Winter came early.
The first snow fell thick and silent, blanketing the forest in white. The camp was quieter than usual, wolves moving with sharper vigilance, their breaths clouding in the frosted air. Every sound carried in the stillness—the snap of a branch, the crunch of footsteps, the restless growl of wolves waiting for war.
Selene wrapped Damon's cloak tighter around her shoulders as she stood near the fire. The flames licked the cold, but unease burned hotter than the chill. Something felt wrong in the air, like the forest itself was holding its breath.
Damon emerged from the trees, his dark hair dusted with snow, his golden eyes gleaming like molten fire against the winter. He was beautiful and terrifying, and he carried the weight of a thousand storms in his gaze.
"They're close," he said, his voice low.
Selene's stomach twisted. "The Council?"
He nodded. "Scouts found tracks less than a mile from here. Too many to be patrols. They're preparing for something bigger."
By dusk, the camp was on alert. Wolves patrolled the perimeter, rogues and Blackthorn alike bristling with tension. Damon stood before them, a tower of strength in the firelight.
"The Council believes fear will weaken us," he growled, his voice carrying through the clearing. "But fear is our weapon. Let them think us divided. Let them think us broken. And when they strike, we'll show them the truth."
Howls answered him, rising into the frozen night, but Selene could still sense the cracks beneath the noise. Fear lingered in their eyes, sharper than claws.
Later, as the fires burned low, Selene sat beside Damon, watching the snow fall. "What if they come tonight?" she whispered.
"Then we fight tonight," he said simply.
She looked at him, her chest aching. "And if we don't win?"
Damon's hand cupped her face, his thumb brushing her cheek. "Then I die with your name on my lips. And nothing the Council does will change the fact that you are mine."
Tears burned her eyes, but she pressed her forehead to his, letting the bond steady her. "And I'll fight with you. Always."
The attack came at dawn.
Selene woke to the sound of snarls and screams. She bolted upright, the air thick with the copper scent of blood. Outside the tent, chaos reigned—wolves clashing in the snow, their fur streaked with crimson.
"Stay here!" Damon barked, already shifting, his massive black wolf form launching into the fray.
But Selene didn't stay. She couldn't. Grabbing a dagger, she ran into the storm of claws and teeth.
The snow was no longer white. It was stained red. Wolves tore into each other, the air filled with the sound of bones breaking and throats tearing. Selene ducked beneath a lunging wolf, her dagger flashing as she slashed at another's flank. Her heart pounded with terror, but adrenaline kept her moving.
Across the clearing, she saw Damon—a blur of black fur and golden eyes—tearing through Council wolves like a living shadow. For a moment, she felt hope. He was unstoppable.
Then she saw Aria.
The rogue queen fought like fire itself, her blade flashing as she cut down a Council soldier. But her eyes flicked toward Damon, sharp and calculating even in the bloodshed. Selene's chest tightened. Aria wasn't just fighting for survival. She was measuring the battlefield… and Damon.
A howl split the air, one Selene recognized instantly. Not Damon's. Not Aria's.
Blackthorn.
Selene spun, searching, and her blood ran cold. One of Damon's own wolves had turned, his eyes glowing with the mark of the Council's control. He lunged not at the enemy—but at Damon.
"No!" Selene screamed.
Her body moved before her mind could catch up. She sprinted across the snow, dagger raised, and slammed into the wolf just as he leapt for Damon's throat. They tumbled together, his claws raking her arm, his jaws snapping inches from her face.
Pain seared through her, hot and blinding. But through the bond, she felt Damon's rage explode like fire.
Selene!
Golden light burned across her wrist, the mark of their bond blazing. Strength surged into her veins, unnatural and wild. With a cry, she drove the dagger into the traitor's chest. He convulsed, then went still, blood soaking the snow beneath them.
Selene collapsed, gasping, her vision blurring. Damon was there in an instant, his wolf form fading as he shifted back to human, naked and bloodied. He gathered her into his arms, his voice breaking.
"You're bleeding—gods, Selene, why didn't you stay back?"
She clutched his arm, her lips trembling. "Because if I lose you, nothing else matters."
His golden eyes burned with love and fury all at once. "You'll never lose me. Not while I breathe."
Around them, the battle raged on, but in Damon's arms, Selene felt the world narrow to just the two of them—the fire of their bond, the blood in the snow, and the promise that even war could not sever what fate had bound.
Author's Note:
❄️💔 Blood stains the snow as the Council makes its first move. Selene has faced betrayal from within Damon's own pack—proof that their enemies are more dangerous than they thought. Do you think Aria is truly fighting beside Damon, or waiting for the perfect moment to betray him? Leave your thoughts below and vote with Power Stones to keep Selene and Damon strong! ❤️