Selene stood before the mirror in the Lunar Queen’s chamber, breathing in shallow pulls. The silver circlet... now fused to her forehead ; radiated a low, unrelenting hum. Her eyes, once molten silver, flickered with streaks of midnight black, like ink seeping through cracks in her soul.
> “The Moon has turned its back.”
Malrik’s last words haunted her.
Ryker watched her from the shadows, arms crossed. “You haven’t been sleeping.”
“I can’t,” she murmured. “Every time I close my eyes… I see her. The Moon Mother. And she’s bleeding.”
He stepped forward, brushing a thumb along her jaw. “You don’t bleed for the moon anymore, Selene. She bleeds for you.”
She wanted to believe that. But the darkness within her pulsed with a different truth.
She turned away. “Summon the council. I want answers.”
The chamber fell silent as Selene entered, flanked by Ryker and Gamma Irisa. The council members ; warriors, witches, and old allies sat with guarded expressions.
She went straight to the point. “One of you has been feeding Malrik information.”
Murmurs broke out. Irisa’s eyes scanned the table. “We locked him in the stone vault. No contact. No outside magic. And yet… he escaped the night of the Trial.”
Ryker slammed a dagger into the table. “So someone helped him. From inside.”
Selene’s gaze landed on each face.
Liora looked pale, avoiding her eyes.
Beta Callen tensed.
Irisa didn’t flinch.
“I’ll find the traitor,” Selene said coldly. “Even if I have to rip out their heart with my bare hands.”
That night, she walked the halls of the keep alone.
Her hands burned with magic she couldn’t control. Shadows clung to her footsteps. Every mirror she passed whispered back pieces of her name.
The curse was growing.
And in the center of her chest, beneath her skin, something pulsed. Something ancient.
She stopped outside Callen’s chambers.
Voices. Two of them.
She pressed her back to the stone and listened.
Callen: “It’s getting worse. If we wait too long, it’ll consume her.”
Unknown voice: “Then maybe it’s time to end her before she becomes worse than Malrik.”
Selene’s blood ran cold.
The door creaked open.
She stepped inside and the voices vanished.
The room was empty.
Except… for a silver dagger still warm from someone’s grip.
She called Callen to the throne room the next morning.
“You’ve been keeping secrets.”
Callen stood before her, chin lifted. “Only the ones that would protect you.”
Ryker growled low. “What does that mean?”
Callen’s jaw twitched. “The curse isn't just corrupting your body. It’s breaking the bond you have with the Moon. You’re drawing power from somewhere else now.”
Selene stepped down from the throne, each heel clicking against the marble like thunder.
“Where?” she demanded.
Callen hesitated.
“I said... where?”
He finally said, “The Blood Moon. The same force that corrupted Malrik.”
The room erupted in chaos.
Selene raised a hand... and everyone silenced.
“I trusted you,” she said, voice icy. “And you thought to protect me by hiding this?”
Callen lowered his gaze. “You’re becoming something else, Selene. Something… we may not be able to stop.”
That night, Ryker found her outside on the battlements.
She stood facing the stars, her hands clenched, black smoke curling from her fingertips.
“You think it’s him, don’t you?” Ryker asked. “Callen.”
Selene didn’t answer.
“Or is it Liora?” he continued. “She’s been disappearing for hours at a time. You saw the way she looked during the Trial.”
Selene turned. “Everyone’s a suspect, Ryker. Including you.”
The silence between them stretched thin.
“You don’t trust me?” he asked.
She hesitated. “I want to. But the moment I let my guard down, someone else bleeds.”
Ryker stepped close. “Then let me help you watch. I’ll find whoever’s behind this.”
Selene looked into his eyes. “You already know who it is, don’t you?”
Ryker’s jaw clenched.
And he said nothing.
They found Irisa’s body at dawn.
Throat slit. Eyes burned black.
Pinned to her chest was a note, scrawled in a language only Selene could read:
> "The Queen’s fire must be extinguished before it burns the world."
The writing wasn’t Malrik’s.
It was someone who knew the Moonborn script.
Selene stumbled back, rage surging.
“She was loyal,” she whispered. “She was mine.”
Callen stepped forward. “The writing… that’s ancient Blood Moon language.”
Selene looked at him, heart thundering. “You recognized it too fast.”
Callen froze.
Ryker stepped between them. “Wait. We need proof.”
