The moon hung high over Stormbane Fortress, casting a silvery glow that made every stone shimmer like it held secrets of the past and future. The night after the Moon Goddess's revelation was eerily quiet; even the wolves seemed subdued, as if sensing that the world had shifted yet again.
Selene sat in Darius's war chamber, staring at a map spread across the oak table. But no ink could mark what now lay ahead. They weren't just Alpha and Luna anymore. They had become something else entirely—time's keepers.
Darius entered silently, his presence filling the room like a storm contained in human form. His shirt was unbuttoned, revealing the bandages still wrapped around his battle wounds, and his silver eyes burned with intensity.
"You should be resting," Selene said softly, though she couldn't tear her gaze from him.
Darius leaned against the table, close enough for his warmth to brush against her. "So should you," he countered, his hand finding hers. "But here we are."
Selene finally looked up, violet eyes meeting silver. "We fought the prophecy. We broke the cycle. We sealed the beast. And now…" She trailed off, shaking her head. "Now the Goddess says we've awakened something worse."
Darius cupped her face gently, forcing her to hold his gaze. "We didn't survive centuries of death and loss just to bow to another destiny," he said, voice like steel. "Whatever this Heart of Time is, we'll face it. Together."
His conviction steadied her. She leaned into his touch, her lips brushing his palm. "You always make me believe we can survive anything."
Darius's expression softened, but there was still a glint of danger in his eyes. "Not just survive," he murmured, leaning closer until his breath warmed her lips. "We'll win. And this time, no one—not fate, not gods—will take you from me."
Their lips met in a slow, burning kiss that deepened until Selene was gripping his shirt, pulling him closer, their bond sparking like a live wire between them. For a moment, there was no prophecy, no Goddess, no looming war—just the raw, unbreakable love that had defied time itself.
When they finally broke apart, breathless, Selene whispered, "Then we start by finding out what this power wants from us."
Darius nodded, determination etched in every line of his face. "Magnus is gathering the elders. They know legends even the Goddess doesn't speak of. If anyone can tell us what the Heart of Time truly is, it's them."
---
By dawn, the great hall of Stormbane Fortress was filled with warriors, elders, and emissaries from distant packs who had traveled through the night. Banners of silver and violet lined the walls, moonlight streaming through stained-glass windows that depicted long-forgotten battles.
Magnus stood beside the dais where Selene and Darius sat, his usually steady face lined with worry.
"The Council is broken," Magnus announced. "Without their beast, their armies have scattered. But something darker stirs in the east—packs are reporting unnatural storms and time fractures. Wolves vanishing for days only to return thinking mere hours passed."
Whispers filled the hall. Elders shifted uncomfortably.
Selene rose, her voice clear and commanding. "This is because of us," she admitted. "By breaking the cycle, we didn't end fate—we disrupted it. The Heart of Time has awakened, and if we don't contain it, the world itself could unravel."
An old seer stepped forward, her eyes clouded white with ancient magic. "The Heart of Time is older than the Moon Goddess herself," she rasped. "It was sealed when the first wolves were born, for its power could bend reality. Only a bond strong enough to defy prophecy can control it."
Her milky gaze fixed on Selene and Darius. "And that bond is yours."
Gasps rippled through the crowd.
Darius stood, his Alpha aura silencing everyone instantly. "Then tell us how to reach it," he demanded.
The seer pointed a trembling hand eastward. "Beyond the Black Peaks lies the Temple of Eternum. There, time has no meaning. You will find the Heart… and either master it or become lost in its endless currents."
Selene's mark burned at the words, glowing brighter than ever. She met Darius's gaze, her voice steady despite the fear curling in her gut. "We leave at first light."
---
That night, Selene couldn't sleep. She wandered the fortress corridors, her bare feet silent on cold stone. She ended up on the moonlit balcony where she and Darius had shared their first true moment of peace.
She leaned against the railing, staring at the stars. What if we can't control it? she thought. What if breaking the cycle only doomed the world further?
Arms slid around her waist from behind, strong and warm, pulling her against a chest she'd know even in death.
"You think too much," Darius murmured, his lips brushing her neck.
Selene sighed, leaning into him. "I'm thinking about everyone who's counting on us. If we fail—"
He turned her gently, tipping her chin up so she met his molten silver gaze. "We won't fail. Because for the first time, we're not fighting each other. We're one, Selene. And that bond is stronger than fate, prophecy… even time itself."
Her heart swelled painfully with love. She reached up, threading her fingers through his dark hair, and kissed him—softly at first, then deeper, with a hunger that left them both breathless.
Darius growled low, sweeping her into his arms effortlessly. He carried her inside, laying her gently on their bed. Moonlight spilled across them as he hovered above her, his gaze dark and full of promise.
"This bond," he whispered against her lips, "isn't just magic. It's ours. And tomorrow, when we face whatever waits in that temple, we'll remind time itself who we belong to."
Selene's breath hitched as she pulled him closer. "Always you," she whispered. "In every life, every realm… always you."
Their bond flared like wildfire, sealing the vow in silver light that danced around the room.
---
The next morning, they set out at dawn with a small but fierce contingent of Stormbane warriors and the seer guiding them. The Black Peaks loomed on the horizon, jagged and shrouded in mist that seemed to twist unnaturally, bending light and shadow.
As they rode, Selene noticed strange anomalies—the sun flickering as if skipping seconds, rivers flowing backward for brief moments. Time itself was unraveling the closer they drew to the temple.
When they camped that night, Selene sat by the fire, sharpening her blade while Darius spoke with Magnus. She felt a presence, soft but undeniable, at the edge of the forest.
Rising quietly, she followed it, her mark glowing faintly. Deep among the trees, she found a figure waiting—a man cloaked in silver, his eyes identical to Darius's but older, wiser… haunted.
Selene froze. "Who are you?"
The man's voice was deep, echoing like it came from a thousand lifetimes. "A shadow of what's to come," he said. "And a warning. The Heart of Time does not wish to be mastered. It will tempt you… and if you give in, you will not just lose your bond. You will cease to exist in every timeline."
Selene's stomach turned to ice. "Why tell me this?"
The man's gaze softened with something like sorrow. "Because I have watched you and the Alpha die a thousand times, and even now, I fear the story is not over. Only one truth can save you."
Selene's voice shook. "What truth?"
He stepped closer, whispering a single sentence that made her blood run cold:
"To master the Heart… one of you must be willing to let go of the other forever."
Before she could speak, the figure vanished like mist, leaving Selene trembling in the dark, the weight of his words sinking deep into her heart.