Chapter 90
Selena's POVThe trepidation growing steadily at the pit of my stomach kind of made me regret eating lunch as it threatened to come up. As we moved along the path, I recognized more things than I care to admit which made the glaring fact that we were getting closer to the pack house. The twins sat on Axel's lap, with Orion asking him a million questions and Zephyr attempting to punch Axel repeatedly for no reason and failing every time.I had snapped at the kids twice in the last thirty minutes from my anxiety and annoyance at their ignorance which made Axel keep a steady hand over mine in comfort.The car slowed considerably and the moment I looked up, my heart lurched again, hitting mercilessly against my ribcage. I was going into full on panic mode and if there was space to bolt, I'd gladly do it.Except I'm in a moving car with acres of a forest stretching on for miles. So, staying still was a safer option.Chapter 91Selena's POV The emotions that crossed Asher's face ranged from shock, to fear and then betrayal. Except, he had absolutely no right to feel betrayed. I glared at him, the anger overshadowing my fear. "How...", he spluttered. "That's not possible. You..", his face was steadily changing to a shade of red from the disbelief of our exchange. "It's possible", Axel stood in between me and a fuming Asher. "Those are my kids."Asher looked beyond Axel, his eyes clashing with mine, pure hatred oozing from it. "How dare you? You're married to me!", he exclaimed, his voice cracking at the end by how loud he was screaming. "No. She's mine now", I sensed the palpable authority in Axel's voice, his posture stiff and back straight as he addressed his brother. The tension was obvious between the two, a recent development that I missed after leaving the palace. Axel had always been a bit... lenient wh
Chapter 92Selena's POV I woke up earlier than usual. Or rather, I could barely sleep during the night even though my body protested and the exhaustion was almost impossible to shake off. But, Cecelia and Asher plagued my dreams, so when I woke up startled for the third time in the past two hours, I gave up trying to sleep and simply watched Axel. His chest rose and fell in a peaceful rhythm and even watching him made a smile sneak its way to my lips. The vividness of my nightmares soon receded to the back of my mind, but it lingered, just at the corner. I stretched, opting for a shower to get rid of the cold sweat and once I stepped out of the bathroom, I felt lighter and much more awake. It was barely dawn and most members of the pack were still asleep, so I grasped the opportunity to take a walk. It needed my headspace clear especially now that there was every possibility I would be called upon by the Elders. Ax
Chapter 93Selena's POV I stood before the Elders, head bowed and hands tightly intertwined in front of me. I had heard of them, four Elders made up of the oldest of the pack. There were three men and a woman, with gray hairs and wrinkles on their faces which was rare. Usually, werewolves age slowly and if they looked old in werewolf age, then they must be over two hundred years old. "Selena", one of the Elders called out, causing me to look up. I scanned their faces for some sort of reaction, something to indicate how the end of this trial will go, that is, if Axel doesn't interfere, but their faces held nothing but neutrality. "Yes Elder."His eyes went to Asher who stood on my left while Axel sat with them, his chair decorated like a throne. Asher took a step forward before speaking. "Selena here, was given to me by her family and with the permission of the Elders, I went ahead to marry her. A
Chapter 94Unknown POV Asher drummed his fingers on the desk in his study yet his eyes remained fixed at a particular spot. The anger from his encounter with Selena and Axel still steamed in his brain and he was royally pissed off. It was ironic how Selena who previously recoiled from his touch and stared at him with caution, had the audacity to speak so fearlessly just because Axel had her back. How long had they known? How long had they been deceiving him?The drumming of his fingers grew more persistent. Without a thought, he jumped to his feet, rushing off to see Selena. He needed to clarify everything. How long? The question rang in his brain like a mantra, his body felt a little too hot for the weather and he could only hear the rushing of his blood. Selena was leaning against her balcony, laughing at some joke Lily cracked when he barged in. His eyes searched the space, finally resting in Selena who
Chapter 95Unknown POVAsher's face dropped as soon as he was out of sight. The tune died in his lips as his eyes hardened, the hatred emanating through his pores. He walked quickly to his study, attempting to escape the suffocating victorious smirk on Axel's face or the mocking expression in Selena's eyes. Just when he shut the door, Cecelia was draped carelessly on his couch, a cigarette in her lips. It was a new hobby she had adapted and it annoyed the shit out of Asher but he had better things to deal with than complain about the smell of marijuana in his office. "Go away, Cecelia. I don't have time to play", he offhandedly dismissed her with a wave of his hand, shrugging off his coat. The weather was freezing but his boiling blood begged to differ. Cecelia remained in her position, the only indication that she had heard him was the way her eyes momentarily rested on him, before returning to blankly staring at t
