Chapter 5 The Wounded Wolf

"Get away from him!" Selene shouted, running towards the scene. Two guards were circling a large, black wolf near the edge of the castle walls. Selene recognized the wolf instantly, it was Kael! Selene had secretly been hoping he would show up when she heard what happened at the old temple from the border guards.

"Princess Selene!" one of the guards exclaimed, surprised. "This beast is hurt and dangerous. We need to put it down!"

"No!" Selene insisted, stepping closer to the wolf. "He's just lost. I'll take care of him. He won't hurt anyone."

The guards looked at each other, unsure. "But Princess, this is a werewolf. They're our enemies!"

"He's wounded," Selene repeated, her mind racing. "I want to help him. Maybe he can even tell us something about their pack."

The guards hesitated, then reluctantly agreed. "Alright, Princess, but be careful. We'll be watching from here."

Selene nodded, relieved. As the guards backed away, she approached the wolf cautiously. "Kael," she whispered. "It's me, Selene."

The wolf looked up at her, his golden eyes filled with pain. He whined softly, and Selene's heart went out to him. She knew she shouldn't care about a werewolf, about her family's sworn enemy. But she couldn't deny the strange connection between them, the feeling that they were meant to be together.

"I'm going to help you," she said gently. "Can you walk?"

The wolf tried to stand, but his legs buckled beneath him. Selene frowned. He was in worse shape than she thought.

"Okay," she said. "I'll get you inside."

With a lot of effort, Selene managed to guide the wolf through a hidden entrance in the castle walls. She led him to a secluded garden, a place where she often went to escape the pressures of royal life. The garden was filled with colorful flowers and sweet-smelling herbs, a peaceful oasis away from the chaos of the castle.

Once they were inside, Selene closed the gate and turned to Kael. "Stay here," she said. "I'll be right back with some water and bandages."

She hurried to a nearby fountain, filled a basin with water, and grabbed some clean cloths from a storage shed. When she returned to Kael, he was lying on the grass, his breathing shallow.

"Oh, Kael," Selene whispered, kneeling beside him. "What happened to you?"

She began to clean his wounds, gently dabbing at the blood and dirt. As she touched him, a strange sensation washed over her. It was like a jolt of electricity, sending shivers down her spine.

Suddenly, images flooded her mind. She saw herself running through a forest, the wind in her hair and the moon shining down on her. She felt the thrill of the hunt, the power of her wolf form, the loyalty of her pack. But these weren't her memories. They were Kael's.

Selene gasped and pulled away from him. "What was that?" she exclaimed, her heart pounding.

The wolf whined softly, as if trying to communicate with her. Selene reached out to touch him again, and the visions returned, even stronger this time. She saw a beautiful woman with white-blonde hair and violet eyes, singing a lullaby. She heard whispers of an ancient prophecy, a warning of a great danger. She felt a connection to the moon, a sense of belonging she had never experienced before.

"It's too much," she whispered, staggering backward. "I can't handle this."

But as she turned to leave, Kael let out a pained cry. Selene looked back at him, lying helpless on the ground. She couldn't abandon him.

Taking a deep breath, she steeled her resolve. "Okay," she said. "Okay, I'll help you. But you have to tell me what all this means. These visions, this connection... what's going on, Kael?"

As if understanding her words, Kael closed his eyes and began to transform. His body shifted and changed, his fur disappearing and his bones rearranging themselves. In a matter of seconds, the wolf was gone, replaced by the naked form of Kael Silverclaw, the Alpha of the Lycans.

Selene gasped and quickly averted her eyes, her face flushed with embarrassment. "Kael!" she exclaimed. "What are you doing? Someone could see you!"

"I had no choice," Kael said, his voice weak but firm. "I need to talk to you, Selene. It's important."

Selene hesitated, then turned back to face him. "What is it?" she asked.

"The shapeshifters are coming," Kael said. "They know about you, about what you truly are. They want to capture you, to use your power for their own evil purposes."

Selene's eyes widened. "Shapeshifters? What are you talking about?"

