Chapter 28 Curse

• THE VISION of the ancient pleasure witch, her own face twisted into a mask of seductive power and chilling control, slammed into Selene with the force of a physical blow. She reeled back from the altar, gasping, the phantom scent of heady perfumes and enthralled wolf-lust clinging to her senses. Waldemar's arms, strong and immediate, caught her as she stumbled, his grip tight and grounding. His golden eyes, filled with concern, searched hers, radiating a desperate need to understand what had so profoundly shaken her.
• "Selene! What did you see? What happened?" Waldemar’s voice was rough with urgency, his fear a sharp, distinct pang through the Moonbind. His touch, usually a source of contention, was now a lifeline in the swirling chaos of her mind.
• But Selene couldn't articulate the horror, the sickening realization that had just blossomed in her consciousness. The image of the pleasure witch, the insidious charm she wielded, the way she had drained the wolves' vitality even as she offered ecstasy – it was a dark mirror of her own burgeoning power, a terrifying reflection of Waldemar's raw desires. Was this her true nature? Was this what the Moonbind, meant to protect, was actually forcing her to become?