All Chapters of BENEATH THE BLOOD MOON: CLAIMED BY HER ALPHA: Chapter 41 - Chapter 50

The temple smelled of old stone and candle wax, the air chilled despite the dozens of flames flickering along the altar. Selene knelt on the worn cushions, her silver-threaded hair falling like a veil across her face as she clasped her hands together. Her knees ached against the cold marble, but she barely noticed.Her heart was heavier than her body could bear.Every time she thought of luna, her burning golden eyes, her imposing presence, her unyielding touch, her chest filled with a confusing mixture of dread and… something else. Something softer. Something that frightened her even more than luna’s violence.It wasn’t just fear anymore.The bond was stirring inside her like an ember she could not extinguish. And though she wanted to despise it, to cast it off, Selene could not deny the strange steadiness that sometimes came from Luna’s presence. When she looked at the Alpha, she saw not only rage but also a woman carrying wounds far deeper than scars.Was that illusion? A trick of

The fortress of crescent vale did not sleep.All through the night, the courtyard blazed with torches, the clang of metal ringing as warriors sharpened their blades and reinforced armor. The howl of wolves rose and fell in haunting choruses as patrols fanned out to the borders, carrying word of the enemy’s approach. Every stone in the stronghold vibrated with a restless energy anticipation, dread, fury.Selene had seen war preparations before in passing, in the way humans built armies to defend temples or cities. But this was different. This was primal, feral, alive. Wolves moved with the instinct of predators bracing for blood. Every muscle tense, every breath drawn like the calm before a storm.And at the center of it all is luna.Selene stood at the edge of the training yard, her cloak drawn tight, watching as the alpha cut through the sea of wolves like fire incarnate. Luna was not armored like the others; she didn’t need to be. Strength radiated from her, a dangerous, unshakable

The night was broken by the sound of horns. Deep and mournful, they rolled across Crescent Vale like thunder announcing the end of the world.Selene stood in the war chamber, her palms pressed to the cold stone of the map table, listening as the fortress erupted into motion. Boots pounded the halls. Wolves howled in answer to their alpha’s summons. The metallic scrape of armor being fastened filled the air.Her chest heaved. She could feel the weight of the moment pressing down on her like a storm.This is real. Callista is here.The doors slammed open and luna strode back in, clad in dark armor that gleamed with an ominous golden sheen. The pauldrons curved like fangs, her cloak snapping behind her as if even the air bent to her fury. She was no longer merely a woman. She was alpha. She was war.“Selene.” Her name cracked like a command.Selene looked up, unable to speak through the knot in her throat.“You stay here,” Luna ordered, her voice brooking no argument. “Do not leave the f

The battlefield was eerily quiet.Snow had begun to fall again, drifting over blood and ash, softening the jagged edges of the carnage. Wolves padded through the ruins, their fur stained crimson, their eyes still alight with battle-rage. Human soldiers groaned where they lay, some clutching wounds, others too still to rise.And above it all, the fortress of luna’s people loomed dark and heavy, its banners tattered but still standing.Selene sat on the frozen ground, her breath coming in shallow gasps, her fingers trembling in her lap. The silver glow that had poured out of her during the battle had left her drained, her body fragile as glass. She could feel the pull of unconsciousness tugging at her mind, but Luna’s warmth beside her held her tethered.The alpha crouched low, one arm steady around Selene’s waist, her golden eyes sharp as she scanned the field. Her sword was still in her other hand, dripping with blood, her armor cracked where spells had burned against her. Yet not onc

The council chamber was a storm of voices. Harsh growls, furious arguments, the thrum of warriors’ fists pounding the great oak table that split the room in two. War banners hung from the vaulted ceiling, their silvery threads catching the dim torchlight, casting crescent vale’s crest the crescent moon and twin wolves into every shadow.At the head of the table, luna sat like a carved statue of fury, her golden eyes narrowed, her posture rigid, her aura pressing against every living body in the chamber. The air itself seemed to bow before her wrath. Even the most battle-hardened generals lowered their gazes when her gaze swept their way.Selene sat opposite her, silent but trembling, her hands folded in her lap as she forced herself to breathe. Every word spoken, every violent proposal, pressed against her spirit like a weight. She could feel the currents of the bond pulling at her, dragging her into luna’s state of mind a hunger for war, for blood, for destruction. And yet, selene k