The night after the challenge, Selene couldn't sleep. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw Damon's wolf—massive, furious, unstoppable—pinning his opponent to the ground. She saw the rebel's defiant eyes, even as his throat was pressed under Damon's jaws.
The bond should have made her feel safe. Instead, it made her restless, as if Damon's battle still raged inside her veins.
And then it happened.
The mark on her wrist flared with a heat so sharp it yanked a gasp from her lips. Her stomach twisted violently, her throat burning. She stumbled to the sink, clutching at her chest—only to find her mouth flooding with metallic warmth.
Blood.
She doubled over, coughing crimson into the basin, trembling as the mark pulsed wildly.
And through the haze of fear, she felt him.
Damon. Bleeding.
She didn't think, didn't change clothes, didn't even lock the door. She just ran—through the campus, across the empty roads, into the forest. Her lungs screamed, but the bond dragged her onward until she burst into their hidden clearing.
Damon was on one knee, shirt torn, blood dripping from a gash along his side. His wolf form had healed most wounds, but this one refused to close.
Selene staggered to him, horror clawing at her throat. "Damon—you're hurt—"
His golden eyes lifted, fierce even through the pain. "You shouldn't be here."
She dropped beside him, tears stinging her eyes. "I felt it! I felt you bleeding, Damon. And then—I—" Her voice cracked. "I coughed up blood."
For the first time, she saw fear flash across his face.
"That's impossible," he muttered, shaking his head. "The bond—it shouldn't be this strong, not yet."
Selene's voice trembled. "Then what's happening to me?"
He gritted his teeth, trying to push himself upright. "The bond is… deepening. You're not just connected to my emotions anymore. You're connected to my body. My pain."
The words landed like thunder. Her chest tightened, her pulse racing. "So if you die…"
Damon met her gaze, unflinching. "Then you die too."
The weight of it crashed over her like a wave. Her entire future, her very life, was now tethered to his. She couldn't breathe.
She shoved back from him, panic clawing at her. "This isn't fair! I didn't ask for this! I didn't ask to be tied to your world, your war, your blood—"
"Selene." His voice cracked like a whip.
She froze, staring at him. His chest rose and fell sharply, his golden eyes burning with raw intensity.
"Do you think I asked for this?" His voice was low, rough. "Do you think I wanted fate to hand me a mate who'd suffer because of me? Who'd bleed when I bleed?"
Her throat tightened. She wanted to scream at him, to curse him, to run—but she couldn't. Because beneath the anger in his voice was something else. Desperation.
"I would trade anything to keep you safe," he said, softer now, his hand trembling as he reached for hers. "But I can't change what we are. And neither can you."
Her eyes blurred with tears. She hated him for being right.
He pulled her closer, guiding her hand to his wound. His skin was hot, slick with blood.
"Focus," he ordered. "You feel my pain? Then use it. The bond is more than suffering. It can heal too."
She shook her head, trembling. "I don't know how."
"Yes, you do." His gaze locked on hers, steady, unwavering. "Trust it. Trust me."
Her hand pressed harder against his wound. The mark on her wrist burned, and then—something shifted.
She felt his pain, sharp and raw, coursing through her veins. But instead of drowning in it, she clung to it, guiding it back, forcing it to ebb. Her skin tingled, warmth blooming beneath her palm.
Damon hissed, his body tensing. And then, slowly, impossibly, the bleeding slowed.
The gash began to close.
Selene gasped, tears streaking her cheeks. "It's working—"
When the wound sealed completely, Damon slumped back, his chest heaving. His eyes shone gold in the moonlight, softer than she'd ever seen.
"You did it," he whispered.
Selene's hands trembled violently. "I felt it all. Every second. Damon—I thought I was going to break."
His hand caught her cheek, forcing her to meet his gaze. "You didn't. You're stronger than you know."
But Selene wasn't sure strength had anything to do with it. Because even as fear clawed at her, she couldn't deny the truth.
The bond was changing her.
And part of her was terrified that one day, there would be nothing human left.
Later, when Damon finally drifted into restless sleep, Selene sat beside him, watching the steady rise and fall of his chest. Her wrist still throbbed faintly, but the bleeding had stopped.
Her mind, however, wouldn't rest.
She had wanted adventure. She had wanted love. But what she had stumbled into was something far darker, far deeper.
And as she brushed her fingers over Damon's, she whispered to the night:
"If our bond is life and death… what happens when the world forces us to choose?"
Author's Note:
🩸 The bond between Damon and Selene has taken a dangerous turn—they now share not just emotions, but pain and blood. Selene's first taste of power is terrifying… but also a hint of something greater. Do you think this bond will become her strength or her undoing? 💔 Don't forget to vote with Power Stones to support the story! ❤️