The chamber was silent after the elder's pronouncement. Silent, but heavy—like the stillness before a storm. Selene's palms were slick with sweat, her heart pounding so loudly she swore every wolf in the room could hear it.
Damon's hand remained tight around hers. Steady. Anchoring.
The silver-haired elder raised her arms to the sky. "By the light of the full moon, the Council calls forth the Trial. The bond shall be tested, and the truth revealed. If it is pure, it will endure. If it is false, it will shatter. And so will those bound by it."
Selene's stomach dropped. Shatter?
Before she could speak, the dais beneath them began to glow. Symbols carved into the stone lit up, spreading in a circle around her and Damon. The air thickened, pressing down like invisible weight.
"What's happening?" she whispered.
Damon's jaw clenched. "They're invoking ancient magic. The Trial of Bonds. I hoped they wouldn't…"
The elder's voice cut through. "Step forward. Stand in the moon's light."
Damon guided her into the center. The moment the silver light touched her skin, her mark flared so hot she nearly cried out.
Then the questions began.
"Human," one elder intoned, his eyes glowing a sharp amber. "Do you love him?"
Selene's mouth went dry. Love? It was too soon, too wild, too terrifying to name. But when she looked at Damon, at the way his golden eyes softened for her alone, the answer came.
"Yes."
The circle of runes pulsed once.
Another elder's voice rose. "Wolf. Would you sacrifice your pack for her?"
Damon didn't hesitate. "Yes."
The runes pulsed again, brighter this time.
A third voice, cold and sharp: "Human. Would you bear his blood, his instincts, his hunger, if the bond demands it?"
Selene trembled. Images flashed through her mind—blood in her mouth, a howl tearing from her throat, the wildness that scared her more than anything.
But Damon's hand squeezed hers, grounding her.
Her voice shook. "Yes."
The runes flared brighter still.
The chamber filled with murmurs. Some shocked, others furious.
"Impossible."
"She accepts it?"
"She cannot survive it."
The silver-haired elder raised her hand for silence. Her piercing gaze shifted back to Damon. "And you, Alpha. Would you die for her?"
Damon's golden eyes never wavered. His answer was a growl of truth. "Without question."
This time, the runes exploded with light, so brilliant Selene had to shut her eyes. The chamber shook, the very air humming with power.
When she opened them again, the Council looked shaken. Even the silver-haired elder's expression was unreadable.
But the Trial wasn't over.
The light around them shifted, hardening into chains of silver energy that wrapped around their wrists, binding them together. Selene gasped, struggling instinctively, but the chains burned at her skin when she pulled away.
"The final test," the elder intoned. "Survive the merging—or be consumed by it."
The chains tightened, dragging Selene and Damon closer until their marks touched. Heat surged between them, blinding, searing.
Selene screamed as Damon's world crashed into hers.
She felt his heartbeat thunder in her chest. His rage, his hunger, his wildness. She tasted blood, iron and sharp. She smelled earth, smoke, and the tang of moonlit fur.
And beneath it all, his soul—dark, fierce, unyielding.
It was too much. Too raw. She tried to fight it, but the bond pulled harder, demanding she open, demanding she merge.
"Selene," Damon's voice cut through the chaos, raw and desperate. "Don't fight me. Let me in."
Her tears burned. "It's—too much—I'll break—"
"You won't," he growled. "You're stronger than this. Stronger than me."
Something in his voice—so certain, so full of faith—broke through her fear.
And she let go.
The chains blazed white-hot, then shattered.
Selene collapsed against Damon's chest, gasping, trembling, but alive. His arms caught her, holding her close, his heartbeat thundering against her ear.
When she lifted her head, she saw the mark on her wrist had changed. No longer just a faint glow—it now shone like silver fire.
The Council stared in stunned silence.
The silver-haired elder finally spoke, her voice low and wary. "The bond is… unbreakable."
Shock rippled through the chamber. Some wolves looked awed. Others horrified.
"It is forbidden."
"It is dangerous."
"It is undeniable."
The elder's gaze lingered on Selene, unreadable. "You have survived the Trial. But survival does not mean acceptance. We will deliberate."
With a wave of her hand, the runes dimmed, the chamber falling into shadow again.
Damon pulled Selene close, his lips brushing her temple. His voice was a whisper only she could hear.
"They can deliberate all they want. Nothing will ever break us now."
Selene wanted to believe him. She wanted to cling to that certainty.
But as the Council's eyes bored into her, she couldn't shake the chill crawling down her spine.
Because unbreakable bonds had always carried the heaviest prices.
Author's Note:
🌕🔥 Damon and Selene have survived the Trial by Moonlight! Their bond is now unbreakable—but that very strength has unsettled the Council. Do you think the elders will accept them, or will this power only make Selene and Damon bigger targets? Leave your thoughts and don't forget to vote with Power Stones! ❤️