Eclipsed Destiny

Celia sat on the edge of her cot, staring at the mark on her arm as it pulsed faintly, a steady rhythm that felt both alive and taunting. Betrayal. The word echoed in her mind, like a splinter digging deeper with every thought.

The rogue lieutenant's warning refused to leave her alone. It had been two days since the meeting in the clearing, and the tension within the camp had only grown. Wolves avoided each other's eyes, whispers ran through the ranks like poison, and everyone seemed to suspect everyone else. The cracks were spreading.

Celia rubbed her temples, the weight of exhaustion on her shoulders. She had barely slept, her dreams filled with glimpses of shadows and blood, of faces she couldn't identify calling her name. Every time she woke, the mark on her arm was burning, as if the blessing itself was warning her of something unseen.

"Celia?"

Aziel's voice pulled her from her thoughts. She looked up to see him standing in the doorway, his silhouette framed against the early morning light. His face was tight, his blue eyes shadowed with the same exhaustion she felt. "You're up early," he said softly.

"Couldn't sleep,” she admitted, pulling her cloak tighter around her shoulders. "You?"

Aziel came into the room, and his bulk seemed to steady the little space he filled. "Sleep can wait," he said, but his tone was as telling as the lines etched on his face of how much the lack of sleep was beginning to wear on him. He sat beside her, close enough that their shoulders brushed. "The pack is restless. The lieutenant's words are getting to them."

Celia swallowed hard, her throat tight. "And to you?"

Aziel hesitated, his eyes glued to the floor. "It doesn't matter what he says. We can't let him divide us."

"But what if he's telling the truth?" Celia whispered. "What if someone really is going to betray us?"

Aziel looked at her hard. "No. He's trying to break us down, Celia. Making us paranoid. If we give in to his words, he has already won."

Celia wanted to believe him. She wished to believe that their bond would hold through it all. But this feeling of unease in her chest refused to dissipate. Something was wrong. She could feel it.

The instant broke as a knock was made on the door. Marcus entered, his face dark. "Aziel, you need to see this."

Aziel shot from his seat, instinctively he drew his hand to rest his finger across his blade. "What's that?"

"Trouble. Southern camp." Marcus voiced barely above a whisper.

\---

They finally arrived as chaos broke around them within the camp at the southern borders. Wolves hollered insults at one another, the growls like the thunder right before an early morning storm begins to blow in. He stalked into their middle, speaking over their row. "Halt," his voice crackling like a lash.

The crowd was silent, although the tension was palpable. Wolves retreated, their gazes darting toward the two figures locked in a standoff at the center of the clearing. Celia recognized them - Toran and Garrick were two of Aziel's most trusted fighters.

Toran's face was contorted by rage, his chest bucking hard as he pointed a spasmodically shaking hand in Garrick's direction. "He's been slipping out of the camp. I caught him making off right at daybreak. Tell me that isn't betrayal!" Garrick sneered in response, his anger threatening to boil over. "You are lying! I have not done nothing!

"Enough," Aziel said again, this time his tone sharp. He studied both men, saying nothing. "Toran, what did you see?"

Toran's hands curled into fists. "I saw him go into the forest. Alone. And this isn't the first time. He's been missing camp for days now."Content is © by NôvelDrama.Org.

Aziel turned to face Garrick, his blue eyes cold. "Is that true?"

Garrick's eyes jumped between Aziel and Toran, his shoulders rigid with tension. "I wasn't sneaking out," he said finally. "I was scouting. I've been keeping an eye on the edges of the forest for signs of rogue activity." "Alone?" Aziel asked, his voice hard.

Garrick nodded. "Yes. I didn't want to cause unnecessary panic, so I kept it quiet. But I'm not a traitor, Aziel. I swear it.

The crowd murmured uneasily, suspicion hanging in the air like a fog. Celia could feel it-doubt spreading through the pack like a slow poison.

Aziel studied Garrick for a long moment before speaking. "Marcus, take some scouts and verify his story. If he's telling the truth, we'll know soon enough." "And if he's lying?" Toran growled.

Aziel's gaze turned icy. "Then I'll deal with him myself."

7---

As the pack dispersed, Celia lingered at the edge of the clearing, her thoughts a whirlwind of confusion. Aziel approached her, his expression carefully guarded. "What do you think?" she asked softly.

Aziel shook his head. "I don't know. I've known Garrick for years. He's loyal. But Toran. Toran wouldn't lie about something like this."

Celia bit her lip, her fingers brushing against her mark. "It's starting, isn't it? The cracks. The division."

Aziel exhaled, his shoulders slumping slightly. "That's what the lieutenant wants. He wants us to turn on each other."

"But what if he's right?" Celia pressed. "What if someone is betraying us?"

Aziel looked at her, his expression softening. "Then we'll deal with it. Together."

Celia nodded, but deep down, she couldn't shake the feeling that something worse was coming. The blessing pulsed faintly in her arm, a quiet warning she didn't yet understand.

7---

Night fell over the camp like a shroud, a silence that unnerved her; the forest was still. Celia sat outside her tent and stared into the darkness, and the firelight flickered on around her. She wouldn't sleep-her mind was too filled, her nerves too

raw.

"Can't sleep either?"

Celia looked up to see Marcus approaching, drawn with exhaustion. He dropped beside her, staring into the fire.

"What did you find?" Celia asked.

Marcus sighed. "Garrick's trail led to the edge of the forest. We didn't find anything out of place, but." He hesitated. "Something feels wrong out there. Like we're being watched." Celia shivered, the fire suddenly not warm enough. "Do you think Garrick's lying?"

Marcus shook his head. "I don't know. But the pack can't afford to unravel right now. If there is even a hint of betrayal." He left the sentence incomplete, his face set in grim lines. Celia's mark flared, the heat piercing and burning. She gasped, clutched at her arm as the energy pulsed through her like a warning bell.

"Celia?" Marcus asked, his voice sharp with concern.

She looked up, her eyes wide. "Something's coming."

A howl echoed through the forest, long and low, sending chills racing down her spine.

Marcus was on his feet in an instant, his posture tense. "Wake the others. Now.

Celia stood, her heart pounding as the pack sprang to life around her. Wolves poured from their tents, their eyes sharp as they turned toward the forest.

Shadows moved among the trees in the distance, red eyes gleaming in the darkness.

The rogues were here.

And this time, Celia knew they weren't just coming for blood.

They were coming for her.

Celia's mark blazed with searing light, and a voice whispered through her mind-low and haunting.

"The shield is breaking."

She turned to Aziel, her voice trembling. "They know. They know about the bond.