The forest breathed again.
For the first time in weeks, the winds were warm. The scent of death had faded, and in its place came blossoms, damp earth, and renewal. Crimson Hollow—though bruised and battle-worn—was alive.
And so was Selene.
She stood on the high balcony of Kael's den, the morning sun spilling over her skin like gold paint. Below her, young wolves trained with renewed purpose. The scars of Ashar's invasion remained—burnt trees, broken runes, fallen stones—but there was peace.
And peace felt foreign.
Even fragile.
"Penny for your thoughts?" Kael's voice rumbled softly behind her.
Selene turned, leaning back into his chest as he wrapped his arms around her waist. Shirtless. Warm. Safe.
"I keep waiting for something else to go wrong," she murmured.
He kissed the side of her neck. "That's the curse of leadership."
"Do you regret it?" she asked. "Claiming me? Bringing me into this?"
Kael pulled her tighter. "Not even for a heartbeat."
She exhaled, burying her face in the crook of his shoulder. "I feel like I'm still learning who I am."
He brushed a strand of hair from her face. "Then I'll learn with you."
---
Later, Selene walked through the remains of the Moonroot clearing alone.
The tree had survived—but barely. Its silver bark now split and scorched. And yet, when she laid her palm against it, it still hummed.
She felt its magic respond—not with fire this time, but with comfort.
A whisper in her bones:
You are not the last.
She opened her eyes, heart racing.
The Lunari weren't extinct.
They were sleeping.
---
That night, as the Hollow feasted, Kael took Selene's hand and led her to the waterfall glade. Moonlight shimmered on the surface. Fireflies flickered between the trees. It was a place untouched by violence.
Here, they undressed in silence.
There were no words.
No war.
No pain.
Only skin on skin.
He laid her down on soft moss, kissed her with reverence and heat. She moaned into his mouth, wrapped her legs around his waist, pulling him deeper into the bond they'd already sealed.
But this time, it was slow.
Worshipful.
Like a promise spoken in flesh.
Selene clawed gently down his back, lips parted in gasps, her body singing for him. Kael whispered her name like prayer as he moved inside her, matching the rhythm of her heartbeat.
They came together like tides and moonlight, shivering, gasping, lost.
And when it was over, they lay tangled beneath the stars, hearts steady.
Kael traced lazy circles across her bare stomach. "The pack is rebuilding. Stronger than ever."
Selene nodded. "Because of you."
"Because of us," he corrected.
She turned, her face half-lit by starlight. "Kael… if the Lunari still exist, what does that mean for me?"
"It means you're not alone."
He paused. "But it also means more danger."
Selene took a deep breath. "Then let them come. I'll protect them. I'll find them."
Kael kissed her softly. "And I'll protect you."
---
The next morning, Rowan handed Selene a map—old and half-burned, drawn in Lunari script. At the bottom, in faint ink, was a single word:
Vireya.
The lost sanctuary.
And just like that, a new journey began.
---