The following day dawned gray and heavy, clouds rolling low over the forest. The camp stirred uneasily, wolves pacing, voices sharp with tension. Word had spread quickly—another marked wolf had been captured.
This time, the packs weren't whispering in secret. They were waiting for Selene.
She felt their eyes on her as she stepped into the clearing, Damon close at her side. The wolf lay bound at the center, his body thrashing against the ropes, his eyes glowing with that sickly, unnatural light. A growl rumbled from his throat, feral and hollow, as if the shadow itself used his voice.
The crowd pressed closer. Some looked at her with hope, others with doubt, and a few with something harsher—demand.
"Free him," someone called.
"You did it once," another urged. "Do it again."
Selene's heart pounded. Her palms were clammy, her throat dry. She hadn't asked for this stage, this trial. But now she stood at the center of it, every gaze like a weight on her shoulders.
Damon's hand brushed hers, grounding her. "You don't have to do this," he whispered fiercely. "Not for them."
But Selene shook her head. "I have to do it for him."
She looked at the wolf writhing before her. He wasn't just an enemy. He was someone's brother, someone's son, stolen and twisted by the Council's chains. She couldn't look away—not when she had the fire to fight it.
Selene stepped forward, her pulse racing. The wolf snarled, his teeth flashing as he lunged against the ropes.
The crowd flinched, but Selene didn't stop. She knelt slowly, pressing her hand to his chest. The bond on her wrist blazed, heat burning through her skin.
The darkness hit her instantly. Cold, sharp, suffocating. It clawed into her mind, whispering lies. You're weak. You're nothing. You'll never save them.
Selene gasped, but she pushed back, summoning the fire inside her. She thought of Damon's touch, his vow, his golden eyes burning with love. She thought of the wolf she had freed, of the hope that had sparked in his gaze.
"Come back," she whispered, her voice trembling but fierce. "You're not theirs. You're not shadow. You're you."
The wolf roared, his body convulsing beneath her hand. The shadow fought, pressing harder, trying to choke her fire. Selene's vision blurred, her strength faltering. For a moment, she thought it would consume her.
Then a hand closed over hers—warm, steady, unbreakable. Damon.
His golden eyes locked on hers. "Burn with me," he said, voice low but strong.
Together, their fire surged. It roared through the bond, a blaze brighter than the shadow could withstand. The darkness screamed, shriveling under the heat, until it cracked apart and vanished.
The wolf collapsed, his glowing eyes flickering back to normal. He lay panting, trembling, but alive. Free.
Selene fell back into Damon's arms, her body shaking.
"You did it," he murmured against her hair. "Again."
"No," Selene whispered, her breath ragged. "We did it."
The clearing erupted into noise—cheers, cries of relief, voices rising in awe. Wolves pressed forward, some reaching to touch Selene's hand, others bowing their heads.
"She's the one."
"She can save us all."
"She's more than a mate—she's fate itself."
Selene's chest tightened. Their hope warmed her, but it frightened her too. Each word built a pedestal higher than the last, and she didn't know how long she could balance on it.
Damon growled low, his arm tightening protectively around her. "Enough," he snapped at the crowd. "She is not your goddess. She is my mate."
But even as he spoke, Selene saw the truth in their eyes. To them, she was both.
Later, after the wolf was cared for and the crowd dispersed, Aria found Selene by the fire. Her sharp eyes gleamed in the light, her smile unreadable.
"You proved it wasn't luck," Aria said softly. "You can do it again. And again. Do you see now why I made you the offer?"
Selene swallowed, her throat tight. "I'm not a leader. I don't want to be."
Aria tilted her head. "Want has nothing to do with it. Power rarely waits for permission."
Her words slid into Selene's heart like a blade. Because deep down, she knew Aria was right.
That night, Damon held her close, his arms wrapped tight as though he could shield her from the world. His voice was rough against her ear.
"They'll keep pushing you," he whispered. "They'll worship you until you break. But Selene… you're mine before you're theirs. Don't forget that."
She pressed her face into his chest, torn between the comfort of his words and the truth gnawing at her.
Because she knew she couldn't belong only to him anymore.
Not when the fire inside her belonged to everyone.
Author's Note:
🔥🐺 Selene has broken another chain, this time with Damon's fire burning beside hers. The packs now see her as more than a mate—almost a goddess. But is this hope… or another kind of cage? Drop your thoughts and vote with Power Stones if you believe Selene's fire will change everything! ❤️