" one of the children asked, her voice barely more than a whisper as she jumps onto her Nanas lap.

Clair smiled knowingly, patting her gently on the head. "Who's to say. Some believe it's just a story told to scare young pups like yourself, or to scare away from his pack territory."

"So cool!" Lena exclaimed; her eyes sparkling with such awe.

"Of course you'd find this cool, Lena," Kaylie, her ten year old cousin, rolled her eyes. "How can you admire a monster like him? He's heartless and gives our kind a bad name."

"He's so powerful and mysterious. Imagine all the things he's seen and done" Lena defended, her excitement not being affected by her cousins words.

Kaylie shook her head in disbelief. "You're dumb Lena. Just because someone has power doesn't mean they're worthy of being admire. Remember what Grandma always says: 'It's not the power you have, but how you use it that defines you."

Despite being only seven, Lena understood more than her cousin gave her credit for. She had grown up on Nana's stories since she was three, and she loved a good scary story.

"Whatever," she muttered, rolling her eyes at her goody-two-shoes cousin.

"Alright, kids, that's enough story time for today," Elliott called from the doorway, earning collective groans from the children. "Time to head back to your parents."

Lena and her older brother Jay lived just behind the woods from their grandparents' estate, so they often made the journey home alone. The others had to wait for their parents to pick them up.

"Race you!" Jay shouted, taking off through the trees.

"No fair! You didn't count!" Lena whined but chased after him anyway. Her brother, a couple of years older, was surprisingly fast for his age. Soon he disappeared from her view, leaving Lena alone among the trees.

She pushed herself to run faster, determined to catch up to Jay. The sound of his laughter echoed through the forest, provoking her to push herself more. Lena dodge branches and leaped over fallen logs, her heart pounding with excitement. When she lost sight of her brother, she also missed the overgrown root ahead of her. Despite growing up in these woods, she should have known better than to ignore the protruding tree roots. Her foot caught, and she tumbled forward, landing hard on her hands and knees.