Chapter 1: Unexpected Rescue (Continued)
Selene quickly rose to her feet, her hand instinctively going to the hilt of the dagger at her side. The rustling in the trees grew louder, and her senses heightened. The rogue she had fought earlier was gone, but something far darker lingered now.
The shadow stepped closer, into the faint moonlight, and Selene froze, her breath caught in her throat. She didn't recognize the figure, but there was no mistaking the dangerous energy that surrounded him. He was tall, like the man who had saved her, but this one was different. There was something chilling about him, his eyes glowing an unnatural red, the way he moved unnervingly predatory.
"Stay back," Selene warned, her voice firm even as her hands shook. She clutched her dagger tightly, her eyes fixed on the figure before her. She had stood in danger numerous times before, but this-this felt different.
The figure laughed, a guttural low sound that made a shiver run down her spine. "You are brave, yet foolish, little wolf," he snarled, stepping closer to her.
Selene's wolf instincts screamed at her to flee, but her feet refused to move. It wasn't just fear that held her in place; it was the lingering thought of the man who had saved her. He had warned her-told her she was marked. Could this be one of the enemies he had warned about?
In an instant, the rogue lunged at her, too quick upon her to raise any defense. Her heart plunged to her stomach as she brought her dagger up, but before she could strike, the shadow was ripped from her sight.
The red-eyed rogue disappeared in a blink of the eye, and before she had time to process what happened, a familiar voice came from the trees.
"Selene."
Her head whipped to the side. Lucien stood there, his silhouette bathed in the pale moonlight, his amber eyes glowing with a mix of determination and worry. His gaze swept over her, his eyes softening when they found her injuries, and without a word, he crossed the distance between them in two long strides.
"What—how?" she stammered, confused by his sudden reappearance. "You're…"
"Not human?" Lucien finished for her, his voice low and amused. "No. And neither are you."
Before Selene could ask what he meant by that, the sharp sound of something heavy crashing to the ground cut through the air. The rogue-the one with the red eyes-had returned, his fury evident in his snarling face.
Lucien's posture went stiff, and Selene felt the sudden shift in the air around them. The rogue growled low, his eyes never leaving Lucien.
"You should've stayed out of this," the rogue sneered, his gaze darting between Lucien and Selene. "She's ours, vampire."
Lucien stepped forward, his chest rising and falling with each breath as he assumed a dangerous stance. "She's no one's property. Not yours, not anyone's."
The rogue's lip curled back in a snarl. "Then you'll die for her."
Selene's heart raced, and before she could warn Lucien, the rogue lunged again. But this time, Lucien was faster.
In a blur of movement, Lucien moved so fast that it was impossible for Selene to follow. He had the rogue pinned to the ground before Selene could blink, his teeth bared and his eyes glowing a deep, burning red. He showed fang, his voice low and lethal.
"Touch her again," Lucien growled, "and you'll wish you were never born."
The rogue struggled beneath Lucien's grip, but it was clear he was no match for the vampire's strength. He hissed, his eyes flashing with fury, before he finally stopped moving, realizing that further resistance was futile.
"Leave now," Lucien ordered, his voice colder than the night air itself.
The rogue, wounded and humiliated, glared at Selene one last time before turning tail and melting into the shadows. The pulse thudded in her ears, and she barely registered the sound of Lucien releasing a breath, a soft exhale of relief.
"Are you alright?" Lucien asked, his voice gentle now, though the tension in his posture hadn't eased.
Selene glanced at him, her chest still tight from the encounter. His amber eyes seemed to hold something—concern? Regret? Something deeper that she couldn't quite place.
"I'm fine," she replied, her voice coming out more breathlessly than she intended. "I didn't expect this… or you."
Lucien gave her a half-smile, though it didn't reach his eyes. He stepped back slightly, his gaze lingering on her wound. "You're lucky," he said quietly. "Not many survive a rogue attack, let alone one with a vampire's scent on them."
Selene frowned, her mind racing. A vampire's scent? "What does that mean?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. "What are you?"
He hesitated and turned to the trees, in the direction the rogue had disappeared. "I'm something you can't fully understand yet, but you will soon enough," Lucien replied, his voice distant, as though he were speaking more to himself than to her. "But one thing is for certain—whatever this is, it's not just fate. It's a curse.
Selene swallowed hard, her mind racing. His words churned her stomach, and yet, there was something about him-something she couldn't shake. Her heart beat faster every time he looked at her, every time he was near.
"You said I'm marked," she whispered, her voice trembling slightly as she looked down at the symbol on the ground, the same one from the necklace her mother had left her. "Marked by what?"
Lucien stepped closer, his eyes softening, a mix of sadness and something else flickering in his expression. "It's a prophecy, Selene. And we're both tangled in it. Together."
Before she could ask more, the sound of footsteps echoed afar, growing nearer, and the weight of Lucien's words fell, like a heavyweight in the air, upon them: something far more dangerous was coming than what the rogue did, and with the prophecy, it was intertwined.