Before The Storm

Chapter Seven: Before the Storm

Selene’s POV

I was dreaming.

In the dream, my father was alive.

He stood beneath the moonlight, wearing the cloak he only wore for sacred pack rituals. His eyes were soft, full of pride. He didn’t speak, but I felt his hand brush my shoulder. Behind him, I could see our old packhouse, glowing in silver light. It felt warm. Safe. Whole.

But then a howl tore through the dream.

Sharp. Warning.

And the light flickered out.

I opened my eyes slowly, the ache in my chest sharp as ever.

Reality returned like cold water.

The small wooden cabin. The old bed. The weight of everything I had lost—and everything I was about to fight for.

My body was sore from training, but my spirit was awake. Alert. The day had come.

The crowning.

Kael was going to steal my father’s throne. Publicly. Permanently.

And I wasn’t going to let that happen.

The door creaked open gently, and I turned my head.

It was Ronan.

He stepped in quietly, holding something folded over his arm. His hair was still damp from washing, and his shirt clung slightly to his chest, showing the strength beneath. But it was his eyes I noticed first—serious, steady, the way they always were before a fight.

He didn’t speak at first. He just walked to the side of the bed and held the cloth out to me.

“I had it cleaned,” he said gently. “I thought you should wear it.”

I sat up slowly and took it from him.

It was the dress I had worn the day I was meant to be announced as Luna. Pale silver. Embroidered with the crest of my family’s line. I ran my fingers over the stitching. The last time I wore this… I was full of hope.

Now I was full of something else entirely.

Fire.

I looked up at him. “What’s the plan now?”

He sat beside me on the edge of the bed, rubbing his thumb over his palm.

“The man who brought us news about the crowning—he’s loyal. Your father trusted him. He’ll be the one to get the crown. It’s kept in the sacred chamber, just behind the altar.”

I nodded slowly, listening.

“He knows exactly where it is. I told him how to get in and out without being noticed,” Ronan continued. “And Lucien will be waiting in the woods behind the temple. The moment he receives the crown, he’ll bring it to us. It’ll be in our hands before Kael ever sees it.”

I held the dress in my lap and stared at the floor for a while.

It felt surreal.

In just hours, I would face everyone. The same people who looked away when I was thrown out. The same pack that had cheered for Kael while my heart bled in silence.

Ronan turned to me, his voice low. “You don’t have to do this if you’re not ready.”

I looked at him then—truly looked.

This man had stood by me when I was at my lowest. He had trained me, protected me, listened to me, even when I couldn’t bear to speak. He never asked for anything in return.

And yet… he gave me everything.

“You believe in me,” I whispered.

“I do,” he said without hesitation.

I reached out and took his hand.

It was rough from years of battle. But warm. Solid.

He held mine back, gently.

“I’m scared,” I said softly.

“I know,” he whispered.

“I don’t want to fail him.”

“You won’t.”

“I don’t want to lose you.”

That silence hung between us, longer this time.

Then he turned to face me fully, his hand rising to cup the side of my face. His thumb brushed just below my eye, catching a tear before it could fall.

“You won’t lose me, Selene,” he said. “Even if the whole world turns against us… I’ll still be here.”

My chest tightened.

Something warm and powerful stirred deep inside me.

It wasn’t just gratitude.

It wasn’t just comfort.

It was love.

Real. Heavy. Terrifying.

I leaned into him, resting my forehead against his. His breath brushed against mine.

When he kissed me, it was slow. Careful. As if asking for permission with every second that passed. And I gave it to him—willingly.

Our lips met again, and this time, there was no hesitation. No holding back.

It was different from anything I had ever felt before. Kael’s touch had always been about dominance, power, possession. But Ronan’s kiss felt like surrender. Like safety. Like truth.

He pulled back slightly, looking at me.

“You sure?” he asked, voice hoarse.

“Yes,” I whispered. “I want this. I want you.”

His hands moved down my waist, pulling me gently onto his lap. Our mouths met again, deeper now, the heat growing between us. I felt his heartbeat against mine, fast and unsteady, like mine.

He laid me down slowly on the bed, his fingers trailing over the skin of my neck, my collarbone, my sides.

Every touch was a promise.

Not of forever.

But of now.

Of this moment where I wasn’t the betrayed Luna, or the grieving daughter, or the girl left behind.

I was just Selene.

And he was just Ronan.

We moved together slowly, breathlessly, every inch of me awakening under his touch. My fingers traced the scars on his back. His lips found every place that ached.

And when we were tangled together, lost in warmth and shadow and moonlight, I felt like I had finally found something I never thought I’d have again:

Peace.

For that one night, the war outside didn’t exist. The betrayal, the lies, the crown, the fear—none of it mattered.

There was only his heartbeat.

And mine.

In sync.

When it was over, I laid against his chest, his arms wrapped tightly around me. The silence between us wasn’t empty. It was full—of breath, of trust, of something unspoken that neither of us dared name yet.

He kissed the top of my head.

And I whispered, “Don’t ever leave me.”

“I won’t,” he said.

I didn’t sleep again.

I just lay there, wrapped in him, knowing that dawn would bring fire.

But tonight, I had warmth.

And love.

And I was ready.