I woke up to darkness.
A thick, heavy kind of darkness one that felt like it was sitting on top of me, pressing into my chest. My head throbbed, slow and dull, like a heartbeat out of rhythm. I sucked in a shaky breath and instantly regretted it. The air was cold enough to sting my lungs.
Where am I?
My fingers moved first, brushing against the rough surface beneath me. Cold floor. Smooth stone. I pushed myself up and swayed a little, blinking hard even though I still couldn't see anything.
The entire room was silent. No footsteps. No voices. No breeze. Just that cold, suffocating stillness.
I lifted my hand and waved it blindly in front of me.
Nothing.
Just darkness swallowing everything.
I took a cautious step forward, arms outstretched, searching for anything. A wall. A door. A person. A sign that I wasn't trapped in some void created by that glowing circle.
My fingertips brushed something solid. Something stone like. A wall. I pressed my palm to it and followed the wall slowly, letting it guide me like a lifeline. Every step echoed softly, like I wasn't alone after all, like something else was breathing with me in the dark.
Then my hand slid over something raised.
A handle.
I swallowed, wrapped my fingers around it, and pushed.
The door creaked open with a soft groan, and the hallway outside was dim, but bright enough compared to where I had been that I had to squint. Two figures were standing right in front of the door, both turning sharply as the sound of the door opening reached them.
Their surprised expressions softened almost instantly.
"Soren?" I breathed.
Relief crashed over me so hard my knees almost gave out. As my vision adjusted, I finally recognized them. Soren rushed toward me with wide eyes before I could say another word.
"Holland!" he exclaimed, arms wrapping around me in a tight, warm hug. His scent sweet, softand familiar grounded me instantly. "Welcome, buddy."
"Welcome?" I repeated, confused. "Welcome to what?"
"You passed the initiation," Liv announced cheerfully from behind him. She had a clipboard in one hand and that same bright smile she always wore. "You're now officially a part of the" she paused dramatically "Novaterra Pack."
"What?" I blinked, pulling back slightly from Soren. "How? I don't… I don't feel anything."
I didn't feel the Alpha's mark or aura settling into me. I didn't feel that anchor of belonging every wolf described after initiation. That strange warmth in the chest. That pulse in the blood. That sense of being claimed and accepted.
I only felt… tired. And a little nauseous.
"This isn't right," I said quietly. "I should feel something. Anything."
"Check your hands," Soren said, practically bouncing with excitement.
I frowned and lifted my hands.
Then I froze.
On my left wrist clear as day under the hallway's dim light was a tattoo-like mark. Crisp lines, ancient symbols, glowing faintly like they held a heartbeat of their own. The same patterns from the circle. The same language written on the stone slab.
My breath caught.
"What… what is this?"
"We all have it," Soren said proudly as he rolled up his sleeve and showed me his wrist. The same mark. The same pattern.
I turned to Liv and she held her wrist up too.
"Same here," she said. "Mine's been here for years."
"But…" I shook my head slowly. "That wasn't there before."
"It was," Liv said gently. "You just couldn't see it. Only pack members can perceive their own mark. Once the pack accepts you, the mark becomes visible to your eyes. Like it's revealing itself."
I stared down at my wrist and touched the Mark softly.
"Wow," I whispered.
"Amazing, right?" Soren said, practically vibrating.
"Yeah…" My voice was barely audible. "It really is."
Liv clapped her hands together. "Now! Before we send you off, we need to quickly go over the pack rules."
"Rules?" I echoed.
"Oh, the usual," she said. "Don't steal. Don't hunt or kill fellow pack members. Respect the territory boundaries And the rest you'll learn as you settle in."
Her tone was casual, but her words sat heavy in my stomach. I nodded anyway.
"Okay."
"Perfect." She strode back to her desk while talking, her fingers tapping rapidly across her keyboard. "Next, housing. You'll be assigned your own home in about a week. Until then, you can live in pack supply housing. Everything there is free including food…"
"He will be living with me till he gets his house" Soren said.
"Oh perfect" She said with a smile.
"Now then" Liv continued, "it would be ideal if you got a job. Something to keep you busy and help you integrate. Is there anything you're good at?"
I hesitated.
"Um… house cleaning. Cooking. But I don't like tailoring," I admitted with a small, embarrassed laugh.
"Totally fine," she said. "I'm not asking about what you've been made to do. I'm asking what you genuinely enjoy."
Enjoy?
What a strange word.
"Um… nothing, I think." I paused. "But I'm good with the pups. If you have anything related to that…"
"We just might," Liv said. "I'll check and get back to you."
"Thank you," I said sincerely. She nodded and returned her focus to the computer.
"Can we leave now?" Soren asked impatiently, tugging on my sleeve. "We need to get ice cream to celebrate you joining the pack!"
"Ice… cream?" I repeated. I'd seen it on TV, but never tasted it. Not once.
"Oh yes," Soren beamed. "Believe me—you're going to love it."
Liv snorted. "Fine, shoo. Take him before you start vibrating a hole through my floor."
"Thank you!" I said again as Soren practically dragged me away.
He was already yapping about ice cream flavors. Like vanilla and chocolate and strawberry swirl and something called mint chip.
I looked forward to it. Ice cream is something I never dreamt of having. I can't believe they have something like that here.