5: PASSION AND PLOTS
SELENE
The feel of the cold water against my skin was a refreshing reminder that I was alive once again, as I stood there in the shower, I looked at my naked body.
The cut marks were gone, Alpha Lucas had stabbed me in the belly and then slit open my throat but there was no scar to even indicate that something like that had happened, if not for the quaint voice that remained in my ear, I might have thought I imagined the whole thing.
I stepped out of the bathroom completely naked to find three ladies dressed in low-quality gowns standing at the ready waiting for me.
They bowed curtly and then approached me, the first took a towel and wrapped it around my hair while the others led me to a fluffy chair in front of a huge ornate mirror and sat me down, and began to groom me.
This was not strange to me, I was a Luna, I was used to having handmaids and servants but it was strange in the sense that just a moment ago, I was a prisoner but now I was being treated like a Luna.
Who was this alpha that wanted to see me and why was he being so nice to me?
By the time I walked down the long corridor that led to his chamber, I was dressed in a slim-fitting yellow silk dress and my long white hair fell freely to my back.
“Hey, are you there?” I whispered to myself. Even as I did that, I felt stupid, why was I talking to myself? People might start to think I was crazy.
“I am always with you Luna Selene!” the thin windy voice answered.
I breathed a sigh of relief, I was not insane, there really was something inside me, I was sure that it was the same thing that brought me back to life.
“What do I call you?” I whispered again as I drew closer to the alpha’s chamber.
“I am Xercer and I am at your service,”
“Well Xercer, this was not part of the plan, you told me you would give me the power to kill Alpha Lucas not get me trapped in another pack!”
“Patience, Luna Selene, patience…”
I frowned, “Stop calling me Luna…. I…” I paused when I heard the sound of arguing voices.
“You can’t marry her and make her Luna, you don’t even know where she is from, she might be a spy for all we know,” the first voice said loudly.
“She is my mate, that is all that matters, I thought you would be happy for me,” a deep voice replied loudly too.
I recognized it… wait, don’t tell me that the man who I fought earlier, he was the alpha I was going to meet?
Now it made sense why I had received such treatment, he thought I was going to be his mate.
“Brother, under any other circumstance, I would be happy for you but… the timing is just too suspicious.” The other voice said.
“I don’t care, Tibet,” the alpha said. “She is my mate and I am going to make her my Luna.”
“You don’t have my support on this,” his brother replied.
“I don’t fucking need your support, I am the alpha, I can do whatever I want!” he roared.
I stepped to the side as I heard footsteps approaching, the door swung open and a tall handsome man with crop black hair stormed out.
He paused when he saw me then he looked forward and stormed away.
I took a deep breath, this was starting to look like a golden opportunity, maybe I could use this to my advantage.
“Sorry you had to hear that,” the alpha said. “Come in.”
I gingerly walked into the room, it was wide and lavishly decorated with a huge table on one side, a wine cabinet, and then a shelf hosting several books.
I gave him a sexy smile as I walked around studying the room.
I could tell his eyes were on me, they hadn’t left me since I walked in. It was just like I thought, this man was head over heels for me already and we just met.
He could prove to be a useful puppet to have in my fight against alpha Lucas, that is, once I had him wrapped around my finger.
“I never asked for your name!” he said, his eyes still following me.
“Selene,” I answered, still walking slowly around the room, my hips swaying wildly and suggestively with each step.
“Selene, you fight as fiercely as you look,” he said and leaned back in his seat. “How about you join me,” he tapped on the space opposite him.
I gave him a flirtatious look then rolled my eyes, “One minute you are trying to kill me now you want me to sit beside you?”
“I apologize about my earlier actions, I didn’t you were my…”
“Mate?” I scoffed, finishing his sentence.
He got up, and a low growl escaped his throat as he eyed me, “You cannot tell me that you did not feel what I felt, I know you felt it too.”
I smiled and raked him over with my eyes, “What if I did?”
A thin lustful smile broke out on his handsome face as he began to approach me.
His powerful blue eyes stared ravishingly at me, peeling over each layer of my clothing with his gaze.
“You heard your brother, I might be a spy,” I said, watching him closely.
“I don’t care,” he said, his gaze still fixed on me, his eyes staring deep into mine and then straying to my neck and then my chest.
This man had it bad for me, I could feel it… just being in his presence, the pull was incredible, if I was not so focused on revenge I doubted if I would have been able to keep a level head.
He was inches away from
me now, a growl escaped his throat once more as he reached for me, “I need you to be mine!”
