Chapter Fifty-Five: A Dangerous Gamble

Selene stood in the dimly lit war chamber, her heart steady but her mind racing. Every eye in the room was on her, warriors and strategists alike, their gazes filled with a mix of skepticism and intrigue. **She had just proposed the most dangerous move of the war.**  

Using Kieran.  

Not as a weapon.  

Not as an enemy.  

But as a choice.  

A gamble.  

One that could either shift the tides of battle—or destroy her completely.  

Lucian was the first to break the silence. He leaned forward, his smirk lazy, but his ice-blue eyes were sharp, gleaming with curiosity. **He was enjoying this.**  

"You’re telling me you’re going to make Kieran Blackwood pick between you and his pack?" His voice was filled with amusement, but there was something darker beneath it. "Between the woman he let go and the kingdom he swore to protect?"  

Selene lifted her chin. "Yes."  

Lucian let out a low chuckle. "And you think that’ll work?"  

Selene didn’t hesitate. "It has to."  

A few warriors scoffed, but Lucian simply watched her. Studying her. Calculating.  

"You think he’s weak, don’t you?" one of the warriors growled. "You think he’ll just betray Bloodmoon because of you?"  

Selene **turned to him, silver eyes flashing.**  

"I think Kieran isn’t as loyal as he wants everyone to believe."  

Silence stretched through the room.  

Because they knew she was right.  

Kieran had declared war, but he had also **hesitated.**  

Hesitated when he saw her.  

Hesitated when he spoke her name.  

Hesitated, because **deep down, he still wanted something he was no longer supposed to want.**  

And Selene?  

She was going to **use that.**  

Lucian tilted his head, watching her. "How do you plan on making him choose, little wolf?"  

Selene exhaled, voice calm but firm. "I get close enough to remind him what he lost."  

Lucian’s smirk widened. "Oh, I like this plan already."  

Selene ignored him.  

Because this wasn’t a game.  

This wasn’t about **vengeance** or **old wounds.**  

This was about **winning.**  

And if Kieran Blackwood thought he could have both her and his pack—  

**He was about to learn just how wrong he was.**