The fire had burned low, its embers glowing faintly in the darkness. Selene sat with her knees drawn to her chest, watching Killian as he slept. His breathing had steadied, though his face remained tense, as if haunted by nightmares he refused to voice. The ruins offered them shelter, but she knew it wouldn’t be enough for long. Morning would come. And with it, questions. Selene ran a hand through her hair, exhaling softly. What the hell had she done? She had spent her entire life training to be a warrior, preparing for the day she would take her place beside Damon Hale as his mate, as her father’s obedient daughter. That was the future carved out for her. Safe. Predictable. But now, she was harboring a rogue. Not just any rogue—Killian, the last of the Moonfallen. If anyone found out, she wouldn’t just be punished—she would be executed. Selene shivered, hugging herself as the cold crept in. Was it fear? Regret? She wasn’t sure. All she knew was that something about Killian pu
The ruins were deathly silent, save for the faint crackling of the fire. Selene sat across from Killian, her heart pounding in her chest as the weight of his words settled over her like a thick fog. “I am the last of the Moonfallen.” She had heard whispers of the Moonfallen Pack in childhood stories—ghosts of a lost legacy, a pack wiped from existence by the High Council for crimes too terrible to speak of. Some said they had turned against the Moon Goddess. Others claimed they had harbored a monster so dangerous that the Council had no choice but to eradicate them all. But no one survived. No one could have survived. And yet… here he was. Killian’s silver eyes remained fixed on the fire, his face unreadable. The flames cast flickering shadows over the sharp angles of his features, but Selene didn’t need the light to feel the storm raging inside him. He was a man caught between life and death, between vengeance and survival. And now, she was caught in it with him. Selene exhal
The firelight flickered against the stone walls, casting shifting shadows as Selene paced the length of the chamber. The tension in her body refused to settle, her muscles coiled tight from the night’s battle. She had survived the ambush. Barely. But the true danger wasn’t behind her. It was standing in the doorway, watching her like a wolf cornering its prey.Ronan.She could feel his presence, the quiet intensity of his golden eyes fixed on her. The air between them was thick with something volatile, something she refused to name.“You’ll wear a hole in the floor if you keep that up,” he said, amusement lacing his deep voice.Selene halted mid-step, turning sharply to face him. “I should have left when I had the chance.”Ronan pushed off the doorframe and took slow, measured steps toward her. He moved with a confidence that made her blood hum with frustration—and something else she didn’t want to acknowledge.“And yet,” he said smoothly, “you didn’t.”Selene clenched her fists. She
Selene exhaled slowly, willing her pulse to steady as Ronan pulled away. His fingers had barely left her skin, yet the ghost of his touch lingered, igniting something she refused to name.She should say something-break the silence before it swallowed her whole. But the words tangled in her throat, and when she finally dared to meet his gaze, she saw something dangerous there.Not danger in the way Ronan's enemies feared him. No, this was different. This was the kind of danger that made her chest tighten, the kind that whispered of a fall she wasn't sure she could survive."You should rest," he said at last, his voice quieter now, rough around the edges."You lost more blood than you realize."Selene scoffed, rolling her shoulders as if that could shake off the lingering awareness between them. "I've survive the point.""Then what is?" she challenged.His gaze flickered to her lips for the briefest moment, a flicker so quick she almost convinced herself she imagined it.Almost.
The night air was thick with tension as Selene and Ronan moved through the dense forest, their footsteps light but urgent. The flickering remnants of their campfire faded behind them, swallowed by the darkness.“They’re still out there,” Ronan murmured, his voice barely above a whisper.Selene nodded, gripping her dagger tighter. She could feel it too—that eerie sensation of being watched. Whoever had been lurking in the shadows wasn’t gone. They were waiting.And then it happened.A snap. Not the careless crack of an animal wandering through the brush this was deliberate. A warning.Ronan reacted instantly, grabbing Selene’s wrist and pulling her behind him as an arrow whizzed past, embedding itself into a nearby tree with a dull thud.“Move!” he ordered, shoving her forward just as another arrow sliced through the air.They ran.The forest blurred around them, the ground uneven beneath their feet. More arrows followed, but the attackers weren’t trying to kill—they were herding them.
