Selene

The wilderness swallowed me whole, its dark embrace both a comfort and a threat. I had hunted these very woods since I was a child, so it wasn't too hard to find my way around. My boots sank into the damp earth, as I navigated my way through the forest floor littered with pine needles in the dark.

My body ached from bruises from their rough hands and cuts from thorns I'd stumbled through in my blind flight. But the real pain wasn't physical. It was that cursed thread tying me to Kaelen, pulsing with his every breath and his every touch with Lysandra. And my son, trapped in that stone prison, stolen by his father's greed.

I would see Dorian again. I would cut through steel and bone and fate itself if I had to. But I would get my son back.

The night was cold, the moon hidden behind clouds, leaving only starlight to guide me. My leathers were torn, the crimson gown long abandoned in a ditch, replaced by the hunting gear I'd grabbed before the guards caught me.

No bow, though. They'd taken that too, the damn bastards. My hands itched for its familiar weight, for the certainty of an arrow's flight. Without it, I felt naked and defenseless.

I moved deeper into the neutral lands, the no man's stretch between Bloodfang and Shadowfang territories. No pack ruled here, just rogues and outcasts, wolves too wild or too broken to kneel to any Alpha. It was dangerous, yes, but it was my only path. My plan was half formed at best: find shelter, regroup, figure out how to infiltrate the stronghold. Every step away from Dorian felt like a betrayal to my son, but I needed time... allies... anything to tilt the odds and give me a fighting chance.

The bond flared again, a sharp twist in my chest. Kaelen was with her. I gritted my teeth, forcing the sensation down.

Damn him, not now. Focus.

The forest was far too quiet and my instincts immediately screamed danger, but I kept moving, one hand on the dagger strapped to my thigh. It wasn't much, but it would have to do.

A twig snapped to my left and I froze, my ears straining. Another snap sounded, then a low growl, not wolf but something baser, and much hungrier.

My pulse quickened, but I kept my breathing steady as I crouched behind a gnarled oak, peering into the darkness. Shapes moved–three, maybe four, their eyes glinting yellow in the faint light. They were wolves, but not pack wolves; their movements were too erratic and undisciplined.

Rogues.

"Well, well," a raspy male voice called. "What's a pretty thing like you doing out here all alone?"

I stayed silent but my grip tightened on the dagger at my side. Let them think I was easy prey. It'd make their mistake that much sweeter.

Another voice came again, but female this time. "Smells like Bloodfang. Bet she's running from something. Or someone."

They were closer now, circling the tree. My heart pounded, but my mind was clear and calculating. Three confirmed, possibly a fourth. No bows, just claws and blades. I could take them if I moved fast and used the terrain. The dagger was small, but I'd trained for close combat, and these rogues didn't look disciplined.

"Come out, little wolf," the first voice taunted. "We don't bite... much."

I smirked despite myself. Idiots.

"You sure about that?" I called back. "Last wolf who tried biting me ended up with an arrow through his throat."

"Oh, but we just want to have a little chat. No arrows now, girl. Just you and us."

They lunged before I could respond, shadows bursting from the trees. I rolled to the side, the dagger flashing as I slashed at the nearest rogue- a lanky male with matted hair and a rusted blade. He yelped as my dagger caught his arm, blood spraying, but the others were on me fast.

The woman, wiry and quick, swung a club at my head. I ducked, kicking her knee, and sent her sprawling. The third, a hulking brute, grabbed for my arm, but I twisted, driving my blade into his thigh. He roared and stumbled back.

Three down, but not out. Where's the fourth?

My eyes darted around, scanning the trees. The bond pulsed again. Kaelen's presence was a distraction I couldn't afford right now.

Damn you, Kaelen. Get your mangled butt out of my head.

The woman was up, snarling, as she raised her club. "You'll pay for that, bitch."

"Original," I shot back, dodging her swing. "Got anything better?"

She growled and charged, but I sidestepped, letting her momentum carry her into a tree. The lanky male was back, blood dripping from his arm, yet swinging his blade wildly. I parried with my dagger, and kicked him in the gut. He doubled over, gasping.

