Selene pov

When he walked away, I ran to my room, trying to catch my breath.

My heart was still pounding.

On the bed, a beautiful gown had been laid out for me. It wasn't something I would've chosen to wear normally, but I knew if I wanted any standing here ...any chance of surviving or leaving with dignity ...I needed allies. Including the head maid.

So I changed into the dress, smoothing it down as I let my hair fall freely to my waist.

I was just about to pick up a book when the door to my room burst open.

Kael walked in , his chest rising and falling, his breathing harsh and uneven.

His eyes dragged slowly over my body, lingering on the swell of my breasts before finally meeting mine. A soft moan nearly escaped my lips at the heat in his gaze ...but I looked away quickly, forcing my emotions down.

"Why were you getting cozy with my friend, Selene?" he asked, his voice rough with barely contained rage.

I turned to face him fully, keeping my expression blank.

"I wasn't getting cozy with anyone."

He stepped forward, his jaw tight.

"Is that why you dressed up? For him?"

"You're being ridiculous," I said, trying to suppress the mix of anger and unwanted longing curling in my chest.

Kael stepped closer, his presence overwhelming, eyes burning into mine.

"I'll have you, Selene," he growled, voice low and full of dark promise.

"Begging for me. Begging for my cock like your body was made for it."

I turned my face away, even as my wolf whimpered in the back of my mind.

He then turned and walked out of the room, leaving me alone once more.

The infuriating bastard.

He forced me here, refused to let me reject the bond and now he won't even finish the mating process.

He keeps me on a leash, dangling between ownership and abandonment.

And I don't know how long I can wait.

But I swear I'd rather lose my mind than beg.

I gripped the edge of the dresser, trying to steady my breath, but it was becoming harder to breathe. The ache was crawling under my skin, blooming in my chest, my stomach, my thighs.causing my nipples to harden,

The bond was growing stronger.

I decided to go out and resume my search for Keisha. Since we were restrained, I hadn't laid eyes on my friend, and Kael refused to tell me what had been done to her .. not even his Beta would give me a straight answer.

I stepped out of the room, trying to steady myself, ignoring the heat pooling between my thighs.

Focus, I said, slapping my cheek.

I resumed my search.

The Pack House was like a massive labyrinth of polished halls, winding corridors, and too many doors. It was easy to get lost in here, but I've always had a brilliant memory, and for that, I was grateful.

Holding my small pocket knife close, I moved quietly, marking the corners I passed with tiny scratches....just in case.

After what felt like forever, I stumbled into a part of the house I hadn't crossed before.

It was quiet.

And then I saw an enormous arched door, slightly open.

The library.

I stepped inside, crossing the threshold into a space lined with books as far as the eye could see. Floor-to-ceiling shelves. Dusty tomes. Velvet chairs. The scent of old parchment and something faintly magical filled the air.

It was beautiful.

And completely empty.

I kept walking around the library, unable to keep my hands off the books.

Since I was a little girl, reading had always been the one thing that kept me going. For me it was an escape.

My fingers trailed over old spines, faded titles, and delicate gold-foiled covers.

That was until I noticed a gap in the wall ...it was subtle, almost unnoticeable unless you were really looking.

One section of the shelf seemed to protrude just slightly from the others.

I stepped closer, heart picking up pace, as I ran my fingers along the edge.

It didn't feel like the rest of the wall.

My fingers hovered along the edge of the shelf, tracing the faint outline of the gap. There was a small indentation near the base. I pressed it gently.

Click.

A soft grinding sound followed,like stone scraping against stone.

The shelf creaked forward an inch... then began to slide sideways, revealing a narrow passage hidden behind the wall.

The air coming from the passage was stale and cold,

I stared at it for a second, pulse pounding in my throat. The space was just wide enough for a person to slip through .

Clutching my knife tighter, I stepped inside.

The wooden floorboards shifted under my weight, and the light from the library dimmed the farther I went. The walls were lined with cobwebs and stone, and the only sound was the faint echo of my own footsteps.

My gut told me I was heading somewhere important.

Somewhere secret.

And maybe, just maybe... Keisha had been through here too.

Before I could convince myself that I was making a mistake , that I should turn around and leave a voice echoed down the passage.

It was Sylvester and he sounded close by.

I froze, pressing my back to the wall, holding my breath.