Selene growled. “And I’ll get it.”
She summoned the witches.
Under the light of the full moon, they opened the Pool of Memories ; a sacred, shimmering lake that revealed truth.
Selene threw Irisa’s dagger into the pool.
The water shifted.
An image formed.
Irisa, walking through the keep.
Following someone.
A figure in shadow.
They turned, face revealed in the reflection of a blade.
Selene gasped.
“Callen.”
He stood behind her now, slowly backing away.
Selene spun. “You betrayed me.”
Callen’s eyes were wild. “I tried to protect you! You don’t understand what you’re becoming. I loved you, before all of this! But now? You’re not Selene anymore. You’re a monster.”
Her power flared.
“Then you should have run.”
The council chamber exploded in chaos.
Callen shifted, fur sprouting, claws out.
Ryker leapt forward, but Selene stopped him with a wave.
“This is mine.”
She shifted in an instant , her white-gold fur blazing with fire.
They collided with thunder.
Callen fought like a man possessed. Desperate. Ruthless. But Selene was no longer just Alpha. She was Moonborn.
She pinned him in seconds, her teeth at his neck.
“Tell me why,” she growled, voice trembling.
“I loved you,” he whispered. “But you chose your throne. You chose him.”
She stepped back.
His words hit like arrows.
She turned, walking away.
But Ryker didn’t.
He struck.
Callen’s body hit the floor.... lifeless.
Later that night, Selene stood alone before the Moonborn altar.
She dropped to her knees.
“Why does everyone I trust betray me?” she whispered. “Am I the curse?”
The moon above flickered.
And then, a voice spoke behind her.
“You’re not the curse, Selene. You’re the key.”
She turned.
Liora stood there.
Eyes glowing red.
“You didn’t think it was just Callen, did you?”
Before Selene could react, Liora threw something.
A black crystal that exploded on impact.
Dark magic surged through Selene’s body.
She screamed, collapsing.
Liora knelt beside her, whispering in her ear.
> “You were never meant to rule. Only to awaken her.”
Selene’s eyes fluttered open.
And in the reflection of the altar stone, she saw herself....
But not her.
Someone older. Darker. Wearing her face.
The true Moonborn.
And she was rising.
---
Get ready for Chapter 10: A Forbidden Alliance ; where enemies become allies, secrets of the Blood Moon deepen, and Selene faces the terrifying truth:
She's not just cursed.
She might be possessed.
The night air was thick with blood and smoke. The ruins of the Moonborn altar still smoldered, blackened stone hissing where the crystal bomb had detonated. Selene’s skin felt like it was burning from the inside out, her veins pulsing with corrupted magic.Liora had vanished into the night like a ghost, leaving behind betrayal, pain, and a message Selene couldn’t forget:> You were never meant to rule. Only to awaken her.Ryker found her on the stone steps, half-conscious and shaking.“Selene,” he murmured, crouching beside her. “Can you hear me?”Her eyes fluttered open, dim silver tarnished by black. “She’s in me, Ryker. The true Moonborn. She’s been sleeping inside me all along.”He lifted her into his arms, fury etched across his face. “Then we wake her on our own terms. Not theirs.”She wanted to believe him.But the darkness was growing louder.Back in the heart of the keep, Selene gathered the remnants of her court.Only a handful remained.Irisa? Dead! Callen? Dead! Liora?
