Time in that cabin felt like it was dragging its feet, honestly. Selene just lay there, wide awake, boring holes in the ceiling with her eyes while the storm kept smacking the windows around. Thunder kept blowing up outside, and every time it did, her heart just about leapt out of her chest—not 'cause of the weather, but because Damien was right there. So close and yet, man, he might as well have been on Mars. Back to her. Dead quiet.
He hadn't come near her since the mark showed up. Wouldn't even give her a real look, not the way he used to. The space between them? Icy. Colder than the rain pounding outside, no contest.
She finally broke. Whispered, "Damien."
He tensed up, but nope—didn't even glance her way. "You should sleep."
Yeah, like that was going to happen. "That's not an answer."
He let out this rough little sigh, voice all hoarse, like he'd been chewing on rocks. "I don't have one. Not one you want."
Her throat got all tight. She wanted to yell, honestly. Shake him, scream in his face, remind him he'd sworn she was his mate. But pride's a stubborn thing. If he wanted to keep his distance, she wasn't about to get down on her knees for him.
So she just rolled over, yanking the blanket up, clutching it like a shield. That crescent mark on her wrist? It pulsed, stung, like it was laughing at her. Alone again.
Silence hung heavy. Not even Damien broke it. Then—out of nowhere—something outside. Not the storm. Something slower. Sneakier. Hunter vibes.
Damien's head snapped up. Wolf mode: activated. Eyes went gold in that weird, flickering light. "Stay here," he muttered, already grabbing for the dagger on his thigh.
But she'd heard it too. That squish of footsteps in the wet ground. A low, mean growl—definitely not thunder. Her blood went ice-cold.
Before Damien even made it to the door, a voice cut through the rain. Rough, unfamiliar, and not at all friendly.
"Well, well... looks like the rumors were true. The Alpha King's hiding a marked girl out here in the woods."
Selene just froze. The mark on her wrist burned hotter, like it knew it was busted.
Damien struck a pose—dagger gripped, whole body blocking the door, pure wall. But inside? Selene's heart was beating so hard it hurt.
Someone knew.
Somebody had seen.
And now? Hell, maybe the whole world was about to find out what she really was.