I inched forward, careful not to make a sound, just enough to peer around the bend of the tunnel. The passage widened slightly up ahead, opening into a small chamber lit by a single lantern.

And there he was.

Sylvester stood in front of a stone table, unfurling a map. His back was to me, his sea-blue hair catching the warm light like silk.

When are you going to tell Selene about the blood bond curse, Kael?" Sylvester's voice cut through the chamber like a blade.

I froze.

Kael was here too .. sitting at the other end of the stone table, his Beta standing just behind him with folded arms.

"I wanted you to confirm if it was true," Kael said.

"Seeing as your family has a thing for... bonds. And curses."

Sylvester scoffed and leaned over the table.

"Don't start with me, Kael. This curse ...this bond ...it's not natural. You marked her, yes. But the blood bond activated on its own."

Now tell me," Sylvester continued, eyes narrowing,

"When did the mark appear?"

"Immediately after I marked her."

Sylvester's brows drew together.

"And?"

Kael exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair.

"It appeared at the base of her neck. A blood sigil. It glowed red for a second before fading."

"I was able to mask it."

Sylvester cursed under his breath.

"So she has no idea she's not just bound to you... she's cursed to you."

Kael's jaw clenched.

"Then how do we break it?"

Sylvester exhaled sharply, like the weight of the answer exhausted him.

"The blood bond curse isn't something that can be easily broken, Kael. It's ancient. Twisted. It doesn't just bind mates... it feeds off conflict, pain, possession. The more you fight it, the stronger it gets."

Kael said nothing, his expression unreadable.

"You're hurting her just by holding back," Sylvester added, voice dropping.

"If you don't finish the bond soon,you both could spiral. Or worse."

I should've waited.

Should've stayed hidden until the end of their conversation.

But I didn't.

Instead I turned and ran away, my heart pounding with every step.

The idea that I might be more deeply bonded to Kael than I thought, that something ancient and cursed had wrapped itself around me without my knowledge... was suffocating.

What if I'm in danger?

What if I already am?

I didn't stop running until I reached the library again, slamming the hidden passage shut behind me and leaning against the wall, chest heaving.

No more secrets.

If they wouldn't tell me the truth, I'd find it myself.

Straightening my spine, I stepped out into the warm, quiet stillness of the library. A she wolf, maybe the Liberian nearly, froze at the sight of me.

"Is there any book here on mating bonds?" I asked, keeping my voice calm.

She hesitated, then nodded slowly.

"Yes, Luna. That section-" she pointed to a far corner, "back wall, top shelves. The older texts."

I nodded once, already moving.

Because if I was cursed...

I needed to know exactly what I was fighting.

Since that day, I haven't seen Sylvester or my mate.

I spend the entire day holed up in my room, either scouring dusty old books for answers about the bond or searching endlessly for Keisha. But I still had no clue where she was. Nothing.

The books I've been reading offer little more than vague warnings and scattered theories. Only one recorded case of this bond exists throughout history and it ended in horror.

The pair descended into madness, driven wild by something no one could understand, until they finally killed each other.

No one knows how the curse works. No one even understands its structure, its purpose, or its origin.

But what haunts me the most is that Kael knew. He knew and said nothing.

And maybe I should've expected that from him. Maybe I'm just naive for still hoping there's something good in him.

But right now, I can't see it. Not when everything feels like it's falling apart.

Knock, knock.

The sound of the door pulled me from the haze of my reading. I looked up, my heart still heavy with everything I'd just uncovered.

"Come in," I called, setting the book aside.

The head maid stepped inside, bowing low...more respectfully than she ever had before. There was a nervousness to her movements, like she wasn't sure how to act around me anymore.

"Luna," she said carefully, "you are to get dressed and appear before the Alpha."

I blinked. "Now?"

She nodded once. "Yes. Immediately."

I sighed, standing slowly. "Okay."

Whatever this was, I had a feeling it wouldn't be good. Not after what I'd just learned. Not after days of silence.

I walked into the hall and immediately felt like running.

There were more people than usual. No, not just more. Everyone was here. The entire pack had gathered, their gazes fixed on the entrance like they were waiting for a spectacle.

And I was it.

Kael stepped forward from the center of the room, his expression smug, almost too pleasant.

