Selene's POV
The night was quiet, yet her heart was not. The flame of the oil lamp danced lazily against the glass, casting golden ripples across the apothecary walls. Selene sat by the window, staring at the moon that hung low and heavy like a secret too full to hold. Her mind wandered to Lucian, the cursed alpha, the one fate had tied to her in ways she could neither understand nor resist.
She touched the pendant around her neck, the one glowing faintly with lunar essence and sighed. "Where are you now, Lucian?" she whispered.
That same night, the soft chime of the doorbell startled her. Elara looked up from the herbs she was sorting and froze. In the doorway stood Lucian.
His presence filled the small space like thunder hiding beneath calm clouds. The air shifted, charged. He looked weary, yet power clung to him wild, unbroken.
"Lucian," Selene breathed, her eyes wide.
"Selene…" His voice was softer than she remembered. He stepped inside, his gaze taking her in as if confirming she was real. "I don't know why I came here," he admitted, his tone low, "but the moment I stepped into your shop, the noise inside me… stopped."
Selene took a hesitant step forward, but as she neared him, she felt it, something different. A new energy swirled within him, darker and heavier. The beast in him was restless, yet… calm in her presence.
She reached out to touch his arm and in that instant, a vision seized her — flashes of what had happened since the day he left her: the betrayal, his mother's death, Caius's madness, his exile, the blood on his hands.
Her breath hitched as she pulled away. "You've been through the storm," she murmured.
Lucian's eyes softened. "And yet, standing here with you… it feels like the storm finally broke."
Selene swallowed hard and turned to Elara. "Bring him food," she said. "And wine, not too strong."
Elara nodded and disappeared into the back.
Selene guided Lucian to a chair. As he sat, she could see the exhaustion buried beneath his strength. He ate in silence, only occasionally glancing up at her as though afraid she might vanish if he blinked.
When he finished, Selene's voice broke the stillness. "Lucian, there's something you need to know." She hesitated. "It's about a girl Flora."
He frowned. "I don't know know who that is."
Selene told him, "She works in Aldred palace."
He frowned again. "A human, what about her?"
Selene gaze grave. "She carries Caius's child and she is not ordinary human."
The air in the room shifted sharply. Lucian froze, his eyes darkening like a brewing storm. "What?"
"I saw it," Selene said quietly. "I touched her hand and the vision came. The child she carries… is not ordinary. He is born of two worlds, warlock and werewolf, but his soul burns with another power, something older. Flora is not entirely human, though she does not know it. The child… he is destined to be both curse and cure."
Lucian's claws threatened to break through his skin. "Caius has tainted everything," he growled. His aura crackled like lightning, but Selene moved closer, placing a hand on his chest.
"Calm yourself, Alpha," she whispered. "Not all that comes from darkness stays dark. The gods have their own plans and sometimes redemption is born from ruin."
Her touch worked like moonlight over rage. Lucian exhaled, his breath slow, his heart steadying under her palm. He looked at her, really looked at her and for a moment, the curse within him stilled.
There was something about her touch, the warmth that burned through his veins, the spark at his fingertips when their hands brushed. It wasn't just comfort. It was connection, ancient, inevitable, pure.
He smiled faintly, a rare sight. "You have a way of silencing the beast," he said softly. "Selene, come live with me. In Moonfang."
Selene blinked, startled. "What?"
"My people will honor you," he said. "You saved me, you heal others and you…" He stopped, searching her eyes. "You make me feel human again."
Her smile faltered. "Lucian, your people will not welcome a witch. Not yet. They still bleed from wounds your brother caused. And I…" she looked away, "I belong here. Among the villagers who need me."
He wasn't ready to give up. "Then stay near. I have a house on the outskirts of the pack lands. Far from the others. You can live there, if not in the pack itself."
Selene smiled sadly. "You are persistent, Alpha."
"I am determined," he corrected, eyes gleaming with quiet affection. "And I hope that one day, you'll be willing to share a life with me, not just a passing night."
Selene said nothing, but her heart trembled. Deep inside, she wanted to say yes. She wanted to follow him into the forest and never look back. But the curse that bound her magic still whispered danger. Until her powers fully awakened, she was half a witch and half a burden.
When he finally rose to leave, Selene walked him to the door. The night wind carried the scent of pine and moonlight. Lucian paused, turning to her one last time.
"I'll come again," he said.
"I know," she whispered.
As he walked away, her heart followed every step.
***********
Lucian's POV
The forest welcomed him like an old friend. The moonlight spilled through the trees, silvering his path as he made his way toward the pack lands. His thoughts were heavy — his mother's death, Caius's betrayal, the child that now carried his caius blood.
But there was peace too, a calm he hadn't felt in moons. Selene's touch still lingered on his skin, her scent still clinging to his senses.
When he reached Moonfang, dawn was breaking. The warriors on guard froze, eyes wide, before dropping to their knees.
"The Alpha has returned."
The words rippled through the air like wildfire.
Lucian entered the pack house quietly. Inside, his sister, the Gamma and several loyal warriors who were locked up inside the dungeon, were out. Darius was there, his eyes lighting up with relief.
"Brother!" Lyra said, running to hug him, "Thanks for staying alive and coming back."
Lucian nodded and hugged her back. "The traitor is gone. I'll address the pack at dawn."
Lyra hesitated. "What of the others? The ones who stood with Caius?"
Lucian's gaze darkened. "Let the dead rest. Mother already saw to their punishment before she fell."
By morning, word had spread through the pack like thunder rolling over hills — their true Alpha had returned.
Families emerged from their homes, tears in their eyes and joy in their hearts. For the first time in many moons, Moonfang howled not in sorrow, but in hope.
And as Lucian stood upon the hill overlooking his people, the wind carried with it a whisper, Selene's whisper soft, soothing, reminding him that even under the curse of blood and betrayal, the moon still remember her children.