The Council chamber still pulsed with the echo of their Trial. Selene's wrist burned faintly where the mark had changed, silver fire etched into her skin forever. Damon stood tall beside her, unyielding, but she could feel the storm raging inside him.
The Council dismissed them with cold formality. No sentence yet. Only the promise of deliberation. The word tasted like a blade waiting to fall.
As they left the mountain stronghold and returned to the forest, the silence between them stretched heavy and long. Selene finally broke it.
"They didn't kill us."
"Not yet," Damon muttered, his jaw tight. "But don't mistake survival for safety. The Council doesn't fear easily. And they fear us now."
Selene shivered.
Back in the Blackthorn camp, the atmosphere was colder than the mountain air. Wolves moved stiffly, whispers chasing her wherever she walked.
"Why is she still here?"
"She's cursed."
"She'll bring the Council's wrath down on us all."
Selene tried to ignore them, but every word pierced deeper. Damon's Beta, Marcus, met them near the firepit, his face grim.
"They're restless," Marcus said, his gaze flicking to Selene. "Some say you've doomed us all. Others whisper about leaving the pack."
Damon's growl rumbled low, dangerous. "If they want to leave, let them. But if they threaten her…" His golden eyes glowed like fire. "They'll answer to me."
Selene swallowed hard. Part of her wanted to beg him not to provoke them further. But another part—darker, fiercer—thrummed at his words, at his refusal to bend.
It frightened her how much that part was growing.
That night, Selene awoke to the sound of hushed voices outside her tent. She froze, heart hammering, and leaned closer to listen.
"…can't keep following him. He's blinded by her."
"The Council will punish us all."
"He's no Alpha anymore. He's just a man chasing a forbidden bond."
A pause. Then a voice she recognized, bitter and sharp.
Marcus.
Her stomach dropped. Damon's Beta. His most trusted wolf.
"If we want to survive," Marcus said, "we have to act before the Council does. Damon won't listen to reason. Which means it's time we make them listen."
The others murmured agreement. Footsteps retreated into the forest, leaving Selene shaking.
She didn't sleep again.
By dawn, Damon noticed. He always noticed.
"You're pale," he murmured, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "What happened?"
Selene hesitated. Telling him would ignite his fury. But staying silent meant hiding betrayal festering in his own pack.
Finally, she whispered, "I heard Marcus. He's plotting against you. Against us."
Damon went still. His hand dropped from her cheek, his jaw locking. "You're certain?"
Selene nodded. "He said you're blinded. That the pack has to act before the Council does."
Golden fire flared in Damon's eyes. "Then he's chosen his fate."
Selene caught his wrist, panic surging. "Wait! If you strike him down now, the others will only see what they already fear. That you've lost yourself. That I've corrupted you."
Damon turned to her, fury and anguish warring in his expression. "And what do you suggest? Let him tear my pack from me? Let him put you at their mercy?"
Selene's heart twisted. She didn't know the answer. All she knew was that every path seemed to lead to blood.
By nightfall, the betrayal was no longer whispered.
Marcus confronted Damon before the entire pack.
"You endanger us all!" Marcus's voice rang through the clearing, strong, commanding. "You defied the Council. You bound yourself to a human. You risk our lives for your obsession!"
Damon's growl shook the ground. "Watch your tongue, Marcus."
But Marcus didn't bow. Didn't even flinch. "No. I won't. Not anymore. You're no Alpha of mine."
Gasps rippled through the pack.
Selene's stomach dropped. Not anymore.
This wasn't just disobedience. It was declaration.
A challenge.
The night split with snarls as wolves surged forward, dividing—some behind Damon, others behind Marcus.
Selene stood frozen in the chaos, her pulse thundering. She felt Damon's fury burning through the bond, his determination, his rage.
Marcus's voice rose above the clamor. "The Council will crush us if we don't act. But if we give them the human—if we sever the bond—maybe they'll spare the pack!"
All eyes turned to her.
Selene's breath caught. For the first time, she saw not resentment or pity in their gaze—but hunger.
A storm of fear and defiance swirled inside her. She could feel Damon's instinct to lunge, to kill Marcus where he stood. But beneath it was something else. Pain.
If Damon killed Marcus, the pack would split. If he didn't… they might all turn against him.
And her.
She stepped forward before she could lose her courage. "I am not your curse." Her voice trembled, but she forced it louder. "I am his mate. His strength. If you can't see that, then you are blind."
The clearing stilled.
Damon's golden eyes widened at her audacity. Marcus's lip curled, mockery in his gaze. "Brave words. But a human doesn't speak for wolves."
Selene's mark flared, heat surging through her veins. She lifted her wrist, the silver fire blazing in the dark. "This does."
Gasps echoed. Even Marcus faltered.
And for a fleeting moment, Selene thought maybe—just maybe—her words would be enough.
But then Marcus snarled. "If you want her, Alpha, you'll have to fight me for her. As law demands."
The challenge hung heavy in the air.
And Damon, eyes burning like molten gold, answered with a single word.
"Accepted."
Author's Note:
⚔️ Betrayal! Damon's own Beta has risen against him, and the pack stands divided. Marcus has challenged Damon for leadership—with Selene's fate at the heart of the fight. Do you think Damon will win, or will this betrayal be the end of his reign? Don't forget to vote with Power Stones if you're rooting for Damon and Selene! ❤️