SELENE'S POV
The rain wouldn't stop falling.
By the time we walked to what was left of the ruins, I could stand up. The place was really ruined and probably not safe for us to stay anymore.
I bent under the arch. Jasper clung to my neck, arms tight, his fingers cold.
"Mama, you're shaking," his small voice called out to me.
"I'm fine," I said, though I could barely make out the shape of my son.
My knees gave out. I hit the ground hard, gasping, holding him close so he wouldn't fall. My blood spilled down my side.
"You're not fine. You're bleeding again," Jasper said, running to my side, staring at me with those innocent eyes.
I pressed my palm to my side. That bastard's claws had ripped me open again. Warm blood slicked my hand, and my vision blurred.
"I can fix it," I tried to assure him.
"You said that last time too,' he said, kneeling down and biting his lips.
"You remember everything, don't you?" I said, almost laughing.
I fumbled at my waist for the little pouch that held my herbs... or what was left. Most of it was ruined, but I kept digging. My fingers found comfrey, goldenrod, and a scrap of willow bark. If I moved fast, maybe I could hold off the fever.
But my hands wouldn't stop shaking.
Jasper watched me intently as I searched.
"Mama," he whispered, "are you going to die?"
That question cut straight through me.
"No," I said tightly. "I promised I'd keep you safe. Remember?"
He nodded, but his face looked scared.
I tore a little fabric from my skirt, soaked it in rainwater, and pressed it to the wound. Pain shot through me as I groaned.
My wolf tried to assure me.
Don't fade... not yet.
"I'm trying," I breathed.
He will come.
My chest twisted. No. Don't think it.
You feel it. The bond is still alive.
I gritted my teeth. "He's gone. He chose to be."
But just thinking his name... Michael, sent a shiver through me. Remembering his voice made my heart skip.
I leaned back against the stone. Fever is making its way out. The rain started sounding distorted in my ears.
And then, in the middle of all that noise, I heard him.
Selene.
My breath caught. It couldn't be. But it sounded like him. It slipped through my exhaustion and made my heart race.
You shouldn't have run.
"I didn't run," I whispered, my eyes closing.
"You let me go." I continued.
Jasper shook me gently, voice trembling. "Mama, don't sleep. Please."
I forced my eyes open, tried to focus on him. He was pale and soaked. I could almost feel his wolf waking up inside him.
"I'm not sleeping," I lied.
He scowled. "Yes, you are."
"You're too smart for me," I said, letting out a laugh that didn't quite sound right.
He dug into the pouch and pulled out a battered leaf. "This one. You said it helps with wounds."
I stared. "How did you know?"
He shrugged.
"I watch you. You always use it when you get hurt," he answered.
He pressed the leaf to my side, hands shaking. The sting was sharp and made me awake instantly.
"Good," I whispered. "That's good."
"See? I'm helping," he announced proudly, smiling.
"You are." I touched his cheek. "You're my healer."
I said next to me, and for a minute, I felt my heartbeat return to normal. The storm kept raging outside, but we sat, huddled together and breathing gently.
Still, the fever burned hotter. My skin felt on fire. Inside, my wolf clawed for a grip, her voice echoing from somewhere far.
Don't give up. He's still out there. We're not done.
I wanted to believe she was wrong. The bond between us was a wound that never closed... years didn't heal it, distance couldn't kill it.
Did he feel it too?
Did he know I was dying?
No. I couldn't let myself go there. I couldn't let Jasper see me break.
"Mama," he whispered, so small, "are we going to the village soon?"
I hesitated. "Why?"
"Sometimes I dream about it," he said. "Big houses. People. Not just trees."
I brushed his hair back. "Maybe soon. When it's safe."
"When the bad wolves are gone?"
"Yeah," I whispered. "When they're gone."
He nodded, satisfied, and lay down next to me again, breathing slowly.
Inside, my wolf was trying to break free.
Shift, she whispered. Let me heal us.
I wanted to. Every part of me ached for it. But I was so damn tired.
"I can't," I breathed out. "Not with Jasper here."
Then live for him. If you die, he dies too. You know that.
A tear slid down my cheek. "I know."
I forced myself to sit up. My muscles screamed. Shaky hands pressed another layer of leaves to my side. I tied the cloth tighter, teeth clenched until I tasted blood.
Jasper stirred, half-awake. "You okay now?"
"Better," I lied. "See? It's stopped."
He reached out and touched my arm. "You're warm. Like the sun."
I let out a laugh, brushing his hair away again. "That's just the fever, love."
He grinned, barely awake. "You always say that."
"And you always make me believe it," I said, sighing and leaning back.
The night dragged on, slow and endless. My mind wandered somewhere far away. Sometimes I caught the voice of the forest. Sometimes Michael's... closer, sharper.
Selene… where are you?
I didn't answer. I couldn't tell what was real anymore.
But deep down, the stubborn part of me, still tied to him by blood, by moonlight, answered anyway.
Find me before it's too late.
By dawn, the rain had stopped.
Jasper slept beside me, wrapped in his worn-out blanket. He looked so peaceful as his small hand rested over my chest.
I watched him breathe and felt my wolf awake, a little stronger now.
We're not done. You live for him. You heal for him.
"Yes," I whispered into the cold morning. "For him."
I pulled together what was left of me, pressed my hand to the wound, and let the moon work through me. The shift didn't come all the way, but enough... my skin started to knit, slow and raw. The pain burned, sharp and bright. Pain meant I was still here.
When it was finally over, I lay there shaking, but breathing.
Jasper woke, blinking at me, grinning. "Told you everything would be okay."
I managed a smile, voice thin as smoke. "You were right, little wolf."
Outside, a ray of sun broke through the clouds and lit up the floor.
And for the first time in five years, I let myself believe that just for a moment... that maybe, just maybe, fate wasn't finished with us yet.