(Beneath the Blood Moon)
The clearing Kael led her to was surrounded by tall ash trees and lit only by the pale crimson glow of the rising blood moon.
Selene crossed her arms, eyeing him suspiciously. "Training? Out here?"
Kael smirked. "You're not going to unlock your instincts in a cabin with scented candles and tea, Selene."
She rolled her eyes. "Is that what you think I do? Sip tea and wait to be rescued?"
"I think you're a Luna who doesn't know what she's capable of," he said, taking off his shirt and tossing it aside. His bare chest shimmered with old scars and the faint silver marks of Alpha lineage. "But I'm here to fix that."
Selene tried not to look. Failed. Looked again.
"Focus," Kael said, catching her glance.
"I am," she snapped, cheeks burning. "On how punchable your face is."
Kael grinned. "That's a good start."
---
He circled her like a predator—slow, calculating.
"First rule," he said. "Don't think like a human. You're not one anymore. You're faster. Stronger. Wilder."
"And cursed," she muttered.
Kael stopped. "You think this is a curse?"
Selene looked at her hands, still shaking from the locket's memory earlier. "I didn't ask to be Moonborn. I didn't ask to be hunted by a twin I didn't know existed."
Kael stepped closer, his voice lower. "The Moon doesn't ask. It chooses."
She met his eyes—and something in her chest stirred. Not fear. Not even anger.
Recognition.
Like her wolf saw his.
---
"Again," he said.
They sparred.
At first, Selene was clumsy, too controlled, too careful. But then Kael began to provoke her.
"You think you'll survive her like that?"
He moved faster, claws out.
"Your sister won't hold back. She'll rip you open."
Selene growled, heat building inside her.
"She'll take your place. Take your pack. Take everything."
And with a cry, Selene's instincts snapped.
She shifted partially—not into a full wolf, but her limbs lengthened, her fingers clawed, her eyes flashed silver.
She lunged at Kael and knocked him to the ground.
Her claws were at his throat.
His breath was shallow—but he was smiling.
"You're starting to wake up," he whispered.
Selene pulled back, horrified. "I—I didn't mean—"
"You didn't think," he said, sitting up. "That's good. You let the wolf out. That's the point."
She stood, panting, adrenaline still high. "You keep saying I'm different."
"You are," he said, more serious now. "You're not just another wolf. You're something older. Something more primal."
Selene turned away, rubbing her arms. "So what happens when that part of me… takes over?"
Kael walked up behind her, voice calm. "Then we learn to balance it. Together."
---
Later, under the stars, they sat in silence.
Selene glanced at him. "Why are you helping me?"
He hesitated.
"Because I was sent to spy on you… and now I can't walk away."
Selene blinked. "You were what?"
Kael looked at her, guilt in his eyes. "The Council suspected your bloodline. They told me to keep an eye on you. But the more I learned… the more I knew they were wrong about you."
She stood, heart pounding. "So this—this was all a setup?"
"No," he said, stepping toward her. "What's happening now is real. What I feel is real."
Selene looked at him, torn between fury and something softer.
"Don't lie to me again," she whispered.
"I won't," he promised.
And then—before she could speak again—
The howl of a rogue pierced the night.
Kael's head snapped up. "Get behind me."
But Selene stepped forward.
"No," she said, voice low and steady. "Let me handle it."