The days following the Council's warning dragged like chains. Selene tried to bury herself in normalcy—lectures, coffee shops, the endless chatter of Clara—but the world she'd once known felt flimsy, like a stage set ready to collapse.
Every time she caught her reflection, her eyes lingered on the faint glow of the mark. It wasn't just a symbol anymore. It was alive.
One morning, she woke drenched in sweat, her body trembling, the sound of wolves howling echoing in her ears though she was miles from the forest. Her heart raced, wild and erratic, as if it didn't belong to her.
By the time Clara knocked on her door, Selene had buried the mark under a sleeve. "You look awful," Clara frowned. "Are you sick?"
"I didn't sleep well," Selene muttered, forcing a weak smile. "Just tired."
But the truth was heavier. The bond wasn't just tying her to Damon. It was changing her.
That night, she returned to the forest. Damon was already there, his expression tight, as if he had sensed her distress.
"You felt it," he said without preamble.
Selene froze. "What do you mean?"
"The bond," Damon growled, pacing. "It's bleeding into you. You're feeling my world, Selene—my instincts, my pain, even my hunger." His eyes flashed gold. "It's too soon. It shouldn't be happening this fast."
Her stomach knotted. "So it's true. I'm… changing."
Damon stopped pacing, facing her with an intensity that made her chest ache. "You're human. You're not meant to carry this. It'll burn you alive if it grows unchecked."
Her throat went dry. "Then break it. Break the bond."
His face hardened, as if she had struck him. "Do you think I haven't tried? I've torn through every legend, every spell. The bond cannot be broken. Not without killing one of us."
The words hit like ice water. She stepped back, shaking her head. "So my choices are to change—or to die?"
Damon's voice cracked, fierce and desperate. "No. I won't let either happen. I'll find a way to control it. I swear it."
Selene wrapped her arms around herself, shivering. But as much as fear gripped her, another feeling tugged at her chest: pity. Damon wasn't just protecting her. He was fighting fate itself.
And she could see it was tearing him apart.
Days blurred into restless nights. Selene's body grew more sensitive—sharper hearing, restless energy under her skin, dreams filled with moonlight and blood. She tried to ignore it, but the changes became impossible to hide.
Clara noticed first. "Selene, you've been… different. Stronger. Faster. I saw you catch that falling stack of books today like it weighed nothing. Are you taking something? Some weird supplement?"
Selene forced a laugh, brushing it off, but inside, panic clawed at her. If Clara could see the difference, how long before others did?
That evening, she confronted Damon again. "It's getting worse," she admitted. "I can feel everything. Even when you're not here. Your anger. Your hunger. Sometimes it's overwhelming."
Damon clenched his fists, fury flashing across his face—not at her, but at the bond itself. "Kieran must have known. That's why he taunts me. If you change too much, the Council will sense it."
"Then what do we do?" she whispered.
His golden gaze locked on hers. "We train you. If the bond wants to bleed into you, then we'll make sure you can survive it."
Selene's heart skipped. "Train me? As what? A wolf?"
A grim smile touched his lips. "No. As my mate."
The training began in secret, hidden deep in the forest. Damon pushed her harder than she'd ever pushed herself—running, fighting, sharpening her senses until the world felt sharper, more dangerous, more alive.
Selene hated him for it sometimes. For the way he barked orders, for the endless drills until her legs gave out. But at night, when exhaustion pulled her under, she couldn't deny the truth.
She was stronger. Faster. Different.
And every time Damon caught her when she stumbled, every time his hand lingered a second too long on hers, the bond tightened.
It was terrifying. Addictive.
Unstoppable.
One night, after hours of training, Selene collapsed on the forest floor, gasping for breath. Damon crouched beside her, his expression unreadable.
"You're changing," he said softly. "Not into a wolf. But into something the bond created. Something between."
Her chest heaved as she met his gaze. "And what if I lose myself?"
His jaw tightened. "Then I'll find you. Even if I have to drag you back from the edge."
The sincerity in his voice stole her breath. For the first time, Selene realized Damon wasn't just fighting for control of his pack or his fate.
He was fighting for her.
And it terrified her how much she wanted him to win.
Author's Note:
🌙 The bond is changing Selene, pulling her deeper into Damon's world. She's no longer just a human girl—she's becoming something new. Do you think she'll survive the transformation, or will it consume her? Don't forget to vote with Power Stones to support her journey! ❤️