Chapter7
539 Words
Selene couldn’t shake her mother’s words.
The bond doesn’t mean safety. It doesn’t mean love.
It echoed in her head as she sat by the window of her small cabin, staring at the darkened
treetops of Noctara. The training had left her sore, but it wasn’t the pain keeping her awake. It
was Ronan. His touch. The way his eyes had darkened when he held her down. The way her
pulse had betrayed her.
And now, her mother’s warning made it all feel like something dangerous—something she
shouldn’t want.
A knock at the door made her jump.
She opened it to find Ronan standing there, his face half-shadowed by the moonlight. His shirt
was unbuttoned at the top, revealing faint scars along his collarbone. The sight sent an
unfamiliar warmth through her chest.
“Couldn’t sleep?” he asked, voice deep and quiet.
She didn’t answer, just stepped aside to let him in.
Ronan walked past her, hands in his pockets, looking around the room.
“It’s small.
”
“I don’t need much,
” she replied.
He gave a small nod, then turned to her.
“I talked to my father.
”
Selene tensed.
“And?”
“He wants to meet you.
”
She swallowed.
“Why?”
Ronan’s silver eyes didn’t glanced at her .
“Because you’re not just anyone, Selene.
”
Silence stretched between them.
She hated the way his presence filled the space, the way it made her feel like she couldn’t think
straight. But she also hated how badly she wanted him to stay.
“Why are you really here?” she asked.
Ronan tensed slightly, as if debating whether to answer honestly. Then, in a quiet voice, he said,
“Because I couldn’t sleep either.
”
Something tightened in her chest.
She should tell him to leave.
She should.
Instead, she stepped closer.
“This bond—
” she started, her voice quieter now.
“Is it real, or is it
just fate forcing something on us?”
Ronan’s gaze dropped to her lips before returning to her eyes. His hand lifted, as if he might
touch her, but he stopped himself.
“I don’t know,
” he admitted.
“But I don’t think I care.
”
Selene’s breath caught.
And then—before either of them could make another move—a loud howl tore through the night.
Both of them stiffened.
Another howl followed—this one laced with pain.
Ronan was already moving, heading for the door.
“Stay here.
”
Selene grabbed his arm.
“Not a chance.
”
His eyes burned as they met hers. He didn’t argue this time.
They sprinted into the night, the scent of blood and something unnatural thick in the air.
When they reached the clearing, what they saw made Selene’s stomach drop.
A body.
Torn apart, barely recognizable.
Mason and Ava were already there, grim expressions on their faces.
Ronan stood beside the body, his jaw tightening.
“This was a message.
”
Selene’s hands curled into fists.
The deep, clawed marks on the victim’s chest formed one single word:
"Mine.
"
Damon.
Selene’s blood turned ice cold.
The storm was coming.
And she wasn’t ready for it.
- Writer
