Marked By the Werewolf

Chapter One: The Letter

The letter arrived without a sender.

Aria Vale found it slipped halfway under her door, the edge of the envelope catching against the rough wood like it had been forced in a hurry. She almost didn’t notice it at first—just another piece of paper in a day that already felt too heavy.

But something about it felt… wrong.

She crouched slowly, fingers hovering over the envelope before finally picking it up. The paper was thicker than usual, smooth and cold, sealed with black wax stamped with a symbol she didn’t recognize—a circle split down the middle.

Her name was written across the front.

Not printed.

Not typed.

Written.

In ink so dark it almost looked wet.

“Aria Vale.”

A small chill ran down her spine.

No one wrote letters anymore.

She turned it over. No return address. No stamp. Nothing.

“Okay… creepy,” she muttered under her breath.

Still, she opened it.

The wax seal broke too easily.

Inside was a single sheet of paper.

No greeting.

No explanation.

Just one line:

You have been chosen.

Aria blinked.

“That’s it?” she said aloud, frowning.

But as she stared at the words, something strange happened.

The ink… shifted.

Her breath caught as the letters slowly rearranged themselves, twisting like they were alive.

New words formed beneath the first sentence.

Blackwood Academy awaits you.

Term begins in three days.

Do not be late.

The paper slipped from her fingers.

“What—”

A sharp knock on her door made her jump.

“Aria?” her mother’s voice called. “Are you ready? We’re going to be late!”

Aria stared at the letter on the floor.

Blackwood Academy?

She had never heard of it.

And yet… something deep inside her chest tightened, like the name meant something she couldn’t remember.

“I’m coming!” she called back, her voice unsteady.

She picked up the letter again, folding it quickly and stuffing it into her bag like it might disappear if she didn’t.

But even as she did, one thought pressed against her mind—

It didn’t feel like an invitation.

It felt like a warning.

Three days later, Aria stood in front of the gates.

Blackwood Academy didn’t look like any college she had ever seen.

The buildings stretched high into the sky, old stone covered in creeping ivy, their windows dark despite the late afternoon light. The air itself felt different—heavier, quieter, like the world had been muted the moment she stepped past the iron gates.

Students moved across the courtyard in small groups, their voices low, their eyes… watching.

Watching her.

Aria swallowed, tightening her grip on her bag.

“Okay,” she whispered to herself. “You can do this. It’s just a school.”

But even as she said it, she knew it wasn’t true.

Something about this place felt alive.

And it didn’t feel welcoming.

She took a step forward.

Then another.

A sudden rush of wind brushed past her—

No.

Not wind.

A presence.

Aria froze.

Her heart started pounding for no reason she could explain.

That was when she felt it.

Eyes.

Someone was staring at her.

Not just looking.

Watching.

She turned slowly—

And saw him.

He stood at the edge of the courtyard, slightly apart from everyone else. Tall. Dark hair falling just enough to shadow his eyes. There was nothing obviously strange about him.

And yet—

Everything about him felt wrong.

Or maybe not wrong.

Dangerous.

His gaze was locked on her like he had been waiting.

Like he knew her.

Aria’s breath caught.

For a moment, the noise of the courtyard faded, the world narrowing down to just the space between them.

Then he started walking toward her.

Each step was slow. Controlled.

Intentional.

Aria’s instincts screamed at her to move—to look away, to leave—but her feet stayed rooted to the ground.