Chapter 6 – Beneath the Surface

Selene didn’t sleep.

She lay in bed staring at the ceiling, the weight of Kieran’s words pressing down on her like a vice. This isn’t a game.

She knew that.

It never had been.

The past wasn’t dead, no matter how much she tried to bury it. The scent of charred wood still lingered in her mind, the ghost of a memory she refused to relive.

By the time dawn broke over Bloodmoon Manor, she had made her decision.

She wouldn’t let Kieran dictate the rules.

She would create her own.

---

Training Grounds – Morning

Selene moved through the training ring, her body a blur of sharp, calculated strikes against the wooden dummies. Each hit sent a jarring vibration up her arms, but she welcomed the pain—it kept her focused. Grounded.

Around her, the pack trained as well, though their gazes flickered toward her every so often, curiosity and skepticism written across their faces. She wasn’t one of them, not yet. And maybe never.

She drove her fist into the last dummy with enough force to splinter the wood. A satisfied smirk tugged at her lips.

“Impressive.”

Selene turned, already knowing who she’d find.

Liam stood a few feet away, arms crossed, watching her with that same unreadable expression he always wore.

She wiped the sweat from her brow. “Here to tell me I should give up again?”

Liam exhaled sharply. “No.” He stepped closer, lowering his voice. “But I meant what I said last night. The pack doesn’t trust you. Pushing Kieran won’t change that.”

Selene met his gaze head-on. “And what do you suggest? That I sit back and let them pick me apart until there’s nothing left?”

His jaw tensed. “I suggest you be smart about this. Kieran isn’t your enemy, Selene.”

She let out a humorless laugh. “Could’ve fooled me.”

Liam hesitated, but before he could say anything, the murmurs around them grew louder.

Kieran had arrived.

He stepped onto the training grounds, his presence like a storm rolling in. The pack instinctively straightened, eyes flicking to him, waiting for orders.

Selene met his gaze from across the ring. He was watching her, but she couldn’t read his expression.

“Pair up,” Kieran commanded. “Sparring rounds. I want no one holding back.”

Movement rippled through the wolves as they partnered off.

Selene turned back to Liam. “Looks like you get to see how much of a threat I really am.”

But Liam shook his head, stepping back. “Not me.” His eyes shifted past her. “Him.”

Selene turned just as Kieran stepped into the ring.

A slow, knowing smirk curved his lips. “You wanted to prove yourself, Selene?” He rolled his shoulders, muscles flexing beneath his shirt. “Now’s your chance.”

The gathered wolves fell silent.

Selene’s pulse kicked up, but she forced herself to remain calm.

If Kieran wanted a fight, she wasn’t about to back down.

---

The Fight

They circled each other, slow and measured.

Kieran’s golden eyes never left hers, watching, waiting.

Selene made the first move.

She lunged, aiming a sharp kick toward his ribs. But he was faster—he caught her leg mid-air, twisting her momentum against her. She barely managed to spin out of his grip before she hit the ground.

Kieran smirked. “Too predictable.”

Selene didn’t hesitate. She spun low, sweeping her leg toward his, but he leapt back just in time. The moment his feet hit the ground, he surged forward.

She braced for impact.

His hands found her waist, and for a split second, it felt almost like the night before—his touch, firm and unyielding. But this wasn’t a test of control. This was power against power.

She twisted in his grasp, breaking free, and struck out, landing a solid hit against his shoulder. Kieran barely flinched. Instead, he grabbed her wrist, yanked her forward, and before she knew it, she was on her back, Kieran hovering over her.

A breathless silence fell over the pack.

Selene gritted her teeth, heart hammering.

Kieran leaned in, voice low. “Still think this is just a game?”

Selene smirked, despite the burn of frustration in her chest. “No,” she whispered.

And then, she moved.

She slammed her knee up, using his momentary distraction to flip them. This time, she was the one straddling him, pinning his wrists against the dirt.

The shock in his golden eyes was brief but satisfying.

Selene leaned in just enough that only he could hear her. “I don’t lose, Kieran.”

His smirk returned, slow and dangerous. “Then prove it.”

The air between them crackled with something dark and electric, something neither of them acknowledged but both of them felt.

Selene hesitated a second too long.

Kieran’s smirk widened.

And then—he flipped them again, faster than she anticipated, his body pressing against hers, holding her down with little effort.

Selene bit back a curse.

Kieran’s breath was warm against her ear. “Better luck next time.”

And just like that, he released her, standing smoothly, as if the entire fight had been nothing more than a game to him.

Selene stared up at the sky for a second, jaw clenched.

Damn him.

Around them, the pack murmured, their gazes unreadable.

Selene pushed to her feet, brushing dirt from her clothes. She met Kieran’s gaze and forced a smirk. “Enjoy it while it lasts.”

Kieran’s eyes gleamed. “I intend to.”

As he turned to address the pack, Selene exhaled slowly, steadying herself.

This wasn’t over.

Not by a long shot.

Because no matter what it took—

She would win.