Selene stood in front of the manor’s wide window, her arms crossed as dawn’s first light began to filter through the trees. Blood painted the horizon in streaks of crimson and gold, a reminder of the battle fought — and the greater war to come.Behind her, Kieran leaned against the wall, watching her in silence.“You’ve been up all night,” he finally said, his voice low, almost gentle.Selene didn’t turn. “I couldn’t sleep. Not with that wolf downstairs — and not with what he said.”Kieran pushed off the wall, moving to stand closer. “We’ll get the truth out of him. One way or another.”Selene’s fingers tightened around her arms. Someone worse than Damon. The words echoed in her mind like a curse.A knock at the door broke her thoughts. Marcus stepped in, his face grim.“He’s awake,” Marcus said. “And ready to talk — or so he says.”Selene turned, her expression hardening. “Good. Let’s see what he has to say.”Kieran fell in step beside her as they made their way to the basement, the
The sun was high in the sky by the time Selene stood at the edge of Bloodmoon’s great hall, watching as wolves from neighboring packs arrived, their colors and scents filling the air with tension and unease.Selene’s warriors lined the perimeter, fully armed — a silent reminder that Bloodmoon would not tolerate weakness, not today.Beside her, Kieran stood tall, his eyes sharp as he scanned each arriving Alpha. On her other side, Elena and Marcus stood ready, both radiating quiet strength.“This is going to be a mess,” Kieran muttered under his breath as yet another Alpha arrived — Alpha Darius of the Stoneclaw Pack, a towering figure with a permanent scowl and sharp gray eyes that missed nothing.“They’ll test me,” Selene replied softly, her gaze never wavering. “But they’ll leave knowing exactly where I stand.”Kieran’s eyes slid to her, a small flicker of admiration in his expression. “Good.”As the last Alpha arrived, Alpha Rebekah of Nightshade, a cold and calculating woman with
The moon was a silver crescent in the sky when Selene mounted her black stallion, her warriors assembled behind her. The air was thick with the scent of pine and the distant hint of smoke—remnants of Southwood’s destruction lingering on the wind.Kieran rode beside her, his expression grim, his sword strapped across his back. Marcus and a dozen of Bloodmoon’s finest warriors followed close behind, their wolves restless beneath their skins. None spoke. The weight of what they were about to do pressed down on them all.“This is reckless,” Marcus muttered as they guided their horses toward the darkened forest path. “If Lucian’s wolves are still near Southwood, we could be riding into a trap.”Selene’s jaw tightened. “We need proof,” she said, her golden eyes gleaming in the moonlight. “The Alphas won’t act without it. And if we find survivors—”“If,” Kieran cut in. “We might find nothing but bones.”Selene didn’t respond. She couldn’t afford to dwell on that possibility.They rode in sil
The ride back to Bloodmoon was a blur. Selene's mind raced, her body aching from battle, the scent of blood still sharp in her nostrils. Her horse thundered beneath her, its hooves pounding against the earth as the forest whipped past in streaks of shadow and moonlight. Kieran rode close, blood staining his side from a gash along his ribs, but he didn’t slow. None of them did. They couldn’t afford to—not with Lucian’s wolves trailing in the dark, unseen but felt like the press of a blade against their backs. Only when the familiar stone pillars of Bloodmoon’s outer border came into view did Selene let herself exhale. The gates opened before them, the sentries already alerted by their scent and the thundering of hooves. Healers rushed forward as warriors dismounted, wounded and weary. Selene slid from her horse, her legs unsteady beneath her. Someone reached for her arm—Elara, her second-in-command—but she waved her off. “I need the council,” Selene said, her voice hoarse. “Now.
