SELENE POV"We found the burners," Arlo said in between breaths as he and Grayson walked into the firelight."Where?" Tor asked from where we stood by the fire. "About half a day's run to the Northwest," Grayson said in a low voice. My stomach twisted into a knot. I couldn't believe how fast we were able to find them and how close they actually were. "How many?" Tor asked next. "About twenty or so," Arlo responded. The carefree personality from before was now replaced with a serious exterior. "Are they armed?" Tor asked Arlo nodded vehemently. "To the teeth." Tor stared into the small fire at his feet, seemingly contemplating the information he had just learned. "Ok, in the morning we will go Northwest to head them off. I think it's time we gave them a taste of their own medicine." Tor's smile was dangerous with the firelight reflecting off of his face. The rest of the group came back to camp with firewood and a few rabbits for dinner. As I tended to the fire, I liste
TOR POVAfter leaving Selene in the shadows of a nearby cave with Arlo as a guard, the six of us snuck stealthily through the trees. I could smell the scent of smoke and blood as we moved in closer to the burner's encampment. Mentally, I sent a command to the other five. 'Kian, Nasir, and Sage, I want you to flank them from behind. Cassius and Grayson, stick with me. No one makes a move until I say.' The three of them darted off to get into position while I led Cassius and Grayson through the thicket. We approached the group of men, keeping ourselves hidden behind the trees. I watched the group, trying to pinpoint their commander, but no one seemed to stand out as the leader. We waited and watched silently from our positions in the trees listening to them as they laughed and joked with one another. Some sharpened weapons while others sat around the fire sawing off bits of meat from some type of game that roasted on a spit. Like Arlo had said, there were roughly twenty soldiers
SELENE POV"Alpha! We've got company!" Cassius bellowed. Our lips were only moments from touching when Tor cursed. Before he pulled away he cupped my chin with his hand. "To be continued," he said in a gruff voice. I didn't have the chance to respond before he stood and jogged over to where Cassius was. I took a moment to compose myself before following Tor to the group. The shifters were on high alert as they scanned the trees. "There's a large group coming in from the West," Cassius said to Tor, pointing in that direction. "From the same area we found the burners in." Tor watched the distant treeline. It was amazing how they could switch from laughing and joking with one another to deadly-focused warriors. Tor turned to me. "Selene, go hide in the cave," he commanded gruffly. I was about to do just that when I heard the undeniable whistle of an arrow as it zoomed through the air. All I could do was draw in a breath when I realized that the arrow was coming right at me.
SELENE POV"You should have seen Alpha run that Damion b*stard off!" Arlo laughed. "He didn't know what hit him!" Tor and I had made our way back to the group. Everyone seemed to be unharmed and riled up by the fight they had just endured. "I can't believe they escaped," Cassius muttered angrily as he chucked a rock into the trees. "What kind of smoke was that?" Sage asked while leaning against a tree with his arms folded over his chest. "I don't know, but that sh*t made it hard to breathe," Arlo said making a face. "Did you see how he summoned it?" His question was answered with a bunch of shaking heads. "And I was just about to really give it to them!" Arlo growled punching his hand into his palm.Confused, I stepped toward the group. "What happened?" I asked, eager to hear all I could about the encounter. Arlo explained in full detail how the confrontation with the hunters played out after I had been swept away by Cassius - Tor chose to fight Damion in his human form
TOR POVI couldn't take my mind off Selene. Even with all that was going on, and the encounters we'd had with the burners, she was all I could think about. And it was a problem. We'd been walking through the morning and afternoon in silence. I could tell that she had a lot on her mind since she wasn't acting like her cheerful self. It was to be expected because, after the confrontation we'd had with Damion, it left us with nothing but more questions. I watched her as she walked, resisting the pull that had been growing stronger with every touch and threatening to break free from its restraints with every kiss. I'd meant what I'd said to her the day before. She had enchanted me. And it was becoming more apparent every day that I was losing this battle to maintain control. We were on our way to war but she was all I could think about. I clenched my fists at my side, I couldn't allow this to continue. Once we returned to Alder, I needed to put some distance between me and her. And
SELENE POVIt had been a long day of travel as we made our way to the village of Remon, home of pack Talia. The air had been stiff and awkward between Tor and me. I don't know what caused the sudden shift in his demeanor and I didn't know what to say or how to fix it. So, I kept to myself. Thankfully Cassius found ways to lighten the mood and kept me occupied with conversation. He spoke of his mate, Brielle, whom he'd met just a few summers ago. A smile lit his face when he told me the story of how they met and their instant attraction to one another. It was so much like the sensations I felt when I first met Tor. The undeniable attraction, the pull of some unseen source that had brought us together. It all sounded exactly like the mating bond that Cassius described with Brielle. I snuck another look in Tor's direction. His face remained as stoic as ever. A small bit of sadness tugged in my stomach. At one point, I was sure that he was experiencing the same feelings of att
