Chapter 5 The Night of Fire
The hospital felt like a cage.
Selene walked down the halls with her white coat flowing behind her, her face calm but her heart racing. She could still hear Kael and Riven’s voices from yesterday. Mate. Mine. The words clawed at her chest. Two Alphas claiming her like she was a prize.
Her hands shook when she tried to hold a patient’s chart. She had saved lives all morning, stitching wounds, stopping bleeding, smiling at sick children. But inside, she was breaking.
Every time she closed her eyes, she saw fire. The Blood Moon. Her first death. The pack that had cast her out. And the mate who had spat the word rejected in her face.
She had promised never to let anyone own her again. But fate was cruel.
Two bonds pulled at her soul. And she was losing control.
---
That night, Selene left the hospital late. The city streets were quiet, the moon hiding behind thick clouds. She walked with her bag close to her chest, her eyes scanning the shadows.
She felt it before she saw them.
Rogues.
Her wolf sense tingled in her spine, sharp and cold. She stopped in the middle of the street, her breath slowing. From the corner of her eye, shadows moved.
One rogue wolf leapt out, its yellow eyes glowing, teeth bared.
Selene dropped her bag. Her hands lit with faint fire. “Not tonight,” she whispered.
The wolf lunged. She twisted, her palm catching its side, flames searing fur and flesh. It howled, but two more came from behind.
Selene spun, her heart pounding, her fire flashing brighter. She struck one across the chest, sending it crashing into a wall. The other clawed her arm, blood dripping, but she didn’t stop. She roared and slammed her hand into its throat, fire burning through until it fell still.
The street smelled of smoke and blood.
Selene’s knees weakened. Her fire faded. She pressed her hand to the bleeding cut on her arm, trying to steady her breath. She had to hide the bodies before anyone saw. She had to stay a ghost.
“Selene!”
Her head snapped up.
Riven was there, running toward her. His amber eyes widened at the sight of her scorched hands, the dead rogues at her feet.
She froze, her chest tight.
No. Not him. Not now.
---
He stopped in front of her, his heart was beating hard. His gaze moved from her bleeding arm to the fire still flickering weakly in her fingers.
“You…” His voice was low, full of shock. “You’re the Slayer.”
Selene’s throat closed. She turned away, her eyes burning with shame.
“Selene,” Riven said softly, stepping closer. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
Tears stung her eyes. She shook her head. “Because you’ll hate me. You’ll fear me. Everyone does.”
Riven’s hand reached out, gentle, warm. He touched her cheek, his thumb brushing away a tear. “No. I could never hate you. You saved lives tonight. You save lives every day.”
Her body shook under his touch. She wanted to believe him. But the memory of fire and rejection haunted her.
“You don’t understand,” she whispered. “I wasn’t always like this. I was a Luna once. I had a mate. But he… he rejected me. He killed me under the Blood Moon. The Moon Goddess gave me a second chance, but she cursed me too. I can heal with one hand and destroy with the other. I don’t belong anywhere.”
Her knees gave out, and she sank to the ground, clutching her wounded arm.
Riven knelt with her, pulling her close. His voice was steady, but full of emotion. “You belong here. With me. With someone who sees all of you, not just the parts you hide.”
Selene’s heart ached. His words were like balm on an old wound.
But then a cold wind swept through the street.
A storm aura.
Selene’s heart dropped.
Kael.
---
The storm Alpha strode forward, his gray eyes sharp as knives. He stopped when he saw the dead rogues, the faint glow in Selene’s hands, and Riven holding her.
“What is this?” Kael’s voice thundered. “Why is my mate bleeding in your arms? And what in the Goddess’s name is that fire?”
Selene pulled away, standing weakly, her hands trembling. “Kael, don’t—”
But it was too late.
His eyes widened as the thought it hit him . “You’re the Slayer.”
The words fell heavy, like stones crashing into the silence.
Selene’s heart stopped. Both of them knew now. Both Alphas had seen her secret.
Kael’s face hardened. “You’ve been hiding this from me? From everyone?”
Riven stepped in front of her, his stance protective. “She had to. Do you know what packs would do if they found out the Slayer lived among them? They’d tear her apart.”
“She’s dangerous,” Kael snapped. His aura pressed down like thunder, forcing Selene’s knees to shake. “She hides fire in her hands. She kills rogues in the shadows. And you want me to trust her?”
“She saved your life!” Riven shouted, his own Alpha aura rising like flames. “Without her, you’d be dead in that hospital bed!”
Kael growled, stepping closer. The ground almost shook between them.
Selene’s chest heaved, her fire sparking out of control. “Stop it!” she cried, her voice breaking. “Both of you! Don’t fight because of me!”
But neither Alpha listened. Their power clashed, storm and flame colliding, making the air crackle with raw energy.
Selene fell back, her heart breaking.
This was her worst fear. Her secret was out. The men who claimed her as mate were ready to kill each other over it.
And the Moon Goddess was silent.
---
Selene ran.
She turned and bolted down the street, her wound burning, her heart screaming. She didn’t stop when Riven called her name. She didn’t stop when Kael growled in fury. She ran until the city lights blurred and the world spun.
She finally collapsed against a cold wall, and cried her eyes out .
“I can’t do this,” she whispered into the night. “I can’t be a mate. I can’t be a healer. I can’t be the Slayer. I’m nothing but broken fire.”
Her voice cracked. Her chest ached.
But somewhere deep inside, the bond burned. Not one bond. Two. Two bonds
And she knew the war was only beginning.