Selene hesitated only a moment before gripping Cassian’s outstretched hand. His grip was strong and sure as he pulled her up, his smirk barely concealing the flicker of something unreadable in his eyes.The moment she was on solid ground, she turned, reaching for Ronan. He looked at Cassian with pure distrust, but when she extended her hand, he took it. Together, she and Cassian pulled him up.Ronan barely got to his feet before he swayed, blood still seeping from his shoulder wound. Selene instinctively reached for him, steadying him against her side. He stiffened but didn’t pull away.Cassian raised an eyebrow. “So, he’s not just your bodyguard, then?”Selene shot him a glare. “Shut up.”Cassian chuckled, but before he could respond, the unmistakable sound of twigs snapping cut through the air.Selene spun, dagger in hand.Shadows moved through the trees.They weren’t alone.“Friends of yours?” Ronan muttered, his hand inching toward his blade despite his injury.Cassian’s expressio
The pounding footsteps outside grew louder, each second tightening the noose around them.Selene’s pulse raced. They had to move—now.Cassian peered through the cracked window. “They’re circling the outpost. If we stay, we’re dead.”Ronan pushed himself upright with a wince. “Then we fight our way out.”“You can barely stand,” Selene shot back, gripping his arm before he could stagger.Ronan’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t pull away. The heat of his body against hers sent an unwelcome shiver down her spine.Cassian smirked. “Cute, but we don’t have time for lovers’ quarrels.”Selene ignored him. “What’s the plan?”Cassian exhaled. “There’s an underground tunnel beneath this ruin—an old escape route. We use it to get out without being seen.”Ronan’s gaze darkened. “And you just happened to know about it?”Cassian met his suspicion with a smirk. “I know a lot of things.”Selene had no reason to trust Cassian, but their options were slim. Either take the risk—or die here.“Fine,” she said
Selene’s heart pounded as she pressed deeper into the forest, Ronan’s weight heavy against her. His breathing was ragged, his body feverishly hot where he leaned against her. The wound in his side had worsened—she could feel the damp warmth of fresh blood seeping through his shirt.“We need to stop,” she whispered, voice tight with worry.“No,” Ronan gritted out, trying to straighten. “We keep moving. We’re not safe yet.”Cassian, a few steps ahead, glanced over his shoulder. His golden eyes flicked to Ronan before settling on her. “He’s slowing us down. If they catch up—”Selene shot him a glare. “We’re not leaving him.”Cassian exhaled sharply but said nothing, leading them toward a thicket of trees where the shadows were deeper. They had been running for what felt like hours, but Selene’s nerves remained razor-sharp. Their escape from the stronghold had turned into a chase, the enemy always just out of sight but never far behind.Finally, they reached a small clearing with a cluste
The forest trembled with an unnatural stillness. Even the wind had ceased its whispering, as if nature itself braced for what was to come. Selene’s pulse thundered in her ears as she stood at the edge of the ruined temple, her dagger clenched tight in her palm. The flickering torches lining the crumbling walls barely held back the darkness, their glow casting twisted shadows over the figures waiting inside.Elias stood at the center, draped in a cloak as dark as the abyss, his piercing gaze locking onto her with unsettling ease. Beside him, a row of armed warriors stood like statues, their expressions cold and unreadable. The air was thick with the scent of blood and damp stone, a warning of the battle yet to come.Selene took a cautious step forward, her breath shallow. Behind her, Ronan’s presence burned like a wildfire, his heat radiating against her back. He was struggling—she could feel it. His breathing was too heavy, his stance too rigid. The transformation was devouring him, p
The fire crackled softly in the dimly lit cabin, casting flickering shadows across the wooden walls. The air was thick with the scent of burning embers and damp earth, remnants of the storm that had passed through the forest. Selene sat at Ronan’s bedside, her fingers lightly tracing the back of his hand, reassuring herself that he was truly there—that he was truly free.His breathing was steady, but his body bore the marks of Elias’s control. Faint bruises marred his skin, as if the dark magic had tried to root itself inside him. She had barely slept, afraid that if she closed her eyes, he would slip away again.Ronan stirred, his lashes fluttering open to reveal those deep, stormy eyes she had memorized. For a brief moment, confusion flickered across his face, but then his gaze found hers, and his body relaxed.“Selene…” His voice was hoarse, as if he had been speaking through a void for days.She squeezed his hand. “You’re awake.” Relief flooded her, but it was laced with something
Selene’s heart pounded as she stepped closer to Ronan. His eyes—once filled with fire and devotion—were now cold, distant, and shadowed by Elias’s power. He stood rigid, his muscles tense as if restrained by invisible chains. Every instinct told her to run, that this wasn’t the man she had fought beside, the man who had kissed her like she was his salvation.But she wasn’t leaving him behind.“Ronan.” Her voice was steady, but her heart trembled. “Look at me.”He didn’t move.Elias’s laughter echoed in the air, smooth and mocking. “You truly believe love can break my hold on him? You overestimate your worth, Selene.”She clenched her fists. “I don’t need to be enough for you. I just need to be enough for him.”Taking a shaky breath, she reached out, pressing her palm against Ronan’s chest. A shiver ran through her as she felt the unnatural chill of Elias’s magic seeping into him.“Come back to me,” she whispered.For a moment, nothing happened. Then—a flicker. His jaw clenched, a musc
