Selene awoke to silence.
The kind of silence that felt dangerous.
She blinked slowly, the morning light pressing against the heavy curtains, casting the room in a muted gray. For a second, she forgot where she was. The satin sheets weren't hers. The scent wasn't hers. And the tension in the air… that was definitely not hers.
Her gaze slid to the corner of the room, where a figure sat unmoving, watching.
Daxon.
He sat in the high-backed armchair, one leg crossed over the other, his chin resting on a closed fist. His eyes, sharp and unreadable, were already on her.
Selene sat up slowly, pulling the blanket higher.
"Staring at women while they sleep?" she said, voice scratchy. "Very alpha of you."
"You tossed in your sleep, sweating." he replied, calm and quiet. "Heartracing."
"I don't remember dreaming."
"You didn't. You were fighting."
She stilled.
Daxon rose from the chair, his movements lazy but predatory. He walked toward the window, pushing the curtain aside just enough to let a golden sliver of sunlight cut across the room.
"No more attacks," he said. "For now."
"Good," she muttered, sliding to the edge of the bed. "Then I can leave."
"You're not leaving."
Selene stood, her jaw tightening. "You don't get to decide that."
Daxon turned to her, his expression unreadable. "Neither do you."
The door opened before she could reply, and Cian stepped in, dressed in a fitted gray shirt and black trousers, the very image of composed rage.
"You slept here," he said to Daxon.
"You were watching from the other side of the door," Daxon replied coolly.
"I told you not to touch her."
"I didn't. Unlike you, I understand boundaries."
"Both of you," Selene snapped, stepping between them. "Enough. I'm not some fragile flower that needs guarding twenty-four-seven."
"You're not fragile," Cian said, voice low. "But you are hunted."
She met his eyes. "By whom?"
He hesitated.
Daxon answered for him. "Someone who doesn't want the power of a Luna bonded to two Alphas. That kind of union could shift the balance."
Selene laughed, cold and bitter. "As if I'd ever let that happen."
Both men tensed.
"You don't get to decide what the bond becomes," Cian said gently. "It's already there."
"And I didn't ask for it."
"But it's yours," Daxon growled. "And whether you like it or not, it's ours."
Selene's voice trembled. "I already had a mate."
Cian stepped closer. "And he died."
"Don't," she whispered, pain flaring like a fresh wound.
Cian stopped. Regret flickered across his features, but the damage was done. Selene turned away, her chest tightening. She hadn't said his name in almost a year. She didn't want to start now.
Later that morning, the Summit reconvened.
The great hall was quieter this time. Guards flanked the walls, their weapons at the ready. The attack had rattled everyone. Alphas whispered among themselves, glancing at Selene like she carried the plague.
Maybe she did.
She stood beside the council table, a forced figure of neutrality, dressed in silver and black — a compromise between mourning and power. The two Alphas flanked her like shadows. And still, her presence made them uncomfortable.
"She's cursed," someone muttered.
"She's marked twice."
"She'll bring war."
Vaughn slammed his cane against the floor. "Enough!"
The murmurs died.
"The rogue threat is not over," he said. "And the bond that has revealed itself is no small matter. It must be addressed."
"There's nothing to address," Selene said, her voice steady. "The bond is unwanted. I reject it."
Cian flinched.
Daxon's jaw clenched.
"Then say the words," Vaughn replied. "Reject them both. Here. Now."
Selene opened her mouth—then stopped.
She couldn't.
Something tightened in her chest, something primal and raw. Her wolf howled inside her, a sound of protest and pain. Just the thought of rejecting them made her body tremble.
"Selene?" Vaughn prompted.
"I…" She swallowed hard. "I'll need time."
Vaughn nodded slowly, though his gaze sharpened. "You have three days. During that time, you'll remain within the Keep. No contact with outside packs. No escape."
"Escape?" she scoffed. "I didn't come here to run."
"Good," he said. "Because you're not allowed to leave."
That night, Selene stood in the moonlit courtyard, alone for the first time in days. She stared at the statue of the Moon Goddess — silent, carved in stone, and utterly useless.
"Why me?" she whispered. "Why again?"
She felt them before she saw them. Cian and Daxon, both drawn to her like stars to gravity. She didn't turn. She didn't need to.
"You're not safe out here alone," Cian said softly.
Selene closed her eyes. "Neither are you."
He stepped beside her, close but not touching. "I know I hurt you earlier."
"You didn't," she said. "He did. The one who's gone. But you reminded me of it."
"I wanted to be him," Cian admitted. "Back then. Before he claimed you. I was going to tell you how I felt. And then… it was too late."
Selene finally turned. "You still want to be him?"
"No," he said. "I want to be yours. Not his shadow."
Her heart twisted.
Before she could speak, Daxon appeared behind her, leaning against the marble column.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" he said, nodding to the statue. "She gives you what you never ask for. Then dares you to survive it."
Selene studied him in the silver light. "Why are you really here, Daxon? You never cared about politics. Or diplomacy. And you don't trust this council."
"I don't," he agreed. "But I trust the bond. And I trust what I felt when I saw you again."
"I'm not the same girl," she warned.
"I never wanted the girl," he replied. "I want the woman who survived."
Silence fell between them.
"I can't be what you want," she said quietly. "Not for either of you."
Cian stepped forward. "Then be what you want. Let us protect you while you figure it out."
"I don't want protection," she said, voice cracking. "I want freedom."
Daxon's eyes darkened. "Then take it. You don't belong to either of us unless you choose to. We may be bonded, Selene… but that doesn't mean you're owned."
Selene's breath caught.
This—this was the moment fate tried to steal from her last time. A choice. A voice.
Her fingers curled into her dress.
"Let's make a deal," she said.
Both men straightened.
"You don't try to claim me. No marking. No mating. Not until the three days are over."
They exchanged glances, then nodded.
"And in return?" Daxon asked.
"I won't reject either of you," she said. "Yet."
Their wolves growled in unison — low, possessive, aching sounds that made the air thick.
Selene stepped back.
"And while we're waiting," she added, "stay out of my room."
Daxon smirked. "No promises."
Cian's smile was softer. "I'll try."
Selene turned, her dress catching the wind, and walked away—heart pounding, throat dry, and power crackling in her veins.
She was no one's mate.
Not yet.
But she was everything they wanted.
And for the first time, she wasn't afraid of it.
She'd make her own destiny… even if it meant breaking the world.