Chapter 1: Painful memories

SELENE

"Selene, run! It isn't safe here!" My mother’s voice was that of a desperate plea, but I couldn’t move.

My body was paralyzed with terror as the world around me burned in chaos. The clang of swords against metal rang in my ears, drowning out the howls of agony as bones snapped like twigs.

I pressed myself into the corner, arms wrapped tightly around my knees, shaking as I watched the nightmare unfold. There wasn't much I could do anyway. I was an Alpha's daughter, yet I couldn't fight to save my life and talk more about the lives of my pack members.

Warriors from our pack, wolves I had grown up with, trained beside, laughed with, were being slaughtered before my very eyes.

Their lifeless forms littered the ground, their fur matted with blood, their eyes closing in death and agony.

Through the chaos, my father Alpha of the Silver Claw Pack fought with the ferocity of a man who had everything to lose, and if you think about it, he had everything to lose.

His pack was in danger, his family was in danger, everything was on the line.

His claws tore through rogue wolves, his blade gleamed crimson in the moonlight, but they kept coming.

Rogues lunged at him from all sides, their snarls reverberating through the air as they sought to take him down.

The fact that we didn't know who even sent them was just too much.

"Selene, run! Don’t look back, don’t stop. Save yourself first! We'll be fine." My mother’s voice was strained, choked with pain.

I turned just in time to see her stagger, her hand clutching her stomach. Blood, so much blood spilled between her trembling fingers, staining the fabric of her dress.

She coughed, and a fresh wave of blood poured from her lips.

"Mum!" My scream was raw, torn from the depths of my soul.

Dear goddess, if you're listening please save my mother.

I took a step forward, but my father’s thunderous roar stopped me in my tracks.

"Don't you dare! One of us has to survive, and you have better odds so go." He fought like a demon possessed, slashing, striking, his eyes blazing with desperation.

He would not let them take her, not his mate, not his Luna.

You could see the agony in his face as she gagged, falling to the ground.

A wolf lunged towards him, its teeth sinking into his shoulder, dragging him down.

"Dad, look out." I yelled as my feet felt like they were stuck to move.

More followed, piling onto him like starving beasts. His silver eyes met mine for the briefest moment, filled with unspoken words, a silent command.

Run.

Then his body disappeared beneath them.

A scream ripped from my throat, but it was drowned in the chorus of snarls and battle cries.

My mother, barely able to stand, reached out a trembling hand toward me, her eyes shining with a love so fierce it made my chest ache.

"Go, Selene… live."

Tears blurred my vision as I turned on unsteady feet and ran. Ran through the blood-drenched fields. Ran past the broken bodies of my pack. Ran until the cries of the dying faded into silence.

"Luna, it's time for you to go outside for the first mating rites." A gentle knock at the door was followed by a voice that shattered the quiet of my thoughts.

The words sliced through the haze of my memories, dragging me back to the present.

A soft shove accompanied those words, as if to ensure I was really listening.

I blinked rapidly, my fingers tightening around the edge of the table.

I hadn't realized I had been crying again until I felt the dampness on my cheeks.

The past had a cruel way of creeping back into my memory when I least expected it, forcing me to relive the night our pack fell.

The night when blood stained the snow and the cries of the innocent were swallowed by the roar of flames and swords clashing.

With a shaky breath, I wiped away the tears.

"Is it time already?" My voice came out steadier than I felt.

"Yes, Luna. You spaced out." I nodded, rolling my shoulders back.

The weight of the past won't drag me down tonight. Not when I had come so far.

Not when I rebuilt what my father had lost, turning the ashes and remains of a pack that was supposed to be long forgotten, into this strong and powerful pack it is now.

I know that sounds too boastful, but I am very proud of myself.

And also, certainly not when I was about to bind my fate to the man who had stood beside me through it all.

Straightening my dress, I stepped forward, the rich fabric gliding against my skin like the whisper of a promise.

As I walked into the sacred hall, the scent of burning herbs and fresh pine filled the air.

The room was glowing with candlelight, their golden flames casting a golden light against the ancient carvings on the stone walls.

I halted for a moment to stare at the statue of my father and then sighed.

"You would be so proud of me if you were here, father."

A hush fell over the gathered wolves, their eyes turning toward me with reverence and expectation.

At the center of the room, he stood broad-shouldered, powerful, and waiting. His gaze locked onto mine, unreadable yet intense, as if he could see right through me.

A shiver ran down my spine, not from fear, but from the weight of this moment.

The priestess, dressed in robes, stepped forward, lifting a bowl filled with the sacred mixture of crushed moonflowers and wolf's bane.

"The first rite begins with the offering," she stated, her voice carrying the weight of tradition.

I stepped closer, dipping my fingers into the cool paste and pressing it over my heart, then his. A tingling sensation spread through my skin, as though the spirits themselves acknowledged our bond.

He reached for my hand, his touch searing through the cold that had settled in my bones.

"Are you ready?" he asked, his voice low, a whisper only I could hear.

I swallowed, my heart pounding, but my answer was clear.

"Yes."

"By tomorrow, you'll have me all to yourself." He whispered as we walked down the altar while the celebration continued.

"I honestly can't wait."

"You can hang out with the ladies, I'll be back as soon as possible." I nodded as he slipped out while I went to the ladies as they congratulated me.

More than a few minutes had passed already and yet, my mate, Jace, was nowhere to be found.

"I'll be back ladies, let me search for my mate. I'm craving him already." I teased with a smirk and they applauded as I walked out.

I tried following his scent, and it just kept leading me right out of the ceremony hall to the pack house.

He must have been so exhausted to have returned.

"Jace." I yelled, walking through the front door, but there was no sound coming through, but his scent got stronger as I approached the room.

"Were you so exhausted that you had to leave the ceremony? You would have… " I was saying as I pushed the door open when my words suddenly caught in my throat.

"Jace? What's going on?" I asked barely in a whisper as I stared at him in bed with Elena, one of the ladies in waiting.

I could feel the world crashing down on my feet as they both hurried out of bed in a bid to cover up their shame.

"Selene, I can explain." He rushed towards me and I stepped backwards.