The night was thick with mist, curling like phantom fingers around the ruins ahead. Selene barely felt the chill biting at her skin as she pressed forward, her heart a relentless drum in her chest. Ronan was out there—she could feel it, a tether between them that hadn’t broken despite the darkness trying to consume him.“Selene, wait,” Cassian hissed from behind, catching her wrist. His grip was firm but not forceful, his golden eyes scanning the eerie landscape with caution. “Rushing in without a plan is suicide.”“We don’t have time for a plan,” she shot back, wrenching her arm free. “If Elias tightens his grip on Ronan, we might lose him forever.”Cassian exhaled sharply, but he didn’t argue. He understood—perhaps too well. They had been tracking Ronan’s presence for hours, every lead drawing them deeper into the ruins of an ancient fortress long abandoned to shadows and whispered nightmares.The entrance yawned before them like the mouth of a beast. Selene barely hesitated before
Selene’s breath caught as she stared at Ronan—no, Elias—standing before her, his emerald eyes now laced with an unnatural, eerie glow. The body was Ronan’s, the sharp lines of his face and the battle-worn strength she had come to trust. But the way he moved, the way he smiled—it was all wrong.“Selene,” Elias purred, his voice a twisted echo of Ronan’s. “You look at me like I’m a ghost. Am I not real enough for you?”Her pulse thundered in her ears. “Let him go.”Elias tilted his head, a mockery of thoughtfulness. “Let him go? Oh, darling, I just got here. I don’t think I’ll be leaving anytime soon.”Cassian moved first, drawing his sword in a blur of silver. “Then we’ll force you out.”Elias smirked, shifting his gaze to Cassian. “Ah, the ever-loyal knight. You know, Ronan truly despises you.” His fingers flexed at his sides, and a rush of dark energy flared around him. “Shall I show you just how much?”Cassian lunged, but Selene threw out her arm. “Wait!”Cassian froze, his blade in
A heavy silence settled over the group as they moved through the dense forest, the night pressing in from all sides. The air was thick with damp earth and the lingering scent of blood. Selene stole a glance at Ronan. His jaw was clenched, his movements stiff, but it wasn’t exhaustion slowing him down—it was something worse.She had seen it in his eyes when Elias’s voice had echoed through the night. The way his hands had trembled. The way he had flinched, as if the voice had reached inside him and wrapped around his very soul.But he wouldn’t talk about it.And that scared her more than anything.Cassian was the first to break the silence. “We need to find shelter before dawn.” His voice was sharp, his usual sarcasm gone. “Ronan’s in no condition to keep moving.”“I’m fine,” Ronan growled, but even as he spoke, he swayed slightly.Selene stepped closer, gripping his arm. “You’re not fine.”His skin was burning beneath her fingers, feverish and unnatural. The black veins running up his
The clash of steel rang through the night, echoing against the jagged cliffs. Selene barely had time to dodge as a cloaked attacker lunged at her, twin daggers gleaming under the moonlight. She twisted away, slicing her blade across his arm, but he barely flinched.They weren’t ordinary warriors. Their movements were too precise, too fast. Magic pulsed through them like a dark current.Cassian was holding his own, his sword carving through the enemy ranks with brutal efficiency. But Selene’s attention snapped to Ronan—his breathing was ragged, his hands trembling as black veins pulsed beneath his skin.Not now.“Ronan!” she called, shoving back an attacker. “Stay with me!”He clutched his head, staggering. His golden eyes burned with an unnatural glow, his body vibrating with power. The very air around him seemed to crackle.Then, he moved.Lightning-fast, he grabbed an enemy’s throat and lifted him effortlessly off the ground. The man thrashed, choking, as Ronan’s grip tightened.“Ro
The night was thick with silence, the kind that felt alive—watching, waiting. The small cavern where Selene and Ronan had taken shelter was barely enough to keep the cold at bay, but neither of them seemed to care. Not when his transformation was worsening.Ronan sat against the jagged rock wall, his breath coming in slow, measured exhales. His body trembled—not from weakness, but from something deeper. Something unknown.Selene knelt beside him, dipping a cloth into the cool water from a small stream running along the cave floor. The dim glow of moonlight barely reached them, casting Ronan’s features in harsh, shadowed angles. He looked different—not just wounded, but… altered.His skin burned under her touch as she pressed the damp cloth to his brow. He tensed, jaw tightening, but he didn’t pull away.“You’re burning up,” she murmured.Ronan let out a ragged chuckle. “Feels like my insides are breaking apart and stitching themselves back together.”A chill ran through Selene. That w
The night air was thick with the scent of damp earth and lingering embers, the remnants of their last battle still smoldering in the distance. Selene sat beside Ronan, her fingers gliding gently over his bandaged arm, feeling the warmth of his skin beneath her touch. He was awake but silent, his golden eyes staring into the darkness, troubled and distant. “You’re still here,” he murmured, his voice rough with exhaustion. Selene arched a brow. “Where else would I be?” Ronan exhaled sharply, shaking his head. “You should keep your distance.” She didn’t move. “Why?” He flexed his fingers, then clenched them into a fist. “Because I don’t trust myself anymore.” A chill passed through her, but she didn’t let it show. “Then trust me,” she said softly. “Trust that I won’t let you lose yourself.” His jaw tightened, but he didn’t argue. Silence stretched between them, heavy with unspoken words. Selene could see the war raging inside him—the fear, the guilt, the torment of nearly