But Selene was cunning. She swerved at the last second, throwing herself against a nearby tree with a sickening thud. She crumpled to the ground, and for a brief moment, I stood there, stunned.
Confused of what she did.
A wail echoed through the forest—Selene’s cry of pain. It was loud, deliberate, and designed to reach him.
Lucian.
I felt his presence shift, his rage flare up through the bond they shared. I could almost see it in the way the forest itself seemed to tremble as he felt his mate's distress. My heart sank.
Then Thorne appeared, his eyes darting between me and Selene, confusion and anger battling in his gaze. He felt it too—the tug of his connection to Selene. Even after everything, that bond still tied him to her.
Selene rose slowly, a look of triumph creeping across her face as she turned to them both. Her voice came out weak and trembling, loud enough for everyone to hear. “She attacked me. Freya... she did this.”
“No!” I shouted, stepping forward, my heart pounding. “That’s not what happened! Selene, you threw yourself—”
But it was too late. Lucian’s eyes darkened, his fury blazing as he stared at me, the bond he shared with her clouding his judgment.