The dense forest had grown unnaturally silent. Selene's breaths came in shallow, deliberate pulls as she pressed her back against the jagged bark of an ancient tree. The clearing beyond, bathed in pale moonlight, revealed no signs of pursuit, but the prickling at the back of her neck warned her otherwise.
"Don't stop moving," Kian's voice echoed in her mind, firm and relentless. His words weren't a mere suggestion but a command—one born of necessity.
Selene's fingers tightened around the crude dagger she'd fashioned earlier, its dull edge unlikely to do much damage. Her bare feet crunched against the frost-laden undergrowth as she edged toward the darker part of the forest, where moonlight dared not reach.
She couldn't afford to lose momentum, not now.
The events leading up to her flight replayed in vivid detail, tormenting her with every step. Tobias Vance's sneering face, Rhea Blackthorn's venomous taunts, and Rowan's calculating betrayal—they were a symphony of chaos that ended with her barely escaping the pack's grasp.
Yet the most chilling part wasn't their malice—it was how easily they'd found her, how prepared they'd been. Someone was feeding them information.
Someone close.
Selene stumbled upon a stream, its waters dark and glittering under a break in the tree canopy. She crouched low, letting the icy current wash over her trembling hands. Her reflection stared back—a girl cloaked in shadows, eyes wide with exhaustion and defiance.
"This is your chance, Selene," she whispered to herself. "No one else is coming to save you."
A snap of a twig behind her froze her blood.
She spun around, dagger raised, only to meet the smirking face of Rhea Blackthorn. The rival Alpha stepped out of the shadows, her lithe frame draped in black leather, every inch of her radiating dangerous elegance.
"Well, well," Rhea drawled, her voice a mockery of sweetness. "The fake heiress thinks she can run."
Selene's grip on the dagger faltered. "What do you want?"
Rhea's smirk widened. "Oh, sweet Selene, it's not what I want. It's what they want."
Before Selene could respond, the trees behind Rhea seemed to ripple. Shadows peeled away from the bark, coalescing into a massive figure.
Fenrir.
The monstrous wolf loomed over Rhea, its eyes twin orbs of glowing crimson. Selene stumbled back, her chest tight with panic as she watched Rhea bow her head in mock reverence.
"Your time is up, Moonblood," Fenrir's voice rumbled, low and guttural. "Surrender, and I may grant you the mercy of a swift end."
Selene's pulse pounded in her ears. The forest seemed to tilt, the air itself heavy with Fenrir's presence.
But she couldn't afford to cower. Not now.
She forced herself to meet Fenrir's gaze. "If you wanted me dead, you wouldn't have sent your lackey."
Rhea snarled at the insult, but Fenrir merely chuckled—a deep, resonant sound that made the earth tremble.
"Oh, child," he said. "Death would be a mercy. What I want is your submission. Your power belongs to me."
Selene's mind raced. If she fled, she'd die. If she fought, she'd likely lose.
But there was one thing Fenrir hadn't accounted for.
Kian.
The rogue Alpha had promised to meet her at the riverbank just beyond the forest. If she could stall long enough…
She darted forward, feigning an attack on Rhea. The rival Alpha moved to intercept, but Selene pivoted, slamming into her with all her strength. Rhea staggered back with a curse, and Selene bolted toward the trees.
"Coward!" Rhea's voice rang out, but Selene didn't look back.
The forest blurred as Selene ran, branches clawing at her skin. She could hear Fenrir's growls and Rhea's furious pursuit, but she focused on the faint sound of rushing water ahead.
And then, just as she broke through the final line of trees, she saw him.
Kian stood at the riverbank, his dark eyes scanning the treeline. His shirt was torn, his body marked with fresh wounds, but his stance was unyielding.
"You're late," he said as Selene stumbled toward him.
"I didn't have much of a choice," she panted.
Before Kian could respond, Fenrir's monstrous form emerged from the shadows. Rhea flanked him, her eyes gleaming with triumph.
"You should've stayed in the shadows, rogue," Fenrir growled, his gaze locking onto Kian.
Selene glanced at Kian, her heart sinking as she saw the flicker of doubt in his expression. He wasn't prepared for this.
Neither of them were.
"Kian," she said, her voice low. "If we die here—"
"We won't," he interrupted, stepping in front of her.
Fenrir's laughter echoed through the forest. "Touching. But futile."
The ground beneath their feet trembled as Fenrir lunged, his massive jaws snapping inches from Kian's throat. The rogue Alpha sidestepped, slashing at the beast with his claws, but the attack barely made a mark.
Selene watched, helpless, as Kian was forced back toward the river.
She clenched her fists, fury boiling within her. She couldn't keep relying on others to save her. Not anymore.
A faint, silvery glow began to emanate from her hands.
Fenrir's gaze snapped to her, his expression shifting from triumph to something far more dangerous.
"You," he growled. "You're waking up."
Selene didn't understand what was happening, but she knew one thing: she couldn't stop now.
The light grew brighter, enveloping her in a swirling aura of silver and gold.
And then, with a deafening roar, the power surged from her, cutting through the night like a blade of light.
When the glow faded, Selene collapsed to her knees, her vision swimming. She could hear Fenrir's enraged howls and Kian shouting her name, but everything felt distant, muted.
Her last thought before the darkness claimed her was a simple one:
What have I done?
Selene awakens, bound and surrounded by strangers in an unfamiliar place. A voice she doesn't recognize whispers in her ear, "You don't know the half of what you've unleashed."