Chapter 96Unknown POVThe gates creaked open as Asher drove off. It was barely dawn and the faster he gets this done, the better. He needed to form alliances and as much as packs always have rivals, no pack will be stupid enough to fight against Night Reapers. Begrudgingly, Asher admitted that Axel had built up quite the reputation in the years of being Alpha. Some feared him, others respected him. So, if he was looking for alliances, then he would only find it amongst werewolves who are too foolish or simply too courageous to entertain fear. The rogues. Asher parked his car at a secluded corner, the green blending well with the expanse of looming trees and knee high grasses. He began the short trek. His private investigator had flagged this region as suspicious. There were truckloads of food and building supplies parking at this exact area every last Saturday of the month and when the
Chapter 97Selena's POV "Are you okay?", Axel scanned my body. "I'm fine. I really am", I chuckled, swatting Axel's probing hands. After the incident with Asher, he had lingered long by my side. I sighed, my smile vanishing as I recalled the incident. "Asher's different", I frowned, searching for a better word. "He is spiteful and I am certain he'll try to do something...stupid."Axel nodded. "I know.""You do?""I've known Asher for years now. He is capable of anything and knowing that we were fooling around right under his nose...", he shook his head as though the thought didn't settle well. "He'll do something stupid to show his superiority."I raised a brow, watching his calm expression. "Aren't you worried? Because I am. He may try to hurt Orion or Zephyr and if anything happens to them...""No", Axel stated firmly. "He's stupid but not that stupid. He won't try to harm the kids, I'm c
Chapter 98Selena's POV I took a subtle peek outside to ensure pigs weren't airborne. "I don't understand", I pushed Elsa's hands away, the one that attempted to run a comforting hand through my hair. "Understand what, honey?", my stepmother leaned in, a curious expression on her face. "I don't understand why you're suddenly so nice to me. There must be something you need. Come on, spill."Elsa and stepmother exchanged a confused look. "Don't be silly. Our only worry concerns your health", she sighed, quite dramatically if I may add. "When we heard you ran away, all of us were completely shattered and heartbroken.""Okay...", I let out. "And I'm so sorry for everything I did to you, Selena", Elsa piped in. "I was a terrible sister but now, you can count on me. I'll visit you every single day and we'll be able to mend our relationship as a family."All of them agreed in unison. "We visited
Chapter 140 Axel's POV I walked out of the pack house and into the expanse of land now littered with my pack members. They were in little groups, talking amongst themselves in hushed whispers. When they noticed my presence, they immediately fell silent, looking up at me with expectant faces. The last time I stood before them, we were on the verge of making the most important decision of the pack. I've never felt so much appreciation for that day than at this point. More and more werewolves gathered and I leapt onto the elevated stage, facing them. "Night Reapers, it has come to my notice that the pack, Blood Red, has fallen." The whispers rose once more and with a lift of my hand, they were silenced. "You've seen the commotion outside the gates. Those are from the survivors of the pack. They've come to us for help", I paused, surprised that no one said a word. "Now, I bring the decision to your table. What do we do?" The question spurred them into action, some yelled that
Chapter 139 Selena's POV It took two months and five days before we heard any news about the packs. Technically, we heard news of progression and the added advantages the alliance offered to those packs, virtually every Alpha was involved except ours. As far as I was concerned, we were officially cut off. The strategy put in place by Axel worked. We had food, water and basically everything we needed within the pack. It made things considerably easier. No one complained and as days passed, more werewolves came forward as volunteers. Soon, we extended our little plan in agriculture to other aspects, like furniture making, fabric design and then, no distant time I was setting we were making waves. Orion and Zephyr were growing up quickly. Werewolves always had a weird aging style. We grow up quickly, then remain almost dormant before we begin aging slowly. Lily's presence was difficult to come by. She was mostly invested in Blake and I'd be honest when I say that their relati
Chapter 138Selena's POV I took three large gulps of air, like it would be my last moment of peace. Today was the day we were expecting the Alphas and to say the atmosphere was more than tense was an understatement. Axel had come clean to the pack, revealing the details of the visit to every member. He also told them about his decision and gave everyone the chance to either counter his decision or agree with him.Most of them agreed, the few that thought it was reckless were soon convinced that Axel was making the right choice. He gave them his reasons. Then, the topic of how we were going to generate incomes for ourselves even after we cut ourselves off from the other packs arose and Axel gave them the stellar idea on agriculture. The farmers came forward, pledging to give their all while some volunteered to help. By the time dawn broke, we were prepared. As prepared as we could be. "You ready?"
