Blood Moon Covenant

The forest was still, the faint hum of the altar's magic lingering in the air as Selene paced in agitation. The ghostly figure's words echoed in her mind. The covenant was a lie. Blood and betrayal. It made no sense, yet she couldn't shake the feeling that the spirit's warning was more than just an ominous riddle.

Lucian stood a few paces away, leaning casually against a tree as if he hadn't just witnessed the impossible. His arms were crossed over his chest, and his piercing eyes followed Selene's every move.

"Pacing won't help," he said finally, his voice laced with irritation.

Selene spun to face him, her claws still extended. "And you standing there like you've got it all figured out is helping?"

Lucian raised an eyebrow, unperturbed by her outburst. "I'm just saying, screaming at the moon won't solve anything. If you're done growling, we need to think."

Selene took a deep breath, willing herself to calm down. She hated that he was right. She hated him even more for pointing it out.

"Fine," she said through gritted teeth. "Let's think. What do you make of that... thing? The spirit?"

Lucian tilted his head, his gaze contemplative. "It said the covenant was a lie. That doesn't bode well for either of us."

"No kidding," Selene snapped. "But what does it mean? The covenant has kept our kinds from tearing each other apart for centuries. Why would it be a lie?"

Lucian shrugged, his nonchalance infuriating. "Maybe it wasn't meant to protect us. Maybe it was meant to control us."

Selene frowned, the idea unsettling. "Control us? By who?"

"That's the question, isn't it?" Lucian pushed off the tree and took a step closer to her, his voice lowering. "You heard what it said. Blood and betrayal. The answer lies in the past. The question is, are you willing to dig it up?"

Selene's instincts screamed at her to refuse, to stay far away from this vampire and whatever secrets the blood moon was hiding. But she wasn't just a lone wolf anymore. She was Alpha, and her pack depended on her.

"What choice do I have?" she said finally.

Lucian's lips curved into a faint smile. "Good. Then it seems we'll be working together."

---

A Dangerous Alliance

They set out at dawn, the blood moon still faintly visible in the pale morning sky. Selene had insisted on leaving immediately, not wanting to waste any more time. To her surprise, Lucian agreed without argument.

Their destination was neutral territory, a stretch of wilderness untouched by werewolf or vampire influence. According to Lucian, an old monastery lay hidden there, a place rumored to hold ancient records predating the covenant itself.

As they walked, the silence between them was heavy. Selene kept her eyes on the path, her senses attuned to any sign of danger. Lucian, on the other hand, seemed completely at ease, his strides unhurried, his gaze occasionally flicking toward her.

"You're awfully quiet," he said after a while.

Selene shot him a glare. "What do you want me to say? That I trust you? Because I don't."

Lucian chuckled softly. "Trust is overrated."

"Easy for you to say," Selene muttered.

Lucian's tone grew serious. "For what it's worth, I don't trust you either. But we have a common goal, and that's enough for now."

Selene didn't respond. She didn't like him, but she couldn't deny the truth in his words.

---

Ambushed in the Shadows

As the sun dipped below the horizon, they entered a dense part of the forest where the trees grew so close together that only slivers of moonlight filtered through. The air was thick with the scent of moss and decay, and Selene's nerves were on edge.

"We should stop for the night," Lucian suggested.

"No," Selene said quickly. "We're not safe here."

Lucian frowned. "Safer than traveling blind in the dark. Or do wolves see better than vampires?"

Selene ignored the jab, her ears twitching as a faint rustling reached her. "Quiet," she hissed.

Lucian fell silent, his sharp gaze scanning the darkness.

The attack came suddenly. Shadows erupted from the underbrush, snarling and clawing. Selene barely had time to react as a massive creature lunged at her, its teeth snapping inches from her throat. She rolled to the side, her claws flashing as she struck back.

The creature—a grotesque hybrid of wolf and vampire—howled in rage, its red eyes glowing in the dim light.

"What the hell is that?" Selene shouted, dodging another swipe.

"Something that shouldn't exist," Lucian replied grimly, driving his blade into the chest of another hybrid.

The battle was fierce, the hybrids relentless. Selene and Lucian fought back-to-back, their movements synchronized despite their lack of trust.

As the last hybrid fell, Selene leaned against a tree, her chest heaving. "What... were those things?"

"Experiments," Lucian said, his voice cold. "I've heard rumors of rogue vampires trying to create hybrids, but I didn't think they'd succeed."

Selene shuddered, the image of the twisted creatures burned into her mind. "Why would anyone do that?"

"Power," Lucian said simply.

Selene clenched her fists. "This just keeps getting better."

---

A Fragile Truce

They made camp in a small clearing, too exhausted to continue. Lucian built a fire while Selene kept watch, her claws still extended.

"You don't have to glare at me all night," Lucian said, glancing up from the flames.

"Force of habit," Selene replied.

Lucian smirked. "Fair enough. But if I wanted you dead, I wouldn't have saved you back there."

Selene narrowed her eyes. "And if I wanted you dead, I wouldn't have let you walk away from the altar."

Lucian chuckled. "Touché."

Despite herself, Selene felt a flicker of amusement. It was fleeting, but it was there.

As the fire crackled between them, a tentative silence settled. For the first time, Selene allowed herself to wonder if Lucian might be more than the arrogant prince she'd assumed him to be.

But the blood moon was still watching, and she knew better than to let her guard down.