Ciaran pressed a hand against the tree trunk, his fingers trembling. His pulse hammered like a war drum, and the beast inside him clawed at his sanity, desperate to break free. Not tonight. He growled low in his throat, a guttural sound that echoed in the stillness. He had one chance left, one thread of hope before the curse consumed him entirely.
He caught a faint whiff of lavender and sage on the wind-delicate but distinct. She was close.
Ciaran pushed forward, his steps deliberate despite the unbearable weight of the curse dragging at him. His pack had begged him not to come alone, but this wasn't their fight. This was his. He would face her on his own terms.
He reached the edge of a clearing, and there she was.
Selene Vale stood in the doorway of a small, weathered cabin, her arms crossed and her sharp green eyes narrowing the moment she saw him. She looked nothing like the meek healer he'd imagined. Her dark hair was tied back, leaving her striking features exposed-high cheekbones, a proud tilt to her chin, and a scowl that could cut through steel. She didn't step forward, didn't flinch, but he could feel the tension rolling off her like a thundercloud.
"You've got some nerve," she said coldly, her voice sharp as a blade. "I told your kind to leave me alone."
Ciaran straightened, his towering frame casting a long shadow across the clearing. "I'm not here to negotiate, Selene. I need your help."
Selene let out a bitter laugh, stepping down from the porch with deliberate slowness. "Help? From me? That's rich. The mighty Alpha Winterbane crawling to a lone wolf for scraps. Do you hear how pathetic you sound?"
His jaw tightened. "I don't care what you think of me. This isn't about pride. It's about survival."
She stopped a few paces away, tilting her head as if to study him. Her gaze flicked to the dark veins creeping up his neck, the faint tremor in his hands. "The curse," she said softly, her tone shifting to something almost curious. "It's worse than I thought."
Ciaran clenched his fists. "You knew."
"I've heard the stories," she admitted, crossing her arms again. "The cursed alpha who loses control every full moon, slaughtering anything in his path. Your pack must be so proud."
His teeth bared in a snarl before he could stop himself. "Don't test me."
"Test you?" Selene arched a brow, unbothered by the threat. "You're the one standing in my forest, begging for a cure. Maybe you should learn to beg properly."
Ciaran took a step forward, his voice dropping to a dangerous growl. "You think I came here to play games? I came because I don't have a choice. You're the only one who can stop this."
Selene's lips curled into a smirk. "Oh, I can stop it. But why should I?"
The words hit him like a punch to the gut, but he didn't flinch. He couldn't. "Because if you don't, the beast will win. And when it does, it won't just be me it kills. It'll be everyone. Your precious forest, your quiet little life-it'll all be gone."
Her smile faltered for the briefest moment, but it was enough.
"You think you're the only one who's suffered?" she asked, her voice rising with anger. "You alphas destroy everything you touch. You think your pain is special? I've seen what your kind does to those weaker than you."
"I'm not asking for forgiveness," he snapped. "I'm asking for help. And if you think I'm proud of what I've done-what this curse has made me do-you're wrong."
They stared at each other, the tension crackling like the storm above. Selene's fingers twitched at her sides, and for a moment, Ciaran thought she might walk away. But then she sighed, her shoulders dropping slightly.
"This isn't going to be easy," she said, her voice quieter now. "Curses like this-they're not just broken. They take blood, sacrifice. You might not like what I find."
"I don't care what it takes," he said firmly. "Just tell me what to do."
Selene shook her head, a hint of weariness creeping into her expression. "You're either brave or stupid, Winterbane. Probably both."
She turned back toward the cabin, pausing at the door. "Well? Are you coming in, or do you plan to brood out there all night?"
Ciaran hesitated, the weight of her words sinking in. This was it-his last hope. If Selene couldn't save him, no one could.
He stepped forward, crossing the threshold into the dimly lit cabin. The air inside was thick with the scent of herbs and old magic, and for the first time in a long time, Ciaran felt the faintest flicker of something other than despair.
Hope. Or maybe it was just the beginning of another nightmare.