The sun touched the horizon, painting the Blackwood Vale in shades of crimson and gold. Selene stood in the servant's corridor adjacent to the great hall, dressed in the cleanest of her threadbare dresses... a simple gray thing that hung loose on her too-thin frame.
Around her, the pack assembled.
She could hear them through the walls: the shuffle of feet, the murmur of excited voices, the occasional bark of laughter. The entire Bloodfang Pack, nearly one hundred strong, gathering to greet their Alpha's brother.
Selene pressed her palm against the cool stone wall, trying to steady her breathing. Her cheek still throbbed where Darius had struck her, and exhaustion made her limbs feel like lead. But she couldn't afford weakness. Not tonight.
Then a soft voice drifted into her ears.
"You look terrible."
She turned to find Maya, one of the kitchen workers, regarding her with something that might have been sympathy. Maya was older, maybe forty, with kind eyes and gray-streaked hair. She was one of the few pack members who didn't go out of her way to torment Selene...though she didn't help her either. Neutrality was its own form of survival.
"I'll manage," Selene said quietly.
"Here." Maya pressed something into her hand.. a small roll, slightly stale but still edible. "You'll need your strength. Beta Kira's been telling everyone to watch you closely tonight. She wants you to fail."
"I know." Selene pocketed the roll, warmth blooming in her chest at the small kindness. "Thank you, Maya."
"Don't thank me. Just... try not to give them a reason." Maya's expression was grave. "I've seen what they do to you. I'm sorry I can't..."
"It's alright." Selene touched her arm briefly. "You have pups to protect. I understand."
Maya's eyes glistened, but she nodded and hurried back toward the kitchens before anyone could see them talking.
Selene pulled out the roll and ate it in three quick bites, savoring each morsel. It wasn't much, but it was more than she'd had all day. The food settled warm in her stomach, giving her a fraction more strength.
She'd need it.
"Positions!" Beta Kira's voice rang out. "Alpha Lucian's party has been spotted. Everyone to the courtyard. NOW!"
Selene joined the flood of pack members moving toward the main entrance. She kept to the edges, trying to remain unnoticed in the crowd. The last thing she needed was Kira finding some excuse to punish her before the feast even began.
The courtyard was massive, capable of holding the entire pack with room to spare. Torches lined the perimeter, their flames dancing in the evening breeze. The Bloodfang crest... a blood-red crescent over crossed fangs, hung from banners on every wall.
Alpha Darius stood at the center, flanked by Kira and Reece. He'd dressed for the occasion in dark leathers that emphasized his powerful build, his hair pulled back to reveal the sharp angles of his face. He looked every inch the dominant Alpha, radiating authority and strength.
The pack arranged themselves in formation behind him, a show of unity and power. Selene found herself shoved to the back, near the servants and the lowest-ranked wolves. This was fine by her. The less visible she was, the better.
"Remember," Kira's voice carried across the courtyard, "we represent Bloodfang tonight. Strength. Discipline. Power. Show Alpha Lucian what we really are."
A chorus of howls answered her, the sound raising goosebumps along Selene's arms. Once, that sound had made her feel connected to something larger than herself. Now it only reminded her that she'd never truly belong.
Then, the gates opened.
Selene found herself craning her neck despite herself, curiosity getting the better of her caution. What did this Lucian look like? Would he be another Darius, all brutality and dominance? Or was there truth to the whispers that he was different?
A group of men entered the courtyard. Six of them, moving with the fluid grace of trained warriors. They wore dark travel cloaks, their faces shadowed in the torchlight.
And at their center walked Alpha Lucian Nightfall.
Selene's breath caught.
He was tall... as tall as Darius, but leaner, built for speed rather than brute force. He moved with a quiet confidence that didn't need to announce itself, each step purposeful and controlled. As he crossed into the torchlight, his features became clear.
Dark hair, longer than his brother's, fell to his shoulders in waves that caught the firelight. His face was all strong lines and sharp angles, but where Darius's features were harsh, Lucian's held a certain elegance. High cheekbones. A straight nose. A mouth that looked like it smiled more easily than it scowled.
But it was his eyes that struck her most.
Silver. Pure, bright silver, like the moon reflected on still water. They swept across the assembled pack with an intensity that made her instinctively step back, even though she was too far away for him to notice her.
Those eyes held intelligence, calculation, but also something else. Something that looked almost like... sadness?
"Brother." Lucian's voice carried across the courtyard... deeper than Darius's, with a resonance that seemed to sink into her bones. "It's been too long."
"Lucian." Darius stepped forward, and the two Alphas clasped forearms in the traditional greeting. "Welcome to Bloodfang."
"Thank you for hosting me." Lucian's tone was formal, cordial, but Selene detected the undercurrent of tension. These two were like circling wolves, assessing each other for weakness. "Your territory has grown since I last visited."
"We've been fortunate." Darius's smile didn't reach his eyes. "Come. You must be tired from your journey. Let me show you what Bloodfang has become."
The pack parted as Darius led Lucian and his entourage toward the packhouse. Selene caught glimpses of Lucian as he passed... the way he held himself, the polite nods he gave to pack members who bowed their heads in respect.
He seemed... civilized. Controlled. Nothing like the wild dominance Darius.
Then his gaze swept across the back of the crowd, and for just a heartbeat, those silver eyes landed on her.
Selene froze.
It was barely a second. Just a glance in her direction before his attention moved on. He couldn't have even registered her, she was one face in a crowd of hundreds, standing in shadow.
But something in her chest... tightened. A sort of bloom.
She pressed a hand to her sternum, confused. What was that? Anxiety? Fear? She was used to both, but this felt different. Wrong. Like something deep inside her was trying to wake up.
"Move!" Someone shoved her from behind. "We need to prepare the feast. Stop gawking!"
The crowd dispersed, pack members returning to their duties. Selene shook off the strange sensation and hurried toward the great hall. She had work to do. No time for mysterious feelings that probably meant nothing anyway.