Dawn bled over the horizon in bruised streaks of violet and crimson when Selene led her strike team from the keep. A fine mist clung to the earth, curling around their boots like ghostly fingers as they passed beneath the towering stone arch of Bloodmoon’s gate. No fanfare, no ceremony—only silence and the weight of purpose. The Black Mire lay east of their territory, past the River Drel and the forgotten bones of ancient battlegrounds. It was a place of decay and dark memory, a cursed bog that had once been the site of an elder massacre during the War of Sundering. Most wolves avoided it instinctively. Those who wandered in often never came back. Which made it the perfect place for Lucian to hide his most loyal monsters. Selene rode at the front, Kieran just behind her. With them were only five warriors—Elara, Rune, Mira, Jax, and Garrick. The best of Bloodmoon. Stealthy. Lethal. Unflinchingly loyal. They crossed the River Drel by midmorning, the water running low from the dry s
Bloodmoon’s great hall buzzed with unease.The council chamber—usually a place of cold strategy and reluctant alliances—now pulsed with tension like a drawn bowstring. Flames flickered along the sconces, casting restless shadows across the carved stone walls. The air reeked of smoke, steel, and old magic.Selene stood at the head of the war table, her armor still stained with the rot of the Black Mire, her hands gripping the edges of the oak surface as if grounding herself against the storm she was about to unleash.Around her stood the assembled leaders of the allied packs: Alpha Daren of Northwatch, his face pale at the news of Lucian’s ritual sites; Lady Thorne of Ashfen, tight-lipped and coiled with skepticism; the Flameborn twins from the southern ridge, fire in their eyes; and even grim Alpha Kael of Frostreach—silent as a glacier, but present.She’d called them here not just for unity.She’d called them for war.“The Deathborn are not just soldiers,” Selene began, her voice ech
The night was thick with the scent of rain, though the storm had not yet broken. The moon hung heavy over the skyline, casting a silver glow on the towering estate perched on the edge of Blackthorn Ridge. Inside the grand hall of the Bloodmoon Manor, Alpha Kieran Blackwood stood with his back to the floor-to-ceiling windows, his gaze locked on the city below.He could feel it in his bones.A shift in the air. A disturbance in the careful balance he had built over the last five years.His pack murmured behind him, warriors and elites whispering amongst themselves. They had been called here for one reason: she was back.Kieran clenched his jaw, fingers curling into fists. Selene Vale. The name alone was enough to ignite the fury simmering just beneath his skin. His fated mate. The woman who had once stood beside him as his equal—until she had shattered that bond, disappearing into the night, leaving only blood and destruction in her wake.Now, after all these years, she had returned. An
The moment stretched between them, thick with the ghosts of the past and the weight of unspoken truths. The grand hall of Bloodmoon Manor was deathly silent, every pair of eyes fixed on the two figures locked in a battle of will.Kieran could hear the sharp intake of breath from his Beta, Damon Hunt, standing just a few steps behind him. The other wolves in the room remained still, waiting for their Alpha’s command.Selene Vale had returned. And she had the audacity to stand before him, claiming what she had lost.His jaw ticked. She always did know how to test the limits of his patience."You think I’ll just hand everything back to you?" Kieran said, his voice quiet but laced with unmistakable danger.Selene held his gaze, unwavering. "I don’t think you’ll hand me anything, Kieran. I think you’ll fight me for it."The words sent a ripple of unease through the room. A challenge. A declaration of war.Kieran's lips curled into a slow, predatory smile. "Is that what you want, Selene? To
Bloodmoon’s great hall buzzed with unease.The council chamber—usually a place of cold strategy and reluctant alliances—now pulsed with tension like a drawn bowstring. Flames flickered along the sconces, casting restless shadows across the carved stone walls. The air reeked of smoke, steel, and old magic.Selene stood at the head of the war table, her armor still stained with the rot of the Black Mire, her hands gripping the edges of the oak surface as if grounding herself against the storm she was about to unleash.Around her stood the assembled leaders of the allied packs: Alpha Daren of Northwatch, his face pale at the news of Lucian’s ritual sites; Lady Thorne of Ashfen, tight-lipped and coiled with skepticism; the Flameborn twins from the southern ridge, fire in their eyes; and even grim Alpha Kael of Frostreach—silent as a glacier, but present.She’d called them here not just for unity.She’d called them for war.“The Deathborn are not just soldiers,” Selene began, her voice ech
Dawn bled over the horizon in bruised streaks of violet and crimson when Selene led her strike team from the keep. A fine mist clung to the earth, curling around their boots like ghostly fingers as they passed beneath the towering stone arch of Bloodmoon’s gate. No fanfare, no ceremony—only silence and the weight of purpose. The Black Mire lay east of their territory, past the River Drel and the forgotten bones of ancient battlegrounds. It was a place of decay and dark memory, a cursed bog that had once been the site of an elder massacre during the War of Sundering. Most wolves avoided it instinctively. Those who wandered in often never came back. Which made it the perfect place for Lucian to hide his most loyal monsters. Selene rode at the front, Kieran just behind her. With them were only five warriors—Elara, Rune, Mira, Jax, and Garrick. The best of Bloodmoon. Stealthy. Lethal. Unflinchingly loyal. They crossed the River Drel by midmorning, the water running low from the dry s
The ride back to Bloodmoon was a blur. Selene's mind raced, her body aching from battle, the scent of blood still sharp in her nostrils. Her horse thundered beneath her, its hooves pounding against the earth as the forest whipped past in streaks of shadow and moonlight. Kieran rode close, blood staining his side from a gash along his ribs, but he didn’t slow. None of them did. They couldn’t afford to—not with Lucian’s wolves trailing in the dark, unseen but felt like the press of a blade against their backs. Only when the familiar stone pillars of Bloodmoon’s outer border came into view did Selene let herself exhale. The gates opened before them, the sentries already alerted by their scent and the thundering of hooves. Healers rushed forward as warriors dismounted, wounded and weary. Selene slid from her horse, her legs unsteady beneath her. Someone reached for her arm—Elara, her second-in-command—but she waved her off. “I need the council,” Selene said, her voice hoarse. “Now.
