Shattered Bonds

Pain greeted Selene before her eyes even opened. Her shoulder throbbed with each heartbeat, a burning reminder of the rogue wolf's attack. She blinked slowly, finding herself in an unfamiliar room with soft blue walls and the scent of healing herbs.

"She's awake," someone whispered.

Selene turned her head to see Lyra mixing medicine in a bowl. Beside her stood Jace, his sandy hair disheveled and dark circles under his eyes.

"Where's Ivy?" Selene asked, her voice scratchy from disuse.

"Safe," Jace answered. "The Alpha has her under guard in a room down the hall."

Selene tried to sit up but gasped as pain shot through her shoulder.

"Easy," Lyra cautioned, hurrying to her side. "That bite was deep. You've been out for two days."

"Two days?" Selene's eyes widened. "What happened with the rogues?"

Jace's expression darkened. "They escaped, but not before killing one of our fighters. We tracked them to the northern border, but the trail went cold."

Selene sank back against the pillows, guilt washing over her. "I'm so sorry. This is all because of me."

"Maybe," Jace admitted. "But you saved your sister. That counts for something."

The door swung open, and Dante strode in. His face was hard as stone, but Selene noticed a small cut healing above his eye. The mate bond hummed between them, making her heart skip.

"Leave us," he ordered. Lyra and Jace quickly exited, closing the door behind them.

For a long moment, Dante just stared at her, his blue eyes unreadable. Selene stared back, suddenly aware she was wearing only a thin shirt that wasn't hers.

"Your sister refuses to speak to anyone but you," he finally said. "I need answers, Selene. Now."

"I have as many questions as you do," she replied. "Ivy died ten years ago. I watched her drown in the river. How she's here, still seven years old... I don't understand it either."

Dante paced at the foot of the bed. "The rogues wanted her specifically. Why?"

"I don't know. But she mentioned something about dark magic keeping her trapped." Selene hesitated. "And someone telling her I was happier without her."

"Someone is manipulating her," Dante mused. "Using her against you—and now against my pack."

"I need to see her," Selene insisted, trying again to sit up.

"Not yet." Dante's voice was firm. "First, you'll tell me everything about the day she supposedly died."

Selene closed her eyes, the painful memories washing over her. "It was my fault. I took her to the forbidden river even though our father had warned us. I thought we'd just play on the bank, but Ivy wanted to swim. The current was stronger than I expected..." Her voice broke. "She slipped from my grasp. I tried to save her, but the water pulled her under. I searched for hours, but never found her body."

When she opened her eyes, Dante was watching her closely, as if searching for lies.

"My father blamed me," she continued. "The whole pack did. So I ran away that night. I've been alone ever since."

"Until now," Dante said quietly. His hand moved toward hers but stopped halfway, curling into a fist instead. "Your wound needs time to heal. Then you and your sister will leave."

The rejection stung worse than her injury. "You can't keep denying what's between us, Dante. We're fated mates."

His expression hardened. "I told you before—I had a mate. She's gone."

"Tell me about her," Selene said softly.

For a moment, she thought he wouldn't answer. Then his shoulders sagged slightly.

"Claire was everything to me. We grew up together, chose each other. When hunters attacked five years ago, she died in my arms." His voice was flat, as if he'd pushed all emotion away. "The bond you think you feel—it's impossible. I can't mate again."

"But you feel it too," Selene insisted. "I saw you fighting those rogues. You protected me."

"I would protect any innocent in my territory," he snapped. "It doesn't make you special."

The words cut deep. Selene turned her face away so he wouldn't see her tears.

"Rest," Dante ordered, moving toward the door. "When you're stronger, Lyra will bring your sister to see you."

After he left, Selene let the tears fall freely. Her wolf whined inside her, pining for its mate who walked away.

Three days passed before Selene was allowed to leave her room. Her shoulder still ached, but she could move her arm again. Lyra had brought her clean clothes—jeans and a simple blue sweater that was softer than anything she'd worn in years.

"Where are we going?" Selene asked as Lyra led her through the main house.

"The Alpha wants you at breakfast," Lyra explained. "With the rest of the pack."

Selene's stomach knotted with anxiety. "And Ivy?"

"She'll be there too."

They entered a large dining hall where dozens of pack members were already eating. Conversation died as Selene walked in, all eyes turning to her.

"That's her." "The rogue wolf." "Alpha's mate." "Not if he has anything to say about it..."

The whispers were just loud enough for her sensitive hearing to catch. Selene held her head high, ignoring them as she spotted Ivy at the main table. Her sister sat beside Dante, looking small and vulnerable in a pink dress that seemed too cheerful for her solemn face.

