Chapter 6

Celine stared at Damon.

For several seconds, she couldn't make sense of what he'd said.

The Moon Goddess had brought her here.

To him.

It sounded impossible. After everything that had happened tonight, impossible almost felt normal.

"What does that mean?" she asked.

Damon didn't answer immediately.

His attention remained fixed on the dark forest ahead. The wolves hiding somewhere beyond the trees continued to move, their footsteps faint but unmistakable.

"Not here," he said.

Celine frowned. "You can't say something like that and then refuse to explain."

"I can if staying alive depends on it."

Her father stepped forward.

"Celine, listen to me. Whatever Damon Blackwood tells you, don't believe him."

Damon's eyes shifted toward Beta Wolverine.

"You've spent eighteen years keeping her in the dark. Don't start pretending you're protecting her now."

Her father's face hardened.

"You know nothing about what I've done for my daughter."

"I know enough."

Celine looked between them.

"Stop."

Neither man moved.

She raised her voice.

"I said stop!"

The forest fell quiet around them.

Celine's hands trembled, but she forced herself to stand straight.

"I'm tired of everyone deciding what I should know."

Her eyes settled on her father.

"You never told me why Mother died."

"I told you she was killed by rogues."

"You told me what happened. You never told me why."

Her father looked away.

Celine swallowed.

"And now he says you know something about him."

Wolverine's jaw tightened.

"Celine, we need to leave."

"Why?"

"Because this place isn't safe."

"That isn't an answer."

"It is the only one you need right now."

Celine shook her head.

"No. I'm done accepting answers that don't explain anything."

Damon watched her silently.

For the first time since they had met, there was something almost like approval in his expression.

Her father noticed.

"Don't look at her like that."

Damon raised an eyebrow.

"Like what?"

"Like you've already decided she's yours."

Celine's breath caught.

Damon's expression changed, but before he could respond, a strange sound came from the woods.

A low growl.

Every warrior turned toward it.

Then another answered.

And another.

The darkness beyond the trees seemed to move.

Wolverine immediately drew his blade.

"Everyone behind me."

The warriors formed a defensive line.

Celine instinctively moved closer to Damon.

He glanced down at her.

"Stay there."

"I wasn't planning on wandering off."

"Good."

A figure suddenly burst through the trees.

One of the Silvermoon scouts.

He stumbled into the clearing, clutching his side.

"Beta!"

Wolverine rushed toward him.

"What happened?"

The scout struggled to breathe.

"They're here."

"Who?"

"The Blackfang."

The warriors exchanged uneasy looks.

Celine had heard the name before.

Blackfang was a rogue group that lived beyond the northern mountains. Unlike ordinary rogues, they were known for attacking entire territories without warning.

Her father's expression darkened.

"How many?"

"Too many."

The scout's knees buckled.

Wolverine caught him before he hit the ground.

"Where are they?"

"North ridge."

The scout looked toward Damon.

His eyes widened.

"He's here."

Damon's face remained calm.

The scout's voice dropped to a whisper.

"Then we're already too late."

A howl split the night.

This one was different.

It carried authority.

Damon's head lifted.

"Get her out of here."

Wolverine looked at him.

"You don't give me orders."

"You want your daughter alive?"

The question silenced him.

Damon turned to Celine.

"There's an old trail behind those rocks. Follow it south."

"I'm not leaving you."

The words came out before Celine could stop them.

Damon stared at her.

"So you do trust me."

"I didn't say that."

"You didn't have to."

Celine rolled her eyes despite the fear tightening her stomach.

"You're irritating."

A faint smile appeared on his face.

"You're getting used to me."

Another sound came from the trees.

This time, it was a scream.

Celine flinched.

Damon's smile disappeared.

"Go."

"I won't."

"Celine."

"I said no."

His gaze hardened.

"You don't understand what is coming."

"Then explain it."

Damon stared at her for a long moment.

"The Blackfang aren't after Silvermoon."

Celine frowned.

"Then who are they after?"

Damon looked directly at her.

"You."

The words seemed to drain the warmth from the night.

"Me?"

"Your pendant."

Celine instinctively covered the silver crescent.

Damon nodded toward it.

"They've been searching for that symbol for years."

"Why?"

