Sleep didn't come easily that night.
Selena lay on the couch in the dimly lit chamber, staring at the ceiling as shadows flickered across it from the dying fire.
The prophecy wouldn't leave her mind.
The chosen Luna…
The mark…
The Blood Moon…
Every word echoed louder the more she tried to ignore it.
Her fingers tightened against the blanket.
"This is ridiculous," she whispered.
But deep down…
Something inside her knew it wasn't.
Her gaze drifted toward the bed.
Empty.
Adrian still hadn't returned.
Selena frowned slightly.
That made two nights in a row.
For someone who insisted on control, he had a strange habit of disappearing.
She pushed herself upright.
"I need air."
The palace was quieter than usual at night.
Even the guards seemed fewer.
Selena moved through the corridors silently, her senses alert.
Her wolf stirred uneasily.
Something about the night felt… wrong.
Not dangerous.
But heavy.
As if the walls themselves held secrets.
She stepped out onto one of the open balconies overlooking the inner courtyard.
Cold air hit her face immediately.
Selena inhaled deeply.
The sky above the vampire kingdom was dark, with only a faint glow of the moon hidden behind clouds.
She rested her hands on the stone railing.
For a moment…
She allowed herself to think about home.
The Moonfang Pack.
The forest.
The scent of pine and earth.
Her chest tightened.
Then—
A voice broke the silence behind her.
"You shouldn't wander alone at night."
Selena didn't turn.
"I'm starting to think you enjoy saying that."
Footsteps approached.
Adrian stepped beside her, leaning lightly against the railing.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
They simply stood there.
Watching the silent kingdom.
Selena finally broke the quiet.
"You disappear a lot."
Adrian didn't look at her.
"I have responsibilities."
"More important than your forced wife?"
His lips curved slightly.
"Much more complicated."
Selena rolled her eyes.
"Of course."
Silence fell again.
But this time, it wasn't comfortable.
There was something heavier between them now.
Something unresolved.
Selena's fingers tightened against the railing.
"Can I ask you something?"
Adrian's voice remained calm.
"You will anyway."
She glanced at him.
"You've lived here your whole life, right?"
"Yes."
"You've been part of the royal family… all your life?"
"Yes."
Selena inhaled slowly.
Her voice became quieter.
More controlled.
"Then you would know about attacks on werewolf packs."
Adrian finally turned his head slightly.
His eyes met hers.
"What kind of attack?"
Selena held his gaze.
"The kind that wipes out an entire pack."
The air between them shifted.
Adrian's expression didn't change.
But something in his eyes darkened.
Selena continued.
"My parents were killed in one."
Silence.
The words hung between them like a blade.
Adrian didn't interrupt.
Selena's voice grew sharper.
"It was years ago."
"A sudden attack."
"Fast."
"Efficient."
"No survivors except me."
Her chest rose and fell slowly.
"I was told vampires did it."
Adrian's jaw tightened slightly.
Selena stepped closer to him.
"Tell me something, Prince…"
"Were you there?"
The question hit hard.
Direct.
Unforgiving.
Adrian didn't answer immediately.
That hesitation—
That single moment—
Was enough.
Selena's eyes flashed silver.
"You were."
Adrian's voice was calm, but lower now.
"No."
Selena scoffed.
"You expect me to believe that?"
Adrian didn't move.
"I was not there."
"Then who was?"
"I don't know."
Selena laughed bitterly.
"Convenient."
Her wolf stirred violently inside her.
Anger rising.
Old pain resurfacing.
"You're the vampire prince."
"You expect me to believe you don't know about an attack that wiped out an entire pack?"
Adrian's gaze hardened slightly.
"There are many factions."
"Not all act under royal command."
Selena shook her head.
"No."
"That's not good enough."
Her voice cracked slightly—but she forced it steady.
"You knew about the prophecy."
"You knew about me."
"What if this was all planned?"
Adrian's expression darkened.
"Careful, Selena."
"No," she snapped.
"I'm done being careful."
She stepped closer.
Her silver eyes burned.
"What if my parents were killed because of this prophecy?"
"What if someone knew what I would become?"
"What if you knew?"
Adrian's voice dropped.
"I did not."
"Prove it."
Silence.
Selena's chest tightened.
"Prove you had nothing to do with their deaths."
Adrian's jaw clenched.
"I don't answer to accusations without evidence."
Selena laughed sharply.
"Of course you don't."
Her voice trembled slightly now.
Not from fear.
From emotion.
"You think I don't see it?"
"Everything lines up too perfectly."
"I get attacked."
"I get captured."
"I get forced into marriage with you—"
"That was not my choice."
Selena froze.
The words hit harder than she expected.
She stared at him.
"What?"
Adrian's voice remained steady.
"The marriage was my father's command."
Selena narrowed her eyes.
"And you just obeyed?"
A flicker of something crossed his expression.
Something she couldn't quite read.
"I had reasons."
Selena shook her head.
"Right."
"Always reasons."
She turned away from him, gripping the railing tightly.
Her emotions were spiraling now.
Confusion.
Anger.
Doubt.
"I should've killed you when I had the chance," she muttered.
Adrian's voice came quietly behind her.
"You tried."
Selena closed her eyes briefly.
That only made it worse.
Because despite everything…
Despite her anger…
She remembered that moment.
And something about it no longer felt as simple as revenge.
She opened her eyes again.
Her voice was quieter now.
But colder.
"If I find out you had anything to do with their deaths…"
She turned her head slightly.
Her silver eyes met his crimson ones.
"I won't hesitate next time."
Adrian held her gaze.
Unflinching.
"I wouldn't expect you to."
Silence.
Heavy.
Unresolved.
Selena turned and walked past him without another word.
Her footsteps echoed down the corridor as she disappeared into the palace.
Adrian remained on the balcony.
Still.
Unmoving.
His gaze lifted toward the dark sky.
For the first time in a long while…
Something weighed heavily on him.
Because Selena's suspicion…
Was not entirely unfounded.
But the truth—
The real truth—
Was far more dangerous than she could imagine.