015 ~ Scars ~

Three days passed without another word about the massacre.

The alliance meetings continued behind closed doors while the estate carried on as though nothing had changed. And Selene, she avoided everyone.

Damien noticed, so did Kieran. Ryker noticed most of all, though he never approached her again.

On the fourth morning, the training grounds behind the mansion came alive with the clash of steel and shouted commands. Visiting warriors sparred with Victor's soldiers while the Alphas observed from the sidelines, discussing patrol formations and border defenses.

Selene had no reason to be there, until Victor gave her one. "Stand beside the physicians," he said without looking at her. "If someone is injured, assist them."

She stared at him. "I'm not a healer."

"You learned enough before becoming Luna."

"I haven't practiced in years."

"Then today will refresh your memory," he said with a tone that made it clear the discussion was over.

"Psycho," she whispered under her breath.

"Was that for me?" Victor's eyes burned into hers and she slowly bowed her head, walking toward the healers' tent without another word.

The hours blurred together while cuts were stitched, bruises wrapped, and broken fingers reset.

She worked quietly beside the elderly physician, handing over bandages and washing blood from her hands between patients.

"You still remember," the old healer remarked with a gentle smile.

"I remember enough."

"You have careful hands."

Selene lowered her eyes. "They used to be steadier."

Before the healer could respond, a loud crash echoed across the field. Two wolves had collided during a sparring match and several soldiers rushed forward.

"We need more bandages!" someone shouted.

Selene grabbed the bag used to keep medical equipment and hurried over. By the time she reached the injured men, another voice called from behind.

"Water!" She turned.

Then another. "Over here!"

She worked without pause from one patient to the next, the climbing morning sun and relentless heat making each breath heavier than the last.

The physician frowned."Sit down for a moment."

"I'm fine," she muttered breathlessly."

"You've gone pale."

"I'm fine."

She bent to bind a soldier's shoulder when the ground swayed beneath her, forcing her to blink against the blur creeping into her vision.

"Luna, are you okay? The physician's voice sounded strangely far away.

"Yeah, I..." She reached for the edge of the stretcher but missed as the world spun before her eyes. It was only a matter of time before she hit the gr...

"Selene!" Strong arms caught her just inches away from the floor. They were Damien's and carefully, he lowered her onto the grass.

"What happened?" Ryker asked, appearing beside him.

"The sun?" one soldier guessed.

"No," the physician replied, kneeling beside her. "She's exhausted."

Damien frowned. "Exhausted?"

The old healer checked Selene's pulse. "How long has it been since you ate properly?"

Selene slowly opened her eyes. "I'm... alright."

"That wasn't my question."

She looked away. "I wasn't hungry."

The physician sighed."When was your last full meal?"

Silence answered him as on the side, Damien's expression darkened."Selene."

She still refused to answer.

The old healer met Damien's eyes, a faint wrinkle forming between his brows. "Help me get her inside."

Damien didn't hesitate.

He lifted her with surprising care and carried her toward the medical tent.

"I can walk," Selene protested weakly.

"I know."

"Then put me down."

"No."

She sighed in frustration. "I don't need to be carried."

"And yet here we are." There was no mockery in his voice, yet it tugged at her heart... Hard.

Inside the tent, Damien gently lowered her onto a cot as the physician began preparing herbs. "I'll need to examine her arms."

Selene instinctively reached for her sleeves. "I'm fine."

"You fainted."

"It was the heat."

"It was more than the heat."The physician offered a reassuring smile. "I can't treat what I can't see."

Slowly... Reluctantly... She rolled up one sleeve.

The bruises Damien had noticed days earlier had already begun to fade. Yet, seeing traces of them made his blood boil.

The physician reached for the other sleeve and would have rolled it up but Selene stopped him, "No."

"I need to examine it."

"I'm telling you, I'm fine."

"You fainted."

"I said I'm fine."

The sharpness in her voice surprised everyone including herself.

The physician paused and looked to Damien who spoke quietly.

"Seline... Please."

She looked at him and for a long moment, neither moved.

Finally... Her shoulders sagged and without meeting anyone's eyes, she slowly pushed the second sleeve upward.

Silence settled over the tent as thin white scars crossed her forearm, some long, some short, some faded with age, others still painfully new.

None of the scars looked accidental, and as Damien fell silent, his breathing slowed while the physician carefully traced the outline of one without touching it.

"These..." He looked at Selene. "...weren't made by training."

She remained silent.

"Were they?"

Still nothing.

"Who did this?" Damien asked quietly, his eyes tracing one scar after another until the sheer number of them stole the words from him.

His hands curled into fists. "Selene."

She finally spoke. "It doesn't matter."

"It matters."

"No." She pulled her sleeve down. "It doesn't."

His gaze locked onto hers. "Did Victor do this?"

She didn't reply but her silence said more words than her mouth could ever say in this situation.

Damien stood so abruptly that the chair behind him toppled onto the floor. "I'm going to kill him." He turned toward the tent entrance to go but Selene grabbed his wrist.

"Don't." Her fingers barely circled his wrist, but they stopped him more effectively than force ever could.

"He deserves to answer for this."

"And then what?"

"I'll make sure he never lays another hand on you."

She released him. "I didn't ask you to."

"You shouldn't have to ask."

A bitter smile crossed her face. "There it is."

"What?"

"The same look."

A frown formed on his face.

"The one men get when they decide I'm something to rescue."

"I'm not trying to rescue you."

"Aren't you?" She braced a hand against the cot and pushed herself to her feet.

"You'll reopen your wounds," the physician warned, reaching to steady her.

"I don't need another man trying to save me."

His jaw tightened, and for a heartbeat, he forgot how to breathe.

"I've spent five years surviving on my own." She met his eyes without wavering.

"If you confront Victor now, he'll deny everything."

"He can't deny those scars."

"He'll say I fell."

"He'll say I injured myself."

"He'll say whatever people are willing to believe."

Damien clenched his jaw. "I won't believe him."

"No, you won't. "She gave a faint nod. "But everyone else will."

The silence stretched between them.

"You apologized because you realized you judged me without knowing the truth."

Her voice softened.

"Don't make the same mistake again."

His anger faltered.

"What are you asking me to do?"

"I'm asking you..." She drew a slow breath. "...to let me choose how this ends."

Damien searched her face, expecting to find someone broken, but her eyes met his without yielding. He sighed, knowing he had seen warriors with less courage than the woman standing before him.

And eventually, he nodded. "I won't confront him."

Her face lit up briefly.

"But..."

She closed her eyes, of course, there was a but.

"I'm done standing by while people hurt you."

She looked at him. "You don't get to decide that Damien."