Drums rolled out at the clearing's edge. The Shadowfang wolves swept in, all tall and gleaming, their energy crackling through the air. At the front, of course, Michael.
Selene just froze.
He was taller than she remembered, that black hair catching every drop of sunlight, his presence practically shouting. The pack all bowed as he strode past, but Selene was stuck, couldn't move, couldn't breathe.
Maren nudged her hard. "Selene. You're staring."
Selene's voice barely made it out. "I can't help it. It's him."
Michael's gaze swept the crowd, then, impossibly, landed right on her.
It was like being struck by lightning. Like the sky cracked open and all that energy poured straight into her veins.
Her wolf howled, alive and wild.
Mate.
Her heart leapt, crashed, everything at once. She stumbled back, hand clutching her chest.
Michael's jaw went tight. For a blink, his wolf surged forward, the bond almost visible. His face cracked, showing something raw.
Then, just like that, he slammed the mask back on. Hardened, cold, eyes sliding right past her as he walked away.
Selene couldn't move. Shaking, burnt up, and blown apart all in the same breath.
Maren whispered, shell-shocked, "Selene… what just happened?"
Selene's lips parted, but nothing came out.
Selene's breath? All jagged and wild, like she'd just sprinted through a thunderstorm with a boulder strapped to her ribs. He's my mate. The words just kept bouncing around her brain, refusing to shut up.
Maren's fingers? Iron shackles. No joke. "Please tell me you're messing with me, Selene. Please."
Selene only shook her head, blinking hard, swallowing tears that burned like lemon juice in a cut. "I felt it. The bond. The Goddess picked him for me, Maren. That's it."
Maren looked ready to faint, face gone milk-white, lips barely moving. "No. No, Selene, do you hear yourself? He's the Alpha of Shadowfang. That's not just off-limits, that's he's the enemy. This is a disaster. Like, the kind that ends bloodlines."
Selene's voice slipped out, tiny and trembling, straight-up confession style. "Then why does my heart feel like it finally woke up?"
Maren squeezed her arm again, looking ready to shake her into next week. "Because the Moon Goddess is a cosmic prankster, that's why! Seriously, Selene, if anyone here catches on, you're done. They'll tear you apart before sunrise. Not even exaggerating."
Selene's wolf was growling, stubborn as a weed in concrete. He's ours. Fate doesn't give a damn about rules or enemies.
Selene pressed a hand to her heart, as if it might actually crack right open. "I can't turn it off. My wolf just...knows him, Maren."
Maren yanked her away from the crowd, feet moving fast, nerves jangling. "Then keep your mouth shut. Hide. Don't even steal a glance his way, got it?"
Meanwhile, across the clearing, Michael's wolf was climbing the walls howling for her, blood, everything. Go to her.
Take her.
Now.
Michael's jaw? Grinding so hard you'd think he wanted to snap his own teeth. Not here. Not tonight. They'll see. They'll use her.
Marcus, his Beta, didn't miss a beat. How could he, with the tension practically screaming? "Hey, what's got you so spooked? You look like you've seen a ghost."
"Nothing," Michael snapped back, voice flat, iron-hard.
Marcus just lifted one eyebrow, totally not buying it. "I don't think so. You're acting like someone just crawled out of your nightmares."
Michael shot him a death glare. "Drop it."
But his wolf? Not letting go for a second. She's close. She's scared. You feel it? Move!
Michael's eyes flicked to where Selene had gone. His heart did a nosedive, sharp as a razor.
Selene crouched in the shadows at the edge, hands shaking hard, Maren pacing like a caged animal.
"This is nuts," Maren whispered, voice all gravel. "You have to let him go."
"I can't," Selene gasped, voice of all torn edges. "The bond won't let me. It's like he's pumping through my veins. If he left...I'd forget how to breathe."
Maren buried her face in her hands, groaning. "Goddess, Selene...do you get what this means? If the packs find out, you're dead meat. And him? Shadowfang's Alpha with a Moonveil outcast? Not just a scandal, that's a straight-up death sentence."
Selene's chest was wildfire. "You think I wanted this, Maren? Like I had a single say?"
Maren's guard flickered, softening for a second. "No. But you have to survive, Selene. Hide it, bury it whatever it takes."
Selene hugged herself, wishing she could shrink into nothing, whispering, "Then why does it feel like fate's got a stranglehold on me?"
The festival kept rolling chanting, offerings, the whole pack howling at the moon. Michael threw his head back, but his howl broke, voice cracking under the weight. His wolf clawed at his chest, frantic.
Find her.
Michael was barely holding together. Heart pounding, wild and lost, like it wanted to rip straight out and dash to Selene. But his brain? Cold steel. Claim her and they're both doomed. Push her away and she'll shatter. No way out.
Selene tried to breathe, tried to steady herself, but the pull toward him just kept getting sharper, more electric. Every time Michael moved, every echo of his voice tugged her closer, like they were tied together with an invisible wire.
"I can feel him," she whispered, not even sure she believed it.
Maren stiffened up. "Don't say that."
"I mean it," Selene's voice cracked. "It's like my heart's beating for him."
"Selene, stop," Maren hissed, shaking her eyes, wild. "If you give in, this bond will eat you alive. It'll burn everything to the ground."
Selene's tears spilled over, blurring everything. "Then why does it hurt worse being apart than it does thinking about dying?"
Maren just stood there, silent, out of words.
The festival wound down, the wolves dropping to their knees beneath the moon. Michael's face was st
one, but his eyes kept darting to the shadows where Selene hid.