Selene’s body was motionless, eyes closed, breath shallow, like a marionette with its strings cut.But inside… inside, a storm raged.She screamed in the void, her voice swallowed by the darkness. The Moonborn—, the other her... had taken control, banishing her into her own mind.> “This is my body now,” the Moonborn whispered through their shared consciousness.“You were only the vessel.”Selene fought, claws scraping against invisible walls, but the Moonborn’s grip was too strong.> “You want the truth?”“Then suffer it." And the visions began.The moon bled red overhead in the memory. A dark forest. A woman running; wild-eyed, barefoot, clutching a newborn.Her mother.Selene’s heart ached as she recognized her.Chasing her through the trees were men cloaked in council robes. One of them held a sword shimmering with obsidian.The woman hid the baby under the roots of an old tree.> “Live, Selene,” she whispered. “Live, even if it kills me.”Then she turned to face the hunters.Sel
Selene & Ryker finally surrender to the bond that’s been tormenting them. The night burns with raw desire, soul-binding heat, and emotional surrender.The moon was high and pulsing, swollen with silver fire, and Selene couldn’t breathe.Everything had cracked her illusions, her strength, her carefully built walls. And Ryker stood in front of her like a wildfire with fangs, burning hotter than anything she’d ever known.> “Say it,” Ryker said, voice low, guttural. “Tell me you want this.”Her chest rose and fell fast. Her pulse throbbed in her neck. The ache between her thighs had been building for days, but this...this was something else. This wasn’t lust anymore.This was need.> “I want you,” she whispered, stepping forward. “I want all of you. No more holding back.”A growl rumbled from deep in his chest.Before she could blink, his mouth was on hers; devouring, demanding. He lifted her like she weighed nothing, slammed her back against the nearest wall, and kissed her like she was
When the moon calls, only the strongest will answer.The night was unnaturally silent as Selene arrived at the ancient Stone Circle; a sacred arena carved into the heart of the forest, guarded by jagged black monoliths said to have been touched by the Moon Goddess herself. The clearing shimmered under the blood-red hue of the rising moon, casting eerie shadows across the ground.She walked into the center alone.No cloak. No crown. No armor.Just her.Selene’s midnight hair flowed loose down her back, catching the light like a wave of starlight. Her bare feet touched the sacred earth with purpose. Each step echoed the silent promise she had made: No more fear. No more waiting.The moment her presence was felt, the crowd parted.Pack members, elders, warriors, even rogues hidden among the trees, watched in awe and tension.And at the far end of the circle stood Cassian.Her former mate. The one who had humiliated her. Rejected her. Who now sought to destroy her before she could rise.H
The shattered black crystal lay at Selene’s feet like a warning. Her mother’s scream still echoed through the clearing, leaving a silence that wrapped around the crowd like a shroud.Selene didn’t move.Her fingers curled into fists at her sides, her body trembling, not from fear, but from something much darker.Rage.The voice had been real. The blood-soaked memory trapped in that crystal hadn’t been a vision or illusion. It was her mother’s dying moment, sealed in stone.She turned slowly to face the council."Who was that man?"None of the elders answered."I said, who the fuck was that?!"Silence.Ryker stepped forward, his jaw tense. "He wasn’t one of us. I’ve never seen a presence like that. He didn’t smell alive."Selene’s silver eyes locked on the eldest of the council, a woman with sunken eyes and trembling hands."You knew something. Don’t lie to me."The elder shook her head slowly. "There are stories... about a forgotten faction. Exiles. Wolves who followed the Blood Moon,
The rain fell in slow sheets, washing the blood from the castle stones, but it couldn’t cleanse what had just happened.Selene stood frozen.Her father’s face, aged, scarred, alive.He had been the heart of her nightmares. The question that never had an answer. The ghost that lingered behind every throne room door she opened alone. But there he was, in the colors of the enemy.Not a prisoner.A general.A commander of the very force that hunted her bloodline to near extinction.Her knees buckled, but she didn’t fall.She wouldn’t give them the satisfaction.Behind her, Ryker stood silent, holding his side where the beta’s blade had torn into his ribs. But his pain wasn’t just physical. She felt it. A dull throb in the bond between them. Weak. Flickering. As though something sacred was slipping."Selene," her father said, his voice like gravel after a decade of silence. "You’ve grown into her spitting image."She didn’t respond.Couldn’t.He walked slowly toward her, ignoring Ryker’s p
