Selene slipped back into the stone halls of the Bloodveil Coven before dawn. The air was heavy with incense and shadows, the walls lined with centuries of secrets. She tried to mask her scent, to hide the trace of wolf that clung to her.
But nothing escaped the eyes of Lady Morwen, the coven's high matriarch.
"You crossed into their land," Morwen's voice cut like ice. "I smell the Alpha on you."
Selene's heart stilled. "I was hunting."
"Do not lie to me, child." Morwen stepped closer, her crimson robes flowing like blood. "The wolves are our enemies. Have you forgotten how they slaughtered your sire? You dishonor the coven with your recklessness."
Selene lowered her gaze but remained silent. She could not tell them the truth—not about Kael, not about the strange pull that had kept her from death.
Morwen's cold hand gripped her chin, forcing her to meet her elder's gaze. "Stay away from the wolves, Selene. Next time, I will not shield you from the council."
But Selene knew herself too well. The more they forbade her, the more she burned to return.
And far beyond the coven's halls, Kael stood at the edge of his territory, staring into the night. His pack celebrated another hunt, but his thoughts were elsewhere—trapped in crimson eyes that haunted him.