The carriage rolled to a slow stop, its creaking wheels falling silent before the towering gates of Blackmoor Keep. Selene Laurent sat still, her hands folded neatly on her lap, even though her palms were slick with sweat beneath the gloves.
Her heart was steady. Dead things didn't beat with passion.
Outside, the Summit of Packs was already underway. The air vibrated with tension — not from the coming war or the collapsing treaty — but because of her arrival.
A widow.
A Luna with no mate.
And yet, she had been summoned like a pawn to a table of kings.
The door opened, letting in a breeze that carried the sharp bite of pine and frost. A guard offered his hand, but Selene ignored it and stepped down alone, her long silver dress catching the light. The fabric shimmered like moonlight, but her veil — black and sheer — fluttered around her like a warning.
She was the only one at the Summit in mourning colors. It wasn't tradition — it was a statement.
"Lady Laurent," a voice called from the steps.
Selene raised her gaze.
It was Alpha Vaughn, one of the old council members. Wrinkled and rigid, with pale eyes that saw everything.
"You honor us," he said with a shallow bow. "Your presence is… unexpected."
"And yet I was summoned," she replied coolly.
The man's smile thinned. "Politics demand strange things."
So does fate, Selene thought, though she didn't say it aloud.
She followed Vaughn into the hall where dozens of Alphas, Betas, and Lunas mingled — all dressed in their finest. The smell of dominance and power layered the air like thick perfume.
Conversations paused as she entered. Dozens of eyes turned. Whispers flickered between teeth like sparks on dry wood.
She came.
That's the widow Luna.
She's still wearing his crest.
Why summon a broken bond?
Selene walked past them like she couldn't hear a thing. She kept her chin lifted, the way her mother had taught her — A Luna never bends. Not even when she bleeds.
The main chamber opened into a wide circle lined with thrones for each Alpha. Above them, the Moon Crest glimmered from stained glass.
And seated at opposite ends of the room were the two wolves she never expected to see again — and certainly not at the same time.
Her breath hitched before she could hide it.
Alpha Cian Rael.
Alpha Daxon Virel.
One was heat and fury wrapped in wild rebellion. The other was ice forged into control.
And both… both had locked their eyes on her the moment she entered.
Selene froze.
Her wolf stirred, restless beneath her skin — something she hadn't felt in nearly a year.
A low growl echoed through the hall. It wasn't from her. It was from both Alphas.
They stood in unison.
"No," she whispered to herself. "No, this can't be—"
Her wolf pulsed again, harder this time, clawing against her ribs like it recognized something. Someone.
Two someones.
Then came the ache.
The pull.
Her hands clenched at her sides, hidden in her skirts, as a familiar and unwelcome warmth rushed through her body.
Mate.
No.
No, no, no.
The mate bond had shattered. She had buried her mate with her own hands. She had heard the last howl. She had felt the emptiness that followed.
You didn't get another one.
And yet—
"Selene," Daxon's voice cut through the noise like a blade.
Deep. Rough. A voice that once made her hate and crave in the same breath.
He took a step toward her, tall and dressed in midnight-black. A silver pin glinted on his collar — the Shadowspine sigil. His dark hair was slicked back, and his steel eyes burned into her like fire over ice.
"You came."
His voice wasn't warm. It was possessive. As if she'd answered his call.
She didn't respond.
Before she could catch her breath, another voice spoke from behind her — cool, low, with the sting of buried pain.
"She didn't come for you."
Selene turned — and there stood Alpha Cian, leaning casually against one of the marble pillars, but there was nothing relaxed about him.
His golden-blond hair fell into his eyes, and his jaw was tight — like he was holding back from tearing someone's throat out. The Ashclaw Alpha. Once wild. Now refined. Dangerous in a different way.
"It's been a while, Selene," he said, eyes never leaving hers.
She took a breath and forced her voice to remain steady.
"Alpha Rael. Alpha Virel," she said, her voice flat. "I was summoned by the council. Not by either of you."
Liar, her wolf whispered.
But she silenced the thought.
Vaughn cleared his throat. "Enough." He stepped between them. "Lady Laurent's presence here is not for personal matters. The Summit has chosen her to serve as the independent mediator between the packs."
A ripple of shock went through the room.
Selene's eyes narrowed. "What?"
"You are neutral territory now," Vaughn explained. "With no Alpha, no claim, no pack. And yet, you were once Luna — trained, respected. The council believes your voice can bring reason… or at least buy time."
Buy time for what?
To stop war?
Or to choose a side?
Selene's stomach twisted.
Cian took a step closer, eyes hard. "You think putting her between us will solve anything?"
"She is the only one fated to both of you," Vaughn snapped.
Silence.
The words hung in the air like a spell.
Selene felt the room tilt.
Cian's fists clenched. Daxon's jaw ticked. Both of their wolves were growling beneath their skin — and Selene… she could barely breathe.
"I didn't ask for this," she whispered, voice cracking.
"None of us did," Daxon said, voice low. "But the Goddess did."
"You think fate is enough?" Cian's voice cut through. "You think a second chance makes this fair?"
Selene turned on him. "You think I wanted this?"
"Then reject us," Daxon said, eyes narrowing.
Cian froze.
The entire room froze.
Selene's lips parted.
"I—"
The doors slammed open with a violent bang.
Everyone turned.
A bloodied warrior stumbled into the chamber, gasping. "Rogues," he croaked. "They've broken the eastern gate."
Screams echoed from outside. The guards rushed to block the exits.
Chaos exploded.
Daxon stepped in front of her. Cian was already at her side. Both men, enemies in name, were suddenly growling in the same direction — guarding her.
"Stay behind me," they said at the same time.
And Selene, trembling from the bond she didn't want… suddenly wasn't so sure she had a choice.