The moon hung full and bright over the Bloodmoon Pack’s vast territory, casting silver light over the rolling hills and the dense forest that stretched beyond the pack house. The air carried the familiar scent of pine, damp earth, and the distant howl of wolves running beneath the stars. To Selene Nightshade, this was home. It had been home since the day Alpha Aldric Blackwood carried her into the grand pack house wrapped in a soft blanket, a child barely old enough to walk. She had no memory of where she came from, only that she had been found alone at the edge of the Bloodmoon borders. An abandoned pup, unwanted and forgotten. But the Alpha had taken her in, given her a place in his family, and from that moment forward, she had been raised as one of them.

Selene pressed her palm against the thick bark of the ancient oak standing at the edge of the training grounds. It was her favorite place—where she could watch the warriors train from a distance, where she could steal quiet moments away from the expectations of being the Alpha’s adopted daughter.

“Thinking about running away again?”

A deep, amused voice rumbled from behind her, and she turned just as Kieran Blackwood emerged from the trees. The moment her eyes met his, her heart gave a traitorous lurch.

Kieran had always been a presence in her life, an immovable force of nature she had never been able to escape—not that she wanted to. Tall, broad-shouldered, and effortlessly commanding, he had inherited their father’s strength and their mother’s sharp golden eyes. Even now, dressed casually in dark jeans and a fitted black shirt, he looked every bit the Alpha he was meant to be. His black hair, slightly tousled from the night wind, fell over his forehead, making him look both intimidating and maddeningly attractive.

Selene forced a smirk. “If I were running away, I’d be halfway across the mountain by now.”

Kieran chuckled, stepping closer. “No, you wouldn’t.”

She arched a brow. “And why not?”

“Because you’re not the type to run. You like to fight.” His gaze flicked toward the training grounds, where younger wolves were engaged in friendly sparring matches. “Besides, I’d always find you.”

Selene looked away, staring at the flickering torches that lined the perimeter of the pack house. He wasn’t wrong. Kieran had always been able to find her, no matter where she went. It was an unspoken thing between them—whenever she needed space, whenever she needed air, he was always the one who came to pull her back.

“What are you doing out here?” she asked, leaning against the tree. “Shouldn’t you be inside, preparing for your big ceremony?”

Kieran exhaled, shoving his hands into his pockets. “Father is handling the preparations. Everyone else is fawning over my ‘inevitable greatness.’” He rolled his eyes, making her laugh. “I needed a break from all of it.”

“An Alpha’s duty is exhausting,” she teased. “You’ll have to get used to the constant attention.”

His gaze darkened slightly. “And what about you?”

“What about me?”

“You never talk about your future, Selene.”

The question settled between them, heavier than it should have been. Because the truth was, Selene didn’t have a future—not the kind Kieran did. He would take over the pack, lead their people, choose a Luna from one of the noble families, and secure the Bloodmoon legacy. And she… she would always be the adopted daughter. The girl who didn’t quite belong.

She swallowed the lump in her throat. “I’m just trying to enjoy the present.”

Kieran tilted his head, studying her. He had always been able to see through her lies, but tonight, for once, he didn’t push.

Instead, he leaned against the tree beside her, his shoulder brushing against hers.

“You know,” he murmured, voice softer now, “I always thought we’d do this together.”

Selene turned to him, frowning. “Do what?”

“Lead the pack.”

Her heart twisted painfully. “That was never an option, Kieran.”

“It should have been.”

Something unspoken passed between them then, a moment so fragile she was afraid to breathe. She had spent years pretending she didn’t notice the way Kieran looked at her sometimes, as if she were more than just his sister in name. More than just the girl their father had taken in.

But it was dangerous to hope. Dangerous to dream of something that could never be.

Selene forced a light laugh, breaking the tension. “I’d make a terrible Alpha.”

Kieran smirked. “You’d make an excellent one.”

Before she could argue, a voice rang through the air.

“Kieran! Selene!”

They both turned as Marcus Hale, Kieran’s Beta-in-training, jogged toward them. With short blond hair and sharp blue eyes, Marcus was the perfect second to Kieran—calm where Kieran was intense, strategic where Kieran was instinctive.

“You’re needed inside,” Marcus told Kieran. “Your father’s looking for you.”

Kieran sighed, raking a hand through his hair. “Right.” He turned to Selene, reluctant. “Stay out of trouble?”

She grinned. “No promises.”

With a last glance at her, Kieran walked off, leaving Selene alone with the weight of unspoken words.

She exhaled and looked up at the moon, the one constant in her life. If only things were different. If only fate weren’t so cruel.

But the Moon Goddess had never been kind.

And soon, Selene would learn just how cruel fate could be.