Feral Bonds: The Alpha's Torment

The Shattered Pact

Selene’s POV

Though the warmth of Damian's touch stayed on my flesh, the horror that shot through me cannot be washed off. The ground shook under our feet, and the terrible form rising from the depths loomed over us, throwing a menacing shadow. It's cold and seemed like it was seeping into my bones, a reminder that the dream that was playing out was non-negotiable.

Damian's palm clenched around mine, his hold fierce and his eyes wide with both fear and will. "We have to relocate, Selene. We are not able to stay here.

His voice was gruff, slanted with an eagerness I had never heard before. His terror was for me, not for himself. It was evident in the way his eyes flicked to the monstrosity rising from the abyss, as if figuring our remaining time before we were devoured by whatever this... thing was.

"What is that?". Trying to make sense of the tragedy playing out before me, my voice broke. It was too awful, too large. The creature's form seemed to flicker in and out of the air, as though it were both here and not at all. Its eyes gleamed like molten lava.

Damian said, "I'm not sure," his face contorted with anxiety and fury. "Still, Selene, it relates to you in whatever form. The only one able to stop it is you.

The words seem to me like smack. The one who could stop it was me? What did he mean? How could I—how could any of us—stifle something like this?

"I—I'm not clear-cut. How can I stop this? My thoughts racing, I gazed at Damian; nevertheless, the more I considered it, the more powerless I felt. Nothing inside of me felt strong, nothing that would have informed me I could muster to meet what was ahead.

Damian's mouth closed, and for a few seconds I felt as though I could see a dark flutter in his eyes. His body nearly pushed into mine as he approached me, his warmth a counterpoint to the cool air. "Selene, you're the Seer." Everything depends on you. The prophecy comes true. Born to stop this was you. And if you fail, it will wipe out all of us.

My pulse was pounding, and my breath came in short, gasps. His remarks weighed much too much. How could I maybe be the secret to everything? Surrounded by creatures and threats I could not even begin to fathom, I was just a girl caught in a world she did not understand.

But Damian was staring at me as though I were more than simply a victim of circumstance—more than what I had assumed I was. His eyes softened, and for a brief instant I could sense the intensity of the affection he paid me. Unquestionably, it was there on every line of his face and in every hand stroke.

"You don't have to do this alone," he said in a low, gentle voice that made my heart hurt. "I am here." Always here. You must, however, believe me. Count on yourself.

I opened my lips to answer, but before I could, the earth shook once more—this time even more forcefully—and the thing let out a loud scream. The boom was sufficient to rock my bones and rip the breath from my lungs.

Damian said, "We don't have time," his voice sharp now, the protective instinct in him firing wildly. He grabbed at my arm to steer me off of the path of the beast. "We must relocate right now!"

My head whirling, I trailed him trying to keep up with the anarchy. But I couldn't get rid of the sense that something was quite wrong even as I sprinted. That I was overlooking something crucial that might transform everything.

We arrived at the brink of the clearing, but as we were walking there, I noticed activity. Lubcien. Standing at the far end of the clearing, he watched us with crossed arms across his chest. His eyes gleamed with malevolent delight, and his haughtiness made my blood stop cold.

"You really feel you could outrun this, Selene?" Lucien called with a mocking tone. "Your fate is not one you can flee. You are naturally connected to this. From what I know.

Damian's body tightened next to me, his protective instincts playing. His voice low yet strong, he said, "don't listen to him." "Lucien tries to control you. Selene, he wants to rule you. You shouldn't allow him."

Lucien, though, was not paying attention. His eyes never strayed from mine, and I could sense his weight like an unseen hand down on me. Each syllable dripping with poison, he continued, "You belong to me, Selene." "you always have. I will now also make sure you never forget it."

The words landed like a punch. Trapped, owned by someone else, overwhelmed my senses, and for a second I felt I may shatter.

Damian moved in front of me, his posture defensive, thereby obscuring my view of Lucien. "You don't get to control her," he snipped. Not anymore.

Lucien arched an eyebrow, his smile just intensifying. "You believe you could shield her? You believe you might save her? He laughed coldly and deliberately without amusement. " Damian, she is already mine. That cannot be changed by you. not now, nor ever."

The beast behind us let another horrible howl, its presence getting more sinister. I sensed it in my stomach—a warning. The knowledge that time was running out. We were under threat other than Lucien. The beast presented equally a menace.

