The first thing that entered the temple wasn't the Alpha himself.
It was his silence.
A silence so deep it smothered the music mid-beat. The drums stuttered. The fire dimmed. Even the wind seemed to bow.
Then he walked in.
Alpha Lucienne Draxon…. tall, carved like the Moon Goddess had crafted him to lead wars, not ceremonies. His presence cracked the air like thunder disguised in human form. The dark of his coat shimmered faintly with the reflection of flames, and the scent of dominance followed, wild pine and danger.
Every wolf lowered their gaze. Every sound dissolved.
Except one heartbeat. Selena's.
It thundered against her ribs like a caged animal.
And he heard it.
His eyes…. cold, predatory gray, slid toward her. Not Seraphine, not the Luna, but her.
The High Priestess was the first to find her voice. "Alpha Lucienne of the Nightbane Pack, the Moon awaits your oath…"
But Lucienne raised a hand.
The motion was quiet, yet it silenced her instantly.
He took another step, boots echoing on the marble floor. "Which one," his voice cut through the stillness, deep and rough, "is to be my Luna?"
Alara bowed slightly. "Seraphine, my Alpha. The one favored by the Goddess."
He looked at Seraphine, studied her glow, and then past her again.
His gaze locked on Selena.
"The other one looks at me like she already knows my soul," he murmured.
Gasps rippled through the crowd.
Selena froze, color draining from her face.
Seraphine's hand curled tightly around her gown. "She looks because she shouldn't."
Kael's eyes flicked to her. "And yet she does."
The words weren't loud, but they struck with the force of a challenge. Even the Priestess flinched.
Alara stepped forward quickly. "Forgive her, Alpha. She means no disrespect. Selena was born under an omen, her presence stirs unwanted…"
Kael cut her off with a look. "Her presence stirs something."
He moved closer.
Every step felt like a warning and a promise at once.
Selena wanted to look away, but couldn't. His scent wrapped around her… raw, earthy, power humming beneath the surface. It wasn't attraction she felt; it was recognition, ancient and dangerous.
The Alpha stopped barely a breath away from her. "Tell me, cursed one… do you fear me?"
Her lips trembled. "No."
A flicker of amusement ghosted his mouth. "You should."
Seraphine's voice sliced in sharply. "Alpha, the ceremony…"
"Will wait," he said, eyes never leaving Selena's. "The Goddess is watching. Let's not rush what she has already stirred."
The Priestess gripped her staff, voice trembling. "Alpha Kael, the Moon-Bond must be sealed before the blood fades from the sky."
Kael turned away from Selena at last. "Then begin."
Seraphine exhaled shakily, stepping beside him at the altar. Yet even as she smiled, Selena could see the tension in her jaw, the way she kept glancing between them.
The High Priestess began her chant, voice echoing off stone. The runes on the floor glowed faintly, threads of light weaving between Seraphine and Kael.
But halfway through the incantation, the glow shifted.
The runes flickered, and then bent toward Selena.
The crowd gasped. The Priestess's voice faltered. "No, that's not…"
Kael turned, sharp and alert. "What's happening?"
The High Priestess staggered back, clutching her staff. "The bond, it's rejecting the chosen Luna..!"
Seraphine's eyes widened in horror. "No! This can't be, It's her, my sister is evil! She's doing something!"
Selena stepped back, trembling. "I'm not, I didn't do anything!"
The floor cracked with a blinding flash of silver light. The Moon above flared redder, and the mark that was meant for Seraphine carved itself into Selena's wrist instead….glowing hot, alive, pulsing with Kael's scent.
A deadly silence followed.
Lucienne stared at the mark, then lifted his gaze slowly to her. "The Moon has chosen."
Alara fell to her knees, horror carved across her face. "No… no, this cannot be!"
Seraphine's scream tore through the night. "You stole him from me!"
Selena clutched her wrist, pain and fear blazing through her veins. "I didn't,I swear…!"
Lucienne's expression darkened, something primal sparking behind his eyes. "You didn't have to. The bond doesn't lie."
The flames flared once more, casting their faces in shades of crimson.
And as the crowd erupted into chaos, Selena met Lucienne's eyes again, and realized the most terrifying thing of all.
The Goddess hadn't cursed her.
She'd claimed her.