"How nice of you to join us, Selene," he said, smiling with that mock sweetness that made my skin crawl.

I gave a quiet nod, forcing my face to remain neutral. I began to walk toward him, ready to take my usual place at his feet, like I had done before. But something stopped me.

There was another throne beside his. A New Throne.

I hesitated, confused. Did he want me by his side now?

I took a cautious step forward, unsure if I should kneel or sit.

But then his voice, soft and sharp as a blade, cut through the silence.

"No, darling. That throne isn't for you."

I froze mid-step, shame washing over me in a wave so hot it scalded. The entire room watched, hungry for my humiliation.

"You've been so quiet. So obedient lately," Kael continued, his tone laced with something almost amused. "I thought it was time to... reward you."

My heart dropped.

"Today," he said with cruel pride, "I'll be announcing my concubine."

A roar built in my ears, drowning out the gasps around me. My wolf howled in fury, thrashing inside my chest, but I stood frozen.

"Who?" I managed, my voice barely more than a whisper.

And then I heard her.

"It's me."

The voice I thought I'd never hear again.

Elara.

My sister.

Kael pov

I watched her face crumble the moment she heard her sister's voice .

Elara.

It was like watching a carefully crafted mask crack in slow motion.

Selene's breath hitched. Her lips parted in disbelief, and for the first time in days, her eyes weren't empty...they were wide with shock, pain... betrayal.

And I don't know why, but I loved it.

I loved watching that calm, defiant façade unravel. Maybe because she's always so composed. Maybe because no matter how much I bend the world to my will, she refuses to yield.

And that makes me want her more.

But also... it infuriates me.

"How?" she whispered, her voice fragile and broken. "I don't understand..."

Her eyes locked on her sister, full of hurt and confusion. "You died. They couldn't find your body. I searched for you." Her voice cracked. "I was branded a traitor for you."

The tears came fast now, streaking her cheeks as she took a step back, pointing a trembling finger at Elara. "You were alive all these years... and you knew?"

I felt something stir in me at the sight...guilt, maybe. But I shoved it down, buried it beneath the anger and desire that always seemed to burn hotter around her.

"You see, sister," Elera said softly, her voice measured, "after you left me for dead, I truly thought I was dead."

Selene flinched.

"I was found by passersby...kind people who took me in, raised me like I was one of their own." She looked down for a second, pain evident in her voice .

"But I didn't leave you," Selene cried out. "I never did! We didn't even go out that day. We were supposed to...supposed to stay inside. I-"

"Enough." My voice cut through the room like a whip.

"She is going to be my concubine," I said, letting my voice ring through the hall, calm and deliberate. "And if she proves more useful to me than you, Selene..."

My gaze found hers...

"She will be crowned my Luna. You will remain nothing more than my mate in name."

The crowd froze. A breathless silence swept through the hall, but I kept my focus solely on her.

She staggered.

Just a single step back, but it was enough. Her face paled, and for the first time in a long time, her mask slipped. The strength she always wore like armor faltered.

Her lips parted, trembling. She didn't speak at first. Just stood there crushed by words I delivered with ruthless calm.

Her voice finally came, soft and broken. "So why did I have to suffer all these years?"

She wasn't asking the crowd. She wasn't even asking Elara.

She was asking me.

I didn't say anything, just staring at her coldly.

She turned and ran bolting from the hall like the ground had burned her.

I didn't hesitate.

Ignoring the stares of my subjects, ignoring Elara's voice calling after me, I followed her. My focus was her.

She was fast,,,desperation to get away from me fueling her steps...but I was faster.

Before she could slam her door shut, I shoved it open and stepped into the room she had turned into her sanctuary. Her prison. Her fortress.

She spun around, eyes wide, chest rising and falling as though every breath was a battle.

"Leave me alone, Kael," she said, her voice hoarse. She backed away from me like I was something dangerous.

Maybe I was.

I took a step toward her anyway.

Every muscle in me burned. My wolf surged forward, clawing beneath my skin, demanding what it had been denied for far too long. It wanted to claim. To complete the bond. To make her mine in the most primal way.

But this wasn't just instinct. It was something else. Something more twisted.

She looked at me like I'd already broken her. Like I was the monster in her story, and she had finally stopped pretending I could be anything else.

And yet... I still moved closer.

