Chapter 2

Selene's POV

The moment I stepped across the border, I knew I had made a mistake.

Not because of the rejection - I stood by that. I would not let the Moon Goddess dictate my fate. I would not be bound to a ruthless Alpha like Kieran Blackwood, no matter what destiny claimed.

No, the mistake wasn't rejecting him.

It was thinking I could walk away that easily.

The moment I ran, I felt it - the weight of his presence pressing down on me even from a distance, the way my wolf ached from the severed bond I had barely acknowledged.

But I forced myself forward, pushing through the thick forest.

The wind howled through the trees, and the night was quiet - too quiet.

I wasn't alone.

I slowed my pace, listening carefully. A twig snapped somewhere behind me. My heart hammered, but I didn't stop. I wouldn't show weakness.

I had barely taken another step, when a low growl rumbled through the darkness.

My blood turned to ice.

I spun, my claws unsheathing instinctively, and found myself face to face with glowing red eyes.

Rogues.

Three of them, moving like shadows between the trees, their snarls filling the silence.

"Look what we have here," one of them sneered, stepping forward. His scent was unfamiliar - he wasn't from Kieran's pack.

I clenched my fists, keeping my stance steady. "I don't have time for this."

The rogue chuckled. "Oh, but we do."

They lunged.

I shifted mid air, my wolf taking over in an instant.

Silver fur rippled down my body, claws extending as I met them head-on. My teeth sank into the first rogue's shoulder, tearing through muscle and bone.

He howled in agony, but I didn't stop.

I twisted, dodging the second attacker, slashing at his side. Blood sprayed against the dirt.

But the third rogue - he was faster. He barreled into me from the side, knocking me off balance.

I hit the ground hard, but before he could sink his teeth into my throat, a snarl - deep, furious - shook the air.

And suddenly, he was gone.

I scrambled to my feet just in time to see a massive black wolf rip through the rogue's chest with a single, brutal swipe of his claws.

Kieran.

I didn't have time to react before he turned on the others. He was a blur of destruction - ferocious, merciless.

The rogues didn't stand a chance. Within seconds, they were nothing more than lifeless bodies littering the forest floor.

Silence settled once more, heavy and charged.

Kieran shifted back before I did, standing before me in all his fury, eyes burning with something dark and unreadable.

"I told you," he said, his voice low, dangerous.

I clenched my jaw, forcing my wolf to retreat. My body ached from the fight, but I refused to let him see it.

"I didn't ask you to follow me."

His gaze darkened. "You didn't have to."

I swallowed hard, hating the way my pulse raced under his stare. "I don't belong to you."

Kieran took a slow step forward. "You do."

His presence was suffocating, his heat too close.

I stood my ground, even as my wolf whimpered inside me.

"I rejected you." My voice was firm, but I knew it didn't carry the conviction I wanted.

Kieran tilted his head, watching me. Then, slowly, a smirk curled his lips.

"And yet," he murmured, brushing a strand of hair from my face, "your heart is still racing."

I slapped his hand away, fire burning in my veins. "Stay away from me."

His expression darkened, amusement fading. "You don't understand what you've done, Selene."

I forced myself to meet his gaze. "Then make me understand."

Kieran exhaled, his jaw tight. "Rejecting me doesn't just sever our bond. It weakens us both. You feel it, don't you?"

I did.

The exhaustion pressing into my bones, the sharp pang in my chest that hadn't faded since I uttered those words.

But I wouldn't admit it.

"Then let it weaken me," I shot back. "I'd rather suffer than be forced into something I don't want."

Something flickered in Kieran's eyes - something dangerous, something raw.

He took another step, close enough that I could feel his breath against my skin. "You think you have a choice?"

"I know I do."

Silence stretched between us, tense and electric. Then, without another word, Kieran stepped back.

But the smirk on his lips sent a shiver down my spine.

"If you want to run, run," he said simply. "But I won't be far behind."

With that, he turned and walked away.

And I was left standing there, knowing I had just made a very dangerous enemy.