Dante motioned for Selene to join them. She walked forward, feeling like each step was through deep mud as stares followed her.

"Sit," Dante said, gesturing to the empty chair across from him—not beside him, where a mate would normally sit. Another clear rejection.

As Selene took her seat, Ivy watched her with those strange, ancient eyes in a child's face.

"Are you better now?" Ivy asked in a small voice, so different from the angry child who had accused her days before.

"Yes," Selene replied gently. "Are you okay? Has everyone been nice to you?"

Ivy nodded. "Alpha Dante gave me books and toys." She looked at Dante with something close to admiration.

Dante's expression softened slightly as he gazed at the little girl, showing the first warmth Selene had seen from him. It made her heart ache—he could care for her sister but not for her.

A tall woman with silver-blonde hair approached their table, moving with confident grace. "Alpha, the border patrols report no new signs of rogues."

"Thank you, Elara," Dante replied. "Join us."

Selene felt an immediate dislike as the woman slid into the seat beside Dante—the mate's seat. Elara's cold eyes assessed Selene like she was examining an insect.

"So this is the famous white wolf," Elara said, her voice honeyed but sharp. "Not quite what I expected."

"Elara Frost is Alpha of the Frost Pack," Dante explained. "She's here to discuss an alliance against the rogues."

"Charmed," Elara said, not sounding charmed at all. Her hand casually brushed Dante's arm as she reached for her drink.

Breakfast was torture. Selene picked at her food while Dante and Elara discussed pack business as if she weren't there. Occasionally, Ivy would glance between them, her expression unreadable.

Finally, Dante stood. "Elara and I have matters to discuss. Jace will show you and Ivy around the territory."

As they walked away, Elara's hand slipped into the crook of Dante's arm. The sight made Selene's wolf growl with jealousy.

"She wants him," Jace said quietly, appearing beside Selene.

"And he seems fine with that," Selene muttered.

Jace shrugged. "Dante hasn't let anyone close since Claire. But Elara's been trying for years."

The tour of the pack grounds did little to improve Selene's mood. Everywhere they went, pack members stared or whispered behind their hands. Some were openly hostile, blaming her for the rogue attack. Others looked at her with pity—the rejected mate.

By afternoon, Selene's shoulder ached, and her heart felt even heavier. Ivy had barely spoken, staying close to Jace instead of her.

"Why doesn't she want me?" Selene asked when Jace took Ivy to get a snack, leaving her alone on a bench overlooking the training grounds.

"She's confused," came a voice behind her. Selene turned to find Lyra holding two steaming cups. She handed one to Selene before sitting beside her. "Tea with healing herbs."

"Thank you," Selene said, grateful for the warmth.

"Ivy was kept somewhere dark for a long time," Lyra continued. "She mentioned a woman with silver hair who visited her. Told her stories about how you abandoned her."

Selene nearly dropped her cup. "Silver hair? Like Elara's?"

Lyra's eyes widened. "I hadn't made that connection."

Just then, shouts erupted from the training ground. Selene looked up to see Dante demonstrating fighting moves to younger pack members. His powerful body moved with deadly precision, muscles rippling under bronze skin.

As if feeling her gaze, he glanced up, their eyes locking across the distance. The mate bond flared between them like a live wire.

Dante broke the connection first, turning away sharply.

"He's fighting it," Lyra said quietly. "But fate doesn't give up easily."

That evening, Selene was given a small room in the main house across from Ivy's. As she prepared for bed, a soft knock sounded.

Ivy stood in the doorway, clutching a stuffed wolf toy.

"Can't sleep?" Selene asked gently.

Ivy shook her head. "I keep seeing the dark place in my dreams."

"Want to talk about it?"

Ivy hesitated, then stepped inside. "The Silver Lady says I can't tell."

"The Silver Lady—is that Elara?" Selene asked carefully.

Fear flashed across Ivy's face. "If I tell, she'll be angry. She'll put me back in the dark."

Selene knelt before her sister. "No one will put you in the dark again. I promise."

Ivy's eyes filled with tears. "She wants Alpha Dante. She says once she has him, she'll have his power too. And then..." She stopped, her small body trembling.

"Then what, Ivy?" Selene pressed.

"Then she'll open the door to the shadow world," Ivy whispered. "And I have to help her. Because I'm special. Because I'm not really alive anymore."

A chill ran down Selene's spine as Ivy continued in that eerily adult voice: "She needs a sacrifice to open the door. Someone powerful."

"Who?" Selene asked, though she feared she already knew.

Ivy's next words confirmed her worst fears: "Alpha Dante's true mate."