The storm came at dawn.
Not of snow, but of wolves.
The Council struck fast, sending a small hunting party to test the packs' defenses. Their howls ripped through the forest, sharp and cruel. Damon's wolves rose to meet them, the clash of fangs and claws shattering the morning silence.
Selene stayed near the center of camp, heart hammering as she watched. Every instinct screamed at her to run, but she held her ground. She had asked for this chance—no, she had demanded it. Now she had to prove she could stand in the fire.
Among the attackers, Selene saw one wolf move differently. His eyes burned with that same unnatural light she had seen before. His strikes were brutal, precise, but there was no soul behind them. Just shadow.
Her chest tightened. This is it.
The wolf broke through the line, lunging straight for Damon. Damon was ready, his claws flashing, but Selene moved first.
"Wait!" she cried, throwing herself between them. Damon snarled in shock, trying to pull her back, but Selene's hand was already glowing.
She pressed her palm against the wolf's fur.
Heat seared her skin, the bond on her wrist blazing to life. The world spun, light exploding behind her eyes. She felt something inside the wolf—cold, heavy, suffocating. A shadow that coiled around his spirit like chains.
"Selene!" Damon roared, grabbing her arm. But she held on.
"No—he's not gone!" she gasped. "I can feel him!"
The shadow writhed, clawing at her mind. Darkness pressed against her, trying to smother the fire that burned within her. But she pushed harder, letting the bond blaze through her veins, pouring warmth and love and will into the wolf before her.
"Come back," she whispered fiercely. "You're not theirs. You're yours."
For a heartbeat, nothing happened.
Then—light.
It burst through the shadow, a scream tearing from the wolf's throat. He collapsed, convulsing, as the glow in his eyes flickered and died. When the fight stilled, he lay trembling at her feet, his breathing ragged but alive.
Selene stumbled back, her knees weak. Damon caught her, his arms strong around her.
"You could have died," he snarled, his voice rough with fear.
"But I didn't," Selene whispered, looking at the freed wolf. "And neither did he."
The battle ended shortly after. The Council wolves fled, dragging their wounded back into the forest. Damon's pack gathered around the fallen wolf, who now stared at them with dazed, tear-filled eyes.
"He was theirs," one wolf muttered, mistrust heavy in his tone.
"Not anymore," Selene said firmly. She stepped forward, though her legs still trembled. "They chained him. I broke it."
The pack murmured, some in disbelief, others in awe.
Aria arrived then, her sharp gaze taking everything in. She crouched by the freed wolf, studying him as if he were an artifact. Then she looked at Selene, her lips curling into a slow, dangerous smile.
"So it's true," Aria murmured. "The bond burns shadow."
Damon stiffened. "Stay away from her."
Aria rose, arching a brow. "Relax, Alpha. I'm not here to steal your mate. But this…" She gestured toward Selene. "This changes everything. You may have the only weapon the Council can't defend against."
Selene's heart pounded. She hadn't wanted to be a weapon. She had only wanted to protect Damon. But now the eyes of both packs were on her, and she knew there was no turning back.
That night, the camp was restless. Wolves whispered of what they had seen—of fire burning shadow, of a human wielding power no wolf could match.
Selene sat alone, her hands shaking as she remembered the darkness clawing at her mind. It had been so close—so suffocating. What if next time, it consumed her instead?
Damon found her by the fire, kneeling beside her. His golden eyes searched hers, fierce and tender all at once.
"You were reckless," he said quietly. "Brave. But reckless."
"I had to try," Selene whispered. "If we can save them instead of killing them… isn't that worth it?"
Damon cupped her face, his thumb brushing her cheek. "You're too good for this world," he murmured. "Too good for me."
Her chest ached. "Then let me be good enough for both of us."
For a moment, silence stretched between them, broken only by the crackle of the fire. Then Damon kissed her, hard and desperate, as though trying to brand her into his very soul.
When he pulled back, his voice was rough. "If the Council ever tries to take you—"
"They won't," Selene said, her voice firm despite her fear. "Because we'll burn them first."
The next morning, the freed wolf approached Selene. He bowed his head low, his voice hoarse.
"You gave me back my mind," he said. "I owe you my life."
Selene shook her head. "You don't owe me anything. Just… be free. That's all I want."
But as he walked away, she felt the weight of his words settle on her. Whether she wanted it or not, she had become something more than Damon's mate.
She had become a hope.
And hope, she knew, was dangerous.
Author's Note:
🔥🐺 Selene has done the impossible—she's broken the Council's shadow mark and freed a wolf. But every victory comes with a cost… and now both packs see her as a weapon. Do you think Selene's gift will unite them, or paint a target on her back? Drop your thoughts below and vote with Power Stones to protect her fire! ❤️