The silence between them stretched, thick with unspoken words.
Selene still held the dagger, her pulse a rapid drum against her ribs. She expected Killian to lash out, to reprimand her for attacking his men. Instead, he took a slow step forward. The guards scrambled away, one of them cradling his broken wrist.
They knew better than to seek his help. Killian didn't tolerate weakness. "You fight well for someone with no memory," he murmured. Selene's grip tightened. "I did what I had to."
Killian tilted his head, his golden eyes sweeping over her, calculating. "And yet, you hesitate." Selene refused to flinch. "You think I should have killed them?"
His smirk was cruel. "I think you wanted to." Her stomach twisted. She didn't want to believe him, but the way her body had moved—the way her instincts had taken over—it unsettled her.
Killian stepped inside the cell, closing the distance. She refused to back away, even as the air between them grew suffocating. "You have two choices, little wolf." His voice was quiet, but it carried the weight of command.
"Submit… or suffer." Selene forced herself to breathe. "And if I choose neither?" His smirk widened. "Then you're a fool."
His hand shot out—too fast for her to react. Fingers curled around her wrist, wrenching the dagger from her grasp. It clattered to the floor. She gasped, but he didn't release her.
A prophecy spoke of a Luna born with the ability to destroy or save the werewolf generation.
The moment she took her first breath, the balance shifted. Selene's hands trembled.
"You think I'm that Luna?"
The woman coughed but still snarled. "We don't think. We know." Killian's eyes burned gold. "Then why haven't you killed her yet?"
The male envoy inhaled sharply. "Because we couldn't find her. Someone hid her… And you, Alpha King, were never supposed to be her mate."
The words felt like a blow to the heart.
Killian froze.
Selene's heart pounded. She whispered, "Then who was?" The envoy smiled, a sadistic gleam in his eyes. "The Rogue King."
A sudden silence fell over the room. The words hung in the air, choking and leaden. Selene shook her head. "That's not possible."
Killian's fists curled. His wolf scratched at his control, starving for blood. "Lies." The male envoy's smirk deepened. "Is it?"
"Question yourself, Alpha King—why has your bond with her refused to break?
The Moon Goddess is not prone to mistakes, yet you defied destiny when you spurned her." Selene's belly tightened.
The unabashed connection, the flashes of memory, and the way her very soul rebelled at Killian's rejection—it all pointed to something unnatural.
The female envoy stepped closer again, her voice soft now. "You were promised to another, Selene. The Rogue King was to take you.
But someone intervened." Killian's eyes blackened with fury. "Who?"
A pause. The woman then uttered a name that sent a shiver down Selene's spine. "Your father." Selene's breath caught.
Memories fluttered in her mind—shadowed figures, whispered warnings, a familiar voice telling her to run. Killian's jaw set. "That's impossible. Her father died years ago."
The male envoy laughed. "Did he? Or did he simply disappear, taking his greatest secret with him?" Selene reeled. Was her father… alive?
Had he kept her hidden from the fate the Moon Goddess had planned for her? Killian stepped closer to her, his warmth grounding her.
"No matter what they say, you're mine." His voice was a low, deadly promise.
The woman envoy dipped her head. "So sure, Alpha King?" Selene's heart pounded. She felt something coming—something that would change everything.
The room fell into an awkward silence. Selene's heart pounded in her ears.
Her father. Alive.
It was complete nonsense. But somewhere inside, she knew the Council wasn't lying. Killian whirled on the envoys, voice as sharp as a blade.
"If you think I'll let some old prophecy decide her fate, you're mistaken."
The male envoy scoffed. "You have no say." Selene's fists were clenched at her sides. "And if I refuse?"
The female envoy's eyes darkened. "Then you die." Killian's growl rang out in the hall, his wolf barely restrained. "You will not touch her."
The male envoy shrugged. "That is not for us to choose. The Council will choose." There was a heavy silence between them.
Selene looked at Killian. The fire in his eyes told her one thing—he would not let them take her.
But as the doors opened, and the High Council stood waiting inside, she knew it made no difference what they wanted.
The decision had been made. Selene's eyes widened as the doors to the room opened. The High Council lined up before her, their stances suffocating.
In their midst, a silver-haired elder glared at her with blank eyes. Killian tensed to her side, his hand on his sword. "Speak your mind," he growled.
The elder stepped forward. "Selene, daughter of the late Alpha King, your presence disrupts the balance of this kingdom." The prophecy binds you to another's fate."
Selene set her jaw. "And if I don't?" The elder's mouth twisted in a combination of amusement and contempt.
"Then war is inevitable."
The words resonated within the chamber, determining her fate. Killian's claws dug into his palms. "Then war it is." A knowing look passed between the Council members.
The female envoy smiled. " Be careful of what you wish for, Alpha King." Guards emerged from the shadows, metal glinting in their hands.
Killian caught Selene's wrist, with a firm grip. "let's go. Now." The elder did not stop them. Instead, he bellowed after them, his voice a ghost in the air.
"The past will catch up with you, Selene." And when it does… not even he can save you. Selene's heart pounded as she met Killian's glare.
Selene feared not the past. But something kept telling her—she should