Alpha Dark Different

Selene's POV

Chapter One: Shadows of the Past

The moon was full, casting its light over the woods like a glowing blanket. I ran through the underbrush, my feet barely touching the ground, my heart racing in my chest. Behind me, the growls of wolves echoed, each one closer, more menacing. I could feel them-closing in, hunting, seeking me.

"Selene, keep running!" My mother's voice reached me from far away, urgent, filled with fear. Her warning was almost drowned out by the sharp sounds of claws and fangs against flesh.

I didn't dare look back. I couldn't.

The trees whipped past me like blurs of green and brown. I focused on my steps, on staying one step ahead of the monsters chasing me, but they were too close. I could hear the snap of branches as they closed in, and the fear gnawed at my insides.

I stumbled, falling to my knees in the soft moss beneath me. My breath came in ragged gasps. My father-Alaric-stood in front of me, a towering figure of strength. But even his power couldn't stop the attack. He fought the rogues with everything he had, his claws flashing in the moonlight as his teeth sank into their flesh.

"Selene, run!" My mother, Elara, cried out, her eyes wide with terror.

But I didn't want to run. I wanted to stay and fight. To protect them, like they always protected me.

"Run, Selene!" she shouted again, and for the first time, I saw fear in her eyes.

I turned toward her just as one of the rogues lunged at her. The world slowed, but there was nothing I could do. Nothing anyone could do. The rogue's claws sunk deep into her side, and my mother screamed-her blood staining the earth beneath her.

"No!" I cried out, my voice strangled.

But before I could move, my father's voice echoed through the clearing. "Get out of here! Go now!"

I froze, my feet unwilling to obey. My heart shattered as I watched him fall, his body weakening under the onslaught.

And then everything went dark.

---

I woke with a start, gasping for air, my body drenched in sweat. My pulse was racing, but the nightmare had vanished-just a dream, I told myself.

But it wasn't just a dream. It was more than that. It was a memory, a memory I couldn't escape.

The mark on my wrist-my mother's mark-burned under my skin, a constant reminder of the night my world shattered. The night the rogues killed my parents. The night my life had changed forever.

"Selene!"

Helena's sharp voice cut through my thoughts like a blade. "Get up, you lazy girl. Are you planning on sleeping all day?"

I rubbed my eyes, forcing myself to push the nightmare away. "I'm coming," I muttered, though I knew she couldn't care less.

---

The kitchen was cold and silent as I stepped inside. Helena was already at the counter, the harsh clink of utensils against the countertop echoing through the room. She wasn't looking at me, but I could feel her gaze, sharp and calculating, as she prepared breakfast.

Marcus sat at the table, his usual distant expression on his face. His eyes didn't meet mine, his gaze focused on his coffee cup like the rest of the world didn't exist.

Cassandra was sitting in her usual spot, phone in hand, scrolling through it like she had a million important things to do. Her smile was smug, but there was an air of indifference about her.

"Finally," Helena muttered, turning her sharp eyes on me. "Do you know what time it is? Get to work."