9: TRIAL SELENE As I was led out of the cell, I could feel my heart beating faster as the guards sent to fetch me led me through the dimly lit halls. One of them gripped my hand firmly as though they were expecting me to run, and I could feel their eyes boring into my head. “This is your chance, let me kill them and we can leave this place.” Xercer said, his thin voice sounding louder due to the hallway. I stiffened slightly, despite the fact that I knew nobody except me could hear his voice, I was still worried whenever he spoke up. I ignored his voice since I didn't want to let the guards see me muttering to myself. Besides, killing them would make everything worse for me. If I could survive the trial like Alpha Tristan believes, then I would have the whole pack at my disposal to take my revenge on Lucas. With the guards grip on me, I was guided through the winding corridors of the pack house…just how big is this place? I thought to myself, before we finally stopped in front
10: PREPARATIONSSELENEI was led out of the hall, down another hallway…seriously how large is this place?…and into a smaller room.One of the guards leading me gestured towards a door, "Shower and change into something suitable for battle. You'll find clothes and weapons in the other rooms.”No maids to help me this time, I thought to myself as they shut the door behind me, before stripping out of my clothes and stepping under the shower.I might not be able to experience this for another week, I thought as I basked in the warm water. I would soon be drenched with blood and sweat, and I wanted to be as clean as possible before then.Stepping out of the bathroom, I chose a simple long sleeved shirt and leggings, fitted enough for movement but loose enough to keep me cool, suitable for fighting. I chose the leather boots because they looked badass, but they were also sturdy and comfortable.The guards were waiting for me in the weapons room, with it's array of weapons, swords, axes, sp
11: WAITING TRISTAN As I watched Selene being led away, my heart felt like it was being ripped from my chest. After turning twenty eight without finding a mate, I had long resigned myself to a life without ever feeling the mate bond.And now, after just a few hours of being granted my deepest wish, she was being ripoed away from me."Please, goddess, let her survive this. Let her return to me.” My mind raced with prayers.A hand on my shoulder pulled me away from my thoughts, and I turned to see Tibet staring at me with worry in his eyes."Tristan, are you certain this is the right thing to do? You're not thinking clearly, jusy rushing in head first like you always do.”My jaw tensed. "You really believe she would risk herself like this? That she would agree to a trial by the Goddess , a trial that no outsider has survived, just to play an elaborate game with me? Or do you think I'm so stupid that I cannot recognise a genuine mate bond? I know what I feel, Tibet. I know what the bon
12: SHADOWS SELENE “It's here.” Xercer said, echoing my thoughts. Something caught my attention from the corner of my eye and I turned, expecting to see a huge monster, but there was nothing, just the shadows of the trees twisting around in the invisible wind. “There's nothing there.” I muttered. But the hairs at the back of my neck were all standing upright, telling me that there was something, something I wasn't seeing. Then, it attacked. A whisper of movement, a flicker of darkness in the corner of my vision. My body reacted before my mind could even process what was happening. I twisted to the side just as something sharp grazed my ribs. A chill ran through me, not just from the pain but from the unnatural way it burned. It was cold and almost like I was cut with a pair of ice cubes. I looked down, half expecting to see my skin sliced in half, but I was thankfully quick, and it was just my shirt that got shredded. I turned, my hands already shifted into claws, but there
13: SKIN AND BONES SELENE “I wonder what the next monster would be.” I said, chewing on the hard piece of bread I got from my bag. It was already hours after I defeated the Shadow Wraith, and after a long but uncomfortable sleep, I was ready to take on the next monster. “Don't be too cocky. We may have defeated the wraith, but you wouldn't have had a chance without me. And the challenges are bound to get harder and harder.” Brushing the crumbs off my clothes, I got up and looked around before I started walking in a random direction. Everywhere looked the same, and I was already lost, so there was no point in trying to retrace my steps. The first sign of its presence was the strange rattling sound that suddenly filled the silence. I stopped in my track, waiting to hear where the noise was coming from, but it was so loud, I could not pinpoint it. The sound was a deep rhythmic clatter that sounded like a thousand rocks stumbling down a staircase, echoing through the forest
14: FINAL SONGSELENEThe monster moved again, and it felt like tiny invisible threads were wrapped around my hands and legs, tugging my limbs in multiple directions.My body froze, my muscles seized, and my arm twitched as it started moving up on its own without my control.“I refuse to let this thing control me.” I clenched my teeth, fighting back against the invisible threads trying to pull me apart. I could see the monster grinning as it felt me resisting.It had stopped controlling its army since it thought I was already under its control, and that was it's mistake.“What the hell are you doing?” Xercer screamed in my mind as I relaxed my body and let the monster pull me forward.And then with every ounce of strength I had left, I moved. The strings pulled tighter, but I didn’t care. I lunged forward, wrenching my arm free with a scream of defiance as I shifted my hand into claws.The monster's eyes widened as it realised my plan, but it was too late. I punched into its chest, ig