Chapter 137Selena's POV Lily looked like she'd throw up anytime soon while I was simply too stunned to say a word. "Isn't that poisonous?"Lily asked no one in particular, her eyes still fixed on the frog. "I don't think so", Orion answered, inspecting the frog. It was a miracle it hadn't leaped out of his hand and to an unlucky person's face. "Can you let it go, honey?", I coaxed. Orion stared at me with a sad look. "But why?", he whined. "It can be my pet."Except, werewolves don't keep pets. Our wolves were like pets, but on a way deeper level. It was part of us. "No. It can't."We were in a staring contest for at least thirty seconds before he finally gave in. "Whatever", he tossed the frog aside and it landed right on Lily's lap. Before I could react, Lily let out a loud scream. It echoed throughout the clearing and was just about to tear my sensitive eardrums.
Chapter 136Selena's POV For the next few days, we ignored everything. Axel and I focused on nothing else but ourselves and the kids. We had a family day out, of course Blake and Lily decided to tag along and we held a little picnic just for ourselves. Truth was, it was inevitable that Axel would have to give his reply concerning the alliance bug for now, it felt much better to simply live in our own bubble. Orion and Zephyr were bickering on the color of the sky while I lay on the blanket, my eyes shut as I basked in the warm sun. "I can't believe you", Lily was speaking, throwing a punch at Blake. I could tell when he muttered a low 'ouch'."It's serious though", Blake was trying to say. I had tuned out of most of the conversation and the one I had managed to catch snippets of didn't make any sense. I pried my eyelids open, scanning for Axel as he had been awfully quiet. His back was turned to
Chapter 135 Selena's POV "What?", I echoed, the sound loud enough that it bounced off all the walls. "An alliance?" Axel expected my reaction as he barely even reacted to my shrill. I'm certain I had alerted at least half of the staff members. "I thought so too", Axel stated blandly. I rifled through my head, searching for anything that made sense. An alliance between werewolves is nearly impossible, if not completely. That's the reason why it didn't happen, ever. It was way too risky and if not careful could cause war between packs. If Alpha Boris was proposing an alliance and the rest of the Alphas agreed with him, he was either very stupid or desperate. But, what for? "An alliance is...impossible." "I thought so too", he echoed, and I threw him a glare. "Are you even listening?", I asked. "Yes." But I co
Chapter 134Selena's POV The pack gates creaked open, revealing a number of stern faced and cold gazes of the Alphas. Their eyes scanned the crowd for a few seconds before they resumed their walk, soon standing in front of Axel and I.If Axel felt nervous, he didn't show it. His face was set in a stiff position as he watched them in return."What a pleasant surprise", he stated, his voice anything but pleasant or surprised. One of the Alphas chuckled, his eyes twinkling in amusement. "Thank you, Alpha Axel", he bowed, a motion which can barely be considered a bow but sufficient enough to pass as one. "What brings you here?", Axel asked, his brows creased as he stared at them all. "I wasn't aware of your visit.""And yet...", the werewolf gestured around him. "There's an entire group waiting.""Information tends to reach us quickly."The werewolf seemed more amused than offended as
Chapter 133Selena's POV "It's not what you think", I pointed out but Lily's amusement poured from her very pores as she stared innocently at Blake. Blake walked slowly into the room, his eyes darting from Lily to me, eyes narrowed. "Uhun", he answered under his breath.I threw a stern glare as Lily let out a muffled laugh and that seemed enough to cause her to straighten up. "Selena's right. I was just being silly. Before Blake could answer, we heard the shuffling of feet outside the door but the thing is, there was more to it than just the occasional movement. They seemed more than panicked. Lily, Blake and I exchanged confused looks before we hopped up, rushing towards the door. My mind drifted to the kids first, knowing Axel would be able to take care of himself. "What's happening?"Blake asked a maid rushing away but she seemed to be too much in her panicked state to realize who was
Chapter 132Selena's POV "Unfortunately, I'm not you", I glared. "Even though I wish with everything in me that I was."Axel's hand was entwined with mine, his thumb tracing lazy circles on it. "I hate you. So much. And I hope you'll suffer for as long as possible for the penance of your wickedness. I hope the world becomes a living hell for you and I hope you never find peace."The cell door creaked open, and my stepmother stepped out, her lips and brows turned down and her neck bent. "Forg...""Letting you go doesn't mean I think of you in a better light than I used to. But, you staying here will just mean you're a part of my life. I don't like that thought."She didn't make a move to say a word which contrasted to the manner which she had used to cut me off whenever I had something to say I'm the past. The cell holding my stepfather opened next. He looked like he had aged a century from