Chapter 26: Chapter 26

SELENE

I had never seen Lux in pain before.

Not like this.

Not with his body trembling, his muscles locking so tight I thought they might snap. Not with his breath coming in ragged, guttural bursts, his hands digging into the dirt as though he were holding himself back from thrashing against whatever this was.

I gripped the arms of the wheelchair, my nails biting into the worn wood. The fire crackled violently in front of me, thick smoke curling into the sky, carrying whispers of old magic. The scent of blood—his blood—filled the air, heavy and metallic.

And I could feel it.

The bond—torn apart before it had ever truly formed—was trying to mend itself.

But it was fighting.

Or maybe it was ~him~ fighting.

My chest tightened as I watched Lux’s body tremble under the weight of it, his head bowed, his jaw clenched so hard I swore I could hear his teeth grind together. A low, wrecked growl built in his throat, slipping through clenched teeth as his body jerked slightly.

Like something inside him was ripping free.

Erik stood a few feet away, stiff as a statue, his fists clenching and unclenching at his sides. I could see it—~feel~ it—his struggle to hold back. His instincts told him to intervene, to stop whatever was happening, to protect his alpha. But he didn’t move.

Because Lux wasn’t calling for help.

Because I think Erik knew, deep down, that this was something he couldn’t fight for him.

The witch stepped toward me.

I barely heard her over the roaring in my ears, over the way the fire hissed and spat, licking higher, hungry.

~“You have a part in this, too.”~

I tore my gaze away from Lux, looking up at her. My heart slammed against my ribs, my wolf pacing wildly beneath my skin.

“What do you mean?” My voice came out hoarse.

Madame Verda crouched beside me, her dark eyes steady, unwavering. “Blood must call to blood. The bond was severed from both of you. It must be restored by both of you.”

I swallowed hard.

She held out a dagger. The same one Lux had used, still slick with his blood.

I hesitated.

Not because I feared the pain.

Because I feared ~this~.

Feared what it would take from him.

From ~us~.

I flicked my gaze back to Lux, my breath catching. His fingers curled into the earth, his body taut with restraint. His nails dug deep, dirt and blood mixing as his muscles trembled, a deep, animalistic sound vibrating in his chest.

Like a demon was being exorcized from him.

Like something was being torn from his very soul.

Another growl ripped through him, his body shuddering violently, but he didn’t move from his hands and knees. Didn’t cry out.

Didn’t ~break~.

A sharp inhale. A decision made.

I took the dagger from the witch’s hands.

My fingers trembled as I hovered my hand over the bowl between us, the ceremonial vessel carved from dark stone. Its surface was already streaked with his blood.

I barely flinched as I dragged the blade across my palm, the sting of steel slicing through flesh. Blood welled instantly, warm and thick.

And the moment my blood mixed with his, I ~felt~ it.

A raw, searing pain lanced through my body, sinking deep into my bones. My breath hitched, my fingers curling around the arms of the wheelchair as an invisible force pulled at me—dragging me closer to something I couldn’t see, couldn’t fight.

It wasn’t just pain.

It was him.

Lux.

His agony slammed into me like a tidal wave, knocking the breath from my lungs, sinking claws into my chest. My head snapped back, my mouth parting in a silent gasp as my heart pounded against my ribs.

It was too much.

Too raw.

Too deep.

My hand trembled as Madame Verda swirled the mixture, her movements steady despite the storm raging around us. The thick scent of blood, herbs, and something acrid—something unnatural—rose in the air, curling through the space between us like smoke from an unseen fire.

I gasped, my vision blurring as the pain pulsed through me in time with my heartbeat, as the bond—our bond—fought to stitch itself back together.

The witch’s voice cut through the haze.

“Do not resist it.”

My head snapped toward her, but I could barely see her through the smoke curling around us.

She was already moving, her fingers dipping into the bowl, mixing Lux’s blood with mine, grinding herbs and elixirs into the thick liquid. The scent grew stronger, sharper.

The fire flared.

Magic shifted in the air, thickening, pressing into my skin.

Then—she began to chant.

The words rolled from her lips in a language I didn’t recognize, foreign and ancient, each syllable vibrating through my bones, pulling at something deep inside me.

Lux jerked.

A strangled snarl tore from his throat, his body bowing forward as though something inside him was being torn loose. His breath was ragged, choked, his fingers digging deeper into the ground as the fire roared, hungry and wild.

I wanted to reach for him.

To stop this.

But the moment the thought entered my mind, Madame Verda moved.

Her hands lifted, her dark eyes flashing with something unreadable as she threw the contents of the bowl into the fire.

The blood, the herbs, the magic—all of it.

The flames exploded.

The world tilted.

Pain—raw and unforgiving—ripped through my body like claws tearing through flesh.

