Chapter 17 - Marked By The Demon Triplets

The evening was perfect. My parents’ presence made everything shine with joy.

For the first time in a long time, I felt complete.

Was this what it felt like to have a family?

I couldn’t wait to experience this every day with them.

“I see a sweet little kitten up there,” she said, stretching her hand toward the twinkling stars before turning to face me. “What do you see, Rory?” Her smile quickly faded into concern as I sensed her nervousness. “Are you okay with us calling you that?”

“It sounds perfect on your lips,” I assured her, earning a sigh of relief from both of them.

“So, what do you think is up there?” she asked softly, giving me a quick glance before returning her gaze to the dark sky.

Silence stretched for a moment as I connected the stars. “I see a powerful woman, ready to fight for her people,” I replied, my voice filled with determination, squinting as I traced the scattered stars to form shapes.

“That’s different from what I saw, but I like it,” she complimented, pulling herself closer to me, seeking warmth.

“I see a sword instead,” my father added, causing laughter to erupt between us.

“That’s even worse,” my mother teased, making us laugh again.

A comfortable silence settled over us as we lost ourselves in thought. I didn’t mind if ants walked across my bare skin-being with my parents was enough.

I shifted closer, resting my head on my father’s shoulder.

Relief washed over me as I felt him relax beneath my touch.

“Could you tell us a story, Dad?” I asked, giving him my best puppy-dog eyes, hoping he’d indulge me.

“What kind of story would you like to hear?” he replied gruffly, but I could tell he was willing.

“I want to know how you met Mum.”

My heart raced in anticipation, but it faltered when he gently lifted my head off his shoulder.

“Excuse me,” he said, raising a finger as he walked a few feet away from us.

Even though he was several feet away in the dark, I could sense a shift in his mood.

I could smell his anxiety, the nervousness creeping over him after hearing the news.

Without wasting any time, he rushed toward us, tapping my mother and giving her a knowing look before turning to me. My heart skipped a beat as a horrified expression spread across his face.

“We need to leave now!” he ordered, grabbing both my mother and me, leaving no room for questions.

A twinge of sadness settled deep in my heart as I stared at the open field below my window. An invisible force seemed to pull me toward it, an attraction I couldn’t ignore. I longed to be out there, running, feeling the wind toss my fur with my tongue hanging out in pure happiness.

Bored to death after sitting at home for days, I yearned for the freedom of the field. I missed the sensation of my paws firmly hitting the wet soil before taking off, racing across the length and breadth of the field without tiring. But now, I could only imagine it.

I wasn’t sure I’d ever be allowed back in that field.

Dad had made sure of that.

The night we raced together in the field had been the last.

With each passing day, I could feel my mind slipping further. I longed to be anywhere but in this room.

Dad provided for all my needs, but he kept me isolated, surrounded by heavy guards who watched over my room day and night.

The maids weren’t spared either-they served me in silence, never engaging in conversation.

Aside from them, no one spoke to me. Not even my parents.

Whenever I asked about them, I was given some excuse about them being busy with pack matters.

Were they too busy for their only daughter?

Or were they trying to get rid of me?

Did I do something wrong?

Were they tired of me, thinking the best way to deal with it was to give me everything I wanted and leave me alone?

The questions came in waves, and I couldn’t stop them. Fear began to settle in my heart.

What if they didn’t want me anymore?

In the blink of an eye, fear coursed through my body like a virus, infecting my thoughts and clouding my mind with impurities.

I struggled to pinpoint any behavior I might have exhibited that warranted their cold treatment, but nothing came to mind.

I had always been a good girl, both before I knew them as my parents and after.

But the night we ran in the field had marked the beginning of this unsettling situation.

Despite thinking it through over and over again, I couldn’t figure out what I had done wrong.

I was certain I hadn’t offended them in any way.

Yet their absence for days had me worrying. It took all my courage to push back the negative thoughts that kept circling in my mind.

My breath hitched when something suddenly popped into my head: the mind-link. The mind-link my dad had received could be the reason for their strange behavior. I remembered clearly how his mood had shifted abruptly after that.

He had even offered to tell me a story.

But what could the message have been?

A wave of worry and fear washed over me as more unsettling thoughts invaded my mind.

I needed to leave this room before I lost my sanity.

A sigh escaped my lips as I stood up and walked toward the door, only to hiss in annoyance when I found it locked from the outside-just like always.

From the scents that drifted into the room, I could tell there were four guards stationed outside, watching my room as if their lives depended on it.

Among them were skilled fighters, trackers, and warriors.

A fresh wave of confusion washed over me as more questions began to form in my mind.

Why was my father assigning such heavy security to guard me?

Why had everyone in the pack become so secretive?

I could sense danger lurking ahead.

Something wasn’t right. But I couldn’t figure out what it was.

I was left in the dark, with no one telling me anything. The guards were useless-they wouldn’t say a word when I tried to engage them in conversation.

Despite everything, I needed to leave my room. I needed to see my parents, and I needed to shift.

I would slowly go crazy if I spent any more days confined to this room.

Maybe I should escape.

I wasn’t sure how I’d dodge the guards, but I’d figure it out.

I knocked on the door, startling the guards as the sound of their weapons echoed through the air, only to fall into silence.

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