The air in crescent vale had shifted. Even the wind carried tension now, sharper, colder, biting at the skin of every wolf who patrolled the edges of their territory. The pack could sense it unease crawling beneath fur, instincts stirring at the scent of enemies too close for comfort.Selene felt it too.She stood on the balcony of the alpha’s fortress, gazing toward the northern ridges where the forest darkened into distant peaks. The sky above them was split between cloud and moonlight, the crescent hanging pale and sharp. From here, she could almost feel the vibrations of marching boots far beyond the trees.“Callista,” Selene whispered. The name carried weight like a curse.The rival alpha queen. The one who had long sought to claim these lands, the one whose ambition knew no mercy. Selene had heard her name whispered in the temples, spoken with both awe and dread. Some claimed callista’s wolves were blood-bound to her will, slaves of her dark magic. Others said she had bargained
The temple smelled of old stone and candle wax, the air chilled despite the dozens of flames flickering along the altar. Selene knelt on the worn cushions, her silver-threaded hair falling like a veil across her face as she clasped her hands together. Her knees ached against the cold marble, but she barely noticed.Her heart was heavier than her body could bear.Every time she thought of luna, her burning golden eyes, her imposing presence, her unyielding touch, her chest filled with a confusing mixture of dread and… something else. Something softer. Something that frightened her even more than luna’s violence.It wasn’t just fear anymore.The bond was stirring inside her like an ember she could not extinguish. And though she wanted to despise it, to cast it off, Selene could not deny the strange steadiness that sometimes came from Luna’s presence. When she looked at the Alpha, she saw not only rage but also a woman carrying wounds far deeper than scars.Was that illusion? A trick of
The chamber was quiet again after rowan left, but silence was a dangerous companion. It amplified the pulse of the bond, made every heartbeat thunder in luna’s ears, made every breath taste of selene though she was not even in the room.The alpha sat heavily on the edge of her bed, golden eyes burning in the dark. Her claws had pierced faint crescent moons into her palms without her realizing. Slowly, she uncurled her fists and stared at them. Her hands the same hands that had spilled blood, torn down enemies, ruled a pack with fear and loyalty now trembled because of one woman.Selene.The name itself was a prayer and a curse.Her mate’s face rose unbidden in her mind: silver-threaded hair falling into her soft eyes, the calm steadiness of her voice, the way her presence smoothed even the most jagged parts of luna’s rage. Selene had no idea how deeply she had already taken root in luna’s life, how the alpha’s every breath seemed tied to her existence.Rowan’s words echoed in the sile
The moon had begun its descent behind the jagged peaks of crescent vale, casting long shadows over the alpha’s quarters. Luna paced the polished stone floors, golden eyes glowing faintly as the bond thrummed through her veins like wildfire. Her mind was a chaotic tangle of need and desire, the pull of the bond making it impossible to focus, impossible to rest.She had tried to quell it to distract herself with the duties of ruling and maintaining order over the pack. But every thought of selene, every memory of her gentle hands, her steady gaze, the way her magic seemed to pulse in tandem with luna’s heartbeat, it was unbearable. The bond demanded attention, demanded recognition, and luna’s body and mind ached under its weight.A soft knock at the door broke her reverie. Luna spun, instincts immediately on high alert, and saw rowan step inside. His expression was unreadable, calm yet tinged with concern.“Rowan,” she said, her voice low, wary. “This isn’t a good time.”“It’s never a g
Selene woke before dawn, her body restless, her mind racing. The prayers to the Moon Goddess she had whispered the night before had offered only partial relief. The bond between her and luna pulsed relentlessly, like a heartbeat that refused to slow. Each pulse carried luna’s presence, her dominance, her need, her desire, and Selene found herself trembling at its intensity.She rose from her bed in the healer’s wing, pacing the quiet room. Her fingers traced the silver amulet at her throat, a small charm gifted to her by her mentor, a tangible connection to her own magic. It was supposed to soothe, anchor her, remind her that she was not just a pawn in luna’s world.But even as she touched it, the bond flared. Luna’s essence pressed against her mind like a tide, warm and fierce, unrelenting. Selene stumbled back, gripping the edge of the table.“You feel it too,” Luna’s voice rumbled inside her head, closer than it should have been. “Every thought, every breath, every heartbeat. You’r
The night was unnaturally still, as though the world itself had paused to watch them. The moon, full and silver, hung low over crescent vale, casting a ghostly glow across the stone courtyard where selene had dared to defy the alpha hours earlier.Selene’s pulse raced, not from fear, but from the persistent, insistent thrumming between them the bond. It pulsed now like a living thing, whispering promises and warnings, stirring emotions that she didn’t fully understand and didn’t entirely want to confront.She had thought the confrontation in the courtyard had ended, that luna would retreat to her duties and selene to the safety of the healer’s wing. But the bond did not respect distance, nor did it care for propriety. It wrapped around them both, tendrils of raw energy tugging at their minds, weaving desire with fear, dominance with defiance.Selene shivered, pressing her palms together to still the energy, but it was useless. Every breath, every heartbeat, seemed magnified by the in