Attack.

Selene~

Silence. That's all I could feel at that time. Muffled voices from people grew. All eyes were on me and the man standing in front of me. I dared to look up at him, but his gaze was on the priest. "I don't make fake promises, priest." He stated. 

My gaze diverted to Lucian, his face fumed with anger. He tried to stand up but was stopped by the men's gazes behind him. Mother's eyes were filled and her hands were joined, continuously praying to the Moon Goddess. Zoe was also praying by her side, but she was shooting glares at Damien. "Selene Mooncrest." I almost jumped when he announced my name. I finally let my gaze rest on him. His eyes were holding nothing but calmness and honesty. 

"I, Alpha Damien Blackthorn, in the presence of your and my people, vow to protect you. "

My breath hitched. His words, the vow— I did expect them to be harsh, and rough but never this.

"I cannot promise to love and cherish you..." I knew what was coming for me, yet it made my heart sink. I should not expect anything from this relationship, not from him. This was a mere arrangement where none of us had any feelings for each other. There was no love in it, just responsibilities. 

"..but I promise to always stand between you and this world. Nothing will come to you before it passes through me, not even death." His words were raw, not laced with lie and malice. He was being honest. It wasn't a declaration of devotion, it was something far more primal—a promise carved in blood and forged through survival. 

His gaze bore into mine as those crimson eyes dared me to question the sincerity of his words. He stepped forward forwarding his hand, "Selene Mooncrest, do you accept these vows and will stay by my side?" 

His question hit me hard, throwing me into reality. I kept staring into his eyes, searching for any lies, but there was nothing but utter determination. I drew a deep breath and forwarded my hand to him.

My lips parted, and as I prepared to answer, I realized that this moment would define the rest of my life. Keeping my voice steadier, I replied, "I accept these vows and will stay by your side, Damien." As his name left, I felt a shiver run down my spine, leaving a foreign feeling in my heart. With this, he retrieved a ring and slid it onto my ring finger. 

It was nothing extravagant but a simple silver band, just like his words. The priest came forward and announced, "By the power of the Moon Goddess and the traditions of the pack, I now declare you bound as one. May your bond strengthen your pack and honor the goddess's will." 

_________

The time went by, but sleep was far from me. As the ceremony was done, Damien announced to leave that instant. It was a shock for everyone. Lucian desperately tried to make us stay for more nights but nothing worked. After seeing off Zoe and Mother, I came back to his pack.

A man came forward. He was not like Damien yet his eyes were red. He bowed, and greeted, "Greetings, Luna." I bowed back in response. "I am Damon Velmont, Damien's consigliere." He smiled, revealing the sharp glint of his fangs, making my stomach churn with unease.

Was he? As he read my expression, his smile widened. I did not think it was appropriate to ask anything here. If people got to know that Damien had a vampire in his pack, no treaty could stop the mayhem. He sealed his lips and directed, "Luna, this your horse." I blinked as I saw the horse. Confusion clouded me. Never in my life, I rode a horse. We always used a palanquine. 

"Is there any problem?" Damon asked as he noticed my uneasiness. 

 As I was about to speak, a shadow hovered over me. I turned immediately, his eyes set on me. His piercing gaze bore into mine as he knew what was I thinking. The air started to feel thick. My throat clogged unable to utter a sound when his deep, sharp voice cut through the tension, "Can you ride a horse?" His tone almost accusing. I lowered my gaze in embarrassment. My cheeks flushed, not knowing what to answer him, when Damon interrupted, "It's okay, Luna. You can ride with our Alpha." 

My body went still, my mind still processing what just happened. Ride with him? Goosebumps appeared on my skin just by its thought. Damien tried to retaliate but Damon got him by his words, "She is your wife, Damien. It's her right to ride... with you." I wished I was a turtle hiding my head in a shell. I was sure, till now I had become redder than the tomato itself.

Damon's words made Damien leave with no words. He turned and got on his horse which was big and majestic like its master. 

How will I get on it? I replayed the scene when Damien got on his horse. Walking near the horse, I tried to replicate his action. Gripping on the saddle, I put my one leg on the stirrup and moved my other leg but I slipped. My eyes went closed, waiting for the pain to surge through my body, but nothing happened.

As I opened my one eye, Damien had an unreadable expression on his face. He was gripping my hand. I opened both my eyes and was about to sigh when he pulled me. 

I screamed in surprise as he yanked me up onto the saddle, the shock of his touch sending a jolt through me. I tried to look back at his face, when he ordered, "Sit straight." I straightened my spine without uttering a word. "It seems that this travel is going to be a whole sum," Damon commented before getting on his horse. "Move." Damein's rugged voice vibrated through my body, letting a sweet yet unsettling feeling linger. 

As we went ahead, my heart hammered in my ear. I was leaving...away from my nightmare, my past, and my family. If it was in my hand, I would...No, Lucian would not have let me do that. He knew I would not escape him unless he had Zoe and Mother in his territory. Drawing a deep breath, I took one last glance at the place where I was born, grew, loved, and...broke.

Slowly, we were reaching near the boundaries of Silverthorn. The lights passed by and the darkness started to engulf the forest. Some of them lit a torch which made the path a little visible. The exhaustion started to hit me. My eyelids were getting heavy. I jerked my head, trying to stay awake, but with each passing second, it was getting hard to do so. 

The world seemed to blur, and my body screamed to get rest, but no. I tried to fight against it, but now my limbs started to feel like lead. The slow and steady rhythmic motion of the horse was not making it better. The sound of the night insects worked as a lullaby. I hated my body for betraying me. I pushed it harder to stay alert. "Stay awake, Selene." I kept chanting it like a mantra. It made the travel more bearable, but its effect started to slow down as we passed the boundaries. 

Digging my nails into my skin, I inflicted pain to make my body stay alert but now it felt as if nothing would work in my favor. My head started to lay back, resting it when I heard a whisper, "Sleep." My mind was not able to process it. In no time, I was nothing but a tired sack. The darkness engulfed me, and I almost fell into a deep pit of sleep when a howl echoed through the forest.

Following that howl several more echoed shattering the silence of the night. My eyes snapped open, my breaths uneven, I looked around. 

"Go, check," Damon instructed as one of them got off the horse. The man disappeared in the forest. The howls echoed, again this time sharper and closer. A few moments passed when the same man returned and shouted, "It's rogues!" 

The revelation hit like a lightning bolt. The remained daziness faded away. Damien's expression darkened. "Brace yourself." His eyes gleamed red like blood surged in him. Something darker and more dangerous radiated from him. All of them got down excluding Damon.

I did not dare to move an inch. My throat clogged and the air started to feel suffocating. Slowly, the growling grew louder, more menacing. The rustling of the bushes and breaking of the twigs echoed in that darkness. Every moment felt like forever bringing in the warning of something deadly. Damien's rugged voice cut deep into the atmosphere as he shouted, "Now!"