My heart pounded as I tried to catch my breath, the sharp scent of betrayal lingering in the
air. I hadn’t expected it—none of it.
Before I could steady myself, a growl erupted behind me, followed by a heavy force slamming into my side. I tumbled into the dirt, winded, and barely caught sight of Aria before she was swept into Kieran’s strong arms.
“Kieran…” I whispered, but my voice faltered.
His obsidian eyes, once filled with warmth, now glared at me with nothing but fury.
“What the hell is wrong with you, Selene? Aria came to the Obsidian Fang Pack lands to offer peace, and you attack her like some feral rogue?”
I scrambled to my feet, my body aching from the fall, but the pain in my chest was worse. His
words cut deeper than claws.
“She provoked me! She spoke of my mother… called her weak for dying during the pack raid—like it was my fault!”
For a fleeting moment, I saw something flicker in his eyes—guilt? Panic? But it vanished as quickly as it came.
“Selene, your mother’s death was a tragedy, but that’s no excuse for what you did.”
“No excuse?” My voice trembled with rage.
“You told me the raid was unavoidable. That her
death was… an accident. But now I’m starting to wonder what really happened.”
Kieran’s jaw tightened.
“This isn’t the time.”
“Of course not,” Aria cut in sweetly, though her eyes gleamed with satisfaction. Blood stained
her temple where my claws had grazed her, but her expression was victorious.
“I understand if Selene still resents me. After all, Dorian broke off their mate bond to choose me. Maybe I deserved her wrath.”
I flinched at her words. Kieran’s arm around her tightened, protective. I had nothing left to say.
“Selene,” Kieran’s tone dropped, colder now, “you will apologize to Aria. Now.”
The final thread snapped. I bit down my wolf’s urge to shift and attack, but the fire inside me
was consuming.
“No,” I hissed before turning away.
But I didn’t miss Aria’s whisper to Kieran as they walked away.
“If she hates me this much,
perhaps it’s best I don’t visit the pack anymore. I wouldn’t want to strain your… relationship.”
A deep growl rumbled from my chest, but I forced it down. Enough. I wouldn’t let this break
me any further.
Later that night, alone in my den, I shifted back to human form, my fur matted with dirt and blood. My hands trembled as I reached for my pack’s insignia—a silver pendant—and yanked it off. The bond I once cherished was meaningless now.
A sharp knock echoed through the den. I didn’t answer, but the door creaked open regardless.
It was Rowan, one of the Obsidian Fang warriors.
“Selene, Alpha Kieran wanted me to deliver this.” He held out a scroll, his eyes flickering with unease.
I unrolled it, my stomach turning as I read Kieran’s words:
"I know you’re angry. But Aria is vital to the alliance with the Crescent Claw Pack. The survival of the Obsidian Fang depends on this. I’ll make it up to you. I’ll even grant you that gift you’ve been wanting. Just don’t make this harder than it has to be."
I crushed the scroll in my hands. Gift? Was I nothing more than a pawn in his political games?
I packed a small satchel with what little I needed—daggers, a cloak, and the letter I had written weeks ago but never had the courage to send.
Tonight, I would leave the Obsidian Fang Pack… and Kieran.
The forest was eerily silent as I navigated through the moonlit paths, heading toward the old
outpost at the pack’s borders. I had planned everything—my escape, my disappearance.
Even my fake death.
But just as I reached the ridge, my wolf hearing caught something—voices. I crouched low behind a boulder, focusing.
Kieran’s voice echoed through the night, speaking to Magnus.
“Prepare the healers. I don’t care what it costs—Aria needs the best treatment.”
“She only had a scratch,” Magnus replied hesitantly.
“Doesn’t matter. She’s the key to the Crescent Claw alliance.”
My blood boiled. So that was it. Politics over loyalty. Over me.
I slipped away before they could sense my presence and headed straight to the witch’s cabin—my final stop.
The plan was simple. The witch owed me a favor. A spell that would fake my death—my scent would vanish, and the Obsidian Fang Pack would believe I was gone forever.
After hours of ritual and incantations, the deed was done. All that was left was the letter I had
asked Rowan to deliver after my “death.”
But just as I stepped out into the dawn-lit forest, my wolf senses tingled. Someone was near.
Then, I heard it—a panicked howl from the Obsidian Fang Pack’s lands.
“Kieran!” a voice shouted.
“It’s Selene—she’s dead!”
A satisfied smirk tugged at my lips.
But my heart shattered all over again.
And this time, there was no going back.
