I rinse out the shampoo, then grab the soap and work up a lather. Starting to clean her carefully, methodically, I move from her back to her arms, washing away the mud and fear. She doesn’t protest anymore, just stands there under the spray, accepting my care.
When I’m done, I turn off the water and wrap her in a towel, then grab one for myself. “Better?” I ask quietly.
She nods, some of the tension finally leaving her shoulders. “Thank you.”
I dry her off carefully, then lead her back into the bedroom. She moves to the window almost immediately, staring out at the dark forest. I let her have that moment while I find clean clothes in her dresser.
“Here.” I hand her a soft nightdress. “Put this on.”
She does, her movements slow and tired. Once she’s dressed, I sit with her on the edge of the bed.
“How long have you been sleepwalking?” I ask quietly.
Her eyes meet mine through strands of damp hair. “I don’t know.”
“Selene—”
“I mean it.” Her voice cracks. “I don’t know. I wake up in my quarters, my shoes dirty, my clothes wet. Sometimes I’m exhausted, as if I’ve been running all night. But I never remember leaving. Never remember where I went.”
My jaw clenches. “The night I found you at the lake—that wasn’t the first time, was it?”
She shakes her head slowly. “I don’t think so.”
Rage burns in my chest, but I force it down. She needs me to be calm right now, not angry.
“Tell me what happened the night you rescued Zane,” I say. “Everything you remember.”
She’s quiet for a long moment, her brow furrowing as she thinks back. “I heard someone calling for help. Followed the sound through the trees.” She pauses. “There was red powder everywhere. And mist. It was glowing faintly, swirling around my ankles.”
I inhale deeply through my nose. “You waded through it?”
“I had to. Zane was dying.” Her voice drops. “The mist was so thick I could barely see. But I could smell the blood, hear him breathing. I just…I had to reach him.”
“Fuck.” The word comes out harsh. My mind racesthrough the implications. “That mist—it’s not normal magic. My wolf can sense it’s wrong. Dangerous.”
“What is it?”
“I don’t know yet.” I stand and move to the bathroom, where I fill a glass with water at the sink. “But it’s obvious you’ve entered that forest more times than you know. That mist is doing something to you, Selene. Controlling you somehow.”
She shivers despite the warmth of the room.
A thought occurs to me, and I stop halfway back to the bed. “Wait. You talked about the mist just now.”
“Yes.”
“When we questioned you about that night, you never mentioned it.” I move closer, studying her expression. “You said there was nothing unusual. Just Zane, injured and alone.”
She’s quiet for a few seconds, thoughtful. “I know.”
“Why didn’t you—”
“Something stopped me.” Her voice is soft, reflective. “When I tried to mention it, I couldn’t. Something made me want to keep quiet.” She pauses, her gaze distant. “To protect him.”
Ice crawls down my spine. “You felt compelled to protect Zane?”
“Yes.” The word is simple yet significant. “It felt…necessary. Like I wasn’t supposed to tell anyone about it.”
“Fuck.” I sit beside her on the bed, my mind racing. “It’s not just controlling where you go. It’s controlling what you say. How you feel.”
