Chapter 6 Eyes in the Shadows

Selene woke up before the sun. Her body still ached, but it was a different kind of pain now. It wasn't from fear or weakness. It was the kind of pain that reminded her she had survived. She had survived all the struggle and now she's for the rogue.

She sat up slowly, letting the fur blanket fall off her shoulders. The rogue camp was quiet. A few warriors walked around, sharpening weapons or carrying water, but most were still resting.

"It seems it's still very early" she thought to herself

Alaric was gone from the den. She could smell his scent nearby, strong and sharp like the forest after rain.

Last night, everything had changed. She was no longer a visitor here. She was no longer a stranger. She was Alaric's mate now.

But more than that...

She was a rogue.

She is now a rogue queen.

Selene stood and stepped out into the cold morning air. She looked around at the camp. It was rough, wild, and free. There were no rules here. No fake smiles. No lies. No killing of anyone...

She liked it that way.

A few warriors looked at her as she passed. Some nodded with respect. Others looked away quickly. No one dared to speak against her. Not after last night.

She found Alaric near the edge of the camp. He was standing with Caius, talking in low voices. When he saw her, he dismissed Caius with a short nod.

"You're up early," Alaric said.

"I couldn't sleep much," Selene replied. "My mind is full."

Alaric tilted his head. "Thinking about revenge?"

Selene looked past him into the trees. The Crescent Moon Pack was out there living their lives like nothing had happened.

"Not just revenge," she said. "I want to see them. I want to look into their faces. I want to know who still follows Lucian. And who's just pretending."

Alaric studied her for a moment, then nodded. "You'll go tonight. Caius will go with you."

Selene didn't argue. She trusted herself now. And maybe, just maybe, she was starting to trust Alaric too, I mean she has no option

"He's mine now " she smiled within her thoughts

That night, the forest was cold and dark. Selene and Caius moved like shadows through the trees. They didn't speak much. Caius only gave her a few signs with his hand: stop, move, wait.

She followed without question.

Soon, they reached the edge of Crescent Moon territory. Selene crouched low behind a bush. The smell of the land hit her like a punch to the chest.

It smelled like home.

But it wasn't home anymore.

Two guards stood by the border. Selene knew them. She had trained beside them years ago. Back then, they had laughed with her and shared food. Now, they looked relaxed and lazy, not even watching the trees.

"Fools," Caius whispered.

Selene stayed quiet. She wasn't looking at them anymore.

She was looking at someone else.

Darius.

He stepped into view, talking to the guards. He looked tired. His eyes were darker than before. His voice was firm, but his shoulders were tight, like he was carrying a weight he couldn't drop.

Selene's chest felt heavy.

Not because she missed him.

But because she didn't feel anything at all.

That was the scariest part.

He had been her mate.

Now, he was just a memory.

She watched him carefully. He hadn't rejected their bond. She could feel the pull still lingering between them, weak but not broken.

But it didn't matter.

Selene had moved on.

She turned and tapped Caius's arm. They slipped back into the forest without a sound.

When they returned to the rogue camp, the fires were still burning low. Selene went to the stream to wash her hands. The water was cold, but it helped clear her mind.

Alaric appeared behind her. She didn't turn around. She kept scrubbing her fingers slowly.

"He's still wearing the mark," she said. "He hasn't rejected me."

Alaric stepped closer. His voice was calm. "That doesn't mean anything. He had his chance to choose you. He didn't."

Selene nodded. "I know."

She dried her hands and turned to him. Her eyes were steady.

"I don't want to kill him quickly," she said.

Alaric didn't look surprised. He gave a small smile. "Good. Then we'll take our time."

Selene gave a short laugh not the kind from joy, but the kind that came from deep inside.

The kind that knew pain.

She looked up at the moon above them.

Once, she had prayed to the Moon Goddess for love.

Now, she would pray for strength.

Because the war was coming.

And this time, she wasn't the weak girl begging to be saved.

She was the one coming to destroy them all.

Selene didn't sleep that night.

She lay in Alaric's bed, staring at the ceiling of the den, thinking about everything. The weight of their bond still pulsed faintly in her chest, like a slow, steady drum. But her thoughts were not on love. They were at war.

On Darius.

On Crescent Moon.

On the pain they caused her.

And then... on her mother.

She hadn't dreamed about her in weeks, but now the memories came rushing back her soft laugh, her careful hands, the way she always tucked Selene's hair behind her ear and whispered, "You're stronger than you think."

Selene blinked the tears away. She didn't want to cry.

Not again.

She quietly slipped out of the bed and stepped outside into the cool night air. The camp was mostly quiet now. A few rogues kept watch at the edge, but no one stopped her as she walked.

She needed air. She needed space.

She moved through the trees, not going far. Just far enough to breathe.

That was when she saw it something tied around the trunk of a nearby tree.

Thin string. A folded piece of paper.

Selene frowned. She looked around, her senses sharp. She smelled no danger. Still, her fingers moved carefully as she untied it.

The note was short. The letters were shaky, but clear:

"Your mother is alive. The Alpha is hiding her. Trust no one. Come alone."

Selene froze.