“Selene.”
The moment Willow spoke her true name, the world fractured. She was no longer in the damp, suffocating cell. She was somewhere else. Somewhere she had been before. The air was thick with smoke and ash. The sky burned in shades of gold and crimson. The ground beneath her feet—scorched. Stained red with the blood of the fallen. She stood at the center of a war. Wolves lay slaughtered around her. Some still twitched, some still clung to life, but none would survive. And yet—she felt no fear. Because this was her war. And she was born for it. She was the reason for it. A voice cut through the chaos. “Selene!” She turned—and saw herself. No. Not herself. Her mother. A woman with wild red hair and piercing green eyes, her body covered in blood and battle scars. She was beautiful. She was terrifying. And in her arms— A child. A baby with fire in her veins. The child reached out, grasping at the smoke-filled air. And suddenly—Selene remembered. She was not just a Luna. She was not just a werewolf. She was the last of the Nyxborn. A bloodline older than the packs. Older than the Alphas. Wolves born of fire and shadow, created by the gods. Not just warriors. Not just leaders. Weapons. And someone had wanted them erased. The memories came in flashes. A village burning. A pack slaughtered. Her mother fighting to the death. And the man—the traitor—who had led the attack. She couldn’t see his face. Not yet. But she knew who he was. Not his name. But she knew him. She wasn’t sure how though. Her mother’s voice echoed through time. “You must run, Selene.” “You must survive.” She remembered being taken. Not by the enemy. By those who wanted to save her. She remembered the spell. The tearing sensation—like something being ripped from her soul. They locked her away. Not just her wolf. Not just her memories. Half of what she was. She understood now. The cryptic messages. The whispers of two souls. They weren’t wrong. She was not like the others. Every werewolf was one soul. Half human, half wolf. One being, perfectly balanced. But she? She was two. One whole soul as a wolf. And one whole soul as something else. Something ancient. Something forgotten. The Nyxborn. Not just wolves. Something more. Something that was never meant to be caged. The memory faded. The battlefield dissolved into nothing. And suddenly—she was back. The cold walls of her prison surrounded her. The silver cuffs still burned her skin. But she felt different. The leader stood before her, watching. Waiting. Because he knew. He had always known. Selene lifted her head, inhaling deeply. The scent of damp stone and blood filled her lungs. She exhaled slowly. Then— She smiled. Because he had made a mistake. He thought he could erase her. He thought she was lost. But now? She remembered. And he was going to regret it.He stood in the shadows, watching.He did not pace. He did not fidget.He had waited too long for this moment to betray himself with impatience.The girl—Selene—sat motionless in her cell, her red hair falling over her face, her breathing steady, almost too steady.She was close.He could feel it.The spell had worked.The mate bond had been cut off-not broken, but sealed away, buried beneath layers of magic older than the packs themselves.Without it, she had nothing tying her to this life.Nothing but the past.And now?Now it was only a matter of time before the past consumed her.For so long, she had been lost.Buried under a false name, a false life.A Luna of the Onyx Pack. A mate. A lover. A woman who did not exist.He had watched. He had waited.He had seen the way she laughed, lived, loved.A tragedy.A waste.She was never meant for that life.She was meant for this.For war.For power.For vengeance.She had been forged in fire and blood.And now, at last, she would rememb
He watched her carefully, his expression calm.Too calm.Because he had not yet decided if he had made a mistake.Selene sat motionless, her green eyes burning into him, her wrists raw from the silver cuffs that still held her. The chains dug into her skin, biting with every movement, but she gave no indication of pain. She didn’t flinch, didn’t shift, didn’t try to pull away.And yet—she looked nothing like a prisoner.She looked like a queen waiting for her moment to strike.The dim torchlight flickered across the stone walls, casting shadows that danced in eerie patterns. The room was silent, save for the occasional drip of water from somewhere unseen. But the true silence was between them. A silence thick with unspoken words, with tension stretched so tight it was suffocating.He had expected rage.Expected her to fight, to lash out, to demand answers.But she didn’t.She just watched.And smiled.Not a pleasant smile. Not the kind that spoke of kindness or mercy.No, this was som