I barely had time to breathe before it slammed into me again, deeper, heavier, merciless. My vision blurred, my muscles locking as I felt the exact same agony that was consuming Lux.

Not just a bond forming.

A bond breaking and rebuilding all at once.

A strangled gasp tore from my lips as my fingers lost their grip on the arms of the wheelchair. My body jerked, my spine arching as white-hot pain seared through me, through him, until there was no telling where I ended and Lux began.

I couldn’t hold myself up.

Couldn’t fight it.

I felt myself fall.

The dirt hit my knees first, then my hands, sharp twigs scraping my palms as my breath tore ragged from my throat.

But I barely felt it.

Because all I could feel was him.

Lux.

His suffering.

His torment.

A deep, broken growl filled the air, not just from him—but from me.

The pain was so consuming I barely registered the movement in front of me until I heard his strangled voice.

“Selene.”

My head snapped up, my breath shuddering from my lips as I locked onto the man in front of me.

Lux had turned toward me, his body still trembling, but he was moving.

Crawling toward me.

Pain twisted his expression, his arms shaking, his body rigid with restraint—but he didn’t stop.

Didn’t care.

I saw it—saw the agony in the way he dragged himself forward, muscles clenching against the unbearable weight pressing into us. Every inch he moved cost him more, but he kept going.

For me.

I tried to reach for him, but the fire flared, roaring higher, and suddenly, the world shifted.

Lux’s body convulsed, his hands clawing at the dirt as a sharp, wrecked snarl ripped from his throat.

And then—~he shifted~.

Not like before.

Not like anything I’d ever seen.

One moment, he was on his hands and knees, his muscles tight with agony—the next, his body exploded into raw power.

His massive wolf burst forward, white fur gleaming under the firelight, his presence ~commanding~, terrifying.

But before I could even react—the flames moved.

They twisted, morphed, taking shape before my eyes.

And then—the fire became ~him~.

Not Lux.

Not a man.

Not a wolf.

Something else.

A massive creature of ~pure flame~, standing opposite Lux, glowing embers flickering in the dark like burning eyes. It was wolf-shaped, but wrong—its edges flickering, shifting, its very existence fueled by the magic of the ritual.

This wasn’t just a battle.

This was a test.

Lux let out a snarl, his lips pulling back as he lunged. The fire wolf met him in kind, snapping its jaws, sending a blast of heat through the clearing as they collided.

The ground shook.

I could only watch as they fought—Lux, all brute strength and lethal precision, his movements controlled despite the wildness inside him. The fire wolf, unpredictable, untamed, a force of pure destruction.

Claws met embers.

Teeth met flame.

Lux roared, sinking his fangs into the creature’s shoulder, but the fire ~exploded~ outward, sending him skidding back, his paws digging into the dirt.

It wasn’t enough.

He couldn’t do this alone.

The witch’s voice cut through the chaos.

“~You must shift~.”

I whipped toward her, my breath still heaving, my body still trembling.

“What?”

Her eyes burned into mine. “He cannot do this alone.” She gestured toward Lux, toward the fire beast, toward the way the battle raged between them. “You must fight ~with~ him.”

My stomach clenched.

I wanted to.

But I couldn’t.

I couldn’t.

I had only just found my wolf. I had only shifted once. My body was still weak, my muscles still aching from the strain of it.

The bond was still mending.

I wasn’t ready.

The fire wolf lunged again, knocking Lux to the ground. He snarled, rolling, barely avoiding the flames licking at his fur.

The panic ~spiked~ in my chest. “I can’t!” I gasped.

I wasn’t strong enough.

I wasn’t—

A rough, ~furious~ hand grabbed my chin.

Erik.

His fingers curled against my jaw, forcing my gaze to his.

“~Yes, you can~.”

I tried to shake my head, but his grip only tightened.

“I saw your wolf, Selene,” he growled, his voice hard, unyielding. “I saw her rip the throats from those wolves who tried to kill him.” His eyes flickered to Lux, to the way he fought, to the way he struggled. “You saved him once.” His voice dropped lower. “It’s time to do it again.”

My breath caught.

The air around us hummed.

A deep, violent pull dragged at my ribs, clawing at my insides, demanding that I listen—that I ~act~.

My wolf ~stirred~.

Pacing, waiting, watching.

I truly felt her this time.

Not locked away.

Not bound by chains.

She was ~here~.

And she was ~ready~.

Lux ~needed~ me.

That was all that mattered.

I clenched my jaw, inhaling sharply through my nose.

And then—I let go. I let the pull consume me. Let it drag me under, let it ~change~ me.

Fire roared.

Wind howled.

Pain seared through my body as my bones shifted, as my muscles stretched, as my human form ~broke apart~.

And when I landed, I wasn’t human anymore. I was ~wolf~.

And I was ~ready to fight.~