Mated To The Twin Alphas

14: The Night Of Blood And Shadow

The moon rose blood-red above the valley.

Every wolf in the pack could feel it: the thrum of power under their skin, the weight of something ancient stirring in their veins. Even the air was different — too still, too sharp, charged with the scent of rain and iron.

From the watchtower, I saw the light change. The trees glowed faintly silver, then black, as though the world couldn’t decide which it belonged to. The eclipse had begun.

Damon’s command rang across the compound. “Lock the gates. No one shifts without my order.”

But already, wolves were trembling. The Moon called to them, dragging instincts to the surface. One by one, the guards doubled over as power rippled through their bodies.

I ran to the courtyard, the mark on my wrist blazing. Darius was there already, half-shifted, his eyes caught between gold and shadow. The air around him pulsed with dark light.

“Selene, get back inside!” Damon shouted, moving toward us — but he stopped when the ground beneath our feet began to hum. The packhouse shook; the moonlight pooled across the stones like liquid metal.

A symbol flared beneath us — the same spiral from the ruins, glowing brighter with each heartbeat. The curse wasn’t waiting anymore. It was here.

The first scream came from the forest. A scout dropped to his knees, then another. Their howls rose together, echoing through the trees, twisting from pain into something unholy. The rogues had returned — hundreds of them — but this time, they weren’t attacking. They were kneeling, heads bowed to the sky.

Darius staggered forward, breathing hard. “They’re not fighting. They’re summoning.”

The mark on my wrist flared white-hot. My vision blurred, and for a heartbeat I saw through their eyes: a sea of wolves bathed in crimson light, chanting one name again and again — Selene.

“No…” I whispered, clutching my arm. “They think I’m their Luna.”

The spiral’s glow climbed higher, rising around us like a cage of light. Damon grabbed my shoulders, shouting over the roar. “You have to fight it! Whatever the Goddess started, you can stop it!”

But the moon’s voice was already inside my head, calm and merciless.

Balance must be kept. Two flames, one shadow. Only blood will seal the bond.

My knees buckled. The world tilted. Somewhere behind me, Darius roared, his wolf breaking through, the sound raw and desperate.

Damon drew closer, his aura blazing gold. “Selene! Look at me!”

I met his eyes — saw fear, love, and something like farewell. And in that instant, the prophecy’s meaning struck me with brutal clarity.

This night would not end with victory.

It would end with loss.

The light exploded upward, swallowing everything in silver fire. Wolves howled, the earth split, and the moon burned black.

When the light faded, silence followed.

The rogues were gone. The spiral on the ground was nothing but ash.

And Darius — was gone too.

Only the echo of his howl remained, fading into the bleeding horizon.