*Selene's POV* Something wasn't right. I could tell Something had gone horribly wrong by the way he looked at me tonight,by the way everyone looked at me tonight. My eyes grazed over the attendants of tonight's claiming ceremony,brushing over the entitled faces of the packs elite,trying to discern their gazes. It didn't help. I steadied my breath and try not to fidget,I only did that when I was nervous,and I refuse to allow this little inconvenience to make me nervous. I was here to by Luna,that's all that mattered. “Selene Fortlyn."Alpha Ares said,his tone commanding the attention of everyone in the room. I glanced up at him as he made his way down the stairs. “Alpha Ares.”I replied confidently as I bowed gracefully before him.Confidence wasn't something I had always had always displayed so boldly,but there was something about watching my mate before me that gave me the audacity. The lingering noise of gentle whispers was sucked dry out of the room,gently replaced by the m
[Four Years later] *Ares POV* “Did you watch her last night?”I heard my sister ask as she sits beside me. I had. I watch Selene's interviews religiously,I don't know what would have kept me sane if she hadn't become a movie star. “No.”I lie without remorse,chewing hard on my food as if it was the cause of my problems.I dread these types of questions. “Why not?”she asked knowingly. Part of Me knows she knows I watch Selene,but I rather choke on my meal right this instant than to actually admit it out loud. “Any way,”Athena continued,cutting herself some lemon cake. “She said she has no intention of being Luna,and her visit is strictly professional.” “I'm not looking for yet another wife.”I say immediately. “I know.”she chuckles,picking strategically through the bowl of fruits for the most perfect pieces of strawberries. “I just want you to keep it in the back of your mind that if you choose to chase her,you will be crawling on Your hands and knees…and she would still
*Selene's POV* Greta walked in noisily and opened the curtains as wide as it could go,letting the eager sunlight inside the room. I groan and rub my eyes open. Sometimes, I wonder if she actually does it to try to blind me with so much light. “Wake up.”Greta says as if the light won't have been enough to wake up the dead. She marches to the foot of the bed and throws a bright red magazine at my feet. I could recognise The Timeless magazine cover anywhere,any time. “What's the news today?”I yawn,sitting up. “I rather you read it.Its interesting.”Greta replies monotonously. “Page twenty-six.” I hesitantly reached for the livret and flipped to it. My eyes almost widened at the picture of me plastered beside him. Almost. I was used to this by now.They did it when he was getting married,they did it when we were in Italy at the same time, and they did it when Noelle was rumoured to be pregnant…. The only shocker was that even Timeless,a magazine I once adored for speaking
*Selene's POV* The atmosphere of the Blossom Ball just as it had been advertised on the invitation—elite and extravagant. This was one of those events that tend to redefine the meaning of wealth.It had a very strict standard for eligibility to buy the ticket,new money couldn't get you in,you couldn't have a scandal to your name and you had to have good ties with the Royal family. I was everything they didn't want,and yet I got four VIP tickets,how hypocritical. I tucked my head out the car’s window and took a big sniff of the flower scented air. This palace has been reported to have a century old garden with the rarest and most precious of flowers. Of course, I thought it was all another assumption by the press since journalists were not allowed near the property, but the air itself was a testimony to this claim. “Miss Fortlyn.”an usher greets me as the limo comes to a smooth halt.”Welcome to the Blossom Ball.” “Foxx.”I corrected as he opened the car door. “It's Miss Foxx
*Ares's POV* Elais gets up from his seat the moment I enter the room. “We have done the research on him.”he begins with an unusual coolness. “He is into real estates and hotels.He has already bought land in the territory for construction.He is from Ravenclaw pack but his family relocated to England years ago.I doubt he is the spy.” I stare at my beta blankly,he wasn't giving me anything I can use to pin on this man and drive him out of my territory. “Did you find anything incriminating?”I oblige despite my countless requests that he did it earlier. He hands me the file and shakes his head. “No.” I frowned,Elais could find out if you cheated on your fifth grade test if he wanted to. No one is perfect,if he had searched,he would have found something. “Did you look for anything incriminating?”I asked calmly. Elais rubbed his hand on his jaw. “No.” Be calm,I tell myself.You already snapped once tonight.“Why not?” His eyes searched around the room for listeners and found n
*Yolanda's (Selene's stepmother) POV* “That's it Selene has returned!”the reporter exclaimed. I switched the channel. “And in other news.”the blonde began with a bright smile. “The Selene Foxx has just marked this town as her playground with tonight's latest activities–” I switched the channel again.This time it was my favourite show;‘The Analysts’,sitting in a circle discussing the exact same thing the other channels were discussing. I swallow hard and try to give it a chance.Maybe they were seeing it as the catastrophy that it was that she returned.Or perhaps they cared that she had completely stolen the entire point of the Blossom Ball and made it about her. Oh but I was wrong. I was so wrong. “I think Ironclaw should feel particularly blessed that they got to witness this phenomenal women right at their ball.”On of the TV hosts said as he admired the picture of her on the screen.“And they say she is staying for six whole months?” “She is indeed. She
