C1 The Shattered Bond

Selena's POV

The first time I felt the mate bond snap, I thought I was dying.

It wasn’t just pain, it was annihilation. A ripping apart of every thread that made me whole, like claws tearing through my heart, my lungs, my very soul. My wolf howled in agony, a piercing cry that echoed inside my skull, thrashing against my ribs as though she could claw her way out and hunt down the one who had betrayed us.

Kael.

His name seared itself through my mind like fire, like poison. My mate. My other half. The man the Moon Goddess had bound me to with promises of forever. And he had shattered it, shattered me by doing the one thing I never believed he was capable of.

He slept with my sister.

Lyria.

I should have seen it. The lingering glances when they thought I wasn’t looking, the hushed whispers cut short when I entered a room. But the bond had blinded me, made me trust him even when doubt whispered in the shadows of my heart.

Tonight, the voices proved themselves right.

I stood frozen at the doorway of Kael’s chambers, the scent hitting me before my eyes confirmed what my wolf already knew. Lust, betrayal. The mingled aromas of their desire clung to the air, sharp and sour, like acid in my throat.

And then I saw them.

Lyria’s golden hair spilled across his chest like a silk curtain, her nails scratching lightly at his skin. Kael’s arms wrapped around her waist, his lips pressed against the same shoulder where he used to kiss me. They didn’t even hear me at first, too lost in their own selfish pleasure.

“Kael.”

My voice cracked, a whisper, sad broken sound.

Lyria’s head snapped up first, her eyes widening before narrowing into something smug. She didn’t even try to cover herself, her lips curving into a taunting smile.

Kael froze. His wolf senses flared, and he turned his head sharply. When his gaze met mine, the bond between us convulsed violently, shrieking in my chest before it began to unravel strand by strand. I staggered, clutching the doorframe to keep from collapsing.

“Selene....” he started, his voice hoarse, but I didn’t want to hear it.

“Don’t.” My voice sliced the air. My wolf snarled inside me, her fury threatening to spill out and tear the room apart.

“You don’t understand,” he said, dragging himself from the sheets, reaching for me as though an explanation could mend the gaping wound in my chest.

I recoiled. “Don’t you dare touch me!”

Lyria laughed softly, a sound like poisoned honey. “He never belonged to you, sister. Not really. You were just… convenient.”

Her words stabbed deeper than Kael’s betrayal. My sister. My blood. The girl I had defended from bullies, the one I shared secrets with under the stars. And now she sat there draped in my mate’s embrace, mocking the ruin of my heart.

My wolf howled again, louder this time, demanding vengeance. She clawed at my insides, begging to be unleashed, to rip the smugness from Lyria’s face and tear Kael limb from limb. My hands trembled with the effort of holding her back.

“You.” I fixed my gaze on Lyria. “You will regret this.”

She smirked, unbothered. “We’ll see.”

And Kael, damn him, he didn’t even deny it. He didn’t push her away. He just stood there, his chest rising and falling, shame flickering across his face but not enough to cover the hunger still in his eyes for her.

That was the moment the bond broke completely.

I felt it snap like brittle glass inside me, shards embedding themselves deep into my heart. I couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t think. My wolf screamed in my mind, wounded and furious, and all I could do was turn and run before I drowned in the ashes of what we’d once been.

The night swallowed me whole.

I ran until my lungs burned, until the icy wind bit at my skin and tears blurred the world into streaks of silver and black. I shifted mid-stride, bones snapping and reforming as my wolf tore free, her cry echoing through the forest. She carried my grief, my rage, my heartbreak on four pounding paws, racing through the trees as though speed alone could outrun betrayal.

But pain is faster than any wolf.

When exhaustion finally forced us to stop, I collapsed onto the cold ground. My wolf whimpered, curling her tail around us, and for a long time we just lay there, letting the night weep with us.

“How could he?” I whispered into the dirt. My voice was hoarse, broken, drowned in tears. “How could they?”

My wolf growled low, her eyes blazing within me. Revenge.

The word slithered through my mind like a promise. Hot. Dangerous. Seductive.

Yes. Revenge.

If Kael thought he could betray me and walk away unscathed, he was a fool. If Lyria thought she had won, she had no idea the storm she had unleashed.

I would make them pay.

Not by killing them, that would be too easy, too merciful. No, their punishment would be worse. They would suffer as I suffered. They would choke on regret, drown in shame, and beg for forgiveness I would never give.

And I knew exactly where to start.

Alpha Darius.

The father of my ex-mate.

The man who ruled the pack with an iron hand and a silent grief of his own, for his mate had abandoned him years ago. He was strong, commanding, feared by all and Kael’s greatest source of pride.

What better way to destroy Kael than to seduce the one man he looked up to most?

A cruel smile curved my lips. My wolf growled approval, her fury intertwining with mine until we were one in our purpose.

Yes. I would seduce Alpha Darius.

And one day, Kael would fall to his knees at my feet, begging for the love he threw away, begging for the mate bond he destroyed.

And I would laugh in his face.

The next morning, I stood before the mirror, staring at the reflection of the woman I no longer recognized.

My eyes were red-rimmed from crying, but beneath the puffiness burned a fire I had never seen before. My hair fell in loose waves around my shoulders, golden-brown strands catching the morning light like a crown of vengeance. My lips, swollen from biting back sobs, curved into a determined line.

This was no longer the Selene who believed in love, who trusted blindly in bonds and promises. That woman was dead.

This Selene was sharper, she is harder, dangerous.

I dressed with purpose. A fitted black dress that hugged my curves, the neckline low enough to command attention, the fabric clinging to every line of my body like a weapon. I painted my lips blood-red, a mark of war.

Today, I would seek out Darius.

Today, the game began, the Alpha’s presence could be felt long before he entered a room. His aura was heavy, powerful, a gravitational pull that demanded obedience from every wolf in the pack.

I found him in the training grounds, sparring with three warriors at once. His movements were precise, controlled, lethal. Even at his age, late thirties, perhaps early forties, he moved with the grace of a predator, each strike calculated, each dodge effortless.

My heart skipped. Not with affection, no, never that. With recognition, with opportunity, I was excited, adrenaline rushing through my veins.

He was everything Kael was not. Strong where Kael was weak. Steadfast where Kael was fickle. A true Alpha.

And he would be mine, I will make sure of it.

When the spar ended, Darius turned, his dark gaze sweeping the grounds until it landed on me.

For a heartbeat, his eyes lingered on me.

Something flickered there, something I couldn’t name. Interest? Amusement? Desire?

I lifted my chin, meeting his gaze without flinching. My wolf stirred inside me, tail flicking, ears pricked.

He didn’t look away from me and I did not either, he started this game but I will be the one to end it.