Chapter 5

Selene's POV

Darius's words clung to me like shadows, sinking into my skin no matter how hard I tried to shake then off.

Kieran Blackwood doesn't let go.

I didn't need Darius to tell me that. I had felt it the moment I walked away from him - the invisible chain still wrapped around my soul, refusing to break no matter how much I pulled.

I wasn't free. Not yet.

But I would be. At least I hoped I would.

I squared my shoulders, keeping my voice steady. "I don't need your warnings, Nightshade. Kieran and I are done."

Darius chuckled, a slow, knowing sound. "If you say so."

He didn't believe me. I wasn't sure I believed me either.

But I didn't have time for this. I needed to get back to my pack, to put as much distance between me and Kieran as possible before the bond had a chance to take hold again.

I turned, ready to leave.

Darius's voice stopped me.

"You should leave his territory quickly, little wolf."

I stiffened. "I was planning on it."

"Good." He sounded amused, but there was something else in his tone - something off.

I glanced back at him, my instincts screaming that there was more he wasn't saying. "Why do you care?"

Darius met my gaze, his golden eyes unreadable. "Because war is coming. And when it does..." He smiled, slow and predatory. "You'll wish you had chosen a side."

A chill crept up my spine.

I wanted to ask more. To push for answers.

But before I could, he was gone - vanishing into the night like a ghost.

I swallowed hard, ignoring the uneasy feeling curling in my gut.

I had bigger things to worry about.

I had to leave before Kieran came looking for me.

I ran through the forest, my wolf restless beneath my skin. The trees blurred around me, moonlight filtering through the branches in streaks of silver.

Every instinct told me to keep running.

And yet...

I slowed.

Something was wrong.

The air smelled different - charged with tension, thick with a presence I knew too well.

Kieran.

My breath hitched as I reached the edge of the treeline, my pack's territory just beyond it. I was so close.

Too bad he was faster.

A gust of wind hit me, and suddenly, there he was.

Kieran Blackwood stepped into my path, his midnight-dark eyes locked onto me with an intensity that sent a pulse of heat through my veins.

My heart slammed against my ribs.

Damn it.

I took a step back, but he didn't move. He just watched me, his expression unreadable.

"You really thought I'd let you walk away that easily?"

His voice was calm. Too calm.

I forced myself to meet his gaze. "You don't have a choice, Kieran."

His jaw tensed. "Don't I?"

The air between us felt electric, the remnants of our bond still alive despite my rejection.

I hated that it still pulled at me.

I hated that he still pulled at me.

Kieran exhaled through his nose, taking a slow step forward. "You rejected me."

I swallowed hard. "Yeah. I did."

His eyes darkened, something dangerous flickering behind them. "Then why do I still feel you?"

My pulse spiked.

Because the bond wasn't broken.

Because it couldn't be broken.

Not completely.

Kieran reached out, his fingers grazing my wrist. The moment we touched, heat shot up my arm, making me inhale sharply.

His grip tightened, just enough to hold me there.

"Tell me," he murmured, his voice like smoke and steel. "Do you really want to be free of me, Selene?"

I should have said yes.

I should have ripped my hand away and walked past him without looking back.

But I hesitated.

And in that hesitation, Kieran's smirk returned, slow and knowing.

"That's what I thought."

I clenched my jaw, ignoring the way my body betrayed me, the way my wolf still wanted him despite everything.

I couldn't let him win.

I pulled my hand free, taking a steady breath. "Wanting something and choosing it aren't the same thing."

Something flickered in his eyes - something raw, almost pained. But it was gone as quickly as it came.

His smirk turned colder. "We'll see how long that choice lasts."

Then, before I could say another word, he stepped aside.

He let me go.

And that terrified me more than if he had tried to stop me.

Because Kieran Blackwood never let go of anything he wanted.

And I had a feeling he wasn't done with me yet.