Selene returned home that evening, her thoughts still tangled from her earlier conversation with Kael. As she approached her door, her steps faltered when she noticed a figure standing there, waiting.
"Lykos?" she said, startled to see him.
He turned toward her, a bit tense and looking too serious for his usual goofy self. "Selene, we need to talk," he said.
She sighed, already bracing herself. "If this is another attempt to convince me about the whole mate bond thing—"
"It's not," he interrupted. "It's about the blood moon."
Selene frowned, confused. "The blood moon? What about it?"
"It's the first one tonight," Lykos said, his golden eyes brighter than usual. "And you need to promise me something."
Her confusion deepened. "Promise you what?"
"That you won't open the door for me. No matter what you hear, no matter what I say, you cannot let me in."
Selene blinked, caught off guard by his sudden request. "What are you talking about? Why would I need to keep you out?"
Lykos took a step closer. "Because tonight, I won't be myself. The blood moon… it affects us. My wolf will take over completely, and I won't have any control."
Her eyes widened slightly, her heart beginning to race. "Okay, but… what does that have to do with me?"
He hesitated for a fraction of a second, then said, "Because you're my mate."
Selene took an instinctive step back. "Stop saying that! I don't even know what that means!"
"It means," Lykos said, "that we're bonded. You're my other half. My wolf knows it. I know it. And because we haven't solidified the bond, my wolf will crave you tonight more than ever."
She stared at him, her pulse quickening even more. "Crave me? What does that even mean?"
"It means if I get close to you, I won't be able to stop myself from marking you," he said bluntly, his gaze locking onto hers. "And once that happens, there's no going back. You'll be bound to me permanently."
Selene felt the blood drain from her face. "You're saying… you're saying you'd hurt me?"
"No!" Lykos said immediately, "I would never hurt you, Selene. Marking is simply a way of claiming you permanently. But the wolf is different. It's instinctual, primal. It doesn't think… it acts. And tonight, with the blood moon, it'll be impossible to resist the bond."
Her hands shook as she crossed her arms defensively. "You're telling me it takes all your restraint normally not to… not to 'claim' me or whatever?"
"Yes," he admitted, "Every day, every time I'm near you, it takes everything I have to keep the wolf in check. But tonight, I won't have that control."
She glanced at the door, suddenly hyperaware of how close she was to him. "And you think I'm just supposed to stay inside and lock you out? What if something happens to you?"
Lykos stepped even closer, his hand almost reaching for hers before he stopped himself. "Don't worry about me. I can handle the wolf. I just can't handle being near you while it's loose. Please, Selene, promise me you'll stay inside and don't open the door."
She opened her mouth to argue, but the intensity in his eyes made her pause.
Finally, she nodded reluctantly. "Fine. I'll stay inside. But you need to go. Now."
He stared at her for a long moment, memorizing every detail of her face, before he stepped back. "Thank you," he said quietly. "And Selene… no matter what you hear tonight, remember that I'll never let anything happen to you."
With that, he turned and disappeared into the night, leaving her alone on the doorstep with her thoughts swirling like a storm.
Later that night, Selene stood in her bathroom, brushing through her damp hair after a hot shower. She had double-checked every window and door, ensuring they were locked tight, just as Lykos had asked. She had even drawn the curtains, shutting out the view of the eerie crimson glow of the blood moon.
As she moved through her routine, she tried to shake the unease that had settled in her chest since Lykos's warning. It sounded simple enough…. stay inside, don't let him in. What was there to worry about?
Still, she couldn't help but replay his words in her head: My wolf will crave you tonight more than ever.
"Ridiculous," she muttered to herself, pulling back the covers and slipping into bed. She turned off the bedside lamp, plunging the room into darkness.
Lying there, she stared at the ceiling, the events of the day swirling in her mind. Kael's apology, the strange dreams of the red-haired woman, RaRa, and now this. It was all too much.
But as tired as she was, sleep didn't come easily. Her thoughts kept returning to Lykos's eyes, the way they'd burned with intensity when he spoke of the mate bond.
"Nope," she whispered firmly to herself, rolling onto her side. "Don't overthink it. All you have to do is stay inside. Simple."
She closed her eyes and forced herself to focus on her breathing. Slowly, the tension began to ease, and she drifted into an uneasy sleep.
Selene jolted awake, her body drenched in sweat. A dull ache pulsed low in her abdomen, and an unfamiliar heat coursed through her veins, centering between her legs. She gasped, clutching the sheets as her mind struggled to catch up with what her body was experiencing.
"What the…?" she whispered, her voice shaking.
Her heart raced as the sensation intensified, leaving her restless and uncomfortably aware of every inch of her body. It was like a fire was spreading beneath her skin and specifically between her legs, it was impossible to ignore.
She glanced at the clock: 12:15 a.m.
It couldn't be a coincidence. The blood moon was at its peak.
Selene swung her legs over the side of the bed, trying to steady herself. Her entire body felt hypersensitive, her skin tingling as if touched by an invisible force. A wave of heat washed over her, followed by a strange yearning….
"Lykos," she whispered, the name falling from her lips like a plea.
As soon as she said it, the ache grew stronger, and an overwhelming sense of connection surged through her.
The mate bond.
She stumbled to the bathroom, splashing cold water on her face in a desperate attempt to regain control. The chill shocked her system, but it wasn't enough to douse the fire burning within her.
The distant sound of a growl reached her ears, faint but unmistakable. She froze, her breath hitching as her mind raced.
He was outside.
Selene moved to the window, peering out cautiously. There he was….. the massive black wolf, pacing back and forth under the blood moon. His golden eyes glowed like molten fire, and his movements were restless, almost frantic.
She could feel his presence, not just physically but emotionally, as though their bond was tugging at her, drawing her closer to him.
The wolf stopped suddenly, lifting its head to the sky. A long, mournful howl split the air, and the sound sent a shiver down her spine.
The ache in her abdomen deepened, and her knees buckled. The heat between her legs had become wetness. She needed him. She gripped the windowsill for support, her breathing ragged.
This wasn't normal. This wasn't something she could just ignore or push aside.
"Get it together, Selene," she muttered, shaking her head.
She stumbled back to her bed, clutching the edge for support. Her mind screamed at her to resist, to fight whatever this was, but her body betrayed her, longing for something she shouldn't long for.
"Stay inside," she whispered to herself again, "Don't let him in. Don't…."
Another howl echoed through the night, this one filled with raw desperation.