stood in the clearing behind the cabin, her bare feet sinking into the cold grass as she faced the rising sun. Her wolf was

feet away, their arms crosse

e wolf anymore," Andrew sa

sts. "I can feel her.

murmured. "And she doe

ng her a short blade. "Then s

e, her eyes narrowing.

le. "Think of it more l

an don'

act

d, testing the weight. "And wha

ly. "Then we see w

tarted

low, but she jumped over his leg with a growl. Sweat beade

o a hold-arm locked

whispered. "

ed, eyes fla

ulse

inside h

arged her next, but Selene moved like lightning, disarming him in seconds. She wasn

r bones

ody t

ot like a normal wolf-bu

aws extended from her fingers, and

others

autious step

ing in short, ragged bursts. She saw them-Andre

knees, shifting

ide in seconds, wra

she gasped. "I was

" he said quietly. "

You're not just Solari. You're somethin

head. "That's

n back at her. "It is if yo

n't just a memory. It was a calling. Your bloodli

een them. "So what

A goddess reborn. Or

lene lay in bed, sta

ly in the dark-no longer just a bond. I

ifferent from before. It

s a s

blankets and rus

treeline, a dozen figure

glowi

ed into th

behind her.

er voice barely a whisp

. "They f

armor. "This isn't just an attack. It's

hundered. "Then

erupted i

icked th

ashed in

uchable. The wolf inside her didn't just fight; it comma

nal priest-tall, robed in r

smi

ongue older than

e fal

ening something inside her chest. H

th

ld went

opened

again in the Mo

she was not the

center of the temple,

lver. Her e

her voice ringing like wind over wate

at tightened.

d. "I am what y

ered, "The M

u carry my blood and that of ma

in Selene's e

. "Because balance cannot

Selene's chest, and l

ision

in the forest c

Priests

or va

her, shouti

sed a hand

longer

shi

with the mark

the sigil of

air as she lay on the forest floor. Her breath came in slow, steady

ped around her, holding her

s face carved from worry and somet

ng a strand of hair from her fa

ry, her limbs weak, but her eyes burned with

rew together. "W

ng itself. "That I'm of her blood. That I'm meant to forge bal

. "That's not just a visi

e said I carry both fury and mercy

prepare. Because if the goddess has chosen you

The scent of blood still lingered in the air from the battle, but

n crackled in the silence. Andy paced near the

he table, the goddess's wor

king... or aw

she was be

," Selene said suddenly, voice firmer now. "I think it's about who I

u're saying it's

eyes. "But it's not just about that

oom to her. "So wher

her I choose one of you, both of you, or neither, the world won't wa

ain flashing in his ex

y. Her hand brushed over the g

ispered. "Bu

in, this time by choice. The wind had pick

mation, but her spirit was steadier now-s

r, the two of them standing on either side of

ain you,"

you," And

se us," Andy continued,

I don't want to be the reaso

r. "Maybe we've already don

bitter lau

he looked

u're the only on

ilence for a long moment. No

angle of fate, blood, and some

battlefield, far beyond t

. Unseen by t

nelt before a burning altar, th

ens," he

ped from the dark, their faces h

iest s

ll. And when she does... the g