The world returned in fragments ,smoke, firelight, the bitter sting of silver burning her wrists.
Selene's eyes snapped open.
She was no longer in the ceremonial hall. She was chained to a heavy oak bed, her wrists cuffed in glowing silver that hissed against her skin. Her neck throbbed, blood dried across her collarbone where Kael's fangs had pierced her.
Her body burned, every nerve alive with fire. Mate heat.
Damn him.
The door creaked. Heavy footsteps crossed the chamber, slow, deliberate.
Kael.
He filled the room like a storm, dark eyes gleaming in the firelight. His black shirt clung to his frame, his jaw still stained with her blood.
"You're awake," he said, his voice low and dangerous.
Selene tugged at her chains, fury flashing in her golden eyes. "Unchain me."
He cocked his head, amused. "Not until you learn who you belong to."
Her laugh was sharp, bitter. "I don't belong to anyone."
Kael moved closer, leaning over her until his scent, smoke, cedar, iron, flooded her lungs. His hand gripped her jaw, forcing her to meet his gaze.
"You don't belong to anyone," he murmured, brushing his thumb across her blood-stained skin. "But you are bound to me. The Goddess saw to that."
She bared her teeth. "The Goddess cursed me with you."
Something snapped between them.
His lips brushed her ear, his voice a growl. "And yet your heart races every time I touch you."
Selene jerked against her chains, her body betraying her. Heat curled low in her belly. She hated it. She hated him but why did he have to be so breathtakingly sexy.
"Go to hell," she hissed.
Kael's smirk deepened. His hand slid to her throat, not choking, but firm enough to remind her of his power. His teeth grazed her skin, lingering where he'd marked her hours ago.
For one raw moment, she thought he'd bite her again, claim her fully. Her breath caught, body straining toward him against her will.
But he pulled back, releasing her.
"No," he said, his voice like steel. "Not yet. Not until you beg."
Her cheeks burned with rage and__shame because part of her had wanted him to finish.
The door slammed open. The council flooded the chamber, their robes sweeping the floor, their eyes sharp with judgment.
One elder pointed a gnarled finger at Selene. "The double bond is a curse. She will bring ruin."
"She should be destroyed before the pack suffers," another hissed.
Kael's growl shook the chamber. He moved in front of Selene, his body a shield.
"Touch her, and I'll gut you where you stand."
Selene blinked at him, startled. Protector? Or just a man guarding his possession?
She spat, "Don't act like you're saving me. You're only saving your pride."
Kael's glare snapped to her, but he didn't deny it.
That night, when the council had finally left, silence blanketed the chamber. Selene's wrists ached from the silver, her body trembling with the conflicting bonds that refused to let her rest.
Then,
A whisper of movement.
She stiffened.
From the shadows, a figure emerged, tall, rugged, eyes glowing amber fire.
Darius.
Selene's breath hitched. "You shouldn't be here."
He crouched beside the bed, close enough for his heat to wash over her. His scarred hand brushed a strand of hair from her face, gentle in a way Kael never was.
"Maybe not," Darius said softly, his voice rough. "But tell me you felt it. Tell me I'm not alone in this bond."
Her throat went dry. "I… I don't know what I feel."
His gaze darkened, fierce. "Then let me show you."
He leaned closer, his breath hot against her lips. The mate bond snapped taut, pulling her to him with a force she couldn't resist. Her body arched toward his touch, fire racing through her veins.
Their lips were a breath apart when—
The door slammed open.
Kael stood in the doorway, his eyes blazing silver, his rage like a storm swallowing the room. His chest rose and fell with each furious breath, claws half unsheathed.
"You dare," Kael snarled, his voice lethal, "touch what's mine?"
Selene froze, Darius straightened, but neither moved away.
The chamber filled with the electric promise of blood.