*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 wont 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 reach for the livret and flipped to it. My eyes almost widens at the picture of me plastered besides 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,they did it when Noelle was rumoured to be pregnant…. The only shocker was that even Timeless,a magazine I once adored for speaking only good things about me was now jumping on the trend too. I look up at Greta with dread. “How bad is it?” “It depends on who you ask.”She replies. I don't like how her voice sounds,I have a feeling I won't like the article. I calmly returned my gaze to the words on the paper.My eyes swept over each and every line with a deepening frown.It was the interviews all over again.He is divorced and they are convinced It's because of me. “Great.”I say through gritted teeth. “Now,not only am I the rejected luna,they have somehow painted me as a shameless sidechick who stole the Alpha from his rightful wife.” “I read that article thoroughly"Greta interrupts. “You are the woman he is leaving Noelle for,not sidechick.” “Thats even worse”I complain loudly,pulling myself out of bed. “Its like the media will find any reason to pin me to him.” “And you don't want to be pinned to him.”Greta says in that monotone Of hers that made you feel stupid. I stare long and hard at her before I reply. “Obviously not.” Her eyes narrows and she makes a hmm sound. “What?” “I didn't say anything.” “You didn't need to say anything." "You are making that face that says you don't believe me.” “You know me so well.”she smiles and turns to leave the room. “Breakfast is ready by the way,hurry,the flight is by noon.” I glared at her leaving and glanced back at the magazine,the face of Ares Sinclair stared back at me.Even in photographs his eyes could bore into your soul. Noelle stood proudly beside him too,her white hair flowing down her tanned body as she smiled contently besides him. Why won't she be content? Having a mother like Yolanda to plot your way into success will obviously make any one happy. Then there was me,in between them,my black hair parted to the side while I posed in a black tube dress with a mid thigh split. The picture was from a red carpet event,they chose the exact picture to make me look like a desperate sidechick while Noelle's picture was made to look like the perfect wife. I looked at his face and tried to figure out what his picture was supposed to depict,but I was at loss. He wore a gray suit and a charming smile that would have fooled me if I didnt experience his cruelty first hand.I decided not to look further into details for my own sanity's sake. It has been four years,I am a star,I should be over the incident.In all honesty I thought I was,but I can't seem to get rid of the ill feeling in the pit of my stomach. I sighed and ran my hands through my hair. Six months,I reminded myself. It's just six months. That will be enough to be done shooting the movie,and I will go take a long vacation somewhere. What could go wrong? “Breakfast is ready!”Greta yelled from downstairs. “In a minute!”I drawled,throwing my Robe over my arms and rushing down stairs. *** I stare at myself in the mirror as the stylists do the final touches on my look. “I see you are putting in extra effort into your appearance tonight.”Greta unmistakable voice chimes from the door way. “Don't pretend like I don't always dress like this” I counter,throwing my head over shoulder. “You dressed already?” She was. She was already draped in a radiating shade of royal blue and her short gray hair in a curled bun. “What do you think?”she asks with a smile. “ You look good.”I say,return my head in position so the stylist complete my hair. “Thank you.”she smiles discreetly. “You are pretty excited about the ball,huh?” “Of course.Why will I pass on the opportunity to meet the great Ares Sinclair?”Greta asks. “Plus the Blood Blossom Ball has always been legendary With their celebrations." “Dont get too excited,You aren't going to meet him.” I say with a roll my eyes. “He either never attends these events Or he sits way up and forbids himself from mingling.Why do you think I'm going there? I'm not going to see him.” “But what if you do?” I freeze uneasily.The thought of it never actually crossed my mind,my subconsciousness had avoided it so many times now that I had actually forgotten it was a possibility. I didn't know what I will do,or what I should do. My chest heaved up suddenly,I should have given it much more thought.Then like a horrible blinding flash,a series memories return to mind and I remember very clearly our last interaction. The knot in my stomach loosens and I replace my panic with the scalding hate I bore for him. My thoughts became clear,and I realized,I won't meet him anyway.He was a type to gingerly avoid trouble,with all these rumours flying about,he wouldn't Come near me. Knowing the type of “proper man” he was,he will ignore me for the entirety of my stay. Pretend I never existed. Then that's what I would do too,I would pretend he didn't exist. “I wont do anything”I finally reply with firm resolve. The girls working on my hair finish and inform me that they were done. I lean forward in the mirror to study it,I'm more than satisfaction. “Thank you.”I reply and slowly turn my chair around to meet Greta. “So,”I say confidently as I rise to my feet. “Let's go to the ball.”*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 temd 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,you had to have good ties with the Royal family. I was everything they didnt 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 have 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
*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 is said to b
*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 tonight,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. I
*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 each other.
*Selene's POV* “Pablo darling.”I said sweetly when he picked up the phone. A raspy smoke infested voice came from The end of the line. In between a croak and something that resembled happiness. “Selene,my favourite girl.” “Pablo, my favourite man.”I giggled back to fuel his ego. He was a mob leader who took care of shady business in my name with dreams and hopes that we will one day be in bed together. Poor hopes never came to fruition. “I missed you darling–you don't call me anymore.”He complained. That's because I don't need you anymore,I said internally but feigned sadness instead. “I'm so busy these days mi amor,if I had the time you would have grown bored of Me” I heard a gunshot in the background and frowned. “Are you occupied?”I asked,frowning. “Never too busy for you…”he replied with a laugh. “So when are you going to visit me–” “Soon.”I smiled,opening a notebook on my lap. “But I wanted a little favour from you.” “Hm.”He groaned unhappily. “I have a
*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