Bound in Shadows

Pain.

It was the first thing Selene felt as she woke. A sharp, burning sensation, like her veins were filled with liquid fire. Her breath came in short, ragged gasps, her body trembling from the aftershocks of whatever magic Vale had used on her.

She tried to move—her wrists wouldn't budge.

Chains.

Cold, heavy iron chains bound her wrists and ankles, laced with silver. She was sitting on a stone floor, her back pressed against a damp wall. The air was stale, thick with the scent of blood and age.

A dungeon.

Selene forced her eyes open.

Dim torchlight flickered against the walls, casting twisted shadows across the narrow cell. The only exit was a heavy steel door, reinforced with Order sigils.

Her stomach churned.

She wasn't just a prisoner.

She was trapped.

A slow, familiar voice broke the silence.

"You're awake."

Selene's gaze snapped up.

Vale stood just beyond the bars, watching her with that infuriatingly calm expression.

Selene's hands clenched into fists, the chains rattling as she tried to lunge forward.

"You—"

Pain ripped through her.

Selene choked on a scream as the fire in her veins surged, sending shockwaves through her body.

Vale sighed. "Don't fight it. The more you resist, the worse it gets."

Selene gasped, sweat trickling down her forehead.

She hated him.

More than anything in the world, she hated him.

Vale knelt in front of the bars, watching her closely. "I know this is difficult, Selene."

Her laugh was sharp and bitter. "Difficult? You kidnapped me. You tortured me. And now you expect me to just sit here and listen?"

Vale tilted his head. "I didn't torture you."

Selene's vision blurred with rage. "What the hell do you call this, then?"

Vale studied her for a long moment. "Control."

Selene's breath caught.

Vale leaned in. "You don't understand, do you? That bond inside you—it isn't something you control. It's something we control."

Selene froze.

No.

That wasn't possible.

Was it?

"You've felt it, haven't you?" Vale continued, his voice smooth as silk. "The way your body changes. The power. The hunger."

Selene clenched her jaw.

Because—yes.

Ever since she bonded with Lucian, she had felt different. Stronger. Sharper. Faster.

But it had been hers.

Hadn't it?

Vale's lips curved slightly. "You were built to be more than just a hunter, Selene. You were built to be a weapon."

Selene shook her head, swallowing back the rising dread. "You're lying."

Vale sighed. "I never lie, Selene. That's the difference between us."

Selene's body trembled, her breath coming in sharp, shallow gasps.

No.

No.

She wouldn't believe him.

She couldn't.

Vale stood, brushing dust from his cloak. "Rest, Selene. You'll need your strength."

Selene's pulse pounded. "For what?"

Vale smiled, stepping back into the shadows. "For when we break the bond."

And then he was gone.

Selene's chest tightened.

Break the bond?

A shiver ran through her.

Not because she feared for herself.

But because she knew exactly what breaking the bond would mean.

Lucian.

He would die.

Somewhere in the Night…

Lucian ran faster than he ever had in his life.

His body burned, his fangs bared, his vision tinted with red.

The Order had taken her.

And that meant war.

Darius ran beside him, his own breath uneven. "Slow down—"

Lucian snarled. "No."

Darius cursed under his breath. "Lucian, listen to me. Charging in blind is a death sentence."

Lucian's heart slammed against his ribs.

Selene was in pain.

He could feel it.

The bond was still there, still strong—but it was shifting. Something was wrong.

Lucian's fists clenched.

If they hurt her, if they so much as touched her—

He would tear the Order apart.

Darius exhaled sharply. "Look, I get it. You love her."

Lucian's step faltered.

Darius smirked. "Yeah. Thought so."

Lucian said nothing.

Because it was true.

Selene wasn't just his bondmate.

She was his everything.

And he would burn the world to get her back.

Back in the Cell…

Selene tried to steady her breathing, but fear was a living thing in her chest.

She was running out of time.

Her body still ached from the magic Vale had used, but she forced herself to focus.

There had to be a way out.

Her fingers traced the chains around her wrists. Silver. It burned against her skin, weakening her, but it wasn't unbreakable.

If she could just—

A sharp click echoed in the darkness.

Selene froze.

The steel door swung open.

A hooded figure slipped inside, moving with careful, precise steps.

Selene tensed. "Who—?"

The figure pulled back their hood.

Dark eyes met hers.

Darius.

Selene's heart lurched.

Darius knelt beside her, pulling a small blade from his belt. "No time to talk, princess." He slid the dagger between the chains, twisting—

A sharp snap—

And the chains fell away.

Selene exhaled sharply. The fire in her veins eased, her strength returning in waves.

She met Darius's gaze. "Why are you helping me?"

Darius smirked. "Because Lucian would kill me if I didn't."

Selene hesitated.

Darius's smirk faded. "And because I want to watch the Order burn just as much as you do."

Selene's pulse quickened.

Darius held out his hand. "Ready to fight your way out?"

Selene's lips curled into a dangerous smile.

"Oh," she whispered. "More than ready."

End of Chapter Fourteen