Morning light
995 Words
Selene woke to sunlight streaming through unfamiliar windows.
For a moment, her mind was mercifully blank. No memories. No pain. Just the soft warmth of silk sheets and the distant chirping of birds beyond the glass.
Then everything crashed back.
Lucien's cold eyes. Mia's triumphant smile. The bond snapping like a broken thread. The entire pack watching her crumble.
Selene pressed her palms against her eyes and forced herself to breathe. In. Out. In. Out.
She was in Alpha Kael's manor. She'd accepted his moonstone charm. She'd agreed to stay.
What have I done?
The question echoed through her skull as she pushed herself upright. The room was beautiful—far more elegant than her modest quarters in the main castle. Cream-colored walls. A massive four-poster bed carved with wolf runes. A vanity table with a silver mirror reflecting her disheveled appearance.
She looked terrible.
Her silver-blonde hair was a tangled mess. Dark circles bruised the skin beneath her violet eyes. Her gown from last night was crumpled and stained with tears.
But her wolf—her shattered, grieving wolf—lifted its head with something close to curiosity.
He gave us his mother's charm.
Selene's hand drifted to her chest. The moonstone pendant rested against her heart, warm and pulsing with a gentle rhythm. She'd fallen asleep clutching it, too exhausted to even undress.
A soft knock interrupted her spiraling thoughts.
"Healer Ashcroft? I've brought fresh clothes and breakfast."
Selene blinked. "Come in."
The door swung open to reveal a young omega with bright eyes and a nervous smile. She carried a tray piled high with steaming pastries, fresh berries, and a silver pot of something that smelled like honeyed tea.
"The Alpha instructed me to bring you anything you need," the omega said, setting the tray on a small table near the window. "I'm Lily. If you require anything—anything at all—just ring the bell."
Selene's throat tightened. "Thank you, Lily."
The omega hesitated at the door. "Healer Ashcroft... I just wanted to say... I'm sorry about what happened. The whole pack is talking, but not everyone believes those rumors. Some of us know the truth."
"What truth?"
"That you were the one who deserved to be Luna." Lily's eyes glistened. "Not that snake of a sister."
Selene managed a weak smile. "Thank you, Lily. That means more than you know."
After the omega left, Selene forced herself to eat. The pastries were light and flaky. The berries burst with sweetness. The tea soothed her raw throat. With every bite, she felt a little more human.
She bathed in a copper tub filled with steaming water and lavender oil. The warmth seeped into her aching muscles, loosening the tension that had calcified overnight. She dressed in the clothes Lily had left—a simple cream-colored dress that fit her perfectly.
He knew my measurements.
The thought sent a shiver down her spine. How long had Kael been watching her? How many details had he cataloged over the years?
A knock at the door made her jump.
"Healer Ashcroft?" A guard's voice. "The Alpha requests your presence in the east garden when you're ready."
Selene's heart hammered. "I'll be there shortly."
She took a moment to steady herself. Her reflection stared back from the vanity mirror—pale, fragile, but with something new flickering in her violet eyes. Determination.
Revenge, her wolf whispered. Remember why you're here.
She found Kael in a secluded garden behind the manor, surrounded by blooming sunflowers that opened only under the sun's warmth. He stood beside a stone fountain, his broad back to her, dressed in simple black—no armor, no crown, no pretense of power.
He looked almost... ordinary.
"You came," he said without turning.
"You asked me to."
Finally, he turned. His golden eyes swept over her, cataloging every detail. "You look better this morning. Your wolf is calmer."
Selene wrapped her arms around herself. "How can you tell?"
"I feel her." He stepped closer. "She's still wounded. Still grieving. But she's no longer dying."
Selene's breath caught. "Is that why you summoned me? To check on my wolf?"
"No," Kael stopped an arm's length away. "I summoned you because Lucien had just arrived at the manor. He's demanding to speak with you."
Selene's blood turned to ice. "Lucien? Here?"
"He wants you to leave. He says your presence in my manor is creating... rumors." Kael's expression remained unreadable. "He wants to take you back to the main castle. To 'protect your reputation.'"
A bitter laugh escaped Selene's throat. "Protect my reputation? He destroyed it. He and Mia destroyed everything."
"I told him you wouldn't see him."
"Alpha—"
"I told him," Kael interrupted, "that you were under my protection. That if he wanted to speak with you, he would have to go through me." A flicker of dark amusement crossed his scarred features. "He wasn't pleased."
Selene stared at him. "Why are you doing this? Why protect me?"
Kael's golden eyes burned into hers. "Because you're mine to protect. You've always been mine, Selene. You just never knew it."
Her wolf howled with approval. Her heart—her broken, cautious heart—trembled on the edge of belief.
"Lucien will never accept this," she whispered. "He'll try to destroy you. He'll spread rumors about us."
"Let him." Kael stepped closer, close enough that she could feel the heat radiating from his massive frame. "I've faced worse than my son's tantrums. But I need to know—are you willing to face them with me?"
Selene looked up at him. The legendary Alpha. The feared warrior. The lonely man who had waited twenty-four years.
She thought of Lucien's cold eyes. Mia's triumphant smile. The pack's cruel whispers.
And she made her decision.
"Yes," she breathed. "I'll stay."
Kael smiled—a slow, devastating curve of his lips that made her knees weak.
"Then let's show my son exactly what he threw away."
- Writer