The brute was slower, but his size was a problem. He swung a massive fist, and I barely ducked, the air whistling past my ear. My dagger wasn't enough for him. I needed a weapon.

My eyes caught a thick fallen branch nearby. I dove for it, rolling as the brute's fist slammed into the ground where I'd been.

"Too slow," I taunted, grabbing the branch and swinging it hard against his knee. He bellowed, then collapsed, but the woman was back, tackling me from behind. We hit the ground, her claws raking my face. Pain flared, but I twisted, jamming my elbow into her ribs. She gasped, loosening her grip, and I rolled free, scrambling to my feet.

"Where's your pack now, Bloodfang?" the lanky one sneered, circling with his blade. "It seems no one's coming for you."

"Good," I said, my voice fierce. "Means I don't have to share the fun."

But I was tiring, and they knew it. Blood trickled from a cut on my cheek and my arms burned from the fight. The brute was up again, limping now but dangerous.

I need to end this fast.

Suddenly, a new sound cut through the night, jerking all our attention towards it. It was a low, commanding growl, not rogue but pack, laced with authority. The rogues stopped, their eyes darting to the trees. I tightened my grip on the branch, ready for anything.

From the shadows a massive wolf emerged, his fur black as midnight with silver streaks, his golden eyes burning with authority. Scars crisscrossed his muzzle, his presence radiating raw power. Alpha power. I knew instantly who it was.

Draven Nightbane, Shadowfang's alpha, and Kaelen's sworn enemy.

The rogues backed away. "Shadowfang," the woman hissed with fear in her voice.

His gaze landed on me for a moment but neither of us spoke. My blood dripped to the dirt from my cheek and my thigh ached from where it'd been slashed but still, no one moved an inch.

Draven didn't look at them. His gaze stayed on me, head tilted slightly, studying me like a curiosity. Then when his voice came, it was deep and carrying the weight of command no one dared to defy. "Leave. Now."

Then taking slow but measured steps towards me, he added, "I've claimed this one. She's mine."

Selene

Draven's words hung in the air like a blade poised to fall.

"She's mine now."

The forest was silent now, the rogues' whimpers fading into the distance, their retreat marked by the sound of rustling leaves and snapping twigs. Meanwhile, the massive wolf stood before me, his black fur streaked with silver, his golden eyes piercing through the darkness.

Draven's form shimmered, bones cracking as he shifted back to human. When he was fully transformed, his leather armor clung to his broad frame, scars crisscrossing his chest, visible through the open laces of his tunic. His dark hair that still had streaks of silver, fell into his golden eyes, which held mine with an intensity that made my skin prickle.

He was dangerous, no question, but I knew if he wanted me dead, I'd be sipping ale at the Moon godess' temple by now. Either way, I tightened my grip on the dagger, and squared by stance despite the pain. He'd chased off the rogues, but that didn't make him my savior.

"Yours?" I said, my voice holding an edge, though my legs were still trembling from the fight. "I don't belong to anyone, Shadowfang. Not Kaelen, and sure as hell not you."

His lips twitched, a faint smirk that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Bold words for a woman bleeding out in rogue territory."

I wiped the blood from my cheek, ignoring the burn. "I was handling it. Rogues aren't new to me."

"Clearly," he said, his tone dry, almost teasing.

He stepped closer, his boots silent on the forest floor. "You're Kealen's mate."

"Congratulations. You know me," I said, my voice steady, fiery. "Now what do you want, Nightbane?"

He chuckled. "Rejected, I take it?"

The words stung, but I didn't respond. Instead, I met his gaze head on.

He tilted his head, studying me. "Running, are you?"

"Strategizing," I corrected. "Not that it's any of your business."

He chuckled again, a low rumble that sent a shiver down my spine. "Oh, you're quite intriguing." he said with a smile. "A woman like you... hunter, fighter, scorned Luna.. has value. Especially to me."

My mind raced. Value. He wasn't here out of kindness; Draven Nightbane didn't have a kind bone in his body, if the stories were true. He was a tactician, a warrior who'd built Shadowfang into a rival power through blood and cunning. And now he was looking at me like I was a weapon he could wield.

