The thunderclouds still rumbled above the Raventhorn lands as Darius Stormbane stared at the fragile woman in his arms. Selene's breath was shallow, her skin pale against the dark velvet of her cloak. He had carried her all the way to the healer's quarters, each step he took echoing with fury, guilt, and a strange unfamiliar ache lodged in his chest.
His wolf had gone eerily silent.
The moment the castle gates closed behind him, he burst through the healer's door with a snarl. "Save her," he growled, his voice breaking the silence of the chamber. "Now."
Healer Bryndis, an ancient woman with moon-colored hair and glowing hands, looked up calmly. Her eyes met his and something unspoken passed between them.
She motioned for him to lay Selene on the stone bed and immediately got to work, her fingers dancing with soft, magical light. Darius hovered, every muscle in his body coiled like a spring. For the first time in years, he was helpless.
"She's been weakened by rejection," Bryndis said softly as she laid her hands over Selene's heart. "And something darker… She's holding back a power, Darius. One that doesn't belong to ordinary wolves."
His jaw clenched. "She's no ordinary wolf," he muttered.
Bryndis glanced at him. "She's your mate. And she was bound to another long before you ever laid eyes on her."
The words cut him more deeply than he wanted to admit. Darius turned his back to the healer, breathing hard. He had always believed in strength. Dominance. Control. But this woman, this fragile creature who had almost collapsed in front of him, had shattered every rule he lived by.
A loud gasp broke through the chamber.
He turned sharply.
Selene's body arched off the bed as golden light burst from her chest. Her lips parted in a silent cry, and her eyes glowed an eerie violet. The runes carved into her skin pulsed, and for a second, it looked as if an ancient seal had been broken.
Then she collapsed.
Darius caught her before she hit the floor, holding her tightly against him. "Selene," he whispered harshly. "You don't get to leave. Not like this. Not again."
Her eyelids fluttered open, and she looked up at him, dazed. "Darius…"
A strange rush of relief washed through him, unexpected and terrifying. "You're safe," he said, brushing a strand of hair from her face. "You're not allowed to die, Selene Raventhorn."
Her lips twitched, almost into a smile. "And here I thought you didn't care."
His jaw tightened. "You don't know what I feel."
"No," she whispered. "But I think I'm starting to."
---
Later that night, the storm had passed, leaving the world outside soaked and silent. The moon peeked through the clouds, casting silver light over the marble corridors of Stormbane Keep.
Selene stood alone in the inner courtyard, staring at the ancient fountain. The same fountain where she had once made a vow to never love again. Back when her heart had been broken beyond repair.
The chill in the air didn't touch her.
Her thoughts were far away.
Why had the Goddess brought Darius into her life now? After everything? After centuries of being hunted, haunted, and alone?
She heard him before he spoke. His footsteps were always distinct. Quiet, deliberate, commanding.
"You shouldn't be out here."
She didn't turn to him. "You're not my warden."
"No," he agreed, "but I am your mate."
The words hung between them.
Finally, she turned to face him. "Why did you reject me?"
Darius looked at her, the shadows in his eyes darker than usual. "Because I don't deserve you."
She blinked. "That's not your decision to make."
He stepped closer. "I didn't know who you were. What you are. And I thought... I thought I was doing the right thing. For my people. For myself."
Selene laughed bitterly. "And what do you think now?"
"I think I made the worst mistake of my life."
Silence.
His hand lifted, gently touching her cheek. This time, she didn't flinch. Instead, she leaned into it, craving the warmth. The bond between them pulsed — not violently this time — but with a soft, steady hum.
"I don't know what the future holds," she said quietly. "But I know the past has tried to kill me. Again and again."
"Then let me be your shield," he said.
Her eyes lifted to his. "You can't protect me from the prophecy."
"I can try."
She shook her head. "You don't even know what it says."
He stepped even closer. "Then tell me."
Her lips parted. "It's older than the kingdoms. It was carved in the Temple of Moirai in the ancient tongue. It says that a child of night and flame shall bind time itself — that she will live forever in the past, and forever in the future."
Darius's brows furrowed. "And you believe you're that child?"
She didn't answer. Instead, she lifted her hand and revealed a glowing sigil on her wrist — a circular rune that shimmered with both fire and starlight.
"The Goddess gave it to me when I was just a girl," she whispered. "And ever since, I've been hunted. Betrayed. Forced to relive pain across centuries. Because they fear what I might become."
"And what is that?" he asked, voice low.
"A Queen," she said, "or a curse."
---
The next morning, Selene awoke to find a scroll sealed with the crest of the High Council on her bedside.
She stared at it, heart sinking.
Darius was already in the training yard, sparring with his generals. She could see him from the tower window. Every movement was lethal, graceful. But there was a tension in his form that hadn't been there before.
She broke the seal and unrolled the scroll.
"To Selene Raventhorn, daughter of the Forgotten Lineage, bearer of the Sigil of Time — you are summoned to the Temple of Moirai under decree of the Council. Your presence is no longer a request. It is a command. Your fate and the fate of our realm are bound. Delay will be considered an act of treason. Signed, Chancellor Vorell."
She crumpled the scroll in her hand.
They had found her. After all these years.
She didn't have much time.
Just then, the door creaked open and Darius entered. His shirt clung to his skin from training, his chest heaving lightly.
"What is it?" he asked the moment he saw her face.
"They know," she said, holding out the scroll. "They're calling me to the temple."
He read the message, his eyes darkening with every word.
"They want to use you," he said grimly. "Or destroy you."
"Yes," she said simply.
"Then we won't let them."
Her breath caught. "We?"
His gaze burned into hers. "You're not alone anymore, Selene. Not in this lifetime. Not in any other."
And in that moment, something ancient stirred between them — a bond far older than fate, far deeper than the moon's pull.
It wasn't just about prophecy.
It was about love that refused to be broken.
Again.