"I said leave me alone, Kael," she snapped, her voice cracking with raw emotion.

But I couldn't. I wouldn't.

I closed the distance between us in two strides. Her chest rose and fell, panic flashing in her eyes as I reached for her.

I grabbed her wrists

"Don't run from me," I said through clenched teeth.

She struggled, twisting against my grip, but I was stronger. I always had been.

In one swift movement, I spun her around and pinned her to the bed. Her back hit the mattress, her eyes wide with fury and pain. I hovered over her, breathing hard, every part of me humming with the pull of the bond.

I clawed her underwear away then lowered my head between her thighs, burying my mouth deep in her wet cunt.

The taste of her made my wolf growl with possessive hunger, and I held her hips firmly as she arched off the bed, a broken sound slipping from her lips.

"Kael..." she whispered, breathless.

I parted her legs wider, forcing her open for me completely, and utterly exposed.

My control slipped as my wolf pushed closer to the surface, clawing at the inside of my skin. I let him through, just enough to darken my senses, to make my tongue move with feral hunger as I dove back in.

I could feel her cumming...again and again against my tongue, her thighs trembling violently around my head.

I held her down, one arm wrapped around her hips, locking her in place as her back arched, her breath shattered into desperate cries.

She tried to pull away but I wasn't done.

My tongue moved faster, more deliberately now, flicking and circling that sweet, swollen spot with a ruthless rhythm that had her crying out again, her body writhing uncontrollably beneath me.

Her hands clawed at the sheets. Her head tossed side to side. She was falling apart unraveling beautifully under my mouth.

"Kael-please," she gasped,"But I didn't stop.

Because I wanted her undone.

I didn't stop until her voice went hoarse, until her cries dissolved into breathless sobs of pleasure, until her legs gave out entirely until she melted under me, limp and wet and shaking.

Only then did I lift my head, my breath ragged, chin glistening with her juices .My eyes locked on hers.

my wolf clawed at the inside of my chest, demanding I finish it ...claim her. Mark her. Sink my dick into her and make her mine in every way.

But I didn't.

Instead, I leaned in close, brushing my lips against the shell of her ear. She shivered, barely able to move.

My voice was low, rough, and unrelenting.

"If you want me..." I whispered, "...fight for me."

Selene pov

I trembled under him, my body still shaking from the orgasm he dragged out of me. My mind was foggy, torn between the bond and everything he'd done. I blinked, trying to clear my head, trying to breathe past the pressure in my chest.

And then I pushed him hard .

He didn't move at first, just stared at me like he couldn't believe I was rejecting him. Again.

"I'd rather die than fight for you, Kael."

"You want to crown her Luna so badly? Then crown her. You two deserve each other, besides I never asked for this."

His jaw twitched. I saw something flash in his eyes. But I was done reading into him. I pulled the blanket tighter around me and sat up, turning my face away.

"I'll never be yours ," I said, quieter now. "Don't stand there and act like I should fight for the man who ruined me, you are not worth fighting for ."

I turned my back to him, ignoring his heavy breathing as he walked away from the room.

I closed my eyes, trying to still my own breathing. My sister, Elara, has been alive all these years. How did he find her? And even though I'm supposed to be happy that the title of being a murderer has finally been cleared from my name... it doesn't seem to make anything better.

And I honestly don't know how I'm supposed to face my sister after all this time.

She returned to me...

I still remembered what happened all those years ago.

I remember that day like it was yesterday. My mom left me in charge of Elara since it was hunting season.

We promised not to go outside. We swore we'd stay inside until she got back.

But Elara was always more energetic than me.

"Sister, please! Let's just go for a walk," she said, her cute curls bouncing around her face as she looked up at me with those eyes that mirrored mine...

Brown doe eyes.

"No, Elara," I told her. "Mama said we should wait for her."

"You never do anything fun," she pouted.

"What do you mean by that?" I asked, crossing my arms, lips pulling into a frown as I bit down, offended by her words.

"If you were as fun as Laura," she said with a shrug, "you wouldn't care about going for a walk. Just a tiny walk."

I sighed, staring at her...those big brown eyes, that pout, the way she rocked on her heels like she already knew she'd win.

"Okay, fine," I muttered. "Just a little walk." I said, determined to win over Laura, her friend's sister who is fast becoming her role model.

