The forest stretched endlessly before them, the towering trees casting long shadows under the silver glow of the moon. Selene moved with quiet precision, her senses sharp, her body attuned to every rustle in the underbrush. Beside her, Seraphina matched her pace, the tension in the air palpable.
They had been tracking for nearly an hour.
After the rogue attack, something had gnawed at Selene's instincts—something beyond the battle itself. The way they had lingered, the way they had watched her, waiting. As if they had been following orders.
Who sent them? And why?
Selene exhaled through her nose, steadying herself. They needed answers.
"Are we even sure this is the right trail?" Seraphina muttered, stepping over a gnarled root.
Selene didn't hesitate. "It's fresh."
Seraphina sighed. "Great. Because following a trail of blood straight into the unknown always ends well."
Selene shot her a look. "You didn't have to come."
"Please," Seraphina scoffed. "Like I was going to let you run off alone into a potential death trap."
Selene smirked slightly but said nothing.
The scent grew stronger—coppery and thick. It wasn't just from the rogues. There was something else, something foreign. And then she saw it.
A body.
Not a wolf.
A vampire.
Selene crouched, brushing her fingers over the corpse's torn clothing. His chest had deep gashes, and his eyes—black with death—were frozen in an expression of shock.
"Why would a vampire be out here?" Seraphina whispered, frowning.
Selene's pulse quickened. They were too far from any vampire territory. This made no sense.
A snapping twig.
Selene's head snapped up, her muscles coiling.
The air shifted.
Something was watching them.
Then, before she could react—
Darkness.
A shadow moved.
A force slammed into her from behind, and she barely had time to spin before she was pinned to the ground, a heavy weight pressing against her.
Seraphina let out a snarl somewhere to her left, but Selene couldn't focus on anything except the figure looming over her, radiating a suffocating presence.
A man.
But not just any man.
Selene sucked in a breath.
Vampire.
He was tall, impossibly so, with a build that spoke of brutal power. His black hair fell just past his shoulders, framing sharp, defined features. His brown eyes bore into her, cold and unreadable, yet something lurked beneath them—a depth she couldn't place.
The moment their eyes met, something snapped inside her.
The world tilted.
Her breath hitched.
No. No, no, no.
The bond crashed into her like a tidal wave, unseen yet undeniable. It clawed at her, curling around her like chains tightening with every second that passed.
Fate's cruel joke.
He's my mate.
Her body tensed beneath him, her mind screaming in protest.
Not this. Not again.
The vampire's grip on her wrists tightened for a fraction of a second, his jaw clenching. Then—just as quickly—he pushed off her, standing effortlessly, as if touching her had burned him.
Selene scrambled to her feet, her heart hammering against her ribs.
Seraphina had been thrown back but was already on her feet, looking between them with wide eyes.
The vampire didn't speak immediately. He studied her, his gaze unreadable.
Then, at last, his lips parted, and his voice was low, dangerous.
"You are trespassing."
Selene swallowed, forcing her mind to push past the chaos surging inside her.
"You attacked first," she countered, her voice steady despite the storm within.
The vampire's expression didn't change. "You were found hovering over one of my own."
Selene glanced at the dead vampire on the ground. Realization hit her like ice.
This was his territory.
Her gut twisted.
The vampire stepped closer, his presence suffocating. "I don't take kindly to intruders."
Selene lifted her chin, defiance flickering in her emerald eyes. "We didn't know."
A ghost of a smirk touched his lips. "Ignorance is no excuse."
Selene bristled at his tone. Who did he think he was?
The bond between them pulsed—a whisper of something primal. But neither of them acknowledged it.
Neither of them wanted it.
She squared her shoulders. "Are you going to kill us, then?"
For the first time, something flickered in his eyes. An emotion she couldn't quite place.
"No," he said simply. "But you will answer for trespassing."
And with that, he turned on his heel.
Selene didn't move. "I'm not going anywhere with you."
The vampire paused, looking over his shoulder. And then he said something that sent a chill down her spine.
"You don't have a choice."
Two more figures emerged from the shadows—vampires, like him. Selene's muscles tensed.
Seraphina stepped closer, her voice low. "This is bad."
Selene clenched her jaw.
It was worse than bad.
Because this wasn't just a dangerous encounter.
This was him.
And no matter how much she wished otherwise—no matter how much she wanted to fight it—she knew.
She belonged to the vampire king.
And he belonged to her.
Even if neither of them wanted it.