Chapter 5

Celine froze.

The footsteps came closer, slow and deliberate, crushing dry leaves beneath heavy boots. Every instinct inside her screamed at her to run, but her legs refused to move.

A figure stepped between the trees.

He was tall.

Much taller than any ordinary warrior Celine had ever seen. His dark clothes were torn in several places, and a smear of blood stained one side of his shirt. Thick black hair fell across his forehead, partially hiding his face. Even from several feet away, Celine could feel something dangerous radiating from him.

His eyes lifted toward hers.

Amber.

Not the ordinary golden-brown eyes she had seen among the wolves of Silvermoon.

These were darker, almost molten, with a strange intensity that made the air around her feel suddenly colder.

Celine's hand tightened around her pendant.

"Don't come any closer," she whispered.

The stranger stopped.

For several seconds, neither of them moved.

Then his gaze dropped to the silver crescent hanging around her neck.

His expression changed.

Not fear.

Recognition.

"You shouldn't be here," he said.

His voice was deep and rough, carrying an authority that made Celine's skin prickle.

She swallowed. "Neither should you."

One corner of his mouth lifted slightly.

"That's true."

Celine took a cautious step backward.

He noticed.

His eyes narrowed.

"Are you hurt?"

She almost laughed.

"Does it matter?"

His jaw tightened.

"Answer me."

"I scraped my hands. That's all."

He looked toward her palms. Dirt covered them, and small scratches crossed the skin. His gaze then traveled over the torn white gown she wore.

"You came from Silvermoon."

It wasn't a question.

Celine stiffened.

"How do you know?"

"The gown."

She glanced down.

The ceremonial white fabric was dirty and torn from running through the forest. There was no hiding where she had come from.

The stranger took another step.

Celine immediately stepped back.

He stopped again.

"I won't hurt you."

"That's what every dangerous person says."

A quiet sound escaped him. It wasn't quite a laugh.

"You're not wrong."

Celine studied him carefully.

Everything about him screamed rogue.

The scent of wilderness clung to him. Beneath it was something metallic, like blood and cold iron. Yet there was another scent too, one she couldn't understand.

Something that pulled at the warmth inside her chest.

The warmth she had felt before the ceremony.

The warmth that had disappeared after Cassian rejected her.

Now it was returning.

Stronger.

Celine pressed a hand against her chest.

The stranger noticed.

His expression became guarded.

"You feel it too."

Her eyes widened.

"Feel what?"

He didn't answer immediately.

Instead, he stared at her as though trying to solve a puzzle.

Then his nostrils flared.

His entire body went rigid.

"No."

Celine's heart pounded.

"What?"

He took another step toward her, then abruptly stopped himself.

His hands curled into fists.

"What's your name?"

She hesitated.

"Celine."

"Celine what?"

"Wolverine."

The stranger's eyes darkened.

"Beta Wolverine's daughter?"

She nodded slowly.

"How do you know my father?"

"I know of him."

There was something in his voice that made Celine uneasy.

"You've been watching Silvermoon."

"I've watched a lot of things."

"Are you a rogue?"

His gaze held hers.

"Yes."

The word came without hesitation.

Celine's heart raced.

Every story she'd heard about rogues flooded her mind. Killers. Thieves. Wolves who lived outside the protection of packs and followed no laws.

She should have been terrified.

Instead, she felt strangely drawn toward him.

That made her even more afraid.

The stranger looked toward the distant lights of Silvermoon.

"They'll come looking for you."

Celine's throat tightened.

"I know."

"Then you need to leave."

"I have nowhere to go."

His eyes returned to hers.

"That's not true."

Celine frowned.

"What do you mean?"

"You can come with me."

She stared at him.

"With you?"

"Until dawn."

"Why?"

His expression hardened.

"Because if Silvermoon sends warriors into these woods tonight, they won't stop to ask whether you're innocent."

Celine's stomach twisted.

She knew he was right.

Cassian had rejected her in front of the entire pack. Lila had humiliated her. Her father had watched without defending her.

If she returned now, what would happen?

Would they laugh?

Would her father drag her back?

Would Cassian order her punished for crossing the border?

She couldn't face any of it.

But following a rogue into the forbidden woods was madness.

"I don't even know who you are."

The stranger hesitated.

Then he said, "Damon."

Celine repeated the name silently.

"Damon what?"

His eyes hardened.

"Damon Blackwood."

The name struck something inside her.

She had heard it before.

Not recently.

Years ago.

Whispers from warriors.

Stories told around fires.

A rogue alpha who had disappeared after a bloody conflict between packs.

A wolf who had once commanded hundreds.

A man whose name elders avoided saying.

Celine's eyes widened.

"You're the Blackwood Alpha."

Damon's expression became unreadable.

"Not anymore."

"But you were."

"Once."

"What happened?"

"That's a long story."

A branch cracked somewhere behind them.

Both of them turned.

Damon's entire demeanor changed.

The calm stranger disappeared.

His shoulders squared, his head lifted, and a low growl rolled from his chest.

Celine's heart jumped.

"What is it?"

"Warriors."

She listened.

At first, she heard nothing.

Then came the distant sound of voices.

"Celine!"

Her blood turned cold.

Her father's voice.

Another voice followed.

