Chapter 4 – Shadows of the Past

The halls of Bloodmoon Manor were the same as she remembered—grand, cold, and filled with ghosts of the past. Selene walked through the corridors with measured steps, her boots echoing against the marble floors. Wolves she once commanded now watched her with suspicion, their whispers trailing behind her like a noose tightening around her neck.

She expected it.

She welcomed it.

Let them doubt her. Let them think she was reckless, desperate. That was the game Kieran had set, and she would play it until he had no choice but to kneel before her.

Selene turned a corner, only to halt as she came face to face with a figure she hadn’t seen in years.

Liam Hawthorne.

Her old friend.

Her betrayer.

Liam had been one of Kieran’s most trusted warriors, a wolf she had once considered a brother. But when the time had come to choose between his Alpha and her, he hadn’t hesitated.

Selene tilted her head, offering him a slow, mocking smile. “Still standing at Kieran’s side, I see.”

Liam’s expression was unreadable. His green eyes flicked over her, assessing the bruises and dried blood from her mission. “You shouldn’t have come back.”

She chuckled. “And yet, here I am.”

A muscle ticked in Liam’s jaw. “You think this is some kind of game, Selene? That Kieran will let you waltz back in and reclaim what you lost?”

“I don’t need him to let me do anything,” she said coolly.

Liam took a step closer, his voice dropping to a whisper. “There are wolves in this pack who want you dead. Who will kill you if you give them a reason.”

Selene’s eyes gleamed. “Let them try.”

Liam exhaled sharply, but before he could say more, the air around them shifted.

A deep, familiar presence filled the hall.

Kieran.

Selene turned her head just in time to see him approaching, his stride slow, deliberate, a predator closing in on his prey.

“Liam,” Kieran said, his voice low but commanding.

Liam stiffened, then gave a sharp nod before stepping aside.

Selene held her ground as Kieran came to a stop before her.

“You’re bleeding,” he murmured, his gaze flicking to a cut on her shoulder she hadn’t bothered to tend.

Selene smirked. “What, concerned for my well-being?”

Kieran’s lips curled. “Hardly. I just prefer my warriors in working condition.”

The emphasis wasn’t lost on her. He still saw her as nothing more than a soldier to be tested, a piece on his chessboard.

She stepped closer, closing the space between them. “Then maybe you should have sent someone stronger to stop me.”

For a moment, just a moment, Kieran’s golden eyes darkened with something she couldn’t quite name.

But then it was gone.

“Meet me in the training grounds at dawn,” he said smoothly. “Let’s see if you’re still as sharp as you claim to be.”

Selene arched a brow. “You want to spar?”

Kieran’s smirk was slow, dangerous. “I want to remind you who’s Alpha.”

Selene leaned in, lowering her voice so only he could hear. “Oh, Kieran. You never could resist a challenge, could you?”

His eyes burned into hers, but he said nothing.

Then, without another word, he turned and walked away.

Selene exhaled, steadying herself.

The game had begun.

And she was going to win.

Selene remained still for a long moment, her pulse steady despite the fire raging inside her. Kieran wanted to test her? Fine. Let him. She had endured far worse than his games.

She turned back to Liam, whose expression was unreadable.

"You never answered my question," she murmured.

Liam’s gaze flickered with something close to regret, but it was gone as quickly as it came. "And you never gave me a reason to."

Selene scoffed. "I gave you plenty of reasons. You just chose the wrong side."

His jaw tightened. "I chose my pack."

She tilted her head, studying him. "And do you ever wonder if you chose wrong?"

Liam's silence was all the answer she needed.

With a slow smirk, she stepped past him, walking toward the guest quarters Kieran had begrudgingly allowed her to use. Every step she took was a silent promise—she would not bend.

Not for him.

Not for anyone.

---

The Training Grounds – Dawn

The first sliver of sunlight stretched over the horizon, casting long shadows across the dirt-packed training grounds. The morning air was crisp, scented with the faint remnants of last night’s rain.

Selene stood in the center of the ring, rolling her shoulders as she waited.

Wolves gathered around the perimeter, drawn to the challenge like moths to a flame. Some whispered bets, others exchanged wary glances.

They had all seen her fight before.

But this was different.

This was Kieran.

The air shifted, thick with dominance as the Alpha himself stepped into the ring.

Kieran was dressed simply—black pants, no shirt, muscles coiled and ready. The morning sun caught on the scars etched into his skin, reminders of battles fought and won.

Selene let her gaze drift over him, taking in the way he moved—controlled, effortless.

He was stronger than the last time they had fought.

But so was she.

Kieran's lips curled into something almost amused. "Still standing?"

Selene smirked. "You sound surprised."

A low chuckle rumbled from his chest. "Not surprised. Just wondering how long that will last."

She flexed her fingers. "Why don’t we find out?"

Kieran didn’t waste time with more words.

He lunged.

Selene met him head-on, their bodies colliding with a force that sent a sharp crack through the air. The moment his hands locked around her wrist, she twisted, using his momentum against him.

Kieran adjusted just as quickly, throwing her off balance.

She caught herself mid-fall, sweeping a leg out to knock him off his feet. He leaped over it easily, landing lightly before surging forward again.

Their movements were a blur—punches, dodges, counterattacks. Each strike was met with equal force, neither willing to yield.

The crowd watched in stunned silence.

This wasn’t just a spar.

It was a war.

Selene saw the moment Kieran changed tactics.

He came at her faster, pushing her back with a flurry of sharp blows. She blocked most, but one landed—a brutal fist to her ribs that stole her breath.

She gritted her teeth.

Fine.

If he wanted to play dirty, so would she.

As he swung again, she ducked low, surging upward at the last second. Her elbow slammed into his jaw, and for the first time—he stumbled.

A murmur rippled through the crowd.

Selene took advantage of the moment, spinning behind him and locking an arm around his throat. Her legs wrapped around his waist, tightening the hold.

“Yield,” she breathed against his ear.

Kieran chuckled. “Not a chance.”

With a fierce growl, he twisted, slamming her back-first into the ground. The impact jarred through her bones, but she refused to loosen her grip.

Their bodies were pressed together, muscles straining, breath mingling.

Selene felt his pulse pounding beneath her fingertips.

He could break free.

She could let go.

But neither of them moved.

The world faded, the pack's murmurs distant.

There was only this.

The heat, the tension, the war raging between them that had nothing to do with the fight.

Slowly, deliberately, Kieran leaned in, his lips just a breath from hers.

“Still think you can win, Selene?”

Her heart pounded.

And then—

She shoved him off, flipping their positions in an instant. This time, she was the one straddling him.

Kieran blinked up at her, momentarily caught off guard.

Selene smirked. “Looks like I already did.”

Silence.

Then—

A slow, rich chuckle.

Kieran’s hands curled around her waist, his grip firm, possessive.

"Careful, Selene," he murmured. "You might just tempt me into keeping you here."

Selene's smirk didn’t falter, but something in her chest tightened.

Because for the first time…

She wasn’t sure if she wanted to leave.