Eclipse Love

The night air was thick with tension as Selene, Lucian, and Darius moved through the dense forest. Every snap of a twig, every whisper of the wind through the trees made Selene's pulse quicken. She wasn't just running—she was being hunted.

She could feel it in her bones.

Lucian stayed close, his silver eyes scanning the darkness like a predator ready to strike. Darius led the way, his movements precise, controlled.

Selene didn't trust him. Not yet. Maybe not ever. But for now, she needed his knowledge.

The silence between them was heavy, but finally, she broke it.

"This safe house," she said, her voice low. "What is it, exactly?"

Darius didn't look back. "An old outpost. The Order abandoned it years ago, but a few of us kept it operational—just in case."

Lucian's voice was cold. "Just in case you needed a place to hide from your own people?"

Darius smirked. "Something like that."

Selene narrowed her eyes. "And why, exactly, are you helping us?"

Darius sighed. "Because I'm not like the others. I didn't sign up for blind obedience." His jaw tightened. "I know what the Order really is. I've seen what they do to people like you."

Selene's stomach twisted.

People like me.

She still wasn't sure what that even meant anymore.

Lucian stepped closer to her, his presence grounding. "How much farther?"

Darius glanced back. "A few more miles."

Selene groaned. "Great."

They pressed forward, the forest growing thicker around them. The moon hung high above, bathing the world in an eerie silver glow.

Then—

A sharp crack echoed through the trees.

Selene froze.

Lucian was already moving, his dagger drawn, his eyes flashing dangerously.

Darius cursed. "They're here."

Selene's blood went cold.

A shadow shifted in the trees. Then another.

Then another.

A dozen figures emerged from the darkness, clad in the black armor of the Order of the Sun. Their weapons gleamed under the moonlight, their faces obscured by masks.

Selene's heart pounded.

A familiar voice cut through the night.

"Selene."

Her breath caught.

From the center of the group stepped Grandmaster Vale.

Her former mentor. The man who had raised her. The man who had trained her.

The man who had lied to her.

He looked exactly as she remembered—tall, imposing, draped in the gold-lined cloak of his station. But his expression… it wasn't anger.

It was disappointment.

Selene's fingers curled around the hilt of her dagger.

"You're making a mistake," Vale said, his voice calm.

Selene's jaw clenched. "No. You did."

Vale sighed. "Selene, listen to me. The bond you carry—it isn't what you think it is."

Selene's heart pounded. "Then what is it?"

Vale took a slow step forward. "Power." His gaze flicked to Lucian. "You feel it, don't you? The way your strength grows? The way your senses sharpen?"

Selene hesitated.

Because—yes.

Ever since the bond had formed, she had felt… different. Stronger. Faster. More aware.

Vale's voice softened. "We never meant to hurt you, Selene. We only wanted to make you better."

Selene's stomach twisted. "You turned me into a weapon."

Vale nodded. "A perfect one."

Lucian snarled. "She's not your pawn."

Vale barely spared him a glance. "She's more than that. She's the key to everything."

Selene's blood ran cold. "What do you mean?"

Vale's lips curved into a faint smile. "Your bond isn't just an accident. It's the first successful fusion of hunter and vampire. The first of its kind." His eyes gleamed. "And the Order isn't here to kill you, Selene. We're here to take you back."

Selene's pulse spiked.

She took a step back. "No."

Vale's expression darkened. "You don't have a choice."

Lucian stepped in front of her. "The hell she doesn't."

Vale sighed. "I was hoping you'd come willingly." He raised a hand.

The Order hunters moved.

Lucian lunged.

The first hunter barely had time to react before Lucian's dagger found his throat. Blood sprayed, dark against the moonlight.

Darius was a blur of motion, cutting down a second hunter with ruthless efficiency.

Selene didn't hesitate. She moved, her dagger flashing as she met the onslaught.

She had trained with these hunters. She knew their moves. Their weaknesses.

But they knew her too.

A blade slashed toward her. She twisted, barely dodging, but pain flared as steel sliced across her arm.

Lucian roared, his silver eyes burning, his fangs bared. He grabbed the nearest hunter and snapped his neck like a twig.

Darius fought with the precision of a man who had nothing left to lose, cutting through opponents with brutal efficiency.

Selene's breath came in sharp gasps. There were too many of them.

Vale watched from the sidelines, calm, composed.

Waiting.

Selene's grip tightened on her dagger. She had to end this.

She charged.

Vale barely reacted as she lunged, her blade aimed straight for his throat—

But he was faster.

He caught her wrist in a vice-like grip.

Pain exploded through her body as something burned inside her.

She screamed.

Lucian turned, his eyes widening. "Selene—!"

Her body collapsed.

The pain was unbearable, like fire coursing through her veins.

Vale knelt beside her, his expression unreadable. "You feel it, don't you?"

Selene's vision blurred. "W-what…?"

Vale's voice was soft. "The bond isn't just power, Selene. It's a leash."

Selene's body convulsed.

Lucian's roar shattered the air. He lunged—

But Vale vanished into shadows, taking Selene with him.

Lucian's outstretched hand grasped empty air.

His silver eyes blazed with fury.

"NO!"

End of Chapter Thirteen