"Spread out! She couldn't have gone far!"

Lila.

Celine's stomach dropped.

"They came after me."

Damon looked at her.

"I told you they would."

"I can't go back."

"Then don't."

He held out his hand.

Celine stared at it.

His fingers were long, his knuckles scraped and bruised. There was blood near his wrist.

"You trust me?"

"No."

"Good."

She blinked.

Damon's mouth twitched.

"Blind trust gets people killed."

The voices grew louder.

"Celine!"

She heard a branch snap behind her.

Panic surged through her.

Damon stepped closer.

"Choose quickly."

Celine looked toward the direction of the voices.

Then at Damon.

For eighteen years, she had belonged nowhere.

She had spent her entire life trying to earn a place in a pack that constantly reminded her she wasn't strong enough.

Tonight, they had finally made the decision for her.

Celine reached out.

Her fingers touched Damon's palm.

The instant they connected, the world changed.

A violent wave of warmth shot through her body.

Celine gasped.

Damon's eyes widened.

A pulse of silver light flashed beneath Celine's skin.

The pendant around her neck suddenly became hot.

She cried out and grabbed it.

Damon stared at the crescent.

"What is that?"

"My mother's."

"Take it off."

Celine shook her head.

"I can't."

"Why?"

"It's the only thing I have left of her."

Damon looked at the pendant again.

Something in his face changed.

He reached toward it, but before his fingers could touch the silver crescent, a strange vibration passed through the forest.

The trees seemed to shudder.

Celine felt the warmth in her chest surge again.

Then came a voice.

Not from Damon.

Not from the warriors.

From somewhere deep inside her.

Run.

Celine gasped.

Damon heard her.

"What happened?"

"I... I heard something."

"What?"

She looked into the darkness.

"I don't know."

The voice came again.

Run, Celine.

This time it was stronger.

Her entire body trembled.

Damon suddenly grabbed her wrist.

"We're leaving."

They moved.

Damon pulled her deeper into the forbidden woods, away from the voices behind them.

Celine struggled to keep up.

Branches struck her arms and caught in her dress, but Damon moved through the darkness as though he knew every tree and every hidden path.

Behind them, warriors shouted.

"There!"

Celine looked back.

Torchlight flickered between the trees.

"They see us!"

Damon stopped.

He turned toward her.

"Can you run?"

"I've been running all night."

"Then run faster."

Before she could answer, a howl exploded from the darkness.

It wasn't human.

It wasn't entirely wolf either.

It was deep enough to shake the ground beneath Celine's feet.

The warriors behind them went silent.

Damon's eyes flashed amber.

"Stay behind me."

Three Silvermoon warriors appeared through the trees, weapons drawn.

The first one stopped when he saw Damon.

His face drained of color.

"Blackwood."

Damon said nothing.

The warrior raised his weapon.

"You're trespassing on Silvermoon territory."

Damon's gaze became cold.

"She's not your prisoner."

"She's Beta Wolverine's daughter. Take one more step and—"

Damon shifted his weight.

The air changed.

Celine felt it instantly.

Power rolled off him.

Not the controlled strength she'd seen from Cassian.

This was different.

Older.

Wilder.

The warrior seemed to feel it too.

His confidence faltered.

Then another voice came from behind them.

"Enough."

Celine recognized it immediately.

Her father's voice.

Beta Wolverine stepped into the clearing, several warriors behind him.

His eyes landed on Celine.

For the first time that night, Celine saw something close to fear in his expression.

"Celine," he said quietly. "Come home."

She couldn't answer.

Her father's gaze shifted to Damon.

His face went pale.

"You're alive."

Damon's eyes narrowed.

"Disappointed?"

Wolverine's jaw tightened.

"You don't understand what you've walked into."

Damon gave a humorless smile.

"I understand more than you think."

Celine looked between them.

"What is he talking about?"

Neither man answered.

Her father took one step forward.

"Celine, come with me. Now."

She shook her head.

"No."

The word surprised even her.

Her father stared.

"Celine."

"I said no."

"Celine, you don't know this man."

"I know what you did."

His expression faltered.

"You stood there."

She swallowed hard.

"When Cassian rejected me, you just stood there."

Her father's face tightened.

"I couldn't challenge the alpha publicly."

"You couldn't even look at me."

"Celine—"

"You let everyone call me weak."

Her voice cracked.

"And now you want me to come back?"

Silence filled the clearing.

Damon remained beside her, saying nothing.

Then a second howl sounded.

Closer.

Much closer.

Every wolf in the clearing turned toward the northern trees.

Damon's expression changed.

"What was that?" Celine whispered.

Her father looked toward the darkness.

"That's impossible."

"What?"

Wolverine didn't answer.

Another howl came.

This time several wolves answered from deeper in the forbidden woods.

Not one.

Not two.

Dozens.

The warriors tightened their grips on their weapons.

Damon looked at Celine.

"Whatever happens next, don't let go of me."

Celine stared at him.

"Why?"

His eyes dropped to their joined hands.

The silver light beneath her skin was spreading up her arm.

And then Damon whispered the words that made her heart stop.

"Because I think the Moon Goddess didn't bring you here to escape Silvermoon."

He looked toward the dark forest.

"I think she brought you here to find me."