"Spit it out," I said, my tone demanding. "What's your angle?"

"No angle," he replied, his voice smooth but edged with steel. He stepped closer still, close enough that I could see the faint scar running along his jaw. "Just an offer. Sanctuary in Shadowfang territory. Protection from Kaelen's hunters and from rogues. A chance to strike back at the man who broke you."

"I'm not broken," I snapped, fire blazing in my chest. The bond pulsed again, Kaelen's presence a faint echo of his time with Lysandra, and I gritted my teeth. "And I don't need your charity."

"You know I don't do charity," he said, his eyes narrowing. "I'm proposing an alliance. You know Bloodfang's secrets... its defenses, its weaknesses, its heart. I want Kaelen's head on a pike, and from how you sound, I'm sure you want the same. We can help each other."

I squarred my shoulders. "If you think I'm about to trade one Alpha's leash for another, you're dumber than you look."

His eyes gleamed at that, as if my fire amused him. Then he took another step closer, until I could feel the heat radiating off him. "Kaelen made a mistake. And I intend to make use of it."

When I said nothing, he continued. "Besides, the fact that he's not here with you means Kaelen's got your boy locked in that stronghold, and you're out here, bleeding and alone. You need a pack, Selene. Mine."

The sound of Dorian's name made me pause and consider for a while. Finally, I spoke. "After one Alpha stabbed me in the back, what makes you think I'll kneel to another?"

"No not kneel... something much better." He said, "But like I said before, I do not do charity. In exchange for my protection and my pack. I want something in return."

"Ah there it is." I said as a bitter laugh tore through my throat. "There's always a catch. Let me guess... you want to share my bed in exchange?" I huffed and begun to walk away. "Thanks for the offer, but I'll pass."

"I want your hand."

I froze in my tracks. For a moment, the words refused to fully register. Then slowly, I turned to face him again.

"Excuse me?"

Then he took another step, closing the distance between us. "I want you to stand beside me. As an equal. I want you to be my Luna."

Equal. The word lingered, tempting in a way Kaelen's promises never had. Kaelen had called me his mate, his love, but never his equal. Draven's offer was a lifeline, but it came with chains. He was no saint. Everyone knew his reputation was soaked in blood, and his ambitions just as ruthless as Kaelen's greed.

But Dorian was out of reach, and I was running out of options. My wounds throbbed, my strength was fading, but my resolve to find my son burned brighter than ever.

"Why me?" I asked, testing him, my eyes locked on his. "Plenty of scorned wolves out there. Why risk Kaelen's wrath for a Beta-born with no pack?"

"Because, my lady, you're not just any wolf. I've heard the stories. I've heard how you fed Bloodfang through famines, held their borders with a bow. Kaelen underestimated you. I do not plan to make the same mistake."

I considered it for a while. The offer was more than tempting. But still, I had to play my cards right. "You're not exactly selling trust here, Nightbane," I said. "What's to stop you from using me and tossing me aside when you're done?"

"Trust is earned," he replied, his eyes never leaving mine. "Come with me, and we'll start building it. Or stay here and wait for the rogues to come back. Your choice."

I studied him, the bond flaring again. Draven was offering a path, but it was a dangerous one. Shadowfang was no sanctuary; it was a battlefield of its own, with enemies I didn't yet know. But for Dorian, I'd walk through fire. "And what do I get?" I pressed. "Besides your oh-so-charming protection?"

His eyes glinted, amused but serious. "A chance at revenge. A place to stand. And the means to get your son back. Take the offer or leave it, Selene. I'm done trying to convince you."

Revenge. The word burned in me, as hot as my love for Dorian. Kaelen had taken everything from me... my place, my pack and my child. The thought of tearing him down and making him regret, was almost as sweet as the image of holding Dorian again. But Draven wasn't my ally yet, he was a weapon I could wield if I played this right.

"You want an alliance?" I said, keeping my voice steady. "Fine. You got one. But it's on my terms. I'm no one's pawn, Draven. Not Kaelen's, and especially not yours."

