Finally, the damn cabin went quiet. The intruders' stomping faded out—thank god—leaving just the fire, half-heartedly crackling, and Selene's shaky breaths. Damien sat next to her on the bed, all broad shoulders and moody shadows. Honestly, a little too close, but hell if she could scoot away.
"Hold still," he grumbled, fussing over the gash on her arm. Funny—his hands looked like they'd snap bones for fun, but his touch? Way too gentle. Felt like a weird secret.
Selene tried focusing on the sting, but nope, her traitor eyes kept flicking to his jaw, the line of his mouth, the way he looked when he was all serious and bossy. God, she hated noticing. Hated the fluttery mess in her chest. Not fear, either—something way worse.
"Damien…" Her voice sucked, all broken. "Why do you care? I mean, I'm just—"
He cut her off, eyes wild and gold and way too intense. "You are not just anything." His voice was low enough to scrape the floor. "You're mine."
Yeah, that did it. Shivers, full body. No time to process, though, because suddenly her arm felt like it was on fire. She gasped, clutching at the cut. Light—silver, unreal—oozed out, slipping under her skin, glowing like something out of a fever dream.
Damien went statue-still. Eyes huge. "That mark…" Barely a whisper. "No way."
Selene's panic spiked. "What's happening to me?!"
The glow crept up her veins, sketching out delicate patterns, a crescent sigil burning into her wrist. Power crawled into her chest—old, wild, like it'd been waiting for this moment forever.
Damien staggered back, looking like he'd seen a ghost. "Selene… this can't be real. Only the Moon Goddess's direct bloodline gets that mark."
Selene's heart nearly punched a hole through her ribs. "Moon Goddess?"
He nodded, jaw clenched so tight it could crack teeth. "You're not just my mate. You're the one from the prophecy. The mate who could save me… or wreck me."
The fire popped, loud in the thick silence. Selene's pulse thundered. She wanted to call him nuts, laugh it off, but the crescent on her skin kept pulsing—proof she couldn't ignore.
And Damien's eyes? Yeah, he totally believed it.
For the first time, Selene wondered if being tied to the Alpha King was meant to be fate… or just straight up catastrophe.