*Selene POV* I reached for a bath bomb and threw it in the tub.I dissolved into bubbles and filled the water with a red tint. I took a sip from the champagne glass and placed cucumber slices on my eyelids. I could barely sleep last night,let's reiterate that : I couldn't sleep last night.My eyes were stuck on my ceiling,face frowned and mind in disarray watching the fan slowly turn the controls in my head. Blue. It was such a beautiful shade too,I had forgotten–or at least tried to forget what his eyes felt like. It slid into my blood,defrosting me from the inside. I had grown into the habit of calculating everything precisely before I went to bed.It helped me concentrate and gain clarity.It used to be just a hobby,but last night,it suddenly felt like a need. I then began to replay his actions from the night before,the arrest,his smirks,his distracting gaze,the disappointment etched in his features…it was like I was watching a movie,scene by scene…each piece more puzzling
*Ares's POV* The moment the door cracked open, her scent hit me like a punch to the gut. A wave of something—memories, anger, desire—crashed over me all at once. She was standing there in nothing but a silk robe, her hair wrapped up in a towel, eyes flashing with the kind of fire that had swore drawn me in and destroyed me all at once. I cleared my throat as I took a step further. Seeing her again felt like reopening an old wound, one that never healed properly, festering beneath the surface. Yet, I’d sought her out, walked straight into this room, knowing it would happen. I’d prepared myself for it—at least, I thought I had. “Well,well… what a pleasant surprise.The Alpha himself in my hotel room.”she said,her voice in a deadly calm,her hands sitting in a fold under her breasts.“Quite a scandal,don't you think?” I didn’t answer immediately. I let my eyes roam in the room she stayed in, taking it in. Every piece of furniture stood in effortless elegance as they blended into ea
*Noelle's POV* The knife cut through the onion slice and another strand of tear streamed from my eye. My focus shifts to the boiling pot and smiles sadly.Even with very little practice,I love cooking and thus I've always wanted to cool for someone–that someone being Ares. But that had been a far fetched dream then yunno,I always knew that that was too big of a dream and I may never realize it,that way my happiness lied there-out of my reach,unattainable but at the soothing of some sort,it gave me something to fight for. And now I was in his house,doing exactly what I had dreamed of all this while,I had made it..I should be ecstatic right? No. I felt the opposite. I felt sad,frustrated and lost. Lost in the sense that I no longer understood myself,and it didn't even have to do with my pregnancy,I genuinely can't even understand what's wrong with me ever since Elais and I slept together,the guilt was eating me up but one question remained. Do I even love Elais? The doorbell r
*Selene's POV* I stared at the board blankly,I should be analysing the data on it to plan my next move, but instead, my mind is on the court case. Ares did everything to avoid specifying that we were together during the time of the murder,on one hand it could be him trying to protect me and on the other it could be him just being selfish and trying to protect his image now that he doesn't want me anymore. A sting reached my heart and spread like wildfire,my head began to feel heavy,when I was done with all this revenge was over with,what on earth will I do? My reputation is hanging by a fragile thread,my relationships with my partners are now severed,even Saint Locke doesn't talk to me anymore…and now Ares,not that I miss him, it just felt like I was losing so much of my life to this revenge–would it all be worth it? I replayed my last encounter with Yolanda and shut my eyes tight,that lying witch needed to pay,no matter what it costs,even if it was my happiness. “Have
*Yolanda's POV* “Crushed,bay leaf,turmeric and–” I squinted,what on earth did Victor write here? How am I supposed to complete the potion now without the name of the ingredients? I slapped the piece of paper on the table and frowned. With Selene now in full anger grating at my back,it is getting crystal clear that Im getting into a deeper hole than I had estimated,the assurance of an antidote to any poison spell was the only thing able to give me a good night's sleep,though I doubt she would want to kill me by poison,It's better to be safe. If only Victor had fixed that terrible handwriting of his so I could actually understand how to make this thing. I grunted and slammed the paper down.It's as though everyone and anyone desperately wants me to die. A knock on the door interrupted me from my mental assault against Victor,the maid walked into the room and glanced at the herbs on my table in part confusion. “Well?” I asked harshly. “Are you going to talk or are you just tryin
