Chapter Two – Whispers of Power

The forest was silent after my wolf’s roar. The sound had ripped out of me raw and wild, carrying through the trees until it faded into the night. My chest heaved as I struggled to understand what had just happened. The pain of rejection still burned like fire, but beneath it something else pulsed a strange energy, humming through my veins, alive and fierce.

I pressed my hand to the dirt. It was warm, though the night air was cold. The earth itself seemed to breathe with me, matching the frantic rhythm of my heart.

“What are you?” I whispered, though I knew the voice wasn’t meant for me. It was meant for the thing inside me that had woken under the blood moon. My wolf shifted restlessly, no longer curled in pain but pacing, alert.

I wanted answers, but all I had was fear.

Branches snapped behind me. My head jerked up, my body tensing. For a heartbeat, hope flared maybe Dorian had followed me. Maybe he had realized his mistake, come to take back his rejection. But the bond between us was faint and broken, no warmth, no pull. Whoever was out there wasn’t him.

A figure emerged from the shadows. Tall, broad shouldered, his eyes glowing faint amber in the moonlight. My heart skipped. Not my Alpha. Not my pack.

Ronan Veyra.

The rival Alpha.

I had seen him only once before, from a distance during a tense border meeting. He was dangerous, his name whispered like a curse among my people. They said he was ruthless, that his pack lived under fear. They said he was cursed, his blood tainted by some ancient sin.

Now he stood not ten paces away, watching me like I was prey.

“What do you want?” My voice cracked, but I forced myself not to shrink back.

He tilted his head, eyes narrowing. “Interesting,” he murmured, his tone low, thoughtful. “The bond has been broken, yet you live.”

My stomach clenched. “How do you”

“I felt it,” he interrupted. His gaze flicked to the glowing light that still shimmered faintly under my skin. “And I felt this. Power. Raw, untamed.”

I crossed my arms, though I was shaking. “Stay away from me.”

He gave a slow smile, not kind, not cruel, but edged with something dangerous. “You’re trembling. Do you think I came to finish what your Alpha started?”

The words sliced deeper than claws. Heat rushed to my cheeks. “He’s not my Alpha.”

Ronan’s expression sharpened, as if I’d given him the answer he wanted. “Good.”

I blinked. “Good?”

“Only fools cling to those who break them.” His voice was calm, but I could feel the weight of it. “You are not weak, Selene Ward. Not anymore.”

Hearing my name from his lips startled me. “How do you know me?”

His smile deepened, unreadable. “I know many things about you. More than your own pack does.” He took a step closer, his presence heavy, commanding. “You should not waste your tears on Hale. He threw away what the Goddess gave him. But I…” His eyes burned into mine. “I see what you are becoming.”

My throat went dry. I stumbled back a step, shaking my head. “I don’t want anything from you.”

He chuckled softly. “You may not want me now, but soon you’ll realize you need me. Power draws enemies, Selene. And you’ve just woken something they will kill to possess.”

The wind stirred, carrying his words like a warning. My pulse thundered. I didn’t trust him, but I couldn’t deny the truth in his voice. Already I could feel it something had shifted inside me, something the pack would never understand.

Ronan’s eyes softened for just a breath, almost human. “Don’t go back to them tonight. They will tear you apart. Come to me when you’re ready.”

Before I could speak, he melted into the shadows, his presence vanishing like mist.

I was left trembling under the blood moon, caught between the ruins of rejection and the terrifying promise of power.

A branch cracked behind me again. My breath hitched, my heart leaping but this time it was no rival Alpha. The scent of pine and smoke rolled toward me.

Dorian.

He stepped into the clearing, his face shadowed, his eyes burning with something I couldn’t name. Anger. Regret. Possession.

For a heartbeat, the bond between us flared faintly, broken but not gone.

“Selene,” he growled, his voice low and rough. “You shouldn’t be here alone.”

My chest ached at the sight of him. The man who had shattered me, yet still made my wolf stir with longing.

And for the first time, I realized the truth fate might have bound me to him, but destiny had just opened another path.

To be continued…