1.(Selena's Pov)"Hey, Lena."To most, my step-sister is an angelic woman especially as she stands there, her golden hair catching the morning sun rays. But to me, she's a bad omen, a harbinger of doom because the only thing that'll make her come to my smelly little shack, as she calls it, is quite literally my pain and suffering."I wanted to be the first to tell you," Elsa says, the wood creaking under the added weight as she perches herself at the edge of my stiff bed. It was hers, years ago.She stares at me, baring her teeth in a smile. She’s waiting, I realize, for me to ask. So I mumble, "tell me what?"Now her smile turns predatory, like I'm a rabbit on a hunt. "My congratulations, of course. You're getting married!"For a moment I think maybe she’s had a stroke. Or the moon goddess has answered one of my many whispered prayers and made her insane but other than that absurd statement, she looks as she usually does. "What?""Yes, silly. I had Mom and Dad keep it from you, as
2. It’s almost eleven pm but I haven’t slept.Many things keep me awake. A lot of it is excitement and glee.But something else keeps nagging at me; the warning step-father gave me. Well, it was more of a threat. He’d grabbed my arm as I was hurrying to my room, nails digging into my flesh and snarled that if I ran away it would be the Lycan prince that would be coming after me. For a moment, I felt like he’d poured a bucket of water on my head. My heart stuttered in its beating. Goddess! How did he know? But he didn’t know. He releases my arm, leaving behind crescent-shaped gorges and doesn't look back as he leaves. My heart calmed when I realized it wasn’t far-fetched to assume I’d want to run away, especially because I was running away.I didn’t go to tell Ethan. I didn’t want to worry him even more because I know my boyfriend still won’t change his mind. Besides, we'll have a head start. And we’ll have an even bigger one if we leave now.Yes, I sit up in bed, we should leave n
3.It’s Ethan alright. He's dressed in a t- shirt, jeans and boots, his hair tousled. I hate the part of me which whispers that he looks good, even if his eyes are a little bloodshot.But the relief in his voice, the way he seems to light up, confuses the hell out of me. “Why are you here?”“What do you mean?”I look at him, really look at him. He’s doing the same, probably trying to find out what I know first. I purse my lips. ‘You need to go to your new girl.’ There's a long moment of silence as I glare at him. ‘New girl?’ he asks slowly.My forehead crinkles in displeasure. "Elsa. Yes, fuck you, I know you're screwing her."Again that damn silence, gauging me. "Did someone tell you that?"My body flashes hot. What. The. fuck? Is he being serious right now? Is he really trying to dig himself out of this hole by denying it exists? Fuck this. If this asshole takes a step closer to me, I will fucking spit in his eye. "Leave me the fuck alone, Ethan!""Lena-""Leave me alone!" I yell.
4.Axel’s PovI'm afraid of the concept of mates.Something so important to my pack, as well as to me personally, and I’ve been told I’ll have no control over it. It feels like a recipe for disaster. Literally within moments of meeting her, I’ll want to protect her and keep her close, no matter who she is; a rogue, a spy, an assassin, whatever. Or what if she’s not a bad person, just a horrible woman, that can’t be a good Luna for my pack? It’ll be the hardest thing ever, letting her go even if there's something important at risk, like my pack. And I don’t want to put my pack at risk. Heck, I haven’t even met her and I don’t want to let her go.But then again, maybe it’s not that intense, I thought. Look at the bitch who wants to be betrothed to Asher. She hasn’t met him, he’s not her mate and she doesn’t love him. But because of the power it would give her, she’s tossed her mate to the dump. She’ll probably be paid for it too, fucking information whore.But cradling the soft, war
5.Selena’s PovAn hour later I'm standing in the living room amidst decorations and food as my mate and his brother sit across from me. I'm stunned, shocked to my core. Neither of them have given me more than a passing glance.I've been in a daze ever since Axel left. Just turned around and left.But surely, he'll stop this. He won't let me get engaged to his brother, I think, as my step father starts saying the rites.He won't, I think, as our fingers are pricked so blood meets. Any moment now, I think, as the Alpha chants the words that will start a bind between us. But he doesn't. Ten minutes later, I'm betrothed to the Lycan prince.I'm so confused. He's my mate, he should not be ok with me marrying his fucking brother. How can he sit there, and just watch?I slink away as soon as the festivities start and sit at the back of the house.I've been sitting outside for a long time. A big part of me hopes he shows up. And he does, after the sun sets.Goddess. My throat runs dry. My h
Chapter 6Selena's POV Although the hurt cut deep, I didn't let it keep my legs plastered to the floor, instead, I turned away quickly before the two wolves on heat could spot me. The moment my hand landed on the doorknob, Asher called my name, and I watched as my initial plan to walk away undetected dissipated before me like dust. "Selena", his breathless voice reached my ears.My breath hitched on my throat as I slowly turned. If I expected a hint of remorse in Asher's eyes, I was sorely mistaken. Instead, the strain in his voice was linked to that in his pants."I...", I began, the words dying in my throat. The lady with him raised a delicate brow as she observed me with an unknown expression. I avoided her eyes. "I shouldn't have barged in like that. My apologies", my voice came out shaky and meek, it was almost embarrassing. I mentally gave myself a smack across the cheek. I had no reason to apologize, if anything, they were the ones who owed me an apology but I wasn't that b
Chapter 7Axel's POV I frowned at my reflection, my fingers fisted over the white sink in my bathroom. The urge to see my mate was almost overwhelming and it took a great amount of control to keep my feet firmly planted in the white tiles. Logic helped me resist but I knew it was only a matter of time before I began to think with my heart rather than my head. I groaned. My wolf was begging, almost whimpering in need. I tightened my fisted hands, resisting. It took almost thirty minutes to get myself under control and afterwards, I stepped out of the bathroom looking calm and collected. I began the short walk to my brother's study."Have you seen my brother's fiancée?", I asked a servant passing by. The servant tried but failed in keeping her trembling at bay. "Umm, she asked for directions to the prince's study so I believe she was headed there", she stuttered out.I didn't bother giving
Chapter 8Selena's POV Axel pushed open the door fully before stepping in, his height imposing, somehow filling the large room. I could scent him and the urge to bury my nose into his neck was overwhelming but before I could do something I might possibly regret for the rest of my life, I fisted my hands, feeling my fingers dig dangerously into my palm. Quelling the urge, I finally addressed him. "Alpha", I bowed lowly watching from my peripheral vision as Lily mimicked my actions. Axel didn't say a word, instead he kept his eyes firmly fixed on me."Out", he commanded. My brows furrowed in confusion until I realized he was speaking to Lily when she bowed again before running off, shutting the door behind her. When Lily left the room, Axel took a few more steps towards me, his presence causing my cloud of unbiased reasoning to be stifled pathetically. I took a small step back even when every cell in my body