The Council's decree lingered over the Blackthorn camp like a curse. Wolves spoke in whispers, eyes darting toward Selene as though she carried the plague. The bond that had once been Damon's shield now felt like a blade pressed against both their throats.
Selene sat by the fire, staring into the flames. The embers reminded her of the Council's silver fire, how it had seared the earth when they marked Damon's pack for destruction. Every spark felt like a countdown.
Damon paced behind her, his fury simmering close to the surface. He had barely slept since the ultimatum. His golden eyes burned like molten metal, his shoulders tense with a weight no Alpha should carry alone.
"They'll come for us soon," he muttered, voice rough. "We need to be ready."
Selene turned to face him. "Ready how? You can't fight the Council with just the Blackthorn pack. They'll slaughter us."
Damon froze, the truth of her words striking deep. But the stubborn fire in his gaze didn't waver. "Then we don't fight alone."
Later that night, Damon summoned Marcus. The Beta entered stiffly, his throat still scarred from the fight. His eyes carried the bitterness of defeat, but there was caution too.
"You should have killed me," Marcus said flatly.
"Maybe," Damon growled, "but I didn't. And now you're going to repay that mercy."
Marcus's eyes narrowed. "And how exactly do you expect me to do that?"
"You still have contacts," Damon said. "Wolves outside the Council's leash. Rogues. Packs who've lost everything to their laws." His voice hardened. "I want them. All of them."
Selene stiffened. "You're asking rogues for help? Damon, they hate Alphas. They hate rules. They'll never fight for you."
"They'll fight for survival," Damon countered. His eyes locked on Marcus. "Find them. Bring them to me. Or I'll finish what we started."
Marcus's lip curled, but after a tense silence, he nodded. "I'll go."
As he left, Selene exhaled shakily. "You trust him?"
Damon's golden eyes glinted. "Not at all. But sometimes, even betrayal can be useful."
Days later, Marcus returned—along with a shadowed figure who moved with the easy grace of a predator.
Selene's pulse spiked when she saw her. The woman was tall, her dark hair braided with beads and feathers, her eyes sharp as obsidian. She wore no cloak of the Council, no sigil of a pack.
"Who—?" Selene began.
Damon's lips curled in something between a snarl and a grim smile. "Aria."
The woman tilted her head. "It's been a long time, Alpha Blackthorn." Her voice was smooth, but there was iron beneath it.
Selene glanced between them, tension prickling. "You know her?"
Damon nodded. "She was once Alpha of the Shadowfangs."
Aria's gaze flicked to Selene, lingering on the mark at her wrist. A spark of interest—no, calculation—flared in her eyes. "So this is the infamous human. I expected someone taller."
Selene bristled, but Damon stepped protectively closer. "Careful, Aria."
The woman only smirked.
That night, Aria sat across the fire from them, her expression unreadable. "The Council fears you," she said simply. "That's why they'll destroy you. But fear can be turned. If wolves see you as a weapon instead of a weakness, you'll have an army."
Damon's jaw tightened. "You think rogues will fight for me?"
"They'll fight for themselves," Aria corrected. "But you—your bond—gives them hope. If you can defy the Council, so can they."
Selene frowned. "And what do you get out of this?"
Aria's smile was sharp. "Revenge. The Council burned my pack to ash. I want them to choke on the smoke."
The firelight danced across her eyes, and Selene felt a shiver run through her. There was no denying Aria's strength—but there was also no mistaking the hunger in her gaze.
Later, when they were alone, Selene whispered to Damon, "I don't trust her."
"You shouldn't," Damon said bluntly. "But right now, we don't need trust. We need allies."
Selene touched his arm, her voice soft. "And what if her revenge consumes us too?"
His golden eyes softened briefly, just for her. "Then I'll burn before I let it touch you."
Her heart twisted at the promise, equal parts love and dread.
The next day, Aria led them deep into the forest. At first Selene thought they were alone—but then shadows moved, and wolves emerged from the trees. Dozens of them. Rogues, scarred and hard-eyed, their stares sharp as blades.
Selene's breath caught. There were more of them than she'd ever imagined.
Aria raised her voice. "Brothers. Sisters. The Council calls us abominations. They hunt us. Kill us. But now…" She gestured toward Damon and Selene. "…now, we have a weapon they fear. An Alpha bound to a human by unbreakable fire."
The rogues growled, murmured, snarled—but their eyes never left Damon and Selene.
Damon stepped forward, his presence commanding even among rogues. "Fight with me, and I will give you a future the Council cannot destroy. Stand against me, and I will destroy you myself."
The rogues stilled, measuring him.
Then one wolf howled. Another joined. Then another.
The forest shook with sound.
Selene's heart pounded. Against all odds, Damon had just done what no Alpha had ever achieved.
He had turned the rogues into an army.
Author's Note:
🔥🐺 Damon and Selene now have a dangerous new ally—Aria and her rogue army. But rogues are wild, unpredictable, and loyal to no one. Do you think Damon made the right choice in trusting Aria? Or has he invited more danger than the Council itself? Share your thoughts and remember to vote with Power Stones if you're excited for the battles ahead! ❤️