The moon was a silver crescent in the sky when Selene mounted her black stallion, her warriors assembled behind her. The air was thick with the scent of pine and the distant hint of smoke—remnants of Southwood’s destruction lingering on the wind.Kieran rode beside her, his expression grim, his sword strapped across his back. Marcus and a dozen of Bloodmoon’s finest warriors followed close behind, their wolves restless beneath their skins. None spoke. The weight of what they were about to do pressed down on them all.“This is reckless,” Marcus muttered as they guided their horses toward the darkened forest path. “If Lucian’s wolves are still near Southwood, we could be riding into a trap.”Selene’s jaw tightened. “We need proof,” she said, her golden eyes gleaming in the moonlight. “The Alphas won’t act without it. And if we find survivors—”“If,” Kieran cut in. “We might find nothing but bones.”Selene didn’t respond. She couldn’t afford to dwell on that possibility.They rode in sil
The sun was high in the sky by the time Selene stood at the edge of Bloodmoon’s great hall, watching as wolves from neighboring packs arrived, their colors and scents filling the air with tension and unease.Selene’s warriors lined the perimeter, fully armed — a silent reminder that Bloodmoon would not tolerate weakness, not today.Beside her, Kieran stood tall, his eyes sharp as he scanned each arriving Alpha. On her other side, Elena and Marcus stood ready, both radiating quiet strength.“This is going to be a mess,” Kieran muttered under his breath as yet another Alpha arrived — Alpha Darius of the Stoneclaw Pack, a towering figure with a permanent scowl and sharp gray eyes that missed nothing.“They’ll test me,” Selene replied softly, her gaze never wavering. “But they’ll leave knowing exactly where I stand.”Kieran’s eyes slid to her, a small flicker of admiration in his expression. “Good.”As the last Alpha arrived, Alpha Rebekah of Nightshade, a cold and calculating woman with
Selene stood in front of the manor’s wide window, her arms crossed as dawn’s first light began to filter through the trees. Blood painted the horizon in streaks of crimson and gold, a reminder of the battle fought — and the greater war to come.Behind her, Kieran leaned against the wall, watching her in silence.“You’ve been up all night,” he finally said, his voice low, almost gentle.Selene didn’t turn. “I couldn’t sleep. Not with that wolf downstairs — and not with what he said.”Kieran pushed off the wall, moving to stand closer. “We’ll get the truth out of him. One way or another.”Selene’s fingers tightened around her arms. Someone worse than Damon. The words echoed in her mind like a curse.A knock at the door broke her thoughts. Marcus stepped in, his face grim.“He’s awake,” Marcus said. “And ready to talk — or so he says.”Selene turned, her expression hardening. “Good. Let’s see what he has to say.”Kieran fell in step beside her as they made their way to the basement, the
The moon was high, casting pale silver light over Bloodmoon’s land, but Selene couldn’t sleep. Every time she closed her eyes, she heard that haunting howl from the Nightfangs. She stood at the edge of the forest, her arms wrapped around herself as the cold breeze tugged at her dark hair. Her wolf was restless under her skin, pacing, growling — ready to fight. Behind her, Kieran approached quietly. He didn’t speak at first, just stood beside her, watching the trees as if he could see through them to whatever waited in the shadows. “You should be resting,” he finally said, voice low and rough. Selene shook her head, her gaze hard. “I can’t. Not with them out there.” Kieran studied her for a long moment before he gently brushed his knuckles along her arm. “You’re carrying this whole pack on your shoulders. You don’t have to do it alone.” Selene looked up at him, her eyes searching his. “But I do, Kieran. If I show weakness now, if I falter even for a second — they’ll lose fai
The first rays of dawn painted Bloodmoon Manor in hues of gold and amber, but despite the beauty of the sunrise, Selene felt anything but at peace. The unease from the night before still coiled tightly in her chest, a warning her wolf refused to ignore.From her place at the window, she watched as wolves began to gather in the courtyard, murmuring amongst themselves. News of Damon’s defeat had spread like wildfire, but the pack’s mood was far from unified.There were still those who doubted her — she could see it in their wary glances, hear it in the tense silences when she passed.Behind her, Kieran stood, arms crossed over his chest as he watched her with sharp eyes.“They’ll listen,” he said quietly, as though reading her thoughts.Selene turned to him, arching a brow. “You sound so sure.”A ghost of a smirk tugged at his lips. “Because they don’t have a choice anymore.”She wished she could share his confidence.A knock at the door broke the silence, and a moment later, Marcus ent
The night air was crisp, laced with the scent of pine and fresh earth as Selene stood on the balcony overlooking Bloodmoon’s lands. The moon hung low, glowing silver against the dark sky, casting light on the forest that now felt… different.It was done.She had fought. She had won.But the adrenaline had faded, and in its place, a heavy, aching silence settled over her.The wounds Damon had left on her body were healing, but the weight of leadership — the realization of what had just begun — was harder to soothe.Selene braced her hands against the balcony railing, breathing in the cool night air, trying to steady her racing thoughts.Behind her, soft footsteps echoed against the stone floor. She didn’t need to turn to know it was Kieran. She could feel him — his presence like a tether that steadied her in ways she hadn’t yet found words for."You should be resting," she murmured, not turning."So should you," Kieran said softly, moving to stand beside her.She glanced at him. His sh