Chapter 4 EX LOVERS

CHAPTER FOUR

The silence in the room was suffocating.

Selene's pulse pounded in her ears as she turned to Damien, waiting for him to deny it-to tell her that this woman, Camille, was lying. But he said nothing. His golden eyes, always so fierce, were unreadable.

Camille stepped closer, the smirk on her lips widening. "Oh, sweetheart, he didn't tell you?" She reached out, trailing a long, manicured finger down Damien's bare chest. "I was his before you ever came along."

Selene clenched her fists. The sight of Camille touching him made something primal claw at her insides. Jealousy. Possession. Her wolf stirred violently beneath her skin.

"Damien," she whispered, her voice barely steady, "tell me she's lying."

His jaw tightened. Then, finally, he spoke. "It's complicated."

Selene felt like the floor had been ripped from beneath her. Complicated? After everything that had happened between them-after the way he had claimed her?

Camille laughed, a sultry, taunting sound. "Poor thing," she cooed. "Did you think you were special? That you were his mate?" Her emerald eyes gleamed with cruelty. "I was marked first."

The words hit Selene like a slap. Her wolf howled in rage, but beneath it, there was something deeper-a pain she hadn't expected.

Damien finally turned to face her fully, his gaze intense. "Selene... let me explain."

But she was already stepping back. "Explain?" Her voice cracked with emotion. "What is there to explain, Damien? You told me I was yours."

His hands clenched at his sides. "You are mine."

Camille chuckled darkly. "He said the same thing to me once."

Selene's wolf snapped. A growl built in her throat, her vision blurring at the edges. Her body trembled, heat surging through her veins. The need to shift-to rip Camille apart-was overwhelming.

"Selene-" Damien reached for her.

"Don't touch me." Her voice was raw.

Lucian stepped forward, his presence suddenly grounding. "Selene, let's go."

She swallowed hard, her chest heaving. A war was raging inside her-the desire to fight, to hurt, to claim Damien just as he had claimed her. But there was also the unbearable pain of betrayal.

She turned away.

"I don't belong to you," she said, her voice shaking.

Then, before Damien could stop her, she ran.

Selene didn't know how far she had gone. All she knew was the feel of the wind against her skin, the taste of salt in her throat from unshed tears.

She burst into the dense forest, the moonlight casting eerie shadows over the trees. The moment she was deep enough, she let go.

Her transformation hit fast and hard. Bones cracked, shifting beneath her skin. Muscles stretched, fur erupted over her body, and her fingers curled into powerful claws. A pained snarl ripped from her throat as she fell forward, landing on four strong limbs.

Her wolf took over, running faster, her senses sharper than ever before. She could smell everything-the damp earth, the distant river, the faint traces of blood on her own body. But nothing could overpower the scent that still lingered on her skin.

Damien.

She let out a furious growl and pushed forward, trying to outrun the storm inside her.

But she wasn't alone.

A rustle in the trees made her freeze.

Selene turned sharply, ears perked, heart pounding. The presence was strong. Too strong.

A golden pair of eyes emerged from the shadows.

Damien.

He was in his wolf form-massive, black, his fur rippling with power. He stepped closer, slow and calculated.

Selene bared her teeth. Stay back.

His deep growl in response sent a shiver down her spine. You think I'd let you run from me?

Her chest heaved, her wolf panting. You lied to me.

Damien took another step, his golden gaze burning through her. I never lied.

Selene lunged at him, snapping her jaws, but he was faster. He tackled her, pinning her beneath his massive frame.

Get off me! She writhed beneath him, rage and something more potent burning through her veins.

His teeth grazed her throat-not biting, not marking, just reminding her of what she already knew.

You belong with me, Selene. His voice was low, possessive.

Her breath hitched. The weight of him, the heat of his body, was intoxicating. She wanted to hate him. She wanted to fight.

But her wolf ached for him.

With a snarl, she twisted beneath him, using all her strength to push him off. She rolled them over, pinning him instead. You don't own me, Damien.

A low, rumbling chuckle echoed through their bond. Keep telling yourself that.

Their bodies were pressed together, heat radiating between them. The anger, the betrayal, the undeniable pull-it all tangled into something dark and dangerous.

Damien's wolf tilted his head, exposing his throat to her.

An offering.

A challenge.

Selene hesitated. If she bit him now-if she marked him-there would be no turning back. He would be hers just as much as she would be his.

Her wolf wanted it.

But she wasn't ready.

With a sharp breath, she shoved off of him and took a step back. You don't get to claim me just because you want to, Damien.

His golden eyes flickered. This isn't over.

Selene turned and ran again, her heart pounding.

And for the first time, Damien let her go.

But she knew deep in her bones-he wouldn't let her go for long.