"I don't know everything."

"Then what do you know?"

Damon's eyes flicked toward her father.

"Ask him."

Celine turned.

Her father was standing several feet away, his face unreadable.

"You knew?"

Wolverine didn't answer.

"Dad."

He closed his eyes briefly.

"Celine..."

"You knew about the pendant?"

"It belonged to your mother."

"I know that."

"There are things your mother never told you."

"Why?"

"Because she was trying to protect you."

Celine's throat tightened.

"From what?"

Before he could answer, a sharp whistle sounded from the trees.

Wolverine spun around.

"Move!"

An arrow struck the ground between Celine and Damon.

Everyone jumped back.

Another arrow flew.

Damon caught Celine around the shoulders and pulled her behind a thick tree.

"Stay down."

Celine crouched beside him.

Her breathing was fast.

"Who are they?"

"Blackfang scouts."

"How did they find us?"

"They probably followed your father's warriors."

Celine looked toward the clearing.

Her father was shouting orders while the warriors spread out.

The forest had become chaos.

Torches moved between the trees. Wolves snarled in the darkness. Steel clashed against steel.

Damon glanced at Celine.

"When I tell you to run, you run."

"And where exactly am I supposed to go?"

"South."

"That's not an answer."

"It's the only direction that doesn't lead toward them."

A shadow moved behind them.

Damon reacted instantly.

He pushed Celine down as a blade sliced through the air above her.

The attacker lunged again.

Damon caught his wrist.

For a moment, the two men struggled.

Then Damon twisted, sending the attacker crashing against a tree.

Celine stared.

The stranger got back up almost immediately.

His eyes were dark, his clothes marked with the black wolf emblem she'd heard about.

He looked at Celine.

"Give us the girl."

Damon stepped between them.

"No."

"The pendant belongs to the Blackfang."

Celine's fingers tightened around it.

Damon's voice became dangerously quiet.

"Then come and take it."

The rogue charged.

Damon met him halfway.

The fight was fast.

Too fast for Celine to follow properly.

She saw flashes of movement, heard the impact of bodies against trees, then the attacker stumbled backward.

Damon stood over him.

"Run."

The rogue spat blood onto the ground and smiled.

"You still don't understand, Blackwood."

Damon's expression hardened.

"The girl isn't the one carrying the curse."

Celine's eyes widened.

"What curse?"

The rogue laughed.

"Ask your mate."

Damon's face went completely still.

The rogue suddenly shifted into a dark wolf and disappeared between the trees.

Celine stared after him.

Then she slowly turned toward Damon.

"Your mate?"

Damon didn't answer.

"Damon."

He looked at her.

"Don't listen to him."

"Why did he call me your mate?"

"It doesn't matter."

"It matters to me."

Damon's jaw tightened.

Before he could respond, Celine felt something strange beneath her skin.

A sharp pulse.

Then another.

She gasped and grabbed her arm.

"Damon..."

"What?"

"My skin."

Silver light began spreading beneath her wrist.

Damon's expression changed.

"Celine, don't fight it."

"What is happening?"

"I don't know."

The light moved higher, curling around her arm like glowing veins.

Celine's knees weakened.

She heard a whisper.

Not from the forest.

Not from Damon.

From inside her.

Wake up.

Her eyes widened.

The pendant suddenly lifted from her chest.

It hung in the air between them, glowing brighter than the moon.

Damon stared at it.

Then he whispered something Celine couldn't understand.

"What did you say?"

He didn't respond.

"Damon!"

He finally looked at her.

"I've seen that symbol before."

"Where?"

"On a grave."

Celine's breath caught.

"Whose grave?"

Damon's eyes remained fixed on the glowing crescent.

"Your mother's."

Everything inside Celine went still.

"My mother is dead."

"I know."

"Then why would her symbol be on a grave?"

Damon slowly shook his head.

"Because the grave wasn't hers."

Celine stared at him.

"What?"

Before Damon could explain, a powerful howl erupted from the northern forest.

The sound shook the branches overhead.

Her pendant flashed.

And somewhere beyond the trees, something answered.

Not with a howl.

With her mother's voice.

"Celine."

She stopped breathing.

The voice came again, faint but unmistakable.

"Run."

Then the entire forest went dark.