The last thing she remembered was the dizzying fall, the blinding light before everything went dark. But now, as her eyes fluttered open, she found herself lying in a soft bed of moss, the coolness of the forest floor pressing against her skin.
She inhaled deeply, the smell of the forest surrounding her like a blanket. Slowly, she shifted, testing her limbs. There was no pain. None of the bruising or stiffness she had expected. In fact, as her hand moved to her side, she noticed with a faint shock that her wound— the deep gash from the fall—was completely healed. The skin was smooth, unmarked, as if nothing had ever happened.
A surge of disbelief ran through her. How? She couldn't fathom how such a thing was possible. Her body should have been torn, her muscles should have been weak from the fall, yet she felt... different. Stronger. Her senses sharper, more attuned to the world around her, as though the very air held some kind of strange power.
Pushing herself up, she winced slightly at the unfamiliar strength within her body. Above loomed the trees, like silent sentinels with branches intertwined and that blocked out a vast portion of the sky. She looked around, but there was no sign of Eira.
The fire had long burned out leaving the small clearing where she last saw the old woman deserted. "Eira?" Selene called out. Yet the answer was still like her voice cracked with uncertainty at the end; her throat was tight and dry. The forest seemed to swallow her words, and the silence that followed felt deafening. No response.
A knot of anxiety tightened in her stomach. Where had the healer gone? She had been so certain, so sure that Eira was there to guide her, that she was safe. But now... now, it was just her and the quiet whisper of the trees.
Selene shakily stood up; her legs felt unsteady beneath her as she tried to take in the whole scenery around her. A soft breeze was playing with strands of hair, leaves rustling on top of her head. Everything appeared time frozen-it looked like this place existed somewhere outside this world known to her, suspended in her gothic dreams.
With no other choice, she began to walk, her footsteps muffled by the thick carpet of moss and fallen leaves. Her thoughts were scattered, her mind spinning with the fragments of what Eira had said. The curse... my fate... I'm the key...
However, the more she thought about it, the less it added up. She did not want to be the key to anything. She didn't want any part of whatever tangled fate had led her here, her life caught in the middle of some strange, cruel web.
Sudden disquiet enveloped her, and her breath caught in her throat. She was not alone. The hairs on the back of her neck prickled as an instinct told her something was up. She stared about, turning slowly all around her while the pulse quickened.
Then there was a movement. A shadow flashed too quickly for her to track it.
Selene's heart hammered fiercely inside her chest. A lethal instinct took her to the knife she kept at her belt-it was missing. Of course it was. She had lost consciousness for the last few days.
The rustle in the trees grew much louder, much closer. Her breathing began to speed up unconsciously, preparing for whatever could possibly come. The air thrummed with the smell of wolves-wild, musky, and dangerous.
And then, as if summoned by her fear, they appeared.
A group of wolves emerged from the underbrush, their eyes gleaming with cold hunger, their bodies sleek and powerful. They circled around her, growling low in their throats, muscles coiled and ready to pounce. The alpha wolf, larger than the rest, stepped forward, its eyes locking onto Selene's with a predatory gleam.
Her heart thundered, and she instinctively stepped back. She had no weapons at hand, totally unarmed, utterly vulnerable. With the wolves coming in close, fluid movements and coordinating their bodies from all sides, Selene's breath caught in her throat.
I won't survive this. She inhaled sharply, trying to get herself together. Fight. You have to fight. Her body screamed to do something while her mind dulled by fear. It just wasn't strong enough. Not fast enough.
At the nearest wolf she lunged, aiming for its throat, but it dodged her with such ease, then swiped its claws across her arm in a blur, leaving the pain immediate, fiery, but not enough to stop her fight.
She put her hands where the fur was thickest and kicked and punched with her feet planted on the ground. Desperation took over. But they were just too fast, too strong.
One of the wolves launched itself for her leg, sank its teeth into her calf, and she screamed from the shock.Another knocked her to the ground, pinning her beneath its massive weight, its hot breath searing against her skin.
She squirmed under the wolf, trying to get free, finding the pressure impossible to bear. The pack closed in closer, snarling, teeth bared to feast on her. Vision blurred, her body weakened by blood loss from the wound.
She gasped for breath, barely able to remain conscious, as though the world spun around her. And then, just as the wolf above her bared its fangs to strike, a low, commanding voice rang out from the edge of the clearing.
"Enough."
The voice was deep, smooth and, for some reason, cold as ice. The wolves immediately stilled, their hackles lowering in submission. Selene's heart skipped a beat as she lifted her head to see the figure standing at the edge of the trees.
A tall, imposing man emerged from the shadows,all of his moves speaking of authority. The piercing blue eyes that were cold and distant seemed to slice the air around him. His dark mane of hair tumbled over his shoulders, framing a face that was at once handsome and terribly frightening. A strong set jaw and a hard, unreadable expression completed the portrait.
The wolves parted to let him through, and he strode forward with his gaze chillingly fixed on Selene.
"Get off her," was the command in his ice-like voice.
The wolf holding down Selene immediately relinquished its grip and recoiled in a spooky obedient manner. Selene gasped in a breath, trembling with exhaustion, dragging leaden limbs as she attempted to sit up.
The man did not glance in her direction. His cold, indifferent eyes remained fixed on the wolves surrounding him.
"You," he said with a venom-laced voice as he set his eyes on one of the wolves. "You disobeyed me."
The wolf lowered its head as if it accepted the punishment after rebelling.
Selene's heart beat like a hammer within her, her vision a blur because of an amalgamation of pain and confusion. Who was this man? What was the matter?
Finally, the gaze of the man shifted towards her- his cold eyes narrowing at what seemed a chilling recognition. A curling of the lips hinted at a smirk but was lacking any warmth.
"You," he said, his tone a mix of disbelief and something darker, "are mine."
Selene froze. The words struck her like a physical blow. Her stomach churned, bile rising in her throat. What?
"I am Ronan," the man continued, his voice low and dangerous. "Alpha of the Shadow Pack."
"You are mated to me."
A deep, guttural growl rumbled in her chest, but it wasn't from her—it was the sound of disbelief, of something primal rising up from within. Mated? To him? To this cold, heartless stranger who seemed to find nothing but disdain in her presence?
Her breath came in short, frantic gasps as she tried to process the words. No. This can't be true.
But even as she tried to deny it, she could feel the pull, the bond, deep within her soul, like an invisible thread tethering her to him. The curse that had marked her since birth. It all clicked into place.
Her mate. Ronan.
The realization hit her like a hammer, and she swayed, her vision faltering. She tried to steady herself, but it was too much, too overwhelming.
Ronan took a step forward, his gaze cold as ice. "Get up," he ordered, his voice laced with a cruel finality.
Selene didn't move. She couldn't. The weight of his words was too heavy, too suffocating.
"Get up," he repeated, this time with an edge that cut through her like a blade.
With trembling hands, Selene slowly pushed herself to her feet, her body screaming in protest. She stood before him, heart racing, mind spinning.
Ronan's cold gaze never left hers. she saw something flicker behind those icy eyes. A glimmer of something... dark.