The night after Selene freed the marked wolf, Aria came to her.
The rogue queen moved like a shadow, silent and sharp, her presence commanding even before she spoke. She didn't ask permission—she never did. Instead, she slipped into Damon's tent as though she owned it, her eyes glittering in the dim firelight.
Damon bristled instantly. "You don't belong here."
Aria smirked, ignoring him. Her gaze slid straight to Selene. "We need to talk."
Selene shifted uneasily, caught between the two alphas' clashing dominance. Damon's possessive energy wrapped around her like armor, but Aria's calm confidence cut through it with ease.
"What do you want?" Selene asked carefully.
Aria stepped closer, her lips curving into a feline smile. "To make you an offer."
They met outside the camp, away from the listening ears of wolves hungry for gossip. The forest was cold and quiet, snow glittering beneath the moonlight. Damon refused to leave Selene's side, but Aria only raised a brow at his protective stance.
"Relax, Alpha. If I wanted to kill her, she'd already be dead," Aria said lightly.
Damon growled low in his throat, but Selene placed a hand on his arm. "Let her speak."
Aria inclined her head, satisfied. "You've done something extraordinary, Selene. You've proven the Council can be resisted. That their chains can be broken."
Selene's stomach twisted. "I only saved one wolf. It doesn't mean—"
"It means everything," Aria cut in, her eyes sharp. "You've given them hope. And hope is far more dangerous than claws."
Her words hung heavy in the cold air.
"You don't understand what you've started," Aria continued. "Wolves will rally to you. Rogues, broken packs, even alphas too weak to fight the Council. They'll see you as a savior. A weapon. And weapons, Selene… they need direction."
"And you think you should be the one to give it," Damon said coldly.
Aria smirked. "I think she needs more than just your protection. She needs power. Guidance. Allies who aren't bound by the fragile pride of an Alpha's throne."
Selene frowned. "What are you saying?"
Aria's smile softened, though it never reached her eyes. "Join me. Not against Damon—beside him. Together, the three of us could build something the Council could never touch. My rogues, his pack, and your fire. With that, we wouldn't just resist the Council. We'd crush them."
The offer struck like lightning. Selene stared, breath caught in her chest.
Damon snarled. "You will not use her to fuel your ambition."
Aria turned to him, unbothered. "This isn't about me, Damon. It's about her. She carries something neither of us do. You can shield her all you like, but you can't hide what she is becoming. The Council won't let her stay in your shadow forever. And if you keep her chained, she'll break."
The words hit too close. Selene glanced at Damon, seeing the fury in his eyes, the fear just beneath it.
"I'm not chained," Selene said softly, though even she wasn't sure if she believed it.
Aria's gaze locked on hers, sharp and piercing. "A cage made of love is still a cage."
The forest went silent. Snow drifted gently between them, glowing in the pale moonlight.
Back in the camp, the tension between Damon and Selene was thick as smoke. He paced the tent, his golden eyes burning.
"She's trying to turn you against me," he growled. "She wants to divide us."
"She wants to use me," Selene corrected quietly. "But that doesn't mean everything she said was wrong."
Damon froze, staring at her as though she'd struck him. "You believe her?"
"I believe…" Selene hesitated, her chest tight. "I believe the Council won't stop. And if I'm the only one who can break their chains, then hiding behind you won't be enough. I can't just be your mate, Damon. I have to be more."
Damon crossed the space between them in two strides, gripping her arms, his voice rough. "You're already everything. To me. Don't let her poison twist you into thinking you need to be a weapon."
Selene's throat ached. She touched his cheek, feeling the heat of his skin. "Maybe I don't want to be. But what if I have to be?"
His golden eyes softened, pain flickering there. "Then I'll stand beside you. Not Aria. Not anyone else. Just me."
Her heart broke and healed all at once at his words. She leaned into his touch, but Aria's voice lingered in her mind like a shadow.
A cage made of love is still a cage.
Later that night, Selene slipped from the tent, unable to sleep. The camp was quiet, the moon high. She pressed her fingers to the bond on her wrist, feeling its warmth.
She thought of the wolf she had freed, the lives still chained, the pleas in the voices of the pack.
She thought of Damon's arms around her, his vow to protect her no matter the cost.
And she thought of Aria's offer—power, unity, war.
Three paths. Three truths.
And one choice she could not avoid forever.
Author's Note:
🔥🌙 Aria has made her move, offering Selene a partnership that could shatter the Council—or shatter her bond with Damon. Do you think Aria's right, or is she only manipulating Selene for her own gain? Drop your thoughts and vote with Power Stones to protect Selene's choices! ❤️