The bond snapped back into place like a lightning strike.It wasn’t gentle.It wasn’t slow.It was sudden, violent, all-consuming.One second, Theo was running, his mind clouded with rage and exhaustion, his body raw from the hunt.The next—It hit him.His entire world shattered.The force of it knocked the air from his lungs, his muscles locking up as if he had been struck by something unseen.His foot caught on a root.His body lurched forward.And then he fell.Hard.He hit the forest floor, shifting mid-air, his human form slamming into the dirt.He barely felt the impact.Because all he could feel was her.Willow.The mate bond that had been severed, lost, stolen from him—It was back.It was whole.And it was screaming.His warriors barely had time to react.Luka and Darius skidded to a halt behind him, dirt and leaves flying as they tried not to crash into their Alpha.“Alpha—”Theo couldn’t breathe.He dug his fingers into the ground, gasping.His vision was blurring, flicker
The night wasn’t silent anymore. Theoden could hear his own breathing, his heartbeat, the pounding of his blood in his veins. Everything was louder, sharper—alive in a way it hadn’t been in years. No. Centuries. The memories still pulsed at the edges of his mind—flashes of war, of fire, of Selene’s tears as she reached for him one last time. His past. His truth. It had all been buried. Until now. “Alpha Theo—” Luka started, but Theoden spoke first. “I remember.” His voice was low, calm. But it hit the clearing like thunder. His warriors froze. Luka’s brow furrowed. “Remember what?” Darius, still catching his breath, frowned. “What the hell are you talking about?” Theoden inhaled slowly. Then—he looked them in the eye. “My name is Theoden.” Silence. A heavy, unnatural stillness. Luka took a step back. Darius let out a breath—a disbelieving, almost stunned laugh. “No.” He shook his head, eyes flashing. “No, that’s not possible.” One of the wa
The village was quiet.Too quiet.Theoden barely heard the footsteps of his pack as they moved around him, speaking in hushed voices, their worry hanging in the air like mist.But none of it mattered.Not the whispers.Not the cautious glances thrown his way.Not even the tension of knowing that the man who had taken her was still out there.Because right now, all that mattered was her.Selene.She lay in the softest bed the pack’s hospital had to offer, wrapped in warm blankets, her red hair a stark contrast against the white sheets.She looked peaceful. But she was still asleep.Still not waking up. And Theoden didn’t know why.Theoden stood at the edge of the room, arms crossed tightly over his chest.His eyes never left her.Not once.Behind him, the pack doctor, Matthias, shifted uncomfortably before clearing his throat.“She’s stable,” Matthias said carefully. “Her vitals are strong. There’s no sign of injury, no internal damage, nothing physically keeping her under.”Theoden’s
The days blurred together. Three had passed, and still, Selene slept. Theoden barely left her side. When he did, it was only for the barest of moments—to shower, to grab food, though he had no appetite. He forced himself to eat anyway, because he knew she would be upset if she woke and found him wasting away. So he ate. Even a salad. She’d be so proud. He laughed softly to himself as he thought it. But the moment he was done, he was back at her side, back in that chair that had become his prison and sanctuary all at once. He never let her go untouched. A hand resting on her knee, fingers tangled in hers, lips pressed to her forehead. Always touching. Always reminding her that he was there. On the second day, he found a book of poetry she liked and began reading aloud to her. His voice was steady, deep, the words flowing into the stillness of the room, as if they could bridge the distance between them. He never stopped touching her as he read, his thumb absently tracing ci
Theoden didn’t leave her side. Not now.Not when she was finally awake.Not when she was looking at him like that—with those bright green eyes that saw everything, that held the weight of centuries, that mirrored the same knowledge now settled deep in his bones.They had remembered.And the world had shifted.Selene sat in the hospital bed, curled against his side, her fingers tangled with his. She hadn’t let go of him since waking, and he hadn’t asked her to. The air between them was charged, heavy with something unspoken.Because for the first time in centuries, there was no war to fight. No knives to dodge. No enemies to cut down.Just them. Just the aftermath of waking up to a life that had been stolen from them.“I don’t feel different.”Selene’s voice was soft, almost thoughtful as she turned her palm over, examining it. “I thought I would, but… I don’t.”Theoden shifted, his thumb brushing absently over her knuckles. “You don’t feel different because this is who you’ve always b