The moon bled red in the sky.An omen.A warning.Selene stood at the highest tower of the Moonspire Fortress, arms folded tightly across her chest, wind snapping her cloak behind her like black wings. Below her, the outlands stretched in shadows, forests once ruled by peace now patrolled by fear. Her eyes gleamed silver in the darkness, and for the first time in weeks… they were dry.Ryker was alive.But he was no longer hers.He walked the corridors like a ghost; silent, lost, glancing past her as though she were a stranger. The bond that once pulsed between them had shattered with the crystal’s light, and whatever piece of him remained behind the glow in that magical coma… wasn’t coming back on its own.And Selene? She no longer had the luxury of heartbreak.Not when the Council had declared war on her throne.Not when her own people were too afraid to speak her name aloud.Not when her own people were too afraid to speak her name aloud.She turned away from the window, her fingers
Chapter 17: The Moon’s Secret KeeperThe moon hung low over the ravaged sky, smeared with silver clouds that danced like restless ghosts. Deep in the heart of the Rogues' reclaimed territory, Selene sat beside a flickering fire surrounded by the loyal few who remained at her side. The smoke twisted upward, casting shifting shadows against her solemn face.Her eyes were far away, locked on something no one else could see."She's calling again, isn't she?" Lucien asked, crouching near the fire with a hand on his sword hilt.Selene nodded slowly. "Every time I close my eyes... it's her voice. The same chant. Over and over. Something ancient. I can’t understand it yet, but I think I can feel it."He glanced around the clearing. "And you're sure it's not a trap?""Yes." Her voice was sharper than she intended. "It’s not the council. It’s older than them. It's her."Lucien stilled. “The Moon’s Secret Keeper?”Selene's lips parted at the name. She hadn't spoken it aloud. Not yet. But somethi
The silence that followed the end of the betrayer was not peace. It was the eerie calm before a storm that had been brewing in the shadows all along.Selene stood beneath the moonlight, blood on her cheek and her fists still clenched from the final blow. Ryker was at her side, eyes on the crumbled body of the betrayer, still twitching in its final spasms. The battlefield around them was scorched, soaked in blood and the echoes of war cries still hanging thick in the air.But it wasn’t over. Not even close.A sudden gust of wind blew through the ruined courtyard, unnaturally cold and heavy with power. Selene froze. The mark on her lower back—the ancient Moonborn sigil; burned like fire.She spun on her heel. Behind her, where the shadows curled deepest at the edges of the broken stone archway, a new figure emerged. Cloaked in black, face hidden beneath a dark veil that shimmered like obsidian smoke, the figure moved with no sound.Every warrior still standing drew their weapon.But Sel
The night was shrouded in a heavy, oppressive silence that belied the chaos which had raged moments before. The ruined ramparts of the Lunar Keep bore the scars of battle, shattered stone, splintered wood, and the lingering stain of blood. Above it all, the silver moon hung low in the sky, its pale light falling over everything with an eerie finality.Selene stood alone on the edge of a broken parapet, her eyes blazing with both fury and sorrow. Every scar on her body, every mark etched into her skin, told a story of betrayal and sacrifice. In her glistening, silver-lit gaze, one could see the ghost of the past; a past of promises made and trust so brutally shattered.The memory of every lie, every whispered deceit, surged in her mind. It was the culmination of years of loyalty and heartache that had led her to this moment. Tonight, she would confront the one who had betrayed her and shattered the bonds of trust that had once held her kingdom together.A soft rustling from behind shat
The echo of the spectral figure’s final decree still reverberated through the ruined courtyard of the Lunar Keep as Selene stood, trembling, above a chasm of crimson energy. The ground had split open beneath her feet, releasing a torrent of blood-red light that painted the shattered stone in hues of despair and determination. Around her, the remnants of battle lay scattered like broken dreams, but in that chaos, something in Selene had shifted irrevocably.Her eyes, once filled with the gentle luminescence of the Luna Queen, now burned with a fierce, unyielding silver fire. Every scar on her skin, every mark of ancient runes, pulsed with raw, untamed power. The mark on her wrist; the sigil of the Dark Pact, glowed ominously, a constant reminder of the price she had been forced to pay. The prophecy had demanded a sacrifice, and though her heart had broken at the thought of losing Ryker, she had made the impossible choice: to let the curse bind her soul so that her power might be unchai
The night was a tapestry of sorrow and fury as the Lunar Keep lay in ruins. The once-imposing fortress, now a shattered remnant of stone and ash, bore witness to betrayal and bloodshed. In the heart of the devastated courtyard, Selene stood, a solitary figure cloaked in grief and rage. The aftermath of the spectral vision still haunted her; its chilling prophecy echoing in her mind. The price for her power, it seemed, would be paid in the blood of those closest to her.Her eyes, still aglow with the residual light of moon magic, scanned the devastation around her. Warriors lay wounded, some motionless on the blood-soaked ground. The scent of burnt wood and shattered dreams filled the air, mingling with the bitter tang of betrayal. The silence was shattered by a voice; a familiar voice that once brought solace and trust.“Selene… why?” It was a whisper, barely audible over the crackling of dying embers. She turned slowly, her heart constricting as she saw Darius; her once most trusted
