Selene's room was too quiet.
Too still.
Too much like a gilded cage.
She paced the length of the window, bare feet gliding over polished stone, the night pressing in just beyond the glass. The three-day hold on her freedom felt more like a countdown to collapse.
The bond was growing stronger. She could feel it — buzzing in her veins, whispering when she tried to sleep, coiling around her like silk and steel. The strange part was… she wasn't sure if it was driving her mad or keeping her sane.
A knock came at the door.
Sharp. Familiar.
"Go away," she called.
The door opened anyway.
Of course it did.
Daxon stepped inside like he owned the room. He wore black again — always black — the color of war and dominance. But tonight, his shirt was half unbuttoned, and his sleeves were rolled up like he'd just left a fight.
And maybe he had.
"I said—"
"I know," he cut in, voice low and dangerous. "But I'm not good at listening when I want something."
Selene didn't move.
"I told you not to come into my room," she said.
"I didn't come here to take," he said. "I came to give you something."
She folded her arms. "What? More tension? More temptation?"
He stepped closer, and she hated how her body reacted — heat blooming low in her stomach, her wolf stretching beneath her skin like it wanted to purr.
"A file," Daxon said, tossing a thick envelope onto her bed. "Intel on the rogue attack. My Beta recovered it from a tracker we pulled off a corpse."
Selene stared at the envelope, then slowly picked it up. Inside were torn pages, hand-drawn maps, a bloodstained list of names.
At the top of the page: Target – Laurent
Her stomach dropped.
"Someone hired them," she said, breath shallow. "Someone sent them for me."
"Exactly," Daxon said. "This isn't just about the bond, Selene. It's about what you represent."
She looked up. "Which is?"
"A Luna who could unite two rival packs," he said. "That kind of power terrifies people."
Selene sat down, fingers trembling. She hadn't asked for this. Hadn't wanted any of it. But now she was caught in a web that might end in blood.
"What do you want from me, Daxon?" she asked, voice softer now.
His eyes darkened. "Everything. But I'll settle for your trust."
Selene stared at him, unsure whether to laugh or scream. "You expect me to trust you? The Alpha who once threatened to crush my pack if I didn't bow?"
"I was younger then," he said. "And you were already spoken for. I hated him for it."
"You barely knew me."
"I knew enough," he said, taking a slow step toward her. "You walked into the treaty chamber like a queen, even though you were shaking. You looked at me like I was a curse. And I wanted you anyway."
Selene's breath hitched.
She remembered that day.
She remembered how angry she was that her wolf reacted to someone that wasn't her mate. She thought it was just lust. But now…
"You scare me," she admitted.
"Good," Daxon murmured, kneeling in front of her. "Fear means you feel something."
His hands hovered near her knees, not touching — waiting.
Selene stared at him, at the storm in his eyes. She could smell him — cedarwood, smoke, and power. Her wolf clawed inside her chest, desperate for contact.
But Selene held the reins.
"Touch me," she said, voice like a dare, "and I might break."
Daxon's gaze flicked to her lips, then back up. "Then I'll touch you when you're ready to shatter."
He stood, gave her one last burning look, and left the room.
The next morning, she found Cian in the training yard.
Shirtless.
Of course.
His body glistened with sweat as he sparred with another Alpha, his muscles flexing with each strike. His opponent was good — fast, brutal — but Cian was faster.
He moved like liquid fire, all instinct and fury.
Selene stood by the gate, arms folded, pretending not to look.
"You're early," he said when he finally noticed her.
"I couldn't sleep."
He walked over, breathing hard, chest rising with each inhale. "The bond?"
"The pressure."
Cian tilted his head. "From us?"
"From everything."
He stepped closer. "Do you want me to leave?"
"No," she said, surprising herself. "I want you to hit something with me."
He grinned. "Training?"
"Unless you're afraid of losing."
He laughed. "You always were dangerous."
Minutes later, they stood across from each other in the sandpit. Selene had tied her hair back, her black tunic hugging her frame. She felt lighter than she had in weeks.
They circled.
He struck first — fast and sharp — and she ducked.
She kicked at his legs, and he leapt.
Their bodies moved in a rhythm only wolves could match — graceful, fierce, electric.
"You've gotten stronger," he said.
"And you've gotten cockier."
He lunged, and she blocked. Their arms tangled. They froze — chest to chest, breath mingling.
"You always did like to win," she whispered.
"You always made losing worth it."
Then he kissed her.
It was sudden.
Hungry.
Selene gasped as his lips pressed against hers, not demanding — just desperate. Her hands found his chest, nails digging slightly. He pulled her closer, the heat between them spiking
Then she pulled back, heart racing.
"We can't," she breathed.
"We already are."
She stepped away. "This isn't fair."
"No," he agreed. "It's fate."
That evening, the Council summoned her again.
This time, the room was colder. Tighter.
Vaughn's expression was grim.
"There's been a leak," he said. "Someone is working from within. One of the guards was found dead. Poisoned."
Selene sat straighter. "You think it's about me?"
"I think it's about the bond," Vaughn said. "And the fact that you haven't rejected them."
Whispers rose among the Alphas. Murmurs of war. Of rebellion. Of exile.
"Maybe she's manipulating them," someone said.
"Maybe she's the threat."
Selene stood.
"I didn't ask for this bond. I didn't want to be here. But I am. And if you think killing me or silencing me will stop fate, you're wrong."
Silence.
Then Vaughn leaned forward. "Then prove it."
"How?"
He smiled.
"You'll speak at the Summit's closing."
Selene blinked. "What?"
"You'll address the packs. All of them. On day three. You'll either reject the bonds in front of everyone… or claim one."
Her stomach flipped.
"And if I don't choose?"
"Then they'll choose for you."
That night, she sat by the fire, alone again.
But she didn't feel alone.
Not anymore.
Two wolves circled her now — one fire, one ice — both hers, and not.
And the moon was rising.
Fate was watching.
And the countdown had begun.