THE GIRL WHO GAVE BIRTH TO THE ALPHA'S WOLF

Episode 2: The Alpha Who Bowed to No OneMara did not sleep that night. She sat in a corner of Ronan's carriage, clutching her newborn son while armed warriors surrounded them. Outside, the forest raced past beneath a blood-red sky. She had demanded answers, but Ronan refused to speak until they reached his fortress. "Why did you call my son your king?" she asked for the fifth time. Ronan kept his eyes on the road. "Because every wolf alive carries a piece of his power." "That's impossible." "Your son is the First Wolf." Mara almost laughed. "He's a baby!" "He is older than the kingdom, older than our bloodlines, and older than the moon itself. His soul has returned after thousands of years." "Then why was he born to me?" For the first time, Ronan looked afraid. "That is the question that has kept our elders awake for centuries." When they arrived at Blackthorne Castle, hundreds of wolves lined the courtyard. Some bowed as the newborn passed. Others covered their faces and wept. One elderly warrior fell to his knees and began chanting in an ancient language. Mara tightened her arms around her child. She had never felt so powerful and so helpless at the same time. Ronan led her into a guarded chamber and ordered the servants to bring food, clean clothes, and a healer. "No one enters without my permission," he commanded. Then he turned to Mara. "Your son must never be taken outside this room." "Are you protecting him or imprisoning him?" "Both, if necessary." Before Mara could answer, the baby began crying. The castle shook. Every wolf inside the building transformed involuntarily. Guards crashed into walls as claws burst from their fingers. A maid screamed when the bones in her hand twisted painfully. Mara rushed to her son. "Stop! Please, stop!" The crying continued. Then she pressed the baby against her chest and whispered, "You're safe. Mommy's here." Silence fell instantly. Every wolf returned to human form. Ronan stared at her. "What did you do?" "Nothing. I comforted my child." "No," he whispered. "You commanded him." That evening, Ronan brought Mara to the castle library. He showed her a painting of a woman standing beside a throne of bones. The woman had Mara's face. Beneath the painting was an inscription: The Mother shall bear the First. She shall love him, fear him, and destroy him. When the son remembers his death, the world shall remember its sins. Mara stepped away from the painting. "Who is she?" "According to the oldest records, the first female wolf. The only being who ever defeated the First Wolf." "That's not me." "Then explain why the painting was made thousands of years ago." Before Mara could respond, a scream echoed through the castle. They rushed into the corridor and found the royal healer lying dead on the floor. His throat had been torn open, but there were no footprints or signs of a struggle. Beside his body lay a small piece of parchment. Ronan picked it up. His hands began to tremble. Mara snatched the parchment from him. Written in fresh blood were the words: THE MOTHER HAS RETURNED. KILL HER BEFORE SHE REMEMBERS. At that moment, a little girl stepped out of the shadows. She looked no older than eight. She pointed directly at Mara. "You're not supposed to be alive," she whispered. Then she smiled. "Not until you kill your baby again." Episode 3: The Child Who Remembered Her Death. Coming soon...

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