SELENE POVAfter about an hour of chatting with Sage, Arlo, and Grayson, I excused myself in search of the bathing room. The last couple of days on the road were dusty and long, making the idea of a bath irresistible. I had just finished exploring the doors on the lower levels with no luck when I noticed a door just off of the main hall that led outside to the back of the cabin. I followed the hallway and walked out the back door. A sigh of appreciation left me at the sight now in front of me. It was a beautiful patio with hand-carved wooden chairs and suncatchers hanging from the awning. Off the patio was a wild garden with various types of foliage and weeping willow trees. I stepped off the patio and started to walk along a path that winded through the overgrown plants. After walking for a few moments, the sound of water tinkling caught my ear. I followed it around the wall of willow branches and to my utter delight, I came across a beautiful azure-colored pool. Stepping to
SELENE POVExcitement filled the air as people bustled through the streets of Remon. Many young girls chatted eagerly about the upcoming festival. They giggled as they gathered in groups, braiding and adorning each other's hair with flowers and beads. Others carried brand-new dresses on their shoulders and made visits to the different merchants that were open down the street. Some merchants were selling treats and food which filled the town with a delicious aroma, while other mercantile had everything from jewelry to furs and lace. Children ran from vendor to vendor inspecting the handcrafted toys for sale. It was hard not to feed off of the excitement in the air. Tor and I walked through the streets together looking at all the merchant's wares. One vendor, in particular, sold the most beautiful jewelry that I had ever seen. I picked up an iridescent moonstone bracelet and inspected it. It was one oval stone, pale blue in color with stunning luster, that was attached to a gold
SELENE POVOne week later…I stood in front of the mirror admiring my dress which I had just finished crafting. It had taken most of the afternoon to finish, but finally, it was done. The soft creamy silk glowed in the firelight with pearls dotting the elaborate lace trim. Walking over to the bedside table, I opened the jewelry box and found the bracelet that Tor had given to me on the night of the Fete many weeks ago. Slipping it onto my wrist, I admired the moonstone as it sparkled gently. It brought a smile to my lips when I thought about my and Tor's first dance together. It seemed like it was an eternity ago. My mind played through the events of the last few weeks. I couldn't believe that it was all finally over. Now on this beautiful warm night, I was about to celebrate my mating ceremony with Tor. My eyes landed on the scars on my wrists caused by the silver shackles that had yet to fade and thought of Damion. The man had been so lost in his grief that it had driven him ma
TOR POVI willingly dropped to my knees as I looked into Selene's glowing white eyes. "My Luna, please come back to me." Then everything around us went completely still.Selene's eyes flashed a viridescent green before she threw her arms aside like she was breaking free from stone. "NO!" Selene screamed, her body releasing a shockwave of energy that freed us from her spell of subjugation. Her hair flowed about her face as power permeated from her. She was glorious as she stood there, her breath heavy and shallow and her eyes glowing that brilliant green that I had grown to adore so much. Standing, I couldn't help but smile as her teary eyes landed on mine. Warm relief filled her face. But the moment wasn't long-lived when I saw Damion had unsheathed a dagger and was lifting it to plunge it into Selene's heart. All Selene could do was lift her arms to defend herself. But I was already there thrusting my body into Damion's to throw him off his feet. We rolled on the ground
SELENE"My Mate. My Luna." The words echoed all around me and I tried to follow them through the white blinding void. But the more I searched, the farther away the voice seemed to be. I spun in a circle, looking for something other than the glowing white atmosphere. But there was nothing else. I was alone. The loneliness permeated all parts of me as I turned in desperate circles, my breathing coming faster and faster. I didn't even know who I was. All I knew for certain was that I was lost. I dropped to my knees and wrapped my arms around myself and began to cry. Tears of despair rolled down my cheeks as I squeezed myself tightly. Who was I? Why did I feel such dread in my heart? Would I ever escape this purgatory? A soft tinkling of metal caught my attention, I lifted my tear-stained eyes and looked around. "You are not lost, Selene," a soft melodic voice echoed across the nothingness. I jumped at the sound and quickly stood on my feet. Looking around, my eyes
