The journey from the clearing felt endless.
Selene walked in silence, her bare feet numb from the forest floor, her heart still heavy with the loss of everything she knew. Around her, the warriors of the Silvercrest Pack moved with quiet precision, their eyes constantly scanning the shadows. She felt the weight of their glances now and then measuring, questioning, perhaps even pitying.
But she kept her head high. She was Alpha-born. She would not let them see her crumble.
At the front of the group walked Damon. He moved with a confidence that unsettled her, as if the forest bent to his will. He hadn't spoken to her since naming her the Moon's last heir. That silence gnawed at her, leaving her to wonder,Had her father known Silvercrest? Why were they searching for her? And why did Damon's words carry such certainty, as if her survival was not accident but design?
Finally, Selene broke the silence. "Why were you looking for me?"
Damon slowed, glancing over his shoulder. His eyes, a shade too sharp in the moonlight, lingered on her. "Because we were told to."
"By whom?"
"By my Alpha. And by the moon itself."
Selene frowned, frustration sparking within her grief. "The moon doesn't speak."
For a moment, Damon's lips curved, though not quite into a smile. "Doesn't it? Then what do you call the prophecy?"
Her chest tightened. The Blood Moon Prophecy. Those words had haunted her since she was a child, whispered in reverence and fear whenever she entered a room. She had pushed them aside, clinging to her father's assurances that she would forge her own path. But now… with her pack gone, with Damon's warriors circling her like guardians or captors… she wasn't so sure.
She folded her arms, unwilling to show her uncertainty. "Prophecies are words, not destiny. And I don't belong to your pack."
Damon's steps slowed until he was beside her. He was taller up close, his presence like a shadow that demanded notice. "Perhaps not. But you belong to the moon. And the moon rarely asks permission."
Selene's throat tightened. She wanted to argue, to deny the fate pressed upon her, but the weight of his words clung like chains.
The group pressed on, and soon the forest gave way to a hill. From its crest, Selene caught her first glimpse of Silvercrest territory. A fortress like settlement stretched across the valley below, its walls gleaming faintly in the moonlight. Watchtowers stood tall, torches flickering atop them. Unlike her home, warm and open, Silvercrest looked carved for survival, a reminder of the dangers that lurked beyond its borders.
Her stomach clenched. Could she truly walk into another pack's den, powerless and alone?
As they descended, one of the warriors a woman with sharp eyes and a braid that fell past her shoulder fell in step beside her. "I'm Lyra," she said, her tone more curious than cold. "You really are the last Darius heir?"
Selene hesitated before nodding.
Lyra's gaze softened. "I'm sorry. I've heard stories of your pack. They say your father was a good Alpha."
The ache in Selene's chest threatened to choke her, but she managed a whisper. "He was."
Lyra didn't press further, and Selene was quietly grateful.
When they reached the gates, heavy iron swung open with a groan, and the scent of foreign wolves hit her senses. Dozens of eyes turned toward her from within warriors, families, elders all whispering at the sight of a stranger escorted into their stronghold. Their stares were sharp, filled with questions she could almost hear.
Damon led her through without hesitation, and the crowd parted for him, though their murmurs followed like shadows.
Finally, they stopped before a hall carved of stone and wood, its doors marked with the crest of Silvercrest the silver wolf she had seen on Damon's armor. He turned to her at last.
"You'll speak with my Alpha," he said. "He will decide what comes next."
Selene stiffened. "And if I refuse?"
Damon studied her, his expression unreadable. "Then you walk back into the forest alone. But tell me, Selene Darius do you think the rogues who ended your pack will let the moon's last heir walk free?"
The words struck her like cold water. She clenched her fists, torn between pride and survival. Finally, with a sharp breath, she stepped forward.
"Then let me meet your Alpha."