Selene's POV
The first thing I heard was a voice. It was low and deep, probably a man and it was in my dreams.
"You'll be safe now."
It echoed in my head, the way a memory does underwater... muffled, distant, but so familiar and it hurt me. I tried to reach for it, to move toward that sound, but nothing happened. My limbs were unable to move and breathing felt like something impossible.
And then, nothing.
The kind of silence that leaves you unsure and you start questioning if you're even here at all.
When I finally managed to pry my eyes open, the world hit me like a fistful of light. Sun spilled through a narrow window, painting gold across a ceiling I'd never seen, smooth stone, dark wood beams. For a second, I thought maybe I had died, until the scent of herbs and clean sheets hit me. Sharp, bright. Real.
Definitely not the forest.
I blinked hard, forcing the room into focus. There was a small shape curled up beside me... Jasper.
He was tucked into my side, wrapped in blankets softer and finer than anything we'd ever owned. Someone had washed his hair, and his skin glowed with warmth. He just looked… safe.
"Jasper," I called out, voice scraping at my throat.
His lashes fluttered. He shot upright the moment he heard me. "Mama!"
Hearing his voice nearly broke me. I grabbed his hand, pulled him close, pressed my face into his hair. He was real. Warm. Alive.
"I'm here," I whispered into his curls. "I'm here, sweetheart."
When I let go, I noticed his clothes, soft linen, pale as moonlight. Nothing like the rags we'd worn in the forest. Someone had cared for him. Bathed him.
My eyes flicked around the room. Stone walls edged with gold patterns. Over the door, a carved wolf's head bowed under a crescent moon. The air smelled of smoke and spice... richer than any healer's den I'd known.
None of it was familiar.
"Where are we?" I mumbled, mostly to myself.
Jasper frowned, that little line between his brows making him look older than five. "I don't know, Mama. We were in the forest. You got hurt, I was scared, then—" He stopped, squeezing his eyes shut like he could force the memory out. "There were wolves. Big ones. Not bad ones like the Rughes. These had silver fur. They fought them off."
He looked up at me, his eyes huge and shining. "One of them carried you. I tried to wake you up, but you wouldn't."
He reached for my arm, his fingers shaking just a little. "I thought you were gone."
A lump rose in my throat. I pulled him close again, smoothing his hair. "No, Jasper. I'm here."
But even as I said it, pain flared in my side. I sucked in a breath, pressing my hand to my ribs.
"Mama?" Panic in his voice.
"I'm okay," I lied, even though the world spun for a second. I eased the blanket back. A white bandage wrapped my middle, neat and tight. Underneath, I caught the sharp scent of dried blood.
The wound was deep, a Rogue's claw, probably. I shouldn't have made it out.
I let myself sink into the bed, breathing slowly and carefully. "How long have we been here?"
Jasper tipped his head. "A few sleeps. Maybe three? A lady comes with food. She says we're safe."
I wanted to ask more, but then the door squeaked open.
A young woman stepped in, carrying a tray. Plain blue dress, white apron, hair tied back. When she saw me awake, her face lit up.
"Oh, thank the Moon," she breathed, setting the tray down fast. "You're awake."
I tensed. "Where am I?"
She gave a nervous smile and bowed her head. "You're in Duskfire Pack, my lady. You and your boy were found near the west woods. The patrol brought you here a few nights ago."
For a moment, I just stared at her.
Duskfire Pack.
My heart hammered in my chest.
Just hearing that name, Duskfire sent a cold shudder through me. That pack. The same one whose Alpha tossed me aside under the festival moon, all those years ago. The same man whose scent still slips into my dreams.
Michael.
Everything in the room spun for a second as it hit me. I hadn't imagined it when I heard his voice earlier.
He was here.
I gripped the blanket, knuckles white.
"M... my lady?" The maid's voice broke through my silence.
I forced myself to breathe more slowly. "You said…the Alpha's men found us?"
She nodded, a bit uneasy. "Yes. Alpha Michael ordered us to treat you and your son. He said no one should disturb you until you're better."
My stomach twisted.
Michael gave that order.
Why would he do this? After all that's happened, why help me now?
Did he realize who I was? Did he look at me and remember? Or was this just fate being cruel, throwing me back into the arms of the man who shattered me?
I looked at Jasper. He poked at his food, curious but careful. He had no idea what the name Duskfire meant. No clue his father might be just a few steps away.
Pain flared under my palm as I pressed against my wound.
The maid frowned. "You shouldn't move so much, my lady. The healer said you lost a lot of blood."
"I'll live," I said, voice low.
She hovered at the door. "Should I tell the Alpha you're awake?"
"No!" The word ripped out of me, far too sharp.
Jasper's head jerked up. The maid froze in place.
I tried to steady myself. "I mean... no, not yet. I… I just need a minute. Please."
Her eyes softened. "Of course." She dipped her head and slipped out.
As soon as the door closed, I let out the breath I had been holding.
Jasper stared at me, puzzled. "Mama, who's Michael?"
I tensed. I must've said his name without thinking, maybe when I first woke up.
"No one," I lied, fingers brushing through his hair. "Just someone from a long time ago."
He watched me for a second, but didn't press.
I turned to the window. Dusk had swallowed the morning light outside. Shadows flickered across the courtyard. Wolves training, laughing, living their lives—completely unaware that the Alpha's past was hiding right under their noses.
A bitter laugh almost slipped out. The Moon Goddess must be having a good laugh herself.
Of all places to end up… it had to be here.
Yet under all the pain, beneath the fear, something sparked inside me. The bond. It wasn't gone, not really. Still there, even if just a whisper.
I could feel him.
Michael.
The man who claimed my soul beneath the silver moon… and then broke it without a second thought.