The moon was high up in the sky, slightly covered by the gauzy clouds which hung up like they were roaming the sky. The wind made little whispers with the trees and every being it came and crossed but made a slight halt as it approached Selene Blackwood , her ears attuned to the land.
Her wolf hadn't had any rest for a while now. She was as restless as Selene was beneath her skin.
For three nights in a row, Selene had patrolled the outer borders alone. It was a habit that soothed her—a way to escape the noise of her pack, of politics, of expectations. And tonight, it was the only thing keeping her from exploding.
Lucian had sent a courier.
He wanted to move the mating ceremony forward.
She bared her teeth at the memory.
As if he owned her. As if her life was simply a treaty to be signed. The thought made her chest burn. She loved her pack. She would die for them. But marry Lucian? That felt like death of another kind.
The scent of blood stopped her cold.
Sharp, coppery—fresh.
Her eyes narrowed. She crept toward the source, barefoot, her form half-shifted—claws replacing fingertips. The scent intensified. A wounded creature?
Then she heard it.
A voice.
"Don't move," it said in a commanding voice. Selene tried to observe the voice.
It was male, it was calm, it was— human.
Selene moved closer, using her hand to shift the branch of leaves that blocked her view. There he was. Through the shadows she saw him. He knelt facing a being. A wolf? A large wounded bloodied wolf. His coat was black with little white streaks, and with some blood patches on it. Selene's breath caught.
She gave a loud hiss. She was trying her best to resist him but he always found his way back to her.
It was one of her scouts—Niran.
And the man tending to him... she didn't recognize him.
He wasn't from any pack.
Human, she confirmed with a quick sniff of the air. But something was off.
The man was pressing a bandage on her scout but in a professional and precise manner . "You're going to be okay, try to stay awake," he muttered. "You're very lucky I was out here."
Selene stepped forward, revealing herself.
The man's head looked up.
Their eyes met—and the world stopped spinning for a second.
Heat. Fire. Recognition. Love!?
His eyes—dark, liquid, knowing. Her wolf roared inside her.
Mate.
No. No, it couldn't be. Not a human.
But it was.
She stood there as the truth sunk into her flesh, through her tissues and then to her bones like a lightning strike. She struggled to breath as her wolf cried to be set free.
The man slowly stood, cautious but unafraid. "I didn't mean to trespass again, I just couldn't watch her die," he said. His voice was low and steady, but his eyes never left hers. "I found her bleeding. Thought she was a stray at first but she kind of seemed to have a connection with this place."
Selene's voice emerged as a growl. "She's not a dog."
"Yeah. I figured that."
She always admired his beauty every chance she got and she did again looking at him—tall, broad-shouldered, hair tousled from wind and effort. Blood stained his sleeves, but there was no fear in his stance. Only alertness. Like he was used to being around danger.
"Didn't I warn you last time?" she demanded.
He hesitated. "I'm a doctor and I live past the ridge, we're bound to cross paths"
Mingi.
The name etched itself into her mind like a brand.
"You shouldn't be here," she said.
"Neither should you," he replied smoothly, nodding to her claws.
She blinked.
Humans didn't usually notice that much.
"You're not scared of me?"
He met her gaze. "Should I be?"
Her lips curled slightly. "Yes."
He took a careful step forward, eyes flicking to Niran. "Look, I can stitch her up. But she needs care now, or she'll die. I didn't mean to cause trouble."
Selene wrestled with herself. Instinct screamed to reject him—to run. But her wolf keened, recognizing something undeniable.
She knelt beside Niran, examining the wound. A deep gash, likely from a trap or ambush. Roman's spies, maybe.
Her fingers brushed Mingi's as they moved to the same spot. They both held their breaths as they looked at each other. Selena stared right into his eyes like warning him. Mingi froze.
"You felt that," she whispered.
He didn't deny it. "What was it?"
Selene rose. "Come with me."
He hesitated. "Where?"
"To the border. My people will take the wolf. And you…" she trailed off.
She didn't know what he was. But he wasn't just human.
"...we need to talk."
They moved through the woods in silence, Niran slung gently over Mingi's shoulder. Selene kept close, her senses flaring.
Every step beside him felt dangerous. Like she was stepping closer to a cliff she couldn't see.
When they reached the boundary stones, Alia and Aeron were already waiting, blades drawn.
Aeron's eyes narrowed. "You brought a human?"
"He saved Niran," Selene snapped. "And he's not just any human."
Alia took one look at Mingi and froze. "His scent…"
"I know," Selene murmured.
Mingi, for the first time, looked unsettled. "Okay, someone explain. What's going on?"
Selene met Aeron's gaze. "Take Niran. Patch him up. I'll handle this."
Alia stepped closer. "You're not planning to take him into the heart of the territory?"
"He's coming with me. That's final."
Aeron growled but relented, taking Niran and disappearing into the woods.
Selene turned to Mingi. "Come. There's a cabin nearby."
He followed, glancing at the trees. "Is this some kind of dream?"
"No," she said. "It's just the beginning."
Selene took Mingi from where they were and led him back to where he was from and in their way they stopped by a cabin.
Mingi leaned against the doorframe. "You still haven't told me what's happening."
Selene turned slowly. "There's no easy way to explain this. But I need you to understand something before we go any further."
He waited.
"You and I... we're bound."
"Bound?"
"Fated. Soul-tied. Mates."
He stared. "You told me this last time. What does this really mean?"
She exhaled. "It means you're not just a man I met in the woods. You're… something more. To me. To this world."
Silence fell heavy.
Mingi moved toward her, stopping a foot away. "I felt it too. That spark. But I'm not like you. I'm not—"
"You're not human," she interrupted.
He blinked. "What?"
"I don't know what you are yet," she admitted. "But no human could carry a wolf that size without help. Or sense what you sense. Or match my wolf's stare without flinching."
Mingi looked away. "Cassian always told me there was something strange in our bloodline. But he never explained. Just taught me how to fight, how to hide."
Selene's heart raced. "Cassian Velo?"
"You know him?"
Her pulse roared in her ears. "He was once an ally to the old Alpha. He vanished after the Burning Treaty."
Mingi turned sharply. "He raised me."
She stepped closer, her voice softening. "Mingi… you may be the last of something powerful. Something forgotten."
Before he could answer, a low rumble shook the cabin.
The lantern flickered. Shadows danced wildly on the walls.
Selene's eyes went wide.
"No," she whispered.
"What is it?"
The door blew open.
A figure stood silhouetted in the doorway. Tall. Cloaked in darkn
ess. Crimson eyes glowing beneath a hood.
"Found you," it hissed.
Selene lunged forward, claws bared.
But it was too late.
The figure raised a hand—and black flame erupted toward them.