15: RESCUE TRISTAN“I've spent enough time waiting…its the eight day already and she's not out. I need to go and get my mate.” Every second that passed was another second that Selene was down in that cursed place, alone and helpless, and I refused to delay anymore.I tightened the lace on my boots, my movements swift and efficient as Tibet watched me with worry in his eyes, but under my calm exterior, my pulse roared like an ocean as I thought about what I had to do. “Are you sure about this?" Tibet exhaled, shaking his head. "You have no idea what you'll fine there…or if she's even still-”"Do not say it," I snapped, my voice edged with warning. I refused to think about it…Selene was not dead, I was sure of it. “I will find her.”Tibet's eyes narrowed, but he knew better than to argue with me when my mind was made up. "Be careful, brother."With a deep breath, I steeled myself and entered the Hole, and the moment I did, the world shifted.The air was thick and oppressive, carrying
16: PASSION SELENEWhat the hell…? I thought to myself as I felt the pain rippling through my body. A dull, throbbing ache filled every muscle, even down to my bones.And yet… by some miracle I was alive.I forced my eyes open, but I immediately shut it again when the light filled my vision. Slowly, I opened them once more, trying to adjust to the light in the room.I recognised the room immediately, I was in Tristan's room, laying in his bed…. But how did I get here? The last thing I remembered was losing consciousness after fighting the wraith…I tried to move, but the moment I shifted, a deep voice cut through the quiet."Stay down." Tristan said softly.I turned my head, and there he was, seating on a couch next to the bed, watching me with a dark, unreadable expression on his face.His hands were clenched into fists on the bed, and, his jaw was tight like he was gritting his teeth. He looked furious. He also looked like he hadn’t slept in days."You’re lucky to be alive," Trista
SELENE I tried to ignore Tristan as I focused on my meal, but the feeling of his knees pressing against mine, and his gaze on me as I ate, made it impossible for me to focus. “Tristan,” I gasped when I felt his hand on my thigh. Although I was wearing shorts and he was not touching my bare skin, I could feel the heat from his palm scalding my skin. “Don't you think we should leave now?” Tristan murmured next to my ear, and I shivered as his breath hit my skin. “Fine…” there was no way I could concentrate on my meal with all he was doing to me. We silently walked down to the car, but before I could even stretch my hand to open it, Tristan was there, opening it for me. “Thank you.” I murmured feeling shy for some reason. He walked round the car and got in, but instead of starting the car, he turned to look at me. “Now…I've been patient enough. You can't give me that little kiss and expect me to be satisfied now, do you? Before I could say anything, his fingers found their way
SELENE The dress was strapless and silky, and it hugged every part of my body like it had been made perfectly for me. The contrast of my snow blonde hair and pupils and my fair skin against the blackness of the dress made me look like a goddess, like the moon admist the black night sky. And the slit…goddess, the slit was criminal. It ran so high up my thigh, showing enough leg to cause a scandal, and one wrong movement would have exposed everything. I stared at my reflection in the mirror as my fingers tugged on the top of the dress, turning it to adjust it so that it would sit perfectly on my chest. I looked lethal, wild and powerful, like I would step on anything and anyone that dared to be in my path. “Selene…” Tristan growled, and I saw that he had gotten up from the couch and was stalking towards me. “Well?” I asked, feigning nonchalance as I turned in front of the mirror. His gaze dropped to my legs, then climbed back up to my collarbone. I knew that look, the heat on hi
SELENE“I still don't see why you had to come with me.” I grumbled as I sat in the passenger's side of Tristan's car, watching the lights blur past us as I stared out the window.The sight of his muscular arms framed in his dark blue shirt sleeves gripping the wheels was almost enough to make me drool and forget about why we were in this situation in the first place.“Well, well, if it isn't the outsider.” Nancy had cornered me while I was walking down a hallway in the pack house.Since her plans to ruin Tristan and I’s relationship did not work, I hadn't seen her and thought he had left for good, but apparently she was still here.“And if it isn't the rejected one.” I smirked at her. I had a lot on my mind already, but I'll be damned if I let her get away with taunting me.Nancy narrowed her eyes and I could see the annoyance on her face.“You know nothing about me or why I'm here, so mind your fucking business and go look for someone else to play games with.” I continued before she
