Chapter 5 The Forbidden Gaze

The next dawn came heavy with fog, curling low through the valley as if the earth itself wished to hide what had happened by the lake.

Aiden hadn’t slept. The image of Selena—her silver hair, her trembling voice, the sorrow behind her eyes—haunted him with every blink. He could still feel the invisible thread between them humming under his skin.

Forget me, she’d said.

But how could he, when every heartbeat whispered her name?

The packyard buzzed with the restless energy of morning drills. Warriors trained under the eye of their commanders, their growls and the clang of weapons echoing across the grounds.

Aiden kept his head low as he scrubbed down the training hall floors. His demotion meant he’d lost not just his rank, but his dignity. Every passing wolf tossed a sneer or muttered insult his way.

“Careful, Omega,” one snickered. “Wouldn’t want the Luna to see you drooling again.”

The words made his pulse stumble. He hadn’t told anyone what had happened—but rumors had their own scent in this pack.

He forced himself to stay quiet, scrubbing harder, letting the sting of humiliation fade into the rhythm of his work. Yet part of him—stubborn, reckless—lifted his head, eyes flicking across the courtyard where the high-ranking members gathered.

And then he saw her.

Selena stood at the center of the crowd, flanked by guards, her silver cloak glinting even in the weak daylight. She was every inch the Luna—composed, untouchable, her face a mask of calm authority.

But Aiden’s world tilted all the same.

His breath hitched as their eyes met.

For one fragile second, the noise around him vanished. The connection roared to life—burning, undeniable. His wolf surged against his control, tail lashing in instinctive submission to her dominance.

Selena’s gaze lingered on him longer than it should have.

There was a flicker—so brief it might have been imagination—of recognition, curiosity, something soft breaking through the frost that usually cloaked her.

Then, just as quickly, she turned away, addressing the others with clipped grace.

Still, Aiden couldn’t tear his gaze from her.

Every movement she made felt magnetic—the way her hair caught the breeze, the faint crease in her brow when she gave an order. She looked every bit the leader, but beneath that perfection, he saw something no one else did.

Loneliness.

A hollowness behind her strength that matched his own.

He didn’t realize he was staring until a voice snapped through the air.

“Eyes down, Omega!”

Damian’s growl cut like a blade.

The Alpha heir stood at the far end of the courtyard, arms crossed, eyes glowing faint red. The attention of half the pack turned toward Aiden, eager for another spectacle.

Selena’s posture stiffened. “Enough, Damian,” she said smoothly. “He’s only performing his duties.”

“Then he should remember them,” Damian replied, voice soft but dangerous. He took a step closer to Aiden, towering above him. “Unless you’re looking for another punishment?”

Aiden bowed his head quickly, heat rising in his chest. “No, Alpha.”

Damian smirked. “Good.” He leaned close enough for Aiden alone to hear. “Keep looking at what’s mine, and I’ll tear your eyes out myself.”

The words burned, but Aiden didn’t move. He couldn’t—not when he felt Selena’s gaze flick back toward them, sharp and unreadable.

Her voice came again, quieter this time. “That’s enough, Damian.”

Their eyes locked—hers commanding, his defiant. The air between them sizzled with tension that had nothing to do with Aiden.

Finally, Damian stepped back, his smirk fading into something colder. “As you wish, my Luna.”

He turned and strode off, the crowd parting around him.

Selena exhaled softly and looked toward Aiden again. He dropped his gaze immediately, pretending to focus on his work, though his hands trembled.

When she spoke next, her tone was softer, almost hesitant. “Omega.”

He froze. “Yes, Luna?”

“Come to the north garden after dusk,” she said quietly, not meeting his eyes this time. “Alone.”

Then she turned and left, leaving only the echo of her voice hanging in the mist.

Dusk fell fast that evening, shadows stretching long across the cobblestone paths. The northern gardens were forbidden to most of the pack, said to be a sanctuary reserved for the Luna herself—a place of moonflowers and silence.

Aiden slipped through the hedges, his pulse thundering in his ears. The garden was alive with pale light; every petal seemed to glow.

And there she was again, waiting.

Selena stood by the fountain, her cloak removed, her hair loose around her shoulders. She looked less like a ruler and more like a woman—still breathtaking, but achingly human.

“I shouldn’t have asked you here,” she began, voice low. “If Damian knew…”

Aiden swallowed hard. “Then why did you?”

Her eyes met his, and he saw the conflict warring behind them. “Because you shouldn’t exist.”

He blinked. “What?”

“The mark you bear,” she said, stepping closer. “It’s the Moon’s crest—one that hasn’t appeared in centuries. No Omega should carry it.”

Aiden stared at the faint silver glow still etched into his wrist. “It appeared after I saw you.”

Her lips parted slightly. “Then the Moon has cursed us both.”

The words sent a shiver through him. “You feel it too, don’t you?”

Selena’s silence was answer enough. Her gaze dropped for a heartbeat before hardening again. “Whatever this is, it must end here. Damian suspects already, and if he confirms the bond…”

“He’ll kill me,” Aiden finished quietly.

She nodded once. “And he’ll burn the forest to make sure it never happens again.”

For a moment, neither spoke. The night air hummed with tension, thick with the scent of flowers and something more primal—the bond pulling them closer with every breath.

Selena took a step forward. “You must stay away from me, Aiden.”

He shook his head, voice breaking. “I can’t. The Moon chose—”

“I am the Moon’s choice,” she cut in sharply, eyes blazing. “And I will not let fate destroy another pack.”

Aiden’s chest tightened. He wanted to argue, to tell her that the bond didn’t feel like destruction—it felt like truth. But the fear in her eyes stopped him.

“Go,” she whispered, turning away. “Before someone sees.”

He hesitated, his heart shattering with every word he didn’t say.

But then a new sound reached them—the crunch of boots on gravel, slow and deliberate.

Selena froze.

Aiden turned toward the garden gate.

Damian stood there in the shadows, his expression unreadable, a faint smile curving his lips.

“Well,” he said softly. “Isn’t this interesting?”