Chapter 5 CHAPTER
Selene's Point of View
"You won't last another night if you keep discounting my advice."
The sound of Mathias voice cut through the still night air like a blade. I didn’t look at him, though. Instead, I stared straight ahead into the dark woods, letting the firelight flicker across my face, casting strange, ghostly shadows on my skin.
The words didn’t land softly. They were a punch in the gut, but he wasn’t wrong.
I could feel every inch of my body screaming in pain. The bandage wrapped around my side was too tight, pressing into the wound where I’d been slashed earlier, but I didn’t want to give in. I wouldn’t. Not now, not ever. I was already weak enough, and I wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction of showing how badly this was eating at me.
My voice was rough and tight. "I didn’t ask for your opinion here."
"No," he answered, his voice dry, but there was something else beneath it, something I couldn’t quite place. "But you really need it. You’re not in any condition to keep pushing yourself like that."
I could feel the heat from the fire on my face, but it didn’t warm me. Not inside. My legs were shaky beneath me, but I forced them to stay strong. The last thing I wanted was to show weakness in front of him.
"I held my own," I shot back, though I couldn’t entirely convince myself. Every step, every breath, every movement sent sharp bursts of pain through me, and I could feel the blood oozing through the bandages. My side burned like it was on fire. "I did fine."
Mathias sighed, the sound more like a growl than anything. He didn’t even look at me when he stood, throwing his dagger to the side with a fluid motion, almost like he was used to it. "This isn’t about proving how strong you are. It’s about survival, and you’re not going to survive if you keep acting like this."
I wanted to snap back, but his words hit too close to home. He wasn’t wrong. I knew it, even if I hated admitting it. Every fiber of my being ached, and it wasn’t just the physical pain. The rejection still hung over me like a dark cloud I couldn’t shake, and it was only getting heavier with every passing hour.
"Why do you care?" I muttered, forcing the words out through gritted teeth. I wanted to push him away, but something about the way he said it… it stung. It made me feel small and vulnerable. And I couldn’t afford that.
"Because you’ll bleed out next time a rogue decides to make a meal out of you." His voice was steady, unbothered by my attempt to brush it off. "If you don’t learn to take care of yourself, this whole survival thing isn’t going to last long."
I bit down on my lip to keep from saying something I’d regret. But his words felt too much like a truth I didn’t want to hear.
I turned my head away from him, trying to focus on the flickering flames in front of me. The smoke stung my eyes, but I didn’t care. "I’m fine."
Mathias didn’t buy it. He moved in front of me, grabbing my arm gently but firmly, pulling me toward him. "Come here," he said, his voice soft but insistent.
I hesitated, but my body was screaming at me to listen. Every part of me ached, and I didn’t have the strength to fight him off anymore.
"What are you going to do?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. "Fix me?"
"Exactly," he said. "You’re not going to make it like this, Selene."
I didn’t argue. I couldn’t. So I let him undo the makeshift bandage, the cool night air hitting the wound with a sting that almost made me gasp. He worked quickly but carefully, cleaning it and dressing it with fresh cloth, his hands steady despite the tension in the air.
I watched him, feeling something stir inside me, something warm that made me hate how vulnerable I was.
"You’ve done this before," I said, the words slipping out before I could stop them.
"Too many times," he answered, his voice suddenly distant. For a moment, I saw something flicker in his eyes. Something that made my heart skip a beat. But it was gone in a second, replaced by the usual coldness.
"You live like this?" I asked before I could stop myself, hating the curiosity that was making its way into my voice. "Always running, fighting… surviving?"
Mathias didn’t respond right away. He finished the bandage and moved back, sitting on the ground beside me. His eyes were fixed on the fire, and for a second, I wondered if he was avoiding my question.
"Rogues don’t get to live any other way," he finally said, his voice hard, unfeeling.
"But you’re not like them," I replied, surprised at how firm my voice sounded. "You’re not like the others."
He looked at me then, his lips curving slightly upward. "Different? Because I saved your life?" he said, his tone dripping with irony. "Never confuse need with compassion, Selene."
