Long after the crowd dispersed and the whispers faded, Selena stood alone atop the cliff behind the pack house. The night wind played with her moonlit hair as she stared at the stars.
She had won.
But victory didn't feel like peace. Not yet.
> "You shouldn't be out here alone."
The voice came from the shadows behind her deep, smooth, unfamiliar.
Selena turned, instantly alert. A tall figure stepped into the moonlight, his presence calm yet commanding. He wore dark leathers, and his golden eyes shimmered like firelight.
He wasn't from Bloodfang.
> "Who are you?" she asked.
> "A messenger. And a warning," he said. "The Moon's Chosen isn't safe here. Not truly. Especially not when the one she defeated still breathes."
Her gaze narrowed. "If Damien comes for me again, I'll finish what I started."
> "He won't be the one coming," the stranger said softly. "There are those who fear what you are becoming. They will strike before you ascend fully."
Selena didn't flinch. "Let them come."
The man stepped closer, his eyes scanning her face. "Your power is only beginning to awaken. You need training. Guidance. Protection."
> "From you?"
> "From my Alpha," he replied. "He's heard of your rise. He's not like Damien. He doesn't fear strong females. He mates with equals."
Something in his voice, something in the way he said mate made her heart skip.
Selena turned back to the stars. "If he wants to meet me… he can come himself."
The stranger smirked. "He will."
And with that, he vanished into the forest, leaving behind only the soft echo of his presence.
Selena's thoughts raced.
Was this fate reshaping itself?
Or just the beginning of a bigger war?