The book lay open between them, the aged pages worn and delicate, the ink faded but still legible. The illustration stared back at them—two wolves beneath an eclipsed moon, one black, one white.Tangled together.Bound.Selene traced the image with her fingertips, her pulse thrumming in her ears. “The Wolves of the Eclipse,” she murmured, repeating the words as if saying them aloud would somehow bring more clarity. Theoden leaned in beside her, his piercing blue eyes fixed on the text. “What does it say?”Selene swallowed, scanning the ancient script. It wasn’t just a story. It was a warning.“In the beginning,” Selene read, “there were wolves born beneath the light of the sun, and there were wolves born beneath the silver glow of the moon. But once, only once, there were two born beneath neither.”She hesitated. Then continued.“Two wolves, one white as the first snowfall, one black as the void before dawn. They were born of both sun and moon, of night and day. Bound together not by
The storm rolled in without warning. Wind tore through the treetops, shaking leaves loose in swirls of gold and ash. Theoden moved first, sharp and alert, eyes scanning the shadows. Selene followed close behind, her power humming faintly beneath her skin like a warning drumbeat. Luka and Darius flanked their sides, silent but tense. They’d followed the symbol north, deeper into the forgotten wilds, tracking the faint echoes of Cassiel’s power. But something else had found them first. Theoden stopped suddenly, his hand raised. They weren’t alone. Figures emerged from the forest—six of them. All tall, cloaked in deep black, their presence wrong. Ancient. The smell of old magic rolled from them in waves. Their eyes glowed white—not with life, but with memory. Memory of a time before rules, before balance. Elders. Theoden snarled. “Run.” But it was already too late. They moved like lightning. One Elder struck Luka first, sending him crashing into a tree with a sickening crack.
The morning air was cool and still, the mist clinging low to the forest floor. Selene stood barefoot just outside the cabin, arms wrapped around herself as she watched the first golden rays of sun filter through the trees. The world felt quiet—not the silence of peace, but the kind that came before something inevitable. Like the wind holding its breath. Behind her, the door creaked open. Theoden stepped out, shirt half-buttoned, hair damp from a quick rinse. He carried two mugs of coffee, one of which he offered wordlessly. She took it with a faint smile. “Thank you.” They stood together in silence for a long while, shoulders brushing, warmth from their mugs curling into the cool air. Finally, Theoden broke the stillness. “You ready for this?” Selene didn’t answer right away. Her fingers tightened slightly around the mug. “No. But we don’t have the luxury of waiting.” He nodded, his jaw tight. “Then we begin.” — By midday, Darius and Luka had joined them in the cabin, maps an
Theoden didn’t speak at first. He just stared at her, chest rising and falling in uneven breaths, as if afraid the vision of Selene sitting upright would fade if he blinked. Selene’s brow furrowed. “Theoden?” At the sound of her voice, he exhaled shakily and sank down onto the bed beside her. His hand found hers immediately, gripping it tightly—too tightly—but she didn’t pull away. She felt the tremble in his fingers, the tension in his shoulders. His eyes were shining. “I thought you were gone,” he said softly. Her lips parted, but he shook his head. “You’ve been asleep for almost a week, Selene. You wouldn’t wake up. No matter what I tried.” He drew in a ragged breath. “The doctors… they treated your wounds, but they weren’t healing. They were getting worse.” Selene’s chest tightened. “But I feel fine.” He gave her a look that was almost broken. A look that brought tears to her eyes. “You weren’t. Your breathing was getting shallower by the hour. You were slipping away, and
The hall burned. Stone walls that had once echoed with music and laughter now trembled beneath the roar of fire. The floor was slick with blood and ash. Screams echoed in the distance—wolves, warriors, mothers, children. But none of them reached her ears fully. Everything sounded muted. Hollow. Like the air had been sucked from the world. Selene stood in the center of the crumbling hall, her breath coming in shallow gasps. Her dress was torn, her arms streaked with soot and blood—none of it her own. Around her, the air shimmered with heat and something more. A pulse of ancient magic that vibrated in her bones. And in front of her—he stood. Aylexelen. He was not the cloaked shadow she had seen in the forest. He was younger here, though not youthful. Regal, commanding, dressed in deep indigo robes trimmed with silver. His expression was calm. Too calm. Unbothered, even as bodies fell around them. And at his feet, Theoden lay. Deathly still. His blood pooling around him. Selene’
