The forest no longer felt like refuge.
Every rustle in the trees made Selene flinch. Every shadow seemed to hide accusing eyes. Damon's vow echoed in her chest like a heartbeat—I choose you—but the weight of those words grew heavier each day.
Because she could see it in the wolves' stares.
The pack was fracturing.
It happened during training. Damon had ordered her to practice with two younger wolves—boys barely older than her, but faster, stronger, fueled by resentment they no longer tried to hide.
Selene tried to keep up, blocking blows, ducking under claws, remembering Damon's every lesson. But when one of the wolves feinted left and slashed right, his claws nicked her shoulder. Blood bloomed, sharp and hot.
Damon was there in an instant, fury blazing in his golden eyes. He shoved the wolf back, his growl shaking the air. "Enough!"
The wolf snarled, daring to stand his ground. "She doesn't belong here! She makes us weak!"
Gasps rippled through the clearing. No one challenged the Alpha directly. Yet here it was—open defiance.
Damon's voice was lethal calm. "Say that again."
The wolf's lips curled. "You endanger us for her. You betray the pack for a human."
Before Selene could blink, Damon had him pinned to the ground, claws at his throat. The clearing pulsed with dominance, forcing every wolf present to bow instinctively.
But Selene saw it—the flicker of satisfaction in the rebel's eyes. He wasn't afraid. He wanted this confrontation.
And then she understood. This wasn't just anger. It was rebellion.
That night, Damon paced their hidden clearing, fury radiating off him like a storm. Selene sat on a fallen log, her shoulder still stinging from the earlier strike.
"They planned it," Damon muttered, more to himself than to her. "They wanted to push me. To make me choose between you and them."
Selene's throat tightened. "And you chose me."
His gaze snapped to her, sharp and burning. "I'll always choose you."
Her heart squeezed painfully. "But what if choosing me destroys everything you've built? Your pack, your place as Alpha—"
"I don't care," he cut in, his voice raw. "Do you hear me, Selene? I don't care about the throne, or the Council, or the damn laws. I care about you."
Tears stung her eyes. She wanted to believe him, needed to believe him—but the image of his wolves' accusing stares haunted her.
"You say that now," she whispered, "but what happens when they turn on you completely?"
His hand closed around hers, fierce and unyielding. "Then let them. I'll burn the world before I let it take you."
The intensity in his voice left her breathless, trembling with fear and longing all at once.
But deep down, she knew the fire he promised would consume more than just the world.
It would consume him.
The breaking point came sooner than she expected.
Three nights later, Selene woke with her mark burning hotter than fire. She staggered out of bed, heart pounding, the pull dragging her to the forest.
She found chaos.
The clearing was a battlefield—wolves snarling, snapping, circling Damon. The rebellious young wolf stood at the center, blood streaking his face, eyes gleaming with defiance.
"You're no Alpha," he spat, voice carrying in the night. "You've broken the law, shamed the pack, doomed us all!"
Damon's golden gaze was pure fire. "And you think you can lead them better?"
"Yes," the wolf snarled. "Without her. Without weakness."
Selene froze at the edge of the clearing. The hostility in the air was suffocating, heavy with betrayal.
Damon stepped forward, dominance radiating like a storm. "Then challenge me. If you think you can take my place—fight me."
Gasps rippled through the pack. A challenge. The oldest law.
The rebel's lips curled. "Gladly."
The fight was brutal. Damon shifted in a blur of fur and power, his massive black wolf slamming into the younger challenger. The clearing shook with snarls, claws, and snapping jaws. Wolves circled, watching with wide, hungry eyes.
Selene's breath caught as Damon was thrown to the ground, the rebel's teeth snapping inches from his throat.
"No!" she screamed, rushing forward before she could stop herself.
The mark on her wrist blazed, pulsing with Damon's pain. She felt his struggle, his rage, his determination. It surged through her veins, igniting something wild inside her.
For a heartbeat, her scream wasn't human—it was a howl.
The pack froze. Even the rebel faltered, distracted by the sound.
And Damon seized the moment. With a roar, he twisted free, pinning his opponent beneath him. His jaws closed on the rebel's throat, not killing—but claiming dominance.
Silence fell. Every wolf in the clearing bowed instinctively, the rebellion crushed beneath the sheer force of his will.
But Selene knew this wasn't the end.
It was only the beginning.
Later, Damon found her trembling in the shadows, her wrist still burning. His eyes, still glowing faintly gold, softened when they met hers.
"You shouldn't have interfered," he said quietly, though there was no anger in his voice.
"I couldn't stop myself," Selene whispered. "I felt you. Through the bond. It was like I was fighting too."
He brushed a thumb over her cheek, his touch both tender and desperate. "Then maybe fate isn't against us after all."
But Selene couldn't shake the image of the wolves' eyes—fearful, resentful, divided.
The bond might have given Damon strength tonight.
But tomorrow, it could be the blade that cut him down.
Author's Note:
🔥 Betrayal has struck Damon's pack, and the Alpha was forced into a deadly challenge. Selene's bond is growing stronger—and more dangerous—than either of them imagined. What do you think: is the bond their salvation or their doom? Don't forget to vote with Power Stones to keep this story alive! ❤️