LOGINSorry, this was a short one, but you can have another one to keep you going.
Max's POVShe takes a small step towards me, then stops when she sees my expression.“I forged her soul with the capacity to endure, Maxwell. I gave her gifts that could grow through the trials she faced. But what others chose to do to her was never mine to command.”There's genuine regret in her voice, but I can't bring myself to feel sorry for her.I look away, my jaw clenched so tightly it hurts. I understand what she's saying. I just don't fucking like it.Whether she chose Zahra's father or not, she knew Zahra would be hurt. She knew the woman I love would have to endure things no one should ever have to live through, and she went ahead with it anyway.“Did she have any choice?” I ask, my voice quieter now.The question seems to trouble Selene more than my anger did. She looks towards the lake for a moment, and I notice her shoulders lower slightly as she considers her answer.“In the way her soul was forged? No. That choice was mine.”“At least you're admitting it.”My words com
Max's POV“Max...” Selene says carefully“Did you know?” I demand. “Did you know what that bastard was doing to her? Because if you created her for all this, if you've been planning her future since before she was born, then where the fuck does all that fit in?”My voice is getting louder, and I can feel Medus shifting beside me, but I can't seem to stop.“Was she supposed to suffer? Was breaking her down somehow meant to make her stronger?”“Maxwell.”There's a sharpness to Selene's voice that makes me fall silent. She doesn't raise it, but the authority behind that single word is enough to remind me exactly who I'm speaking to.For a moment, neither of us moves.
Max's POVI shake my head, unable to believe what I'm hearing.“You have to find another way. There has to be someone else. She shouldn't have to deal with this on top of everything she's already been through.”Selene's expression softens, and when she speaks again, there's none of the authority I'd heard in her voice moments earlier.“I understand why you're frightened for her.”“Frightened?” I let out a short, humourless laugh. “I'm fucking terrified for her.”The admission leaves my throat tight, but I don't bother trying to hide it. I love Zahra. I've already come far too close to losing her, and the thought of someone deliberately putting her in the path of something this dangerous makes me feel physically sick.
Max's POVI stare at her, struggling to comprehend what she's just said.Kill her? Kill the fucking Moon Goddess? I didn't think that was possible.For a moment, I genuinely think I've misheard her, but she continues before I can say anything.“Without my protection, there will be nothing to prevent him from enslaving the supernatural races. Every wolf, every supernatural being will be forced to serve him.”There's genuine disgust in her voice now. Her gaze drifts towards Medus again, and I remember the affection in her expression when she was stroking him earlier. The thought of anyone enslaving him, or any of us, makes my blood run cold.Selene draws a slow breath before continuing.“And once he has established his rule, he intends to e
Max's POVSelene captured Monvar once before, yet somehow, he's spent centuries weakening the very connections that give her power.And most of us haven't had a fucking clue.“And now he's using that against you?”“Yes.”She lifts her head, her expression becoming serious again.“With my power weakened, there's much less to stop him from doing what he wants to the world.”I turn towards her sharply.“The world?”Selene meets my eyes. There's no hesitation in her expression now.“Monvar's ambitions extend far beyond the supernatural races, Maxwell. What you see here is only part of the damage he's causing.”The certainty in her voice sends a chill through me.I look back at the blackened trees, remembering how quickly that substance destroyed the root.If this is what his fucking monsters can do to the Moon Goddess's home, what chance would an ordinary pack have against them?“But you can hold them back for now?”“I can,” she says, resting her staff against the ground.She glances towa
Max's POVI'd been aware that things were getting worse, but until now, I'd never considered that any of it might be connected.Selene turns towards me, and the sadness in her expression gives way to anger again.“The drugs they've introduced into your communities, the deliberate disruption of pack hierarchies, the dissolution of entire packs. All of it has contributed to the damage.”She gestures towards the ruined forest, the movement sharp with frustration.“Every pack that falls apart weakens the bonds between its members, and every generation that loses faith in me weakens my connection to your world a little further.”I look at her, struggling to take it all in.So those incidents weren't just separate packs having their own problems. Someone had been deliberately stirring up trouble, exploiting every weakness they could find.The thought makes my blood boil. An Alpha's supposed to protect his pack, not stand by while his wolves are abused or driven from their homes. And now I'm







