OphyliA

For centuries, the Wolves and Witches have lived in bitter enmity, each blaming the other for a forgotten betrayal sealed under the Blood Moon. The forest is divided by ancient magic—no wolf may cross into witchland, and no witch dares enter the domain of fang and claw.

But when the Moon Goddess makes a rare appearance in the dreams of Alpha Kael—a fierce, war-hardened wolf leader—he awakens with a chilling prophecy: his fated mate is a witch.

Selene, a gifted but outcast fire witch, discovers a mysterious mark on her skin—the Moon’s Crest. It glows only when the Moon Goddess chooses a mate. Torn between loyalty to her kind and the pull of an unknown connection, Selene soon realizes her destiny is bound to the very creature her people have sworn to destroy.

Now, as shadowy forces rise and a forgotten darkness stirs beneath the lands, Kael and Selene must choose: uphold the hatred that shaped their worlds, or embrace the bond that could save—or doom—them all.

Enemies by blood. Lovers by fate. Bound by the Moon.

MOONBOUND: The Curse of Fire & Fang

Chapter 22: Witchfire and Judgment

The halls of the Moon Coven echoed with whispers as Selene was dragged forward by two crimson-cloaked enforcers. Her wrists were bound in enchanted silver—a symbol of shame, not restraint. She could've burned the bindings off in an instant. But defiance was not the language the Coven spoke with mercy.

The chamber doors groaned open to reveal the Council of Witches, seated in a half-moon arc beneath an arch carved with glowing runes. Candles flickered in every corner of the chamber, their flames responding to the surge of magic that crackled in the air. The scent of ash and myrrh hung thick, a reminder that judgment here was often final.

The Matriarch's voice rang out sharp and steady. "Selene of Firemark. You are brought before this council to answer for your betrayal."

Selene stood tall despite the binds. "Betrayal? For surviving?"

"For consorting with a wolf," the Matriarch hissed. "For protecting him when you should have burned him."

The gathered witches gasped, the accusation slicing through the silence.

Selene's voice remained calm, but her heart raced. "I didn't choose him. The bond chose us."

Another witch leaned forward from her seat. "Then break it."

"I tried," Selene answered. "I nearly died."

"You've risked the integrity of the entire Moonline," an elder spat. "And you think mere survival is enough to excuse the chaos you bring?"

The Matriarch's cold eyes narrowed. "Then we will do it for you."

The bindings on Selene's wrists flared with searing light as the council chanted. Ancient words filled the air, trembling the stone beneath her feet. A sigil of unbinding began to form in the center of the chamber, swirling with red and violet energy. Selene cried out as her chest burned—like something sacred was being torn from within her.

Far across the land, Kael felt the pain strike him like a blade. He staggered, clutching his chest, vision going dark. The bond was under attack. He let out a howl so raw it shook the trees.

In the coven chamber, Selene fell to her knees, sweat pouring down her brow. Her limbs trembled. The weight of her magic recoiled violently inside her, as though a part of her was being unraveled. But then—

A shockwave blasted outward as the sigil shattered. Flames exploded from Selene's body, sending several witches flying backward. Her eyes glowed emerald green, laced with golden fire.

"You cannot break what was never bound by you," she hissed. "This bond comes from the Goddess herself."

The Matriarch rose, eyes filled with both awe and fury. "Then you've sealed your fate."

"I choose my own fate," Selene growled. "And I choose him."

With a surge of flame, she vanished from the chamber, the bindings melting to ash.

Back in the forest, Kael's breath returned. His connection to her—though scorched—remained. He dropped to one knee, the silver mark across his chest flickering with light. Something had changed. The bond had deepened—evolved.

But now, the war between witch and wolf had begun anew.

Far beneath the Coven's stronghold, in a sealed vault that hadn't been opened in generations, the magical backlash awakened something dormant. Glowing eyes flickered in the darkness—ancient magic, older than the Coven itself.

The balance between wolves and witches had been disturbed, and forces older than either were stirring.

In a hidden alcove, the Matriarch stared into a scrying mirror, seeing flickers of prophecy unfold. Fire and fang. Blood and moonlight. She knew then that Selene and Kael weren't just bonded—they were the fulcrum of a greater change. A reckoning.

She turned to the other elders. "Send word to the High Circle. The Moonbound prophecy is awakening. And if we don't control it, it will destroy us all."

Outside the chamber, a raven perched atop the stone archway took flight—its feathers shimmered with silver. The Goddess was watching.

Witchfire and Judgement