( A Flame Between Us)
Selene & Kael
The moon was high and quiet, painting the mountaintop with cold silver light.
Selene stood alone on the stone balcony outside her chambers, a thick cloak draped over her shoulders. Her body still ached from the awakening—her hands trembling slightly, despite the calm she tried to project.
The Moonfire had changed something inside her.
Not just her strength.
But her soul.
---
She heard the footsteps behind her before she sensed him.
Kael.
"You should be resting," he said, stopping a few feet away.
Selene didn't look at him. "I can't sleep."
Silence stretched between them.
Then:
"Do you remember what happened?" he asked.
She nodded. "Every second. Every sound. Every thought." Her voice lowered. "I felt like I wasn't… myself."
Kael leaned against the stone, arms crossed. "You were yourself. Just… more."
"That doesn't sound comforting."
"It's not supposed to be. Power never is."
She turned to look at him. "Is that why you're afraid of me now?"
His jaw clenched, just slightly. "I'm not afraid of you."
She tilted her head, voice softer. "Then why are you standing so far away?"
---
Kael's expression flickered—tension, hesitation, emotion. He took a step closer.
"I'm trying to protect you."
"From what?"
"From me."
Selene's breath caught.
Kael looked away, hands tightening at his sides. "You're the Luna heir. The chosen. The Moonfire lives in your veins. And I'm just the wolf who failed to stop your sister. I've already let one twin fall to darkness—I don't get to want things."
She stepped closer. "And what if I want something, Kael?"
He looked at her now. Really looked. Her golden eyes glowed faintly in the moonlight. She was fierce. Frightened. Glorious.
He swallowed hard. "Selene…"
---
She didn't move.
Didn't blink.
Didn't break the silence.
Then, slowly, she reached out—and touched his hand.
Only their fingertips met.
But it was enough.
Lightning. Warmth. Hunger.
Kael didn't pull away this time.
Selene whispered, "You're the only one who sees all of me. Not just the chosen, not just the cursed. Me."
Kael's voice was low, rough. "You scare me. Because I don't know how to stand beside you… and not want more."
Her heart raced.
Then she smiled, a little sad. "Then don't stand beside me."
He looked confused.
She stepped closer—close enough to feel his breath.
"Fight beside me. Burn with me. Or leave me. But don't just watch."
---
The tension snapped.
Kael's hand rose, slowly, as if testing a dangerous line—and he gently touched her cheek. His thumb brushed over the mark on her skin—the crescent moon that had formed after her transformation.
Their faces were inches apart.
And for a second, the world went still.
He almost kissed her.
But just before his lips met hers…
A flare of silver light burst in the sky.
A warning rune.
Danger.
Kael cursed under his breath. "Rogue breach. East watchtower."
Selene nodded, already moving.
No kiss.
No promise.
Just fire in their blood—and something waiting to happen.