I recoiled, not wanting to hear that, but it stung more than I cared to admit. I was still struggling with the rejection, with the way Sebastian had just cast me aside like I meant nothing. And now this? I didn’t need his pity. I didn’t need anyone’s pity.
"You didn’t need to help me," I said, forcing the words out between clenched teeth. "Maybe I would’ve been better off without your help."
"Maybe," he replied, his eyes darkening as he stood. "But I didn’t let you die, did I?"
I didn’t know what to say to that. I couldn’t. His words hung in the air, heavy and suffocating. I wanted to scream at him, tell him I didn’t need him, that I didn’t need anyone. But I just bit down on my anger and kept quiet.
Mathias taught me how to track, how to set traps, and how to move through the wilderness without leaving a trail. His voice was calm and patient, but there was always that edge, that simmering frustration just beneath the surface. I could tell he was struggling with something, but he never let it show.
"You’re not bad at this," he said begrudgingly after I set a snare.
I couldn’t resist. "High praise coming from you."
He didn’t smile. "Don’t get too cocky. You still have plenty to learn."
We kept moving, staying silent as the hours stretched on. The forest was dark and cold, but I didn’t mind. The longer we walked, the further I put the past behind me. Or at least, that’s what I told myself.
I wanted to forget everything. Forget the rejection. Forget the pain. Forget the way Sebastian had thrown me away.
But it wasn’t that easy.
"You think those rogues we fought are dangerous?" Mathias voice broke through my thoughts, his tone darkening. "They’re nothing compared to what’s out here."
I looked at him, confused. "What are you talking about?"
Before he could answer, a low growl echoed through the trees. Mathias body stiffened, and he quickly reached for the dagger he’d thrown aside earlier.
"Stay behind me," he ordered, his voice low and commanding.
I stepped back, my wolf stirring inside me, ready to fight, but my body was still weak, tired from the day’s events. I wasn’t sure if I could handle another fight.
The growl grew louder, and out of the shadows, two pairs of glowing eyes emerged. My heart pounded in my chest, but I didn’t move. I stayed frozen, waiting for Mathias next move.
The wolf that emerged from the darkness wasn’t a renegade, though. It was a scout. A member of the Twilight Claw Pack.
I couldn’t breathe.
"Zaia," the scout called out softly, his voice trembling with relief.
The recognition hit me like a blow to the chest. It was someone from home. The pack I’d left behind. The place I’d been cast out from.
But what was he doing here? Why was he looking for me?
The scout turned to Mathias, and the tension in the air grew thick. "What’s he doing here?" the scout asked, his eyes narrowing. "Who is he?"
I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t think.
Mathias stepped forward, his body tense, his posture defensive. "I could ask you the same thing. What does your Alpha want with her?"
The scout looked at Mathias with disdain. "That’s none of your concern, renegade."
Mathias didn’t move. "Not until you tell me why you’re here."
The scout hesitated, but then his eyes softened when he looked back at me. "Zaia, the Alpha… he made a mistake," he said softly. "He wants you to come home."
I froze. Home? The word cut through me like a blade.
"No," I said, my voice shaky. "I’m not going back."
The scout’s eyes widened. "You don’t understand," he said. "He wants to make things right. He—"
I didn’t let him finish. "He chose her over me," I snapped, the words spilling out before I could stop them. "He doesn’t get to want me back now."
The scout looked helpless, his eyes pleading with me. "Zaia, please. Out here, you don’t belong."
I couldn’t hear it anymore. I turned to Mathias , my eyes wild with anger. "Don’t let them take me back," I whispered.
Mathias didn’t hesitate. "She’s not going back," he said firmly, stepping between me and the scout.
The scout’s eyes darkened, and the air between us crackled with tension.
Then, out of nowhere, a howl rang through the air. A deep, terrifying howl. And it wasn’t a pack howl. It wasn’t a renegade howl either.
Something else was out there. Something much worse.
I turned toward the sound, my heart racing.
"What the hell is that?" I breathed, my voice barely a whisper.
Mathias face turned grim. "Whatever it is, it can wait," he said urgently. "We’ve got bigger problems now."
I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t think.
And then, the howl came again, louder, closer.
What was out there? And why was it coming for us?