Chapter 3 The Second Bond
The day was long, and Selene was tired.
She had worked through emergencies, checked charts, and given patients hope with her calm smile. But inside, her chest was heavy. Every time she walked past Kael’s room, her steps slowed. She hated herself for it. She didn’t want to be drawn to him, but she was.
It wasn’t fair.
Life had never been fair.
By evening, she told herself she needed air. She went outside the hospital, the cool breeze brushing her face. The city lights blinked around her, cars honking, people rushing. But she stood still, pressing her hand to her chest.
The mate bond burned under her skin.
“Why now?” she whispered. “Why him? I can’t do this again.”
Her thoughts were broken by a sound—a deep growl, low and sharp, echoing from the alley near the hospital.
Selene’s body tensed. She knew that sound.
Rogues.
She slipped into the shadows quickly, away from the eyes of humans. Her white coat came off, her boots moved fast, her blade flashed in her hand.
Her eyes glowed gold.
The Slayer was awake again.
---
In the alley, three rogue wolves circled a man. They snapped their jaws, growling, ready to attack. The man didn’t run. He stood tall, broad shoulders straight, fists clenched. His eyes glowed amber, burning with Alpha strength.
Selene froze. Another Alpha?
The rogues lunged.
The man moved like lightning, catching one by the neck and snapping it with a crack. He spun, kicking another into the wall. The third leapt at his throat—
—but fire shot past him before it could land.
The rogue howled as flames consumed it, burning to ash.
The man turned sharply, his eyes locking on Selene.
And in that moment, it happened again.
The bond.
The fire in her blood, the pull in her soul. The same lightning she had felt with Kael.
Selene stumbled back, her chest twisting painfully. “No,” she whispered, shaking her head. “No, this isn’t possible.”
The man’s eyes widened. His mouth opened, his voice rough but certain.
“You’re mine,” he said.
Selene’s knees almost gave way.
Not again.
---
The man stepped closer, his face clearer now in the glow of the streetlight. He was tall like Kael, but different. His presence was warm instead of cold, his gaze softer even though his body screamed power. His dark hair fell slightly over his forehead, and his jaw was strong but kind.
He looked at her as if she was the only thing that mattered in the world.
“I don’t understand,” Selene whispered, shaking her head. “No… no, it can’t be. I already—” She stopped, pressing her hand to her chest.
Two bonds.
Two mates.
It was impossible.
But it was real.
---
The man moved closer, slowly, as if not to scare her. “I’m Riven,” he said, voice low but steady. “Alpha of the Crimson Moon Pack. And you…” His lips curved slightly, his eyes glowing softer now. “…you are my mate.”
Selene’s breath came fast. She wanted to scream, to run, to deny it. But the truth burned in her blood. She felt it. The bond was there. Strong. Alive.
Her heart pounded in her ears. “This… this isn’t real. It can’t be real.”
Riven’s eyes searched hers, as if he could see into her soul. “It is real. I felt it the moment I saw you. You belong with me.”
“No,” Selene snapped, louder than she meant. She turned away, clutching her blade, trying to steady herself. “I don’t belong to anyone. Not you. Not him. No one.”
Riven frowned. “Him?”
Selene froze. She had said too much.
But before she could move, a voice came from behind. Cold. Sharp. Familiar.
“She’s mine.”
Selene whipped around. Kael stood at the end of the alley, his gray eyes glowing like storms, his body still healing but his pride unshaken.
His gaze went straight to Riven. Then to her.
The air turned heavy.
Two Alphas. Both claiming her.
Her world spun.
---
Riven’s jaw tightened. “Yours?”
Kael stepped forward, his presence strong even in the shadows. “She’s my mate. I felt the bond. Don’t even think of touching her.”
Riven growled softly, his hands curling into fists. “Funny. Because I felt the same bond. And she looked at me the same way she must have looked at you.”
Selene’s heart raced. “Stop it! Both of you!”
But neither Alpha looked at her. They only stared at each other, two storms colliding.
“She’s mine,” Kael said again, his voice a blade.
“She’s mine,” Riven answered, his voice fire.
And Selene stood between them, her chest burning with two bonds that should never have existed.
---
Her mind screamed with memories of the Blood Moon, of rejection, of death. She couldn’t go through it again. She wouldn’t.
“Enough!” she shouted, flames bursting from her hands without warning. The fire lit up the alley, hot and wild, forcing both Alphas to take a step back.
Their eyes widened.
They saw her. Not just as a doctor. Not just as a woman. But as something else.
The Slayer.
Selene’s chest heaved as the flames slowly died down. She backed away, her voice shaking. “I don’t belong to either of you. Stay away from me.”
And then she ran.
Her boots pounded the pavement, her breath harsh, her chest tight. She didn’t stop until she reached the hospital, her body trembling, her soul breaking.
Two mates.
Two bonds.
And a secret that could ruin everything.
---
That night, Selene collapsed onto her couch, her face buried in her hands. Tears slipped down her cheeks, hot and bitter.
The Moon Goddess had given her a second life. But at what cost?
She was a healer. She was a Slayer.
And now… she was the mate of two Alphas.
Her heart ached, torn between fear, confusion, and something even more dangerous.
Hope.