lSELENEThe annual packs trade was coming up and all alphas were required to attend.The trade was a huge event, one that united packs from across the continent in a rare truce to exchange information, strengthen alliances, flaunt resources, and socialize. The kind of thing that helped decide which packs would thrive and which would fall behind in the months to come.I had never gone with Lucas to any of the events outside the pack because he used to tell me that it was not necessary for me to go with him, that it was boring and full of “alpha talk” I wouldn’t understand.Part of me used to imagine what went on there, what it would be like to dress up and walk beside him, eyes on us as a power couple. But deep down, I think I always knew he did not want me to be seen.And although I was a bit curious about what actually went on there and Tristan had been bugging me to go with him for the last few days, I did not want to go…I did not want to risk running into Lucas or anyone from my p
SELENEThe only way I would survive long enough to destroy Lucas... was to kill Tristan…my mate.I buried my face in my hands, sitting on the cold tile floor of the bathroom like a ghost of myself.My bare legs were curled up beneath me, Tristan’s shirt hanging off one shoulder, still smelling like him.I should have taken it off, I should have thrown it far away, but I could not bear to do that. I could not even peel it from my skin without feeling like I was losing something I wasn’t ready to let go of.How the hell am I supposed to kill the one man who made me feel like I was alive again?How was I supposed to look at him and not think about what I had to do?How was I supposed to lie next to him knowing that one day I might be the reason he stopped breathing?I did not have any answers for myself.“You’re weak,” Xercer whispered in my head. “You’ll get us both killed for some foolish fantasy of love. You want revenge, don’t you?”“I hate you,” I whispered, pulling at my hair. “You
SELENEThe room was quiet except for the soft rustling of the sheets as I shifted closer to Tristan, resting my head against his chest.His arm was wrapped securely around me, his fingers lazily tracing patterns against my bare skin.I sighed contentedly, letting my fingers glide over his stomach, feeling the steady rise and fall of his breathing."You know," I murmured, "I think this might be the first time in a while that things have felt... normal.”Tristan let out a low chuckle, his fingers brushing over my shoulder. "Normal is overrated. But I understand what you mean.”We lapsed into silence again, enjoying the rare moment of stillness.The last few weeks had been nothing short of chaos, and yet, lying here with him, I felt a strange sense of relief. Like maybe, just maybe, things were finally falling into place.As we lay in bed, cuddled up together, Tristan and I chatted about minor stuff, not venturing close to any serious topic and talking about nothing in particular, and it
SELENEWhen Tristan and I reached his…well it was our room again, I hesitated in the doorway, feeling nervous.Tristan set my things down before turning to face me. "You belong here, Selene. With me.”I took a deep breath and stepped inside, closing the door behind me. The moment it clicked shut, Tristan was in front of me, his hands sliding around my waist."Are you really back?" he murmured, his forehead resting against mine."Yeah.” I swallowed hard, my fingers curling into his shirt. "I thought you would not want to see me again."I hesitated, my fingers tightening around the hem of his shirt. "I almost didn’t, but I overheard her talking to someone about how she was succeeding in her plans to come between us. And I realized... She was right, I almost let her come between us.”"I'm so sorry again, Selene," Tristan whispered, his lips brushing against my ear. "I promise to make it up to you.”My heart was pounding at the intensity of the emotions in Tristan's eyes as he stared at
SELENETristan turned to me, his eyes softening as he stared at me."I'm so sorry," he said, his voice low and husky. "I'm so sorry that I didn't protect you.""You didn't protect me?" I repeated in confusion as I looked up at him. "Tristan, that wasn't your fault, Tibet didn't mean to hit me."Tristan's eyes flashed with anger again as his mind replayed Tibet's fist smacking into my face."That's not what I'm talking about," he said. "I'm talking about Nancy. I'm talking about how I didn't tell you about her, how I didn't break things off with her when I should have."Tristan was actually apologizing, actually taking responsibility for his actions? I felt extremely surprised."Tristan, I..." I started to say, but he cut me off."No, Selene, let me finish,” his jaw clenched, frustration flashing across his face. "I was wrong, and I know it, I was wrong to keep Nancy a secret, wrong to let things go on for so long. I should have told you about her, I should have shut her down completel
SELENEI stood outside Tristan’s door, my fingers clenched into fists at my sides, my heart pounding as I stood there debating with myself about whether or not I should walk in.Should I go in? I had spent so many days avoiding him, keeping my distance, refusing to acknowledge the weight of his absence in my life. And now, here I was, hesitating like a coward despite the fact that I had to talk to him.I had accidentally heard Nancy talking to someone about how she was very close to destroying mine and Tristan's relationship, and I suddenly realized what Nancy's plan had been all along.“After what she saw in the office, she wouldn't believe anything he says…one more push and it’s over and I can take Tristan back. It’s almost too easy…like taking candy from a baby.”She had been manipulating this from the start, and I had been a fool for allowing Nancy to play me and I had no idea.Tristan had his flaws and he should have told me about him and Nancy before I found out the way I had, b