The clearing lay silent, save for the whisper of the wind through the ancient pines and the soft murmur of a distant stream. The moon, swollen and blood-red, hung low in the sky; its eerie light illuminating every dewdrop, every blade of grass, and every scar on Selene’s skin. For a moment, the world was reduced to this fragile, luminous peace; a stark contrast to the chaos that had roared just hours before.Selene lay on a bed of moss and fallen leaves, still trembling from the intensity of the previous night. Her body was marked with the aftermath of battle and passion alike: streaks of sweat glistened on her exposed shoulders, and the silver luminescence of ancient runes pulsed softly along her arms. Each breath she took was heavy with lingering desire and the burden of destiny.Beside her, Ryker cradled her gently, his powerful arms wrapped around her form. His eyes, a deep molten gold, were filled with a mixture of adoration, fear, and the unmistakable weight of unspoken promises
The air was thick with the scent of pine and earth, laced with the faint metallic tang of blood. The moon’s silver glow bathed the clearing, casting long shadows that danced wickedly. The figure in the shadows did not move, crimson eyes glinting with cold amusement.Selene’s fingers twitched, magic sizzling beneath her skin, ready to burst. Ryker’s stance shifted beside her, muscles coiled as he growled low, protective instincts flaring. But the figure’s smirk only widened, unfazed.“Well, well,” the stranger drawled, his voice a slow, silken rasp that slithered down Selene’s spine. “The great Luna Queen and her beloved alpha. How predictable.”Selene narrowed her eyes. “Show yourself.”The figure obeyed, stepping into the moonlight with a lazy, confident stride. He was tall, broad-shouldered, and draped in black leather that clung to a powerful physique. Tattoos curled up his neck, intricate designs snaking along his jawline. But it was the eyes; deep crimson and inhuman, that made h
Selene’s pulse drummed against her ribs as she faced the crimson-eyed stranger. He stood poised in the doorway, a silhouette of menace and arrogance. Moonlight kissed the sharp planes of his face, highlighting high cheekbones, a straight nose, and lips curled into a wicked grin. His raven-black hair cascaded over his shoulders, brushing against a black leather jacket adorned with silver spikes; a fashion statement that screamed defiance.“Looking for someone?” he taunted, the smooth cadence of his voice wrapping around her like a serpent.Selene’s glare was icy, but a flicker of uncertainty clawed at her resolve. He looked familiar... too familiar.“Who are you?” she demanded, power crackling along her fingertips. The room seemed to hum with energy, shadows deepening around her.The man smirked, crimson eyes glinting. “A friend. Though, by the look in your eyes, you’d disagree.”Selene bared her teeth. “You have five seconds to explain before I rip you apart.”The stranger chuckled, u
The moon hung high in the obsidian sky, casting an ethereal glow over the dark forest. Shadows danced along the gnarled branches, whispering secrets only the night could hold. The scent of damp earth and distant pine lingered, blending with the crisp chill of approaching winter.Selene’s silver eyes narrowed as she prowled through the dense undergrowth, every movement precise and predatory. Her leather bodysuit, sleek and unforgiving, accentuated the lethal curves of her body, laced with silver threads that glimmered faintly under the moonlight. She could feel the primal thrum of power pulsing through her veins, a reminder of her bond to the Moonborn and the strength she wielded.Ryker trailed beside her, a storm of masculinity cloaked in obsidian armor. The muscles of his chest strained against the fitted black fabric, decorated with intricate runes that glowed faintly with protection. His raven-black hair was tousled, framing a jawline sharp enough to cut steel, and his eyes burned
The scent of smoke hung heavy in the air, curling through the forest like a dark omen. Shadows flickered across the tree trunks, dancing in the moonlight as the distant crackle of burning wood whispered warnings of chaos. Selene, Ryker, and Kael moved in formation, their footfalls soft and controlled as they approached the clearing.Selene’s eyes narrowed, taking in the scene. The clearing was littered with bodies; loyalists and traitors alike, cloaked in the black-and-silver armor of the Alpha Council’s elite guards. The metallic tang of blood assaulted her senses. A cold rage settled over her, and her wolf snarled beneath her skin.“They’ve already started,” Kael muttered, brushing soot from his bare shoulder. Despite the carnage, he looked composed... dangerous. His dark hair fell loosely over his eyes, and the Blood Moon tattoo on his bicep gleamed ominously.Ryker’s jaw clenched, golden eyes glowing fiercely as he scanned the area. His broad frame was tense, muscles rippling bene