The Witch and Her Four Dangerous Alphas

Chapter 3: Chapter 03: The Mark That Shattered Me

Selene’s POV

The sound of fire crackled louder than my heartbeat.

I could hear it. It was sharp and alive, spitting sparks into the air as the silver brand was lifted from the flames. It glowed an angry, pulsing red, shaped like a collar of thorns. Hooked edges. An open center. A symbol of slavery. Of ownership. Of being nothing.

It shimmered like molten blood.

And it was meant for me.

I screamed. My scream was loud and desperate. The kind of sound that didn’t even feel like it came from me.

"NO—PLEASE—PLEASE DON’T—!"

My body flailed. My legs kicked at the stone floor. My arms fought the chains, rattling with every movement. My lungs burned from screaming but I didn’t stop—I couldn’t stop. I’d take death. I’d take anything but that mark.

Then hands grabbed me.

In a strong, firm hold.

Lucian Duskdraven was the first to move. He crouched beside me, calm as still water, and seized my left arm. His grip was like steel. No matter how much I thrashed or twisted, he didn’t move.

"Don’t move," he said gently. "It’ll hurt more if you do."

His voice was soft. But it wasn’t kindness. It was mockery. There was amusement in his eyes—like he was watching a play, not holding down a terrified girl.

I trembled. Shook so hard my teeth rattled. But Lucian didn’t blink.

Then Luca stepped forward.

His eyes were ice. Unfeeling. Focused like a blade honed to perfection. He knelt beside me and grabbed my jaw again, forcing my chin up so I had to look at him—so I couldn’t look away from what was coming.

Our eyes locked.

our people," he

wanted to scream that I didn’t. That I didn’t even remember that day. But my voice had collapsed somewhere in the

only thing stopping him from tearing

And then came Aeron.

Didn’t even look directly

"Do it."

guard moved forward with the brand

screamed until my throat tore. Lucian’s fingers crushed into my wrist. My bones felt like they would

ALPHA

on

"You’re not."

then the metal touched my

scream

I howled.

Not human. Not wolf. Just pain. Pure, soul-ripping pain that tore through me like lightning. The brand sank into the soft flesh of

the air. It made the wolves in the crowd flinch, turn away. But no

me down while I thrashed, his fingers digging into my wrist like he was anchoring

never even

Watched every twitch, every tear, every muffled sob

the world to

please—let me pass out, let me

my vision. My body

then, finally, the

Skin blackened around the edges of the burn. The mark was there...shining, raw and ugly. It would never fade and would never

wasn’t Selene Moonveil

I was a slave.

collapsed onto the ground, too weak to sob. My chest heaved. My heartbeat pounded like a war drum in my ears. My vision was fading in and out, my arm still twitching

I looked up—just once.