Selene didn't sleep.
She lay on the bed, fully clothed, with her blade tucked under her pillow and her senses stretched wide. Outside, BloodMoon was quiet. Peaceful, even.
Too peaceful.
She turned to her side and stared at the wall, replaying the night over and over. The moonfire. Kael's words. The boy. The sound of a second pair of feet. Whoever had been out there with her was skilled.
They moved like a ghost.
Just like she did.
It could've been someone watching the celebration from the woods. But instincts didn't lie. Selene had been followed, and not by accident.
She pulled the small crystal out from under her shirt.
"Update," she whispered. "Someone trailed me last night. Not Kael. Not a child. Will investigate. Mission continues."
The crystal hummed in acknowledgment, then dimmed.
She returned it to its hiding spot just as dawn began to rise.
A knock came at the door. Sharp. Controlled.
Not Maya.
Selene opened it.
Kael stood in the hallway, his shoulders broad and his face unreadable.
"Can we talk?"
She stepped aside silently. He walked in, slow and observant, as though checking for hidden weapons. Smart man.
She closed the door behind him.
"I didn't expect you this early," she said.
"I didn't sleep well."
"Join the club."
Kael turned to her. "You left the fire early. Did something happen?"
"No," she lied.
His eyes narrowed. "You're a terrible liar."
Selene tilted her head. "I never claimed to be a good one."
Kael stepped closer. Not enough to be threatening, but enough to feel his heat.
"Did someone approach you last night?" he asked.
She paused. "Not exactly."
"What does that mean?"
"I heard something. Someone. I thought I was being followed, but it turned out to be a kid."
Kael folded his arms. "What kid?"
Selene shrugged. "He didn't give a name. Said he wanted to watch the fire from the ridge."
"And you believed him?"
"No," she said. "But I didn't sense danger."
Kael's jaw clenched. "Next time, tell me immediately."
"Why?"
"Because you're part of this pack now."
Selene gave a small, sharp laugh. "We both know that's not true."
"You're my mate."
"I'm still not yours."
Kael's eyes burned gold for a second. Then he looked away, controlling whatever emotion threatened to rise.
"You're not what I expected," he said after a moment.
"Good."
"But I still need to protect you."
She stiffened. "I don't need protecting."
"I disagree."
They stood in silence.
Then Kael stepped closer, his voice low.
"You're hiding something. You don't flinch when danger comes. You don't hesitate to fight. You don't act like someone who just lost everything."
Selene didn't move.
"And you," she said quietly, "don't act like someone who leads a pack with a brutal reputation."
That hung in the air between them.
Kael's expression didn't change. But his voice dropped lower.
"Maybe we're both pretending."
Selene felt the words settle deep in her chest.
Maybe they were.
Before she could speak, Kael turned and walked to the door. "We're doing border runs at noon. Be ready. You're coming."
"I don't take orders."
He looked over his shoulder. "You'll take this one."
Then he left.
The border was dense with pine trees and thick brush. The patrol moved in silence, four wolves deep. Kael led the way, with Orion behind him, followed by two enforcers. Selene brought up the rear.
She wasn't a fan of being last.
It made her twitchy.
Still, she walked without complaint. Observing. Every inch of this land was unfamiliar. She needed to learn it fast.
They reached a ridge that overlooked the far end of the territory. Beyond it, unclaimed lands stretched into the horizon.
"This is where rogues try to enter," Kael said, glancing at her. "It's the weakest point."
"Because the terrain is difficult?"
"Because the border magic here is thin."
Selene crouched, brushing her fingers along the dirt. The earth was soft, freshly turned in some areas.
"Someone's been here," she said.
Kael nodded. "Three times in the last month. Tracks don't match anyone from this region."
Selene looked up at him. "And you think they're watching."
"I know they are."
She stood. "Then I'll watch back."
Kael studied her.
"You're not afraid of anything, are you?"
"I've learned fear wastes time."
They turned to head back when Orion stiffened.
"I smell something," he said, voice low.
Everyone stopped.
Selene caught it too — not scent exactly, but a shift in the air. Wrong. Tainted.
Kael growled. "Fan out. Now."
They moved fast, spreading into a wide line. Selene moved to the left, blade ready.
She saw it a moment later.
A silver symbol, carved deep into a tree. Fresh. Still bleeding sap.
She knelt. The symbol wasn't random. It was a mark from a rebel faction. One her spy organization had warned about.
She pressed a finger against it.
Still warm.
They were close.
Too close.
Selene rose and whistled once, sharp and short.
Kael was at her side in seconds. He looked at the mark and his eyes turned molten gold.
"What does it mean?" he asked.
Selene didn't answer. Because she knew exactly what it meant. And it had everything to do with why she was here.
But Kael wasn't ready for that truth yet.