"They're ancient beings," Kael explained. "They can change their shape at will, and they've been manipulating events for centuries. They're the ones who started the war between vampires and werewolves, and they're the ones who want to destroy us both."

"But why me?" Selene asked. "What do they want with me?"

"You're the key," Kael said. "You're the one who can unite vampires and werewolves, who can bring peace to our lands. But the shapeshifters don't want peace. They want chaos, and they'll do anything to stop you."

Selene stared at Kael, her mind reeling. Shapeshifters, prophecies, ancient powers... it was all too much to take in.

"I don't understand," she said, shaking her head. "This is crazy."

"I know," Kael said. "But it's true. You have to believe me, Selene. We're running out of time."

Suddenly, Kael gasped and clutched his chest, his face contorted in pain. Selene rushed to his side, kneeling beside him.

"Kael! What's wrong?" she cried.

"They're here," he whispered. "They've found us."

Selene's heart leaped into her throat. "Who's here?" she asked, her voice trembling.

Before Kael could answer, a figure emerged from the shadows of the garden. It was Lord Darius, Selene's uncle, the man she had always trusted and admired. But there was something different about him tonight. His eyes glowed with an eerie red light, and his face was twisted into a cruel, mocking smile.

"Hello, Selene," Darius said, his voice cold and menacing. "I see you've been keeping secrets from me."

Selene stared at her uncle, her mind racing. What was going on? Why was he acting like this?

"Uncle Darius," she said, her voice shaking. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to protect you, my dear," Darius said. "From this... beast."

He gestured towards Kael, who was struggling to sit up, his face pale and drawn.

"But Kael's not a beast," Selene protested. "He's my friend."

"He's a werewolf," Darius hissed. "And he's been lying to you. He's been using you."

"No, he hasn't!" Selene insisted. "He's been telling me the truth. About the shapeshifters, about everything."

Darius laughed, a cold, humorless sound. "The shapeshifters are just a myth, Selene. A story to scare children. Don't be so foolish."

He stepped closer to Selene, his eyes fixed on her. "I know you can feel your true self. How could you think of uniting with a werewolf?"

Selene stood frozen to the spot, her mind paralyzed by confusion and fear. She didn't know what to believe. Was Kael telling her the truth, or was Darius trying to protect her?

"What are you going to do, Uncle Darius?" Selene asked. "What's going to happen with us?"

"I'm going to save you, my dear Selene. And get rid of the old for the new. I will start with the wolf."

With a speed that shocked her, Darius grabbed a silver dagger from his cloak and lunged at Kael. Selene screamed, her blood running cold. Everything has been a lie.

Before she could do anything to stop him, the dagger plunged into Kael's chest. Kael gasped and fell backward, his eyes wide with shock and pain. Selene watched in horror as he lay motionless on the ground, blood pooling around him.

"No!" she screamed, tears streaming down her face. "What have you done?"

Darius turned to Selene, his face still twisted in that cruel smile. "I've saved you, my dear," he said. "From a fate worse than death."

He raised the dagger again, his eyes fixed on Selene. "And now, it's your turn."

Selene stared at her uncle, her heart filled with terror and despair. She had nowhere to run, nowhere to hide. She was trapped, and her uncle was about to kill her.

But as Darius moved closer, a strange sensation washed over Selene. It was like a surge of power, a force rising up from deep within her soul. Her eyes began to glow with a faint, silver light, and a low growl rumbled in her throat.

Darius stopped in his tracks, his eyes widening in surprise. "What's happening to you?" he stammered.

Selene didn't answer. She didn't know what was happening. All she knew was that she was no longer afraid. She was filled with a newfound strength, a primal instinct that was taking over her body.

As Darius watched in horror, Selene's body began to transform. Her bones shifted and rearranged themselves, her skin began to peel away, and her teeth lengthened into sharp fangs. In a matter of seconds, she had become something else entirely. Something wild, something powerful, something...other.

The last thing Darius saw before everything went dark was the horrifying and betrayed look on Selene's face as she shifted. The look was full of revenge and wanting for blood.