The scars of the battle lingered long after the blood was washed from the snow. Wolves limped through the camp, some wounded in body, others in spirit. Trust, once fragile, was now fractured, and Selene could feel it in every glance that lingered too long, every whispered conversation that fell silent when she approached.
But she had seen the traitor's eyes. She couldn't forget them. That unnatural glow, cold and hollow, not born of loyalty but of something darker.
It haunted her. And it drove her to search for answers.
One evening, Selene approached Aria's tent. The rogue queen sat inside, sharpening a dagger with slow, deliberate strokes. The firelight cast shadows across her sharp features, making her look more predator than ally.
"You're bold to come here alone," Aria said without looking up.
"I need answers," Selene replied, forcing strength into her voice.
Aria's blade stilled. She lifted her gaze, amused. "About what?"
"The Council," Selene said. "How they turned Damon's wolves. How they… changed them."
Aria leaned back, twirling the dagger idly. "Ah. You've seen it now—their true weapon. Not claws. Not fangs. Control."
Selene's heart pounded. "What kind of control?"
"The kind that rots you from the inside," Aria said softly, almost with reverence. "They brand their chosen with shadow. Bind them with blood and magic until loyalty isn't a choice—it's a chain."
Selene's stomach twisted. "Then it wasn't betrayal. Not really. They didn't choose."
Aria's lips curved in a cold smile. "Does that make it easier for you? To believe you killed a slave instead of a traitor?"
Selene flinched. Aria saw it, and her smile sharpened.
"You think love will save you, little human. But the Council doesn't fight with swords. They fight with fear. And fear breaks even the strongest bond."
Selene left the tent shaken, but more determined. She had to know if Aria was telling the truth.
That night, she went to Damon. He stood at the edge of the camp, watching the forest as though daring enemies to emerge. His golden eyes softened when they found her.
"You should be resting," he said.
"I need to ask you something," Selene said, her voice trembling. "The wolves who turned on you… were they marked? Like me?"
Damon's jaw tightened. "Yes. But not by fate."
Selene's breath caught. "Then Aria was right. The Council forces it."
His eyes darkened, fury blazing. "They carve shadow into flesh. It strips them of choice, of will. They become puppets. Tools."
"And you didn't tell me?" Selene whispered.
"I didn't want you to carry that weight," Damon said, his voice rough. "You already bear enough because of me."
She shook her head, tears burning. "No, Damon. Because of us. If they can take your wolves, they'll try to take you. And if they mark you—"
"They won't," he growled, pulling her close, his grip fierce. "They'll never touch me. Never touch you. I'll kill them first."
But Selene wasn't so sure. She had felt the strength of the bond when Damon's life was in danger, how it blazed through her like fire. What if the Council found a way to use that same bond against them?
The following days, Selene searched for answers. She asked questions, observed the wolves, studied the scars left on the dead. And slowly, a picture formed.
The Council's mark wasn't just magic. It was corruption. A shadow that crawled into the soul and devoured it from within.
And when she pressed her hand to the bond on her wrist, she felt something stir. A heat. A light.
Maybe… just maybe… the bond wasn't only a chain. Maybe it could be a weapon.
That night, as snow fell soft and silent, Selene sat with Damon by the fire. She told him what she had learned, her words trembling but sure.
"If the Council twists with shadow, then maybe the bond can burn it out," she said. "Maybe we can free the ones they've taken."
Damon studied her, his golden eyes unreadable. "You think our bond can break theirs?"
"I don't know," Selene admitted. "But I feel it, Damon. When I touch the mark… it's like fire waiting to be unleashed. What if it isn't just for us? What if it can save them?"
For a long moment, Damon said nothing. Then he took her wrist in his hand, pressing his lips to the glowing mark.
"If you're right," he whispered, "then you hold the only weapon that can destroy them."
Selene's heart thudded. Fear and hope tangled in her chest. She wasn't a warrior, not like Damon or Aria. But maybe fate had given her something stronger.
Not claws. Not fangs.
But fire.
Author's Note:
🔥✨ Selene has uncovered the Council's secret—the mark of shadow that strips wolves of their will. But could her bond with Damon hold the key to breaking it? Do you think Selene's fire can truly burn away the Council's control? Comment below and vote with Power Stones to keep her courage burning bright! ❤️