Chapter 24: Whispers of the Moon

The tension between Rowan and Selene had grown like a flame behind closed doors—silent but impossible to ignore.

The night air was heavy with the scent of pine and distant thunder as Rowan paced the outer courtyard. His boots crushed loose stones beneath his feet, but his mind was far from the present. Selene hadn’t spoken to him since the council meeting where she challenged Elder Ryon. She’d stared down centuries of tradition—and he hadn’t stopped her.

She was bold. Untamed.

And dangerous.

Not to his throne, but to his resolve.

Rowan halted at the old archway that led to the eastern tower. From there, he could see the training grounds below where the new initiates ran drills by torchlight. His people needed him focused, controlled. But his mind refused to stop conjuring the feel of her skin, the fury in her eyes, the softness in her voice when she whispered his name like it meant something.

A scuffle behind him made him turn.

Selene.

She stood at the base of the tower steps, her silver cloak rippling in the breeze. Her moonlit hair was braided back, revealing the curve of her neck. Her expression was unreadable, but her presence alone was enough to crack his armor.

“You shouldn’t be here,” Rowan said, his voice low.

“I could say the same to you, Alpha King,” she replied, lifting her chin defiantly.

They stared at each other for a long moment, the weight of unsaid words pressing heavily between them. Finally, Rowan stepped forward.

“You’re reckless,” he said. “Going against the Elders. Stirring questions you’re not ready to answer.”

Selene’s gaze didn’t waver. “I’m not here to follow rules made by frightened old men.”

“You put yourself in danger,” he growled. “They don’t just talk. They act. You think your bloodline will protect you?”

“Don’t pretend this is about me,” she snapped. “You’re angry because I forced you to face what you’ve been ignoring. Something’s happening in this kingdom. Something dark. And you’re afraid of what it means.”

Rowan closed the distance between them. “I’m not afraid.”

“Then prove it,” she whispered, stepping closer.

The silence between them crackled. Her breath touched his jaw. He wanted to pull away, to stop this madness before it consumed them both—but he couldn’t.

Not now.

“You’re poison,” he murmured. “Every moment I spend near you chips away at what I’ve built.”

“Then why are you still standing here?” she whispered, eyes blazing. “Why haven’t you walked away?”

His hand found her waist before he could stop himself. Her lips parted, a soft breath escaping, and then—

“Alpha Rowan!”

The shout shattered the moment.

A guard raced into the courtyard, breathless. Rowan spun around, placing distance between him and Selene.

“What is it?”

“There’s been an attack… on the border village. Three dead. Five missing. We think it’s the Rogues.”

Rowan’s fists clenched. “Get the generals. I want a full sweep of the borderlands. Now.”

The guard bowed and sprinted off.

Selene stepped beside him, her expression grim. “It’s starting, isn’t it?”

Rowan didn’t answer. Instead, he turned to face her fully. “You’re coming with me.”

“What?”

“You wanted to know what’s happening in this kingdom? You’ll see it firsthand. Suit up.”

Selene blinked. “You trust me in battle?”

“No,” Rowan said honestly. “But I trust your instincts. And right now, I need someone who isn’t afraid to call out the truth.”

Their eyes locked again, this time not in passion, but in shared purpose. Whatever bound them—it was stronger than either of them understood. The war had begun, and Selene was no longer a secret kept in shadows. She was part of this now.

As the moon climbed higher, Rowan gave his final order: “We ride at dawn.”

Scene Shift: The Campfire Watch

That night, they made camp just outside the war-torn village of Elaris. Smoke still rose from broken homes, and blood stained the cobblestone paths. Rowan sat at the edge of the fire, sharpening his blade, but his mind was elsewhere.

Selene approached quietly, wrapped in a cloak, her eyes tired but alert. “The villagers are terrified. Whatever did this—it wasn’t just Rogues. The wounds were... twisted. Like something ancient.”

Rowan paused. “I was afraid of that.”

She sat beside him. “You knew?”

“There have been whispers of a faction rising in the north. Something darker than the usual mutinies. Creatures that don’t belong in this era. I thought they were just stories. Until now.”

Selene’s voice was soft. “Then we don’t have much time, do we?”

“No,” he said. “We don’t.”

They sat in silence for a long while, the firelight casting flickering shadows on their faces. Then Selene spoke again.

“When this war is over,” she said, not looking at him, “what happens to us?”

Rowan’s jaw tightened. “There is no ‘us,’ Selene.”

“Liar,” she said, her voice trembling. “You feel it too. The pull. The madness. The connection we can’t name.”

He dropped his sword. “And if I do? If the bond between us is real? What then?”

She turned to him. “Then you fight for me. Like I’ll fight for you.”

The air around them shifted. The fire crackled louder, as if echoing their storm of emotions. Slowly, Rowan reached for her hand. She didn’t pull away.

In that moment, under the stars and surrounded by the scars of war, they weren’t king and outcast. They were simply two souls bound by fate, on the edge of a story far greater than either of them had imagined.

And fate... was just getting started.