He nodded once, with a small smile. "I wouldn't expect anything less. But we need to move now, my lady. Rogues aren't the only threat out here, and Kaelen's hunters won't be far behind."

I hesitated and glanced back toward Bloodfang's distant lights, hidden beyond the trees. Dorian was there, locked away, believing his father's lies.

"Alright. But I have one condition." I said as my eyes locked on his. "When the time comes, I want to be the one to grind Bloodfang into ash. It must be my own blade that goes through Kaelen's heart."

His smile widened, as admiration glowed in his golden eyes. "That's a promise I can get behind. We should go now, my queen. We've got much work to do."

He turned and gestured for me to follow just as his warriors emerged from the shadows, their eyes assessing me. I stood tall, dagger still in hand, blood drying on my skin.

Kaelen thought he'd broken me. Draven thought he'd claimed me.

They were both wrong.

I'd carve my own path, and when I was done, Bloodfang would be nothing but dust.

Kaelen

The council chamber smelled of iron and incense. I sat at the head of the long obsidian table while the voices around me fought to be heard over one another, a cacophony of outrage and fear.

"She's with him now," Elder Raith spat, his weathered hands slamming against the wood. "Shadowfang territory, and parading herself as though she belongs there."

"Parading?" Elder Arwen sneered. "She has been claimed. You all saw the decree. Draven has made her his Luna."

The words thudded into my chest like stones. My mate. My bond. Selene... mine by blood and by destiny was now bound to another.

I clenched my jaw so tightly my teeth ached. "Decree or not, Shadowfang is nothing compared to Bloodfang. Let Draven play with what I discarded. It changes nothing."

But it did change something. Every time I closed my eyes, the bond screamed with it. A tearing sensation deep in my ribs, like fire licking through veins. I felt her rage and her defiance. I felt her heat when she looked at him.

I would not show weakness here.

"She is not discarded," Raith said sharply. His eyes glinted with something dangerously close to defiance. "Selene was loved here. She bled for this pack. Many of us raised our children on the stories of her strength. She was supposed to be our Luna. Do not speak of her as though she were–"

"Enough." My voice cracked across the chamber. Every head turned toward me. "Selene made her choice when she spat in my face. She allied herself with Shadowfang. She is no longer of Bloodfang."

"Draven," I growled, the name tasting like bile. "That scarred bastard has always been waiting for a chance to strike at me, and now he's got her."

Thorne shifted uneasily, his loyalty unwavering but his eyes betraying a flicker of doubt. "It's a bold move, Alpha. Selene as his Luna... it legitimizes him. Gives him insight into our pack."

"Insight?" I laughed bitterly, but inside, the bond twisted, a flash of her face in my mind– fiery red hair, storm-grey eyes, that unyielding spirit. She'd been mine, fated, the one who should have stood beside me. But I'd chosen prosperity, alliances, the gold and armies Lysandra brought. It was the right choice for the pack, dammit. The right choice for our future.

The doors opened again, and Lysandra glided in, her golden hair cascading over her shoulders, her silk gown whispering against the floor. She looked every inch the princess she was bred to be. She was beautiful, a vision of royal grace, but it lacked that fire I'd come to love.

Selene's laughter still haunted these walls. The way she once stormed into this chamber with mud still on her boots, bow slung over her shoulder, daring the elders to mock her. She never bowed. Not even to me.

Lysandra bowed every time like an obedient wife should. Perfect, and yet completely lacking. Whenever I looked at her, I felt nothing but the dull echo of obligation. The bond pulled elsewhere.

"Kaelen," she said, her voice smooth. "What's this I hear about Selene? The servants are whispering."

I ignored her and forced my attention back to the council. "Bloodfang remains strong. The alliance with the royal family secures our future. Ships, armies, gold. The people will never starve under my rule. That is what matters. Not the rash decisions of one she-wolf."

"She-wolf?" Elder Arwen's tone was sharp enough to cut. "You speak as though she is not your mate."

