Selene woke to silence.
The air around her was heavy, thick with the scent of earth and something faintly metallic. Somewhere far off, the sound of running water echoed softly. She lay on cold stone, her skin prickling with unease.
Her body ached in places she didn't know could ache. Every movement felt raw, as though she'd been broken and stitched back together in a different form. Her jacket was gone. Her shirt was torn in ragged lines across the shoulder, and her bare skin was covered in fine bruises that pulsed with warmth.
Slowly, she sat up. Her head felt foggy, but the crimson light above reminded her where she was. The moon impossibly bright hovered above her like a silent warning.
She touched her chest. Her heart was pounding, faster than it should, and the air felt alive almost electric.
"What happened to me?" she whispered to the empty air.
A rustle behind her made her freeze. Her breath hitched as she turned her head. The shadows moved.
From the darkness stepped a figure tall, powerful, silent. Elias.
His presence was overwhelming. Every step he took seemed to shift the air itself. His golden eyes held her gaze, unblinking, unreadable.
"You woke," he said softly.
"I… where am I?" Selene asked, her voice trembling. "Why am I here?"
"You're in the Sanctuary," he replied. His tone was steady, controlled. "A place between worlds. Between life and death. You've crossed the threshold, Selene."
Selene's heart stuttered. "Crossed… what threshold?"
"The threshold of your blood," he said. "Of your fate."
She frowned. "I don't understand."
Elias took a step closer, the light around him shifting with his movement. "You are Moonborn. That means you carry the blood of an ancient line, a bloodline tied to the cycles of the moon itself. Tonight's Blood Moon awakened you. It called you to this place."
Selene shook her head. "That's… impossible. I'm just Selene Ward. I'm human."
"You've been lying to yourself," Elias said, his voice low but certain. "You've felt it. Haven't you? The dreams. The pull toward the moon. That's not normal."
Her breath caught. How could he know?
"How do you know about the dreams?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Elias didn't answer. Instead, he looked up at the moon, his expression unreadable. Then his eyes returned to her, sharp and intense. "Because the Blood Moon calls only the Moonborn. And it called you tonight."
Selene felt her stomach twist. "What does that mean?"
"It means you're marked," he said. "Marked for a war you don't understand. Marked for a bond you can't escape."
Selene's mind spun. She wanted to deny it, to believe this was some elaborate dream. But deep in her bones, something stirred. Something that recognized his words as truth.
"Why me?" she asked softly.
"Because you are the last of your kind," Elias said. "The bloodline ended with your parents. They were killed when you were a child. You survived for a reason. And now… you must awaken."
She stared at him, her heart pounding. "Awaken to what?"
"To yourself," he said simply. "And to me."
Selene felt her breath hitch. His words struck her like a blade. She wanted to look away, but she couldn't. There was something in his gaze something claiming her before she'd even agreed.
The air shifted suddenly. The Sanctuary seemed to darken, the crimson moonlight flickering like a dying flame. A low growl rolled through the shadows, vibrating through her chest.
Elias stiffened. His body moved with the precision of a predator, every muscle taut. "They're here," he said.
Selene's breath quickened. "Who?"
Before Elias could answer, the shadows stirred. Figures emerged — silent, dangerous. Wolves, but unlike anything Selene had ever seen. Their eyes glowed faintly, their fur shimmering under the blood moon. They moved in silence, circling her.
Fear rose in Selene's throat. "What are they?" she asked, her voice trembling.
"They are hunters," Elias said, stepping in front of her protectively. "Sent to kill you."
"Why?" she demanded.
"Because you are the key," he said, his voice heavy with meaning. "And they will stop at nothing to destroy what you are."
One of the wolves stepped forward. Its growl was low, threatening. Elias's eyes flashed gold, and in an instant he shifted his form stretching and twisting until he stood on four powerful legs. His fur was midnight black, his eyes molten gold. He was beautiful and terrifying all at once.
Selene gasped. Her instincts screamed at her to run, but she couldn't move.
The wolf Elias stepped forward, growling low. The others hesitated. Elias bared his fangs. "This is my claim. She belongs to me."
The wolves paused, then retreated into the shadows. The forest fell silent once more.
Selene stared at Elias, her mind reeling. "What just happened?" she whispered.
Elias shifted back into human form, his chest rising with a controlled breath. "What happened," he said, "is that I claimed you. And you, whether you want it or not, are bound to me."
Selene's heart pounded. "Bound? What does that mean?"
"It means your fate is tied to mine," Elias said softly. "Forever."
Selene felt a strange pull in her chest a warmth spreading through her body that made her dizzy. She wanted to deny it, to fight it. But the truth was undeniable: something inside her was awakening. Something that belonged to him.
She looked at Elias, her voice trembling. "Why me?"
"Because the Blood Moon chose you," he said simply. "And because I will not let them take you. Not now. Not ever."
The words hung between them. The forest was silent except for the sound of her own breathing. Selene realized then that nothing would ever be the same again. She was no longer just Selene Ward. She was something more. Something dangerous.
And she was bound to Elias.