Kieran didn't hesitate.
The moment the call ended, he was already moving.
Every instinct, every ounce of warrior training burned through his veins, demanding one thing—get to Selene.
Damien had made a mistake.
A fatal one.
Kieran had fought in wars, had battled creatures stronger, faster, and more ruthless than any alpha. But this? This was personal.
Selene was his.
And if Damien thought he could take her without consequences, then he was about to learn exactly what kind of monster Kieran had become.
—
Selene's head throbbed as she slowly came to.
The room was dark, cold, the scent of blood and magic thick in the air. Chains bound her wrists, their metal infused with supernatural energy, keeping her too weak to break free.
Damien sat across from her, his golden eyes gleaming in the dim light.
"You should've known it would come to this," he murmured, tilting his head as he studied her.
Selene swallowed hard, forcing herself to meet his gaze. "If you think this will make me love you, you're more delusional than I thought."
Damien smirked, standing slowly. "Love? No, Selene. I gave up on that a long time ago."
He crouched beside her, fingers brushing along her jaw, his touch deceptively gentle. "But you belong to me. And I don't share."
Selene clenched her fists, ignoring the pain that shot through her wrists. "You don't own me."
His smirk darkened. "Then why does the bond still exist?"
She refused to look away, refused to give him the satisfaction of seeing her break.
Damien leaned closer, his breath warm against her skin. "You feel it, don't you? The connection? No matter how much you fight it, you'll always be mine."
Selene's chest tightened, rage and helplessness twisting inside her.
But before she could speak, a sound echoed through the air.
A low, guttural growl.
Damien froze.
Then the entire room shook.
The door exploded off its hinges, crashing against the wall.
And standing in the wreckage, his eyes glowing with a fury that sent chills down Selene's spine—was Kieran.
—
Kieran didn't see the chains.
He didn't see the blood on Selene's skin.
All he saw was Damien.
And the rage that had been simmering beneath the surface finally snapped.
"You shouldn't have touched her," Kieran growled, his voice lethal.
Damien smirked, stepping forward. "You came."
Kieran's entire body coiled, ready to strike. "Did you really think I wouldn't?"
Damien exhaled, shaking his head. "You always were a fool, Kieran." His golden eyes flickered with something dark, something ancient. "But this? Challenging a bond? You just signed your death sentence."
Kieran smirked, his canines elongating.
"You first."
Then he lunged.
The battle for Selene had begun.