Bound by the moon

TRIAL Of FIRE

The fortress woke before dawn. Selena was dragged from her chamber by two sneering pack women and shoved into the mess hall, where warriors already feasted. The scent of roasted meat and smoke clung to the air, their voices echoing off the stone walls like a taunt.

Lira, the timid servant girl, hovered nervously at her side.

“Don’t answer back,” she whispered. “If they mock you, keep your head down. It’s safer.”

Selena lowered her voice. “If I keep my head down forever, I’ll never stand at all.”

They sat her at the far end of the table, well away from Kael. He didn’t glance at her once, as though she didn’t exist. But the warriors made certain their voices carried.

“Last night she held a blade like a child with a stick,” one snorted.

“A Luna who can’t fight what shame,” another added.

“The Alpha should have chosen one of us,” a female wolf said sharply. “At least we know how to bleed.”

Selena’s jaw tightened, but she said nothing.

Then a different voice cut through the laughter. Calm. Steady. Dangerous.

“Enough. Let the girl eat.”

The noise faltered. Selena glanced up and met Dorian’s eyes across the table. Kael’s Beta. He wasn’t mocking her, but he wasn’t offering kindness either. His gaze was sharp, calculating.

“Thank you…” she murmured.

A faint smile curved his lips. “Don’t thank me yet. You don’t know if I’m your friend.”

Whispers rippled across the hall. Some smirked, others glanced toward Kael to see if he would react. He did not. The Alpha kept eating, his silence heavier than the stone walls around them.

Selena forced herself to swallow each bite of bread, though it tasted like dust.

Later, in the yard, Kael’s voice rang out as warriors clashed with wooden swords. He barked orders like steel striking steel, sharp and unyielding. Selena stood at the edge with Lira, watching in silence.

Dorian stepped into her shadow. His tone was low but deliberate.

“You don’t belong here. We both know it. The pack will never accept you.”

“Then I’ll make them,” she replied stiffly.

He chuckled. “Brave. But bravery isn’t enough. You’ll need allies. Kael won’t help you—he barely sees you. But I can.”

Selena turned to face him fully, her eyes narrowing. “And why would you?”

His expression softened, but only slightly. He leaned closer, voice dropping to a whisper. “Because the Bloodfang Alpha doesn’t deserve loyalty. He rules with fear. One day, someone will stand against him. When that day comes, you’ll have to decide which side you’re on.”

The words seeped into her skin like poison. Selena’s pulse quickened. She wanted to spit the thought out, to deny it—but silence held her tongue.

Dorian smirked, as if her silence was already his answer.

Night settled over the fortress. Selena wandered the halls, restless. A low voice drifted from a chamber ahead—Kael’s. She pressed close to the shadows, straining to hear.

“Our border is being tested,” Kael’s voice rumbled. “The Eastern pack grows bold.”

“We will respond,” another voice said. “Luna relations will help secure loyalty.”

The word Luna cut into her chest.

“Yes,” Kael answered. “But the Luna must command respect. Do not forget that.”

The room fell silent. Selena froze. Then she realized—Kael had stopped speaking.

Slowly, she lifted her gaze.

He was standing in the doorway, golden eyes locked on her in the dark.

“Eavesdropping, little wolf?” His voice was low, dangerous.

She steadied her voice. “I live among enemies. I’d be a fool not to listen.”

For a heartbeat, there was silence. Then Kael’s lips curved—not warmth, not kindness, but something sharp and cold.

“Perhaps you’re not as useless as they think.”

And then he was gone, leaving his words burning in her chest.

The next morning, the fortress stirred with tension. Selena woke to the scrape of footsteps outside her chamber and the sound of laughter. When she stepped into the corridor, she found three female wolves waiting. Their eyes glittered with cruelty.

“You think sitting at the Alpha’s table makes you one of us?” one sneered.

Another crossed her arms. “You don’t belong here, omega. Bloodfang eats people like you alive.”

Selena held her ground, though her hands trembled. “I didn’t ask to be here. But I am here. Whether you like it or not.”

The tallest of them leaned close enough for Selena to feel her breath. “Careful, little Luna. The Alpha may have claimed you, but that doesn’t mean we won’t test how much pain you can take.”

They brushed past her roughly, leaving the warning heavy in the air.

By the time she entered the yard, the warriors were already training. Kael stood in the center, his golden eyes fixed on the sparring circle. He didn’t look at her, but his voice carried.

“Bring her here.”

A few warriors stepped forward and shoved Selena into the circle. Wooden swords were tossed at her feet. She bent to pick one up, her grip unsteady.

“You will fight,” Kael commanded. His tone was not a request.

A ripple of laughter moved through the pack. Her opponent stepped forward, a broad-shouldered warrior with scars across his arms. He grinned cruelly as he raised his sword.

Selena lifted her weapon, every muscle in her body screaming against the weight of the challenge. She had never trained like this, not against someone who wanted to see her bleed.

The first strike came fast. She barely blocked it, the wood jolting her arm with brutal force. Gasps and laughter echoed.

“Pathetic,” someone shouted.

The second strike came harder. The sword tore from her grip and clattered to the dirt.

Selena’s knees buckled, but she refused to fall. She met her opponent’s eyes and whispered through gritted teeth, “I will not break.”

The warrior sneered and shoved her hard against the ground. Pain shot through her side as the crowd roared.

“Enough,” Kael’s voice rang out suddenly.

The yard fell silent. Selena lifted her head, chest heaving. She expected him to call the fight off, to dismiss her. But Kael’s expression was cold, unreadable.

“Pick it up,” he ordered.

Her sword lay in the dust, just out of reach. Slowly, with trembling hands, she forced herself upright and picked it up again.

The warriors were watching. Some sneered, some smirked, but none looked away.

Kael’s gaze lingered on her for one long, piercing moment. “Continue.”

The warrior charged again. Selena braced herself.

---

By nightfall, her body was bruised and aching. Lira slipped into her chamber, bringing a bowl of broth. Selena’s hands shook as she tried to lift the spoon.

“They’ll destroy you,” Lira whispered, eyes wide with fear. “If you keep standing against them, they’ll tear you apart.”

“Then let them try,” Selena rasped. “I’d rather fight and fall than live on my knees.”

Lira lowered her gaze, saying nothing more.

When sleep finally took Selena, it was shallow and restless. Shadows followed her even into her dreams shadows with golden eyes.

The following evening, Dorian found her again, this time near the ramparts. His smile was faint, almost gentle.

“They will never stop until you are broken,” he said. “You know this.”

Selena stared out at the dark forest beyond the walls. “Then I will bend. But I will not break.”

“Strong words,” Dorian murmured. “But strength alone will not save you. Not here. If you want to survive, you’ll need to choose your allies carefully.”

She turned to face him. “And you want me to choose you.”

His eyes glinted with amusement. “You are sharper than they think. Yes. Choose me. And you will have more power than you could ever imagine.”

Selena’s heart pounded. She opened her mouth to reply, but a voice interrupted deep, cold, and far too close.

“What power are you offering her, Dorian?”

Her breath caught. Kael stood in the shadows, watching them both.