Chapter 2 Blood and Betrayal

The night Ronan was betrayed still haunted him. He remembered the taste of blood in his mouth, the feel of cold steel slicing through his flesh. He had fought against the ambush, outnumbered but never outmatched. Then, Selene's voice had rung through the chaos, her command clear and sharp.

"Stop."

And he had stopped.

For that moment of hesitation, he had paid the price.

Now, watching her across the hall, he knew one thing for certain-she had not spoken those words out of malice.

Darius leaned in, whispering something into her ear. Selene stiffened, her fingers curling into her lap. Ronan felt a dangerous surge of fury. Whatever hold Darius had over her, it was strong. Too strong. He had come for vengeance. But perhaps, vengeance was not the only thing he needed to take.

Selene's heart pounded in her chest. The sight of Ronan standing there, hidden in the shadows, sent a shockwave through her. He was alive.

Darius had assured her that Ronan had perished, that his broken body had been left to rot in the cursed ravine. And yet, here he stood, more dangerous than ever. Her lips parted, a silent plea dying on her tongue. She could not speak. Not here. Not where Darius watched her every move.

Ronan's gaze burned into her, his body coiled with tension. He was waiting. Watching. Calculating.

Then, a choice was made.