Alpha's Bane: The Return of the Exiled Luna

“I’m excited,”Selene had always known the ceremonial hall as a place of solemnity, where tradition and authority were revered. It was where the pack’s most sacred rites were held, where bonds were formed, and promises made. So when she was summoned there, she assumed it was a private matter. Perhaps Darius wanted to speak with her alone—something urgent, maybe a decision about the future of the pack. She had always trusted him, believed in their bond, even when the distance between them had grown over the past few months.But as the heavy oak doors were swung open, she was met with the glaring lights of the hall. The scent of oak and sage, usually so calming, felt suffocating now, almost too sharp. The air crackled with tension. Her throat tightened as she was dragged forward by two of the pack’s enforcers, their hands tight on her arms, their grip unforgiving. She stumbled slightly, her heart pounding, as she tried to adjust to the change in pace.The hall was packed with members of

Selene woke to the scent of blood and fire.Her own blood, thick and coppery on her tongue. Firelight flickered in the dim cave, casting long shadows against the stone walls.And she wasn’t alone.A man crouched near the entrance, his back to her, watching the night beyond. His presence was too solid, too still, and every instinct in her body screamed danger. She shifted slowly, testing her limbs. The movement sent sharp pain slicing through her ribs, but she bit down on the groan.She’d been running. She’d fought, survived the river, and then—nothing. Just darkness swallowing her whole.Now she was here.Alive.Selene forced herself upright. It took everything she had to stay steady, to push past the pain and weakness. She moved soundlessly, her fingers brushing against a rock, cold and jagged.She lunged.Or tried to.In a blink, she was slammed against the cave wall, her wrist pinned above her head. The rock slipped from her fingers, clattering uselessly to the ground.Her captor b