A growl ripped from my chest before I could stop it. "She was my mate, elder. Was. Past tense."

The elders exchanged uneasy glances.

Lysandra's voice finally slid through the silence. "You all waste breath on a traitor. She abandoned this pack the moment she ran into Shadowfang arms. Whatever loyalty you cling to, it is misplaced. She will use Draven's name to turn everything you love against you. It is an insult."

"An insult?" I echoed, my rage bubbling over. "It's war. Draven's using her to undermine me. He knows her value... her knowledge of our defenses and our people. She's handing him everything on a silver platter."

Lysandra stepped closer, her hand on my arm was cool. "Then we will deal with her, my husband. All she has is Draven's name and his dwindling resources. You have ships and an army that can rival even the King's."

I turned my head, studying her profile. Perfect, yes. Poised. A princess trained for politics. She knew how to speak to the council, how to thread venom through civility.

But her words coiled around me differently than she intended.

Just Draven's name? No. It was not Draven who lit the fire in her. It was she herself. Selene had never needed a man to make her dangerous. She was danger itself.

And now she was his.

The bond twisted in my chest, a violent knot I had felt two nights ago. I'd felt the press of Draven's teeth on her neck, marking her. I had torn my chamber apart with the fury of it, ripping silk sheets, splintering wood beneath my claws. Lysandra had fled the room and had not returned until dawn.

I could still smell Selene on my skin even though she had not touched me in weeks.

"She will come back," I muttered under my breath, low enough that only I heard it. "She has to."

But even as I said the words, I doubted their sincerity. The Selene I knew would rather die than beg.

Just then, the chamber door burst open and a messenger stumbled in, gasping, and holding out a parchment sealed with Shadowfang wax. My claws itched as I snatched it from him and broke the seal.

The words inside were simple and bold.

The Shadowfang invite you to come celebrate the joining of their Alpha with his new Luna bride. There will be drinking, dancing and a massive feast. All are welcome.

Draven's signature scrawled at the bottom like a wound.

I crushed the parchment in my fist, nails biting through as my blood slicked the crushed seal. The room spun with the sound of rushing rage in my ears.

"She is mocking you," Lysandra said sweetly though her eyes glittered with something dark. "Mocking us. Mocking this union, this council, this pack. Are you going to let her?"

Raith bristled. "What would you have him do, princess? Send assassins? Spill Bloodfang blood across borders and risk war before we are ready?"

"Yes."

Just one word and the whole chamber went completely still. Every head swung toward her.

"Yes," she repeated, her voice sharper now. "End it before it grows. If you let her stand beside Draven, she becomes a banner for every enemy you've ever had. Wolves will rally to her because they know her, because they believe in her. You may have their coin and their fear, Kaelen, but she has their hearts. Cut her down before she spreads the infection further."

My chest heaved. A thousand memories tore at me at once: Selene teaching pups to string bows. Selene standing at my side during raids, her arrows whistling past my head. Selene laughing, that her fierce contiguous laugh, even when covered in blood.

And now Lysandra was telling me to kill her.

I replied with one word. "No."

Lysandra blinked. "No?"

"Did I stutter by any chance?"

The council stared in stunned silence. No one dared to interrupt.

Lysandra's eyes narrowed. "She is a threat."

"You expect me to send assassins to kill my son's mother?" I said turning to look at her.

"Your son has another mother now," She retorted. "Selene is a traitor who is now married to your mortal enemy. What do you think she'll do next, huh? Right this very moment, she's probably whispering our secrets in his ear while they share a bed"

The image flashed through my mind. Selene's body arched under his, her laughter for him. Jealousy surged within me, but with it came a realization:

They hadn't consummated the marriage yet. I would've felt it through the mate bond. And if Selene hadn't consummated their marriage, that meant by the goddess' law, she wasn't his Luna yet.

A smile started to spread across my face.

"No," I said, leaning back in my chair. "No assassins yet. I have a better idea."

Every head turned to me with rapid attention, eager to hear what I had in mind. With the smile still on my lips, I turned to Thorne and said, "Send word back to Blackfang."

"We're attending their feast."