"We have to leave," I said, terror tumbling into my voice. Damian, kindly, we must—"

But a burst of black energy sprang from Lucien's direction, shocking the air before I could complete my statement. Damian hardly had time to react as the power sent us both to the ground; I gasped, the air lost from me.

The earth opened once more, and I saw the monster's terrible shape closing in proximity. Its eyes, those eyes, fastened on me; it was faster than I had anticipated.

Seene! Damian's voice was a sharp directive with terror. He reached for my arm and yanked me to stand. "We cannot permit it to define you. We have to go!

I lost thinking ability and couldn't breathe. I had never felt so helpless; the anxiety, the surge, everything struck me at once. But something in Damian's words caused me to grab on to the smallest slink of hope. He had it correct. I had to continue.

A startling, loud c***k was heard in the air as we turned to leave, and I looked over my shoulder to see the creature's clawed hand stretching out, nearer than ever.

Still, the beast I most dreaded wasn't this one.

Lucien was there.

As I was ready to flee, a stinging, terrible agony tore over my chest. Clutching at my side, I gasped; when I looked down, blood was flowing between my fingers.

She! Damian yelled, his voice desperate as he whirled to face me.

I attempted to inhale, but the suffering was too great. "I—I do not—"

The world started to slant, and I felt myself sinking, the blackness pressing in.

And then I heard Lucien's voice once again through the fog of agony and uncertainty.

" Selene, it is too late. Already, you are mine.

As I staggered backwards, my legs gave way under me and I could hardly feel the agonising anguish in my chest. My vision hazily and the surroundings seemed to be whirling out of control. Damian's face materialized before me, his hands tightly clutching my shoulders as his eyes widened with terror.

Selene! His voice broke, terror guiding it. "No; you cannot—"

But the words felt far away, muted as though they were from another planet. I was unable to concentrate. The ice engulfed me, paralyzing me, sapping my will and fighting capacity. The blood soaking my palms made me realise I was losing control and sent a surge of panic through my chest.

Damian begged to stay with me and shook me lightly. His voice came out rough and urgent. Please, kindly refrain from doing this. You cannot walk away from me.

When I attempted to talk, nothing came. My breath was weak and raspy; the only sound I could hear was my own heartbeat—too strong, too quick.

Like a poison burrowing into my soul, Lucien's mocking chuckle reached me. "How tragic," he remarked with a satisfied voice. "The Seer, dying so naturally." Though it seemed fate had already selected you, Selene, I had hoped for more of a struggle.

I wanted to yell, fight, and find some means of ending this dream. My body would not react, though. Every time I attempted to concentrate, my eyes wandered and flicked. Faster than I could have kept up, the gloom was closing in.

Now Damian's face was inches from mine, his touch erratic as he placed his hand to my bloody side. "No," he said, his voice cracking. "Don't you dare go from here. Not at all like this. You assured us.

His words—his suffering—all felt too much. Unquestionably, we were connected, yet I could feel it sliding away like sand through my fingers. I lost everything, even him.

"Damian..." I said, my voice almost audible.

His eyes clouded from hopelessness. "Shh, don't talk," he said, his hand shaking as he sought to stop blood flow. "We will assist you. I refuse to let you die. I'll swear it.

But Lucien's voice sliced through, icy and nasty. "It's too late for that, Damian," he replied, striding closer with hostile delight in his eyes. "She currently belongs to me."

The words tightened and choked me like shackles. Though my strength was erasing, I wanted to yell and fight back. It was all too much—the black figure hovering above us, the sensation of catastrophe hanging in the air.

My veins went cold when a sudden, bone-shaking roar came from behind us. Shocked, I looked up and found my breath stopped in my throat.

Damian stopped, his gaze focusing around and narrowing. "What the Hell—?"

Once more, the ground shook under us; this time, it shook harder. The air was heavy with danger and ozone.

And then, just when I thought it was finished, I saw the form—massive and black, shadows whirling about it approaching with predatory accuracy.

My heart missed a beat.

Damian screamed fiercely, "Run." Now. Not like this, we cannot fight this.

Still, it came too late. The beast was already here, its claws open and gaze fixed on me with relentless hunger.

The shadowy creature coming toward us—and Lucien's menacing smile—was the last thing I saw as the earth tipped and I was engulfed in darkness.