The moon hung low, half-hidden behind drifting clouds, casting pale slivers of light across the forest clearing. The fire had long since died, leaving only the quiet crackle of cooling embers. Theoden slept with one arm draped protectively over Selene’s waist, his breathing deep, steady. Selene stirred faintly beneath the blankets. Her mind drifted between sleep and waking, her body warm beside his. But then— The pain struck. It was sudden. Violent. Blinding. Her eyes flew open, but she couldn’t move. Her chest heaved, her limbs trembling beneath the weight of something she couldn’t see. Every breath was a razor. Every heartbeat sent waves of agony through her body. “Nova?” she screamed into her mind, but Nova didn’t answer. The connection was static—muted. Blocked. Selene’s throat worked, but no sound came out. Her voice had vanished, locked away with the rest of her strength. And then she saw him. Aylexelen. Standing just feet away. One hand extended toward her, glowing wi
The morning came with silence. No birdsong. No wind. Just the soft sound of the stream and the low crackle of coals in the fire pit. Selene stirred first, sitting up slowly. Theoden was already awake, leaning against a nearby rock, his arms crossed and gaze fixed on the woods beyond the clearing.“He’s gone,” he said without looking at her.Selene blinked the sleep from her eyes. “What?”“Aylexelen,” he clarified. “He left sometime during the night. No word. No sound. Just gone.”Selene’s heart stuttered. “Nova?”“I didn’t feel him leave,” the wolf said, her voice taut with unease. “It’s like he vanished.”Selene rose to her feet, wrapping a blanket around her shoulders. “He hasn’t done that before.”Theoden shook his head. “No.”They packed up camp quickly, neither speaking much. The absence of Aylexelen was louder than his presence had ever been. Every sound in the forest made Selene tense. Every gust of wind set Atlas growling low inside Theoden’s mind.“He’s hiding something,” Atl
Aylexelen led them through a narrow gorge at the edge of the mountain range. The rock walls rose on either side, casting deep shadows across the forest path. The sky was overcast now, the light dim and pale, as though the world itself was withholding warmth.Selene trailed behind Aylexelen, her steps slow, deliberate. She could feel Nova pacing within her, a constant thrum of tension between her ribs.“He’s watching,” Nova murmured.Selene didn’t have to ask who. She’d seen the way Aylexelen’s eyes lingered too long, not with desire—but with calculation. Like he was measuring her for something.She glanced ahead. “Where are we going?”Aylexelen didn’t turn around. “There’s something I want you to see. Something that may help you understand your power.”Theoden moved up beside her, his voice low. “He mentions your power too often. I don’t like it.”She nodded. “And he never tells us what we’re walking into.”“That’s because he’s not walking into anything,” Atlas growled inside Theoden’
Selene watched the way Aylexelen moved through the forest. Always silent. Always just out of reach. He was neither rushed nor relaxed—simply… present. Like the woods belonged to him. Or maybe he belonged to them. She wasn’t sure which was worse.They walked without speaking for some time, weaving through thick pines and silent stone ridges. The silence wasn’t comforting. It was calculating.Nova stirred. “He doesn’t breathe the same air we do.”Selene didn’t answer right away. “You mean that literally or—““Both,” Nova said. “He feels like a wound the world never healed.”Selene’s throat tightened. “There’s something wrong with him,” she murmured through the mindlink. Theoden glanced at her from a few paces ahead, then slowed to fall in beside her. “Atlas said the same.”Selene looked up. “What did he say?”Theoden’s jaw tensed. “That when Aylexelen is near, the earth quiets. Like even the wild things know not to make a sound.”Aylexelen, as if sensing their thoughts, stopped beside
The morning light filtered through the canopy, soft and golden, but there was no warmth to it. The forest remained still, as if caught in a breath it couldn’t quite release. Selene sat on a fallen tree, her eyes fixed on the embers of their dying fire, her thoughts elsewhere.Nova stirred quietly in the back of her mind, not speaking. Just watching. Selene could feel her unease like a current beneath her skin, constant and restless.“You’re quiet,” Selene finally said.“Because I don’t trust him,” Nova replied. Her voice wasn’t sharp or angry—just deeply unsettled. “There’s something hollow in him, Selene. Something missing. Hollow. It’s not just a name.”Selene glanced toward the edge of the trees where Aylexelen stood, unmoving. He didn’t pace or fidget. He simply waited, like the forest itself. Still. Silent. Unreadable.“Do you think he’s lying?” she asked.Nova didn’t hesitate. “Not with his words. But he’s hiding something. His truth is only part of the story.”Selene swallowed