Her face lit up instantly. She grabbed my hand with both of hers, grinning like she'd just been given the world.

If only I'd said no again.

We hadn't gone very far when we were cornered.

I was too young and foolish to recognize the danger signs around me...

The way the wind stilled. The sudden silence of the woods. Even the birds had stopped singing.

I should've known. I should've known.

But I was too caught up in keeping her happy, in trying to prove I wasn't boring, in proving I could be fun too.

And then the Shadows came fast, and merciless. They moved between the trees like ghosts, surrounding us before I could even react.

"Elara, behind me!" I shouted, my voice shaking as I threw my arms wide. I extended my claws, though it was shaky and undeveloped. My wolf was barely at the surface. I wasn't strong enough to protect us but I tried.

I fought as hard as I could . I clawed at them and screamed and begged.

But it wasn't enough.

One of them grabbed her. I remember the way she cried my name as they pulled her away. The way her little hand reached for mine it was so close, but not close enough.

And then she was gone.

And I was left behind...bloody, broken, and alone.

I would never understand why they chose only her that day and decided to leave me.

They could've killed me. They should've.

But instead... they left me.

I lay there in the dirt, with blood on my hands, my face scratched and swollen, staring at the empty space where she had been. My chest was hollow. My ears rang with the echo of her scream.

I didn't cry. Not at first.

I didn't move.

I just lay there more silent and numb than I have ever felt in my life until I heard my mother's voice in the distance.

"Selene! Selene!"

That was when I broke.

The sound of her calling my name shattered whatever was left holding me together.

I cried.

Not because I was in pain.

But because I had failed.

Because I lost Elara.

And I would never get her back.

"Selene!" my mother cried, running toward me.

She dropped to her knees and gathered me into her arms, her scent wrapping around me like a safety I no longer deserved. Her hands roamed my face, my arms, my clothes....searching for wounds.

"Who hurt you? What happened?" she asked, panic rising in her voice.

I blinked, tears slipping down my cheeks as I tried to speak. My mouth opened, but the words were all wrong.

Her arms tightened around me. "Selene... where is Elara?"

I froze.

Even now, I remember that silence how heavy it felt. How loud the absence of my sister was.

I couldn't speak.

I couldn't breathe.

All I could do was shake my head slowly, over and over, as my mother's face crumbled before me.

"Selene," she cried again, her voice breaking. "What happened to your sister? Where is she?"

She clutched my arm so tight I whimpered, the pain snapping me out of my daze.

"Mom... you're hurting me..."

"Tell me what happened!"

"I..." My lips trembled. "We were attacked. I tried to fight them. I tried to protect her. But... I couldn't. I'm sorry."

Her hands dropped from my arm as if I'd burned her.

The look she gave me then...

It was the scariest thing I've ever seen.

It was so cold and empty . Like I wasn't her daughter anymore.

"You mean..." Her voice was flat. "You killed your sister?"

"What? No! I would never! We were attacked and..."

"You were supposed to protect her!" she screamed, stepping back. "I left her with you! I trusted you!"

Tears blurred my vision as I reached for her. "Mama, please... I didn't- I tried-"

But she didn't hear me.

Or maybe... she just didn't care.

"You killed her... you killer..." she kept mumbling, her voice hollow, her eyes empty as she stood up.

She walked like a ghost towards the pack house, her steps were unsteady, her lips wouldn't stop moving.

"Selene killed my youngest daughter," she kept repeating. "I birthed a monster..."

Her voice grew louder. Hysterical. She screamed it over and over again, her cries echoing through the trees, drawing attention from the others.

"I birthed a monster!"

Guards came. Pack members watched in stunned silence as she thrashed and sobbed, clawing at her own skin. They had to restrain her in the end dragging her away kicking and screaming.

I sat there, frozen. Every part of me broken.

And the next morning...

They found her dead in her cell.

Not long after, I was captured and cast away from the pack.

My name was stained forever.

They called me every vile name there was...traitor, murderer, cursed child. Some spat at me as I was dragged through the pack grounds. Others looked away like I was something shameful they didn't want to be associated with.

The worst part?

No one defended me. Not one soul.

Not even those who used to smile at me. Not even the ones I once considered friends.

To them, Elara was innocent. And I was the monster that let her and my mother die.