Rain pelted the forest like a thousand whispering secrets, the sky cloaked in a funeral shroud of black clouds. The sharp scent of ozone lingered in the air, a prelude to the storm that was far more than weather—it was war.
Selena ran. Her bare feet sliced against roots and thorns, each step a rebellion against the darkness that chased her. She didn't know where she was going—only that she had to get away. From the blood. From the bond. From him.
From Dante.
But fate is not so easily escaped.
He emerged from the mist like a predator born of shadow, his black coat billowing behind him like wings. Lightning cast his sharp features in silver, his eyes glowing with the fury of a thousand lifetimes.
"You can't run from me," Dante said, voice deep and calm—too calm.
Selena backed away. "You lied to me. Again."
"I kept you alive."
"You kept me prisoner!" she screamed.
"You think the Council will let you go free now?" he snapped, stepping forward. "You think they'll cradle you in kindness because you're my mate?"
"I'd rather face them than lose myself in you."
The words hit him harder than any blade. For the first time, Dante flinched.
Selena took the chance and bolted.
She didn't get far.
With speed that defied nature, he was in front of her again. This time, he didn't touch her. He just looked at her—really looked.
"You hate me," he said softly.
"I don't know what I feel," she admitted.
"You think I chose this?" he whispered, stepping closer. "Do you think I wanted to be cursed? To be a monster?"
Selena's breath hitched. For a moment, the mask slipped. She saw the agony behind the beast. The centuries of blood, betrayal, and loneliness.
"Then let me go," she said gently.
"I can't."
"Why?"
He looked at her like she was the last light in a collapsing world. "Because if I lose you, I lose what little humanity I have left."
A branch snapped.
Too late.
They were surrounded.
Figures cloaked in obsidian, eyes glowing with ancient runes. The Council.
"Step away from her, Valerio," a cold voice commanded.
Selena turned to see the speaker—a tall woman with white hair and silver blades for fingers. "She belongs to us now."
Dante stepped in front of Selena. "You'll have to kill me first."
"That can be arranged," the woman said.
Magic crackled in the air.
Selena's heartbeat roared in her ears. She didn't understand what was happening—what she was.
But she felt it.
The surge.
The fire.
It started in her chest and spread like wildfire, igniting every vein with ancient power.
The Councilwoman's eyes widened. "Impossible…"
Selena stepped forward, power pulsing around her like a halo of flame. "I don't belong to you. Or him."
"Selena—" Dante warned.
But it was too late.
She raised her hands—and the forest exploded.
Fire. Light. Wind. Power.
When the world settled, the Council was gone—scattered by the force of Selena's awakening.
She collapsed, heart pounding.
Dante caught her, cradling her to his chest.
"You're not just my mate," he whispered in awe. "You're something more."
Selena opened her eyes, dazed. "What did I do?"
"You just declared war."
They returned to the estate, silence heavy between them.
That night, Dante stood watch by her bed, his sword resting against the wall, his hand always close to hers.
Selena dreamt of blood. Of fire. Of wings.
And of Dante—both monster and man.
But she didn't wake in fear.
She woke with purpose.
A prophecy was rising.
And she was the flame that would either save them all—or reduce the world to ash.