TOR POVAdrenaline coursed through my body as I stalked toward the gates of the compound. The sun's glow was orange and red as it began its final descent through the sky, making the atmosphere heavy and poignant. It was as if it were already reflecting what blood would be shed come nightfall. I watched the guards above on the battlement start to scramble when they saw me approach. Arrows were knocked into place and aimed at me as I stepped toward the doors. Anticipation rolled through me as I felt the arrows threatening gaze on my skin. Stopping before the giant wood doors, I waited. I listened as the guards yelled at one another from behind the stone walls. Being as I wasn't dead yet, everything was still going to plan. It wasn't long before Damion leaned over the edge of the stone wall, with that infuriating smirk that was ever present on his face. "You never fail to surprise me, mutt," he said shaking his head. "How do you intend on getting yourself out of this one?" "I n
SELENE POVIt had to have been days since I was imprisoned. My magical powers were all but drained by the silver shackles so I was running on little energy. All I could do was sleep and daydream about Tor rescuing me. Damion would visit from time to time to feed me. And day by day, he would slowly try to break down the fragile walls of my psyche. I did all I could to not let Damion's taunting words affect what little hopes I had left, but it was getting harder as the minutes ticked by. A couple of days ago, I swore I felt Tor's energy somewhere through our bond. My heart had leaped at the sensation, but just as fast it dissipated. The sorrow I felt had been unshakeable since that day. My heart ached with loneliness that was only burdened more by the aching of my body. The silver had slowly seeped away all my strength and my muscles burned as I sat against the cold stone of the dungeon. Just as I was slipping in and out of a dreamless sleep, the door opened letting blinding lig
TOR POV Cassius and I raced back to the gorge and the entire way there, my mind reeled with a plan to break Selene from Damion's grasp. Dawn was breaking when we returned to our base as we slipped down the sides of the canyon walls. We shifted to humans and I walked determinedly through the warriors who had spent their time resting and sparring over the last couple of days. They were biding their time well before the battle begins.As I made my way through the pack, I spotted Kian and Nasir talking with Grayson, Sage, and Arlo. "They're back," I said with elation. Cassius and I hurried over to the group and were soon joined by Ares and Magnus. "What did you find out?" I asked the twins, trying to manage my composure. I had been on a razor's edge for the last couple of days, waiting for the twins to return with word from the witch settlement. I had to believe that they would come to our aid, but I couldn't help but have my reservations. While helping us would rid the threat
TOR POV The second the doors had closed between Selene and me, I ripped myself out of Grayson and Cassius' arms. I was about to charge the door when Cassius grabbed my shoulder again. "Alpha!" he said, I turned on him with murder in my eyes. He took a step back but still gave me an imploring expression. "That weapon, it can destroy us all." I glared at him for a moment before my eyes scanned the packs behind him and somewhere in the haze of my murderous fury, I knew he was right. With a snarl of anger, I clenched my fists. "Move out!" I shouted, before shifting into my wolf form and galloping away from the door. Every step that took me farther from Selene sent bolts of devastation through my body. We were mere hours from sunrise when the packs had made their retreat back to our temporary base. It was a small gorge about an hour's run away from Damion's compound. I'd spent that long hour re-running what had just happened over in my head. By the time we had reached the sa
SELENE POV "Spare him and I am yours," I said unwaveringly, as I looked up at Damion who was a hairsbreadth away from murdering Tor. Tor's face had crumpled into despair when he saw me. "Selene," he said with pure heartbreaking misery. "Don't you f*cking dare." The battle around us had died off as everyone had stopped fighting to watch with bated breath what would happen next. I saw Cassius from the corner of my eye, watching and waiting to make a move. Damion's cruel laugh echoed off of the walls of the compound. "Isn't this just a treat?" Damion's voice filled with mock delight. "And why shouldn't I just kill them all right now?" he asked with a sneer, his hand flexing on the lever of the crossbow. I narrowed my eyes at him. "Because like he said," I started, gesturing to Tor, "there are hundreds more wolves outside ready to rip your guts out. So either we all die, or you get to live and you get me." Damion's jaw flexed as he stared between Tor and me before finally
TOR POVThe next morning, I was still raging inside over Ira's disrespect to my mate. Magnus had assured me he had punished Ira, but there was no suitable punishment except me beating the living h*ll out of him. But I had to put those emotions aside for now as we were growing closer to Damion's location. If all went as planned, we would be arriving at his compound by nightfall. The tension grew amongst our packs as we neared our destination. The wolves were restless as everyone mentally prepared for the battle to come. I was still trying to figure out what to do with my stubborn mate before we arrived at our destination. Since dawn had broken, we were moving in our wolf forms through the marshy wetlands. By the time the noon sun was shining its golden rays down on top of us, the terrain had blissfully dried out. We were now galloping hard and fast through grassy plains. There was little to no cover around us, with hardly any trees and little foliage. Only wildflowers and sageb