Chapter Eight
Selene
The great hall of Shadowfang was a storm of chaos, the feast shattered by the scout's warning of Kaelen's ambush. Tankards clattered to the floor, wolves scrambled for weapons, and the air thickened with the scent of sweat and steel. My heart pounded as I gripped my ceremonial dagger, its silver blade catching the torchlight. Kaelen stood across the hall with his Bloodfang warriors fanned out behind him. The mate bond burned in my chest, his jealousy a living thing, but I locked eyes with him, refusing to flinch. Dorian was out there, and no trap of Kaelen's would stop me from getting to him.
Draven was at my side, when he ssid. "Stay sharp, Selene. He's not here to talk."
I snorted, my voice sharp. "Good. Cause I'm done talking."
Kaelen's taunting smile widened as he stepped closer, his voice carrying over the din. "Your son misses his mother, Selene. Pity you chose rebellion over him."
My vision narrowed to his smug face. Gods, how did I ever find this man attractive?
"You chose gold over us, Kaelen. Don't you dare lecture me on loyalty." I shot back holding my dagger tight as I advanced.
Instead of taking a defensive stance, he smiled. "Bring that thing anywhere near me, huntress, and I will tell everyone the truth. See, I'm fully aware this sham of a marriage hasn't been consummated." I stopped in my tracks and my eyes widened.
How in the goddess' green earth did I forget about the mate bond? He knows.
He noticed my hesitation and smiled wider. "Now be a good girl and drop that dagger or the whole pack will know you're not actually Luna."
Draven spoke then. "Open that slimy mouth of yours and I'll slit your throat before the first syllable escapes."
His eyes darkened, the mate bond pulsing with his rage, but he didn't get a chance to respond. A horn blared outside, followed by the unmistakable clash of steel. Kaelen's warriors surged toward the hall's exits, and Shadowfang wolves roared in response, drawing blades and shifting claws. Draven grabbed my arm, pulling me toward a side door. "They're hitting the western gate. You need to leave now ."
I yanked free, my eyes still locked on Kaelen as I said. "Then we meet them head-on. I'm not sitting this out."
Kaelen smiled, gave a short, mocking bow, and slipped into the darkness.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
We spilled into the courtyard, the night air cold and heavy with the scent of pine and blood. Kaelen's forces had breached the western woods, their red-sigiled armor glinting as they clashed with Shadowfang's defenders. Arrows whistled through the air, and wolves snarled, their forms blurring between human and beast. Draven tossed me a short bow from a fallen warrior, its string taut. "Time to show them what a huntress can do."
I notched an arrow, my hands steady despite the chaos. "Watch and learn, Alpha."
My first shot found a Bloodfang warrior's shoulder, dropping him mid-charge. The second pierced a throat, clean and precise. Shadowfang wolves glanced my way, their skepticism fading as I loosed arrow after arrow, each one true. Draven fought beside me, his blade a whirlwind, cutting down two Bloodfang soldiers with brutal efficiency. Our movements synced instinctively, like we'd fought together for years.
He glanced at me, his golden eyes blazing. "You're a red haired little devil, aren't you?"
I nocked another arrow, aimed, and shot as I said. "Save the poetry for after we survive the night, Nightbane."
A Bloodfang warrior lunged at me then, his axe swinging for my chest. I ducked, the blade grazing my shoulder, and drove my dagger into his side. He crumpled, but another took his place, his claws raking toward my throat. Before I could react, Veyra appeared, her scarred face fierce as she tackled the warrior, her own blade flashing. She pinned him down and finishes him off with a swipe of her claws.
She turned to me briefly. "Maybe you're not just Bloodfang filth, afterall."
I nodded, catching my breath. "And maybe you're not just a pain in my ass."
Her lips twitched, not quite a smile, but close enough. The fight raged on, Shadowfang's numbers holding against Kaelen's ambush. I scanned the chaos, searching for him, but he'd vanished and left his warriors fighting without their Alpha. The bond pulsed, faint but sharp, telling me he was close and watching. My stomach twisted. This wasn't just an attack—it was a distraction.
I grabbed Draven's arm as we fell back behind a barricade of overturned carts. "He's playing us. Kaelen's not here for a fight. He's after something else."
"Something else like what?" he asked.
"I don't know yet. But I know Kaelen... this is a trap."
Draven's jaw tightened, blood streaking his face. "My spies warned me he'd try to draw us out. We hold the line, then we hunt him."
Before I could argue, a Bloodfang warrior's shout cut through the din. "The boy's been moved! Retreat now!" My heart stopped, as it dawned on me. I spun toward the warrior, and with a few moves, had him pinned to the geound. His eyes widened as I knelt, placing my dagger at his throat. "Where's my son? I sense a single lie, and you'll be returning to Bloodfang speaking through a hole in your throat."
He choked, his voice trembling. "Red Cliffs… secure outpost… Kaelen's orders…"
I stood, my mind racing. The Red Cliffs was Kaelen's most secure outpost, impenetrable without a plan. I turned to Draven, my voice urgent. "Send scouts to mert them halfway. I need to know where Dorian is."
Draven's eyes narrowed, his voice low. "If I send scouts, it risks exposing my spies in Bloodfang. This would've all been for nothing. We can't move rashly, Selene."
I stepped into his space, my voice a hiss. "Rashly? That's my son, Nightbane. My only son. I don't care about your spies. Send them, or I go myself."
He held my gaze, his expression torn between frustration and respect. "You're too stubborn for your own good."
"And you're too smug for yours," I shot back, my heart pounding. "Do it, Draven. For once, no games, no strategies. Find me my son." I hesitated, then added, my voice softening. "Please."
His gaze lingered on me for a second longer, then he sighed and nodded to a nearby scout. "Go scout towards the Red Cliffs. Confirm the boy's location. Do it quietly." The scout vanished into the woods, and I exhaled, my hands shaking with relief and rage.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Eventually, the battle turned in our favor as Shadowfang's ferocity began overwhelming Kaelen's forces. We drove them back, their numbers thinning as they retreated into the trees.
I let one final arrow loose, watching a Bloodfang warrior fall to the dirt, then lowered my bow. Draven stood beside me, his blade dripping blood as his eyes scanned the battlefield. "Not bad, my queen. You fight like you were born for this."
I wiped sweat from my brow, my voice dry. "I was born for a lot of things. I was forced to fight."
His laugh was warm, almost too warm, and for a moment, I let myself feel the steady weight of his presence. But suddenly, the bond pulsed as Kaelen's shadow began creeping in, and I shoved it down.
We returned to the fortress, the great hall now a mess of shattered tables and spilled mead. Kaelen was gone and his warriors were scattered, but the victory felt hollow. My son was still out there, and every second wasted was a second he was in Kaelen's hands. I paced the hall, my boots echoing on the stone, when a Shadowfang warrior, bloodied and breathless, approached Draven. His voice was low, but I caught every word. "One of our spies… captured. Kaelen's men took him at the border."
My blood ran cold. Draven's face darkened, his voice a growl. "He's playing us, Selene. And I think he knows you're coming for your boy."
I gripped my bow, my heart a war drum. "Good. Let him know I'm coming for Dorian, and that I'll tear through his entire pack to get him."
Draven's eyes met mine, a flicker of something I couldn't quite read, passing through them. "Then we do it together, every step of the way. By the time we're through, Kaelen won't know what hit him.."
I nodded, my throat tightening as a swallowed. Kaelen was a step ahead, but I'd hunt him down. I'll get my son. And then, I'll get my revenge.