*Ares' POV*It's finally the day of the trails and my head is blazing hot. The only thing I'm grateful for is the fact that it is a private hearing but other than that,I hated the day already.The sunlight slicing through the grand windows of the courtroom is too harsh, too bright. It doesn't match the shadows creeping beneath the stone columns or the solemnity of the faces around me. The Council members are seated at their elevated sears, each expression a mixture of judgement, curiosity, and barely veiled contempt. Noelle hasn’t spoken a word since we arrived, which is odd, especially for her. She’s standing slightly behind me, her hands clasped in front of her, fingers fidgeting with the fabric of her coat. Her eyes, flickering nervously between the members of the Council, never quite meet mine. Her uneasiness was beginning to rub off on me and that's the last thing I needed today.“What's wrong with Noelle?”I hush to Elias as he walked to me.His face turned sour and he cleared h
*Noelle’s POV* The cold bit into my skin as I clutched the small package in my hand, trembling from a mixture of nerves and the biting chill of the evening. The maid stood before me, her eyes darting nervously around the dimly lit hallway in the maid's quarters. I couldn't help but feel a surge of anxiety with every glance she made over her shoulder. "Did anyone see you?" I whispered, my voice barely audible as I hid the small package within the folds of my dress, slipping it into my bra. “No,” she said quickly, still shifting on her feet as though someone might appear any second. “I was very careful, you don’t have to worry about it.” "Are you sure?" My heart pounded in my chest, the thrum of it so loud it echoed in my ears. Her constant fidgeting made my nerves spike. “Yes,” she whispered, her gaze finally meeting mine, her large brown eyes betraying something between pity and fear. “I have to go now.” My hand shot out and grabbed her wrist before she could escape, my fin
*Yolanda's POV*"You are late." I sneered, my voice just low enough to avoid turning heads, but sharp enough to cut through the noise of the crowded restaurant. My eyes darted around, scanning the dimly lit place—a dingy old Italian restaurant tucked away in a forgotten alley. The smell of burnt garlic and old wine clung to the air, and the stuffy, close atmosphere made my skin crawl. I hated it here. It reminded me too much of my childhood. A place that reeked of sweat and desperation, where people came to lose themselves or drown their miseries in cheap alcohol.Selene approached slowly, her eyes hidden behind dark sunglasses. She looked out of place, too polished for a dump like this, but she moved with the confidence of someone who didn’t care. She placed her purse on the table and slid into the chair across from me, casually removing her glasses. Her lips curled into a mocking smile as she eyed me."You sound eager," she said in faux concern, her voice silky and cool. "Miss me al
*Selene's POV*I am actually kissing Dominic.I leaned in closer, my lips hovering just above his, fighting to feel something—anything. Maybe it could be lust, desire, or even comfort, but I needed to feel something. His hands slid up to my waist, pulling me in as if I were the only thing grounding him. His lips moved against mine, soft yet desperate, like he was kissing me for the last time. There was a practiced rhythm to the way he responded, as though he’d been imagining this moment just as much as I had.For a second, I let myself be swept away by it. He was a great kisser—just as I had imagined. But my foolish heart had other ideas. Unbidden, thoughts of Ares crept in, reminding me of how raw, wild, and forbidden his kisses felt. It had been electric, uncontrollable. No matter how hard I tried to shut out the memory, it invaded this moment, and the comparison sank deep into my bones. I could feel my heart twist in frustration.I pulled away, almost embarrassed by the betrayal of
*Dominic's POV* “So."Caleb concluded,slapping his notebook shut. “That's all for today.” I glanced at where Selene sat,she had her hair pulled behind her ears as she pensively stared into the void. I stared out the window of my office,hoping to distract myself from the seething anger within me. Just when I thought I was getting somewhere,the son of a bitch appears again and she follows him like a lost puppy. No matter how rationally I try to think,there is nothing innocent about them meeting up in secret. And it's even more intriguing that she didn't care to clear up the air after it,or ask why I left without her. “Any questions?”Caleb asks,noticing both of us are in our own words. I raised my hand mid air. “When this sting is over,will Ares be in jail or just off the throne.” Selene's eyes shot up and froze on me, staring at me as though I had asked the inhuman question known to man. “Well.”Caleb shrugs,choosing to ignore the tension between Selene and I. “I am not sure.”
*Yolanda's POV* “Mom,please !!! stop!”Noelle cried as I desperately pushed my finger in her throat. “What's happening to you!”Noelle screamed as her fingers scratched me, I swear on my own goddamn life,If Selene poisoned my daughter,I would kill her,right here and right now. I felt hot tears stream down my face when it wasn't working–why wasn't she vomiting? How deep did the damn cake go? Was it way too late? I grabbed her throat and started her deep in the eye. “Listen Noelle,”I say breathlessly. “You have to vomit—” I felt hands yank me off her and another line of tears rushed down my cheeks. I wasn't going to lose my daughter,at least not tonight. “She poisoned the cake!”I yelled,trying to free myself from their grasp. “Selene poisoned the cake! I heard her say it!” I looked around the room In hopes they would start accusing Selene but all their eyes were still glued on me,with pity,as if I was crazy. Noelle’s especially,staggering back as she took deep steady breaths