6: FEVER PITCHSELENETristan held the small of my back and pulled me hard into him, my belly and my breasts bumped into his hard ripped torso and he held me close and firmly.My breath caught in my throat as my nipples began to stiffen under the fabric of my cloth just from being pressed against him.“Tell me you don’t feel this,” he was looking down at me and the words escaped his mouth in a low growl.I took a deep breath as I held his gaze then I slowly bit my lower lip, I could not tell him that I did not feel it… my brain was not working as much anymore.He raised his right hand and I watched him slowly bring it over my face, stretch out his ring finger and gently stroke my face and push away some stray stands of hair.“How can you deny this...”The low vibration from his throat as his spoke sent a wave of pleasure over my skin and I felt goose bumps start to appear.My nipples hardened even more.He smiled mischievously when he looked at me, he could tell that his charm was wor
7: BAD NEWSTRISTAN“Yes, yes, I am yours,” she moaned in a high pitch voice.That was enough to send me over the edge and I reached my climax too.The curtains were billowing in the wind and the cool night breeze was pouring in from the open door that led to the balcony.I collapsed on top of her.My heavy breathing and her heavy breathing were blending into each other.This was the best sex that I had ever had, did it have something to do with the mate bond? I suspected it did.I did not know anything about Selene but here I was, ready to make her the mother of my kids.“That was…” she paused to catch her breath.“The best sex you’ve ever had,” I said and kissed her soft skin.She shook under me as she let out a small laughter.I rolled away from her and laid on my back still breathing hard.Selene drew the sheets over her to cover her nakedness as she stared up at the ceiling.I turned to look at her, “Where is your mind? What are you thinking about?”She sighed, “What now?”“Now,
8: CONTEMPLATIONSELENEA TRIAL?How the hell did I find myself here?The sex with alpha Tristan was back breaking and mind blowing but the highlight of my day was how easily I strung him along into agreeing to fight my battle against Lucas with me.I knew I did not have the numbers to take on Lucas by myself but with alpha Tristan backing me, I would be able to kill that traitorous son of a bitch for what he did to me.Everything was going fine, my plan was working as well as I pictured it until he brought up the trial.“Walk faster!” one of the guards said from behind and pushed me forward.I had left alpha Tristan’s chambers and I was being led back to my cell, here I was thinking that was the last time that I would see the inside of that smelly cell now I was being led back there.How could he as an alpha not have a say in whether I was freed from this prison or not? Here I was thinking I had picked the most powerful man in the pack, was I wrong?The cell door rattled open and onc
9: TRIAL SELENE As I was led out of the cell, I could feel my heart beating faster as the guards sent to fetch me led me through the dimly lit halls. One of them gripped my hand firmly as though they were expecting me to run, and I could feel their eyes boring into my head. “This is your chance, let me kill them and we can leave this place.” Xercer said, his thin voice sounding louder due to the hallway. I stiffened slightly, despite the fact that I knew nobody except me could hear his voice, I was still worried whenever he spoke up. I ignored his voice since I didn't want to let the guards see me muttering to myself. Besides, killing them would make everything worse for me. If I could survive the trial like Alpha Tristan believes, then I would have the whole pack at my disposal to take my revenge on Lucas. With the guards grip on me, I was guided through the winding corridors of the pack house…just how big is this place? I thought to myself, before we finally stopped in front
10: PREPARATIONSSELENEI was led out of the hall, down another hallway…seriously how large is this place?…and into a smaller room.One of the guards leading me gestured towards a door, "Shower and change into something suitable for battle. You'll find clothes and weapons in the other rooms.”No maids to help me this time, I thought to myself as they shut the door behind me, before stripping out of my clothes and stepping under the shower.I might not be able to experience this for another week, I thought as I basked in the warm water. I would soon be drenched with blood and sweat, and I wanted to be as clean as possible before then.Stepping out of the bathroom, I chose a simple long sleeved shirt and leggings, fitted enough for movement but loose enough to keep me cool, suitable for fighting. I chose the leather boots because they looked badass, but they were also sturdy and comfortable.The guards were waiting for me in the weapons room, with it's array of weapons, swords, axes, sp
11: WAITING TRISTAN As I watched Selene being led away, my heart felt like it was being ripped from my chest. After turning twenty eight without finding a mate, I had long resigned myself to a life without ever feeling the mate bond.And now, after just a few hours of being granted my deepest wish, she was being ripoed away from me."Please, goddess, let her survive this. Let her return to me.” My mind raced with prayers.A hand on my shoulder pulled me away from my thoughts, and I turned to see Tibet staring at me with worry in his eyes."Tristan, are you certain this is the right thing to do? You're not thinking clearly, jusy rushing in head first like you always do.”My jaw tensed. "You really believe she would risk herself like this? That she would agree to a trial by the Goddess , a trial that no outsider has survived, just to play an elaborate game with me? Or do you think I'm so stupid that I cannot recognise a genuine mate bond? I know what I feel, Tibet. I know what the bon
12: SHADOWS SELENE “It's here.” Xercer said, echoing my thoughts. Something caught my attention from the corner of my eye and I turned, expecting to see a huge monster, but there was nothing, just the shadows of the trees twisting around in the invisible wind. “There's nothing there.” I muttered. But the hairs at the back of my neck were all standing upright, telling me that there was something, something I wasn't seeing. Then, it attacked. A whisper of movement, a flicker of darkness in the corner of my vision. My body reacted before my mind could even process what was happening. I twisted to the side just as something sharp grazed my ribs. A chill ran through me, not just from the pain but from the unnatural way it burned. It was cold and almost like I was cut with a pair of ice cubes. I looked down, half expecting to see my skin sliced in half, but I was thankfully quick, and it was just my shirt that got shredded. I turned, my hands already shifted into claws, but there
13: SKIN AND BONES SELENE “I wonder what the next monster would be.” I said, chewing on the hard piece of bread I got from my bag. It was already hours after I defeated the Shadow Wraith, and after a long but uncomfortable sleep, I was ready to take on the next monster. “Don't be too cocky. We may have defeated the wraith, but you wouldn't have had a chance without me. And the challenges are bound to get harder and harder.” Brushing the crumbs off my clothes, I got up and looked around before I started walking in a random direction. Everywhere looked the same, and I was already lost, so there was no point in trying to retrace my steps. The first sign of its presence was the strange rattling sound that suddenly filled the silence. I stopped in my track, waiting to hear where the noise was coming from, but it was so loud, I could not pinpoint it. The sound was a deep rhythmic clatter that sounded like a thousand rocks stumbling down a staircase, echoing through the forest
SELENE I tried to ignore Tristan as I focused on my meal, but the feeling of his knees pressing against mine, and his gaze on me as I ate, made it impossible for me to focus. “Tristan,” I gasped when I felt his hand on my thigh. Although I was wearing shorts and he was not touching my bare skin, I could feel the heat from his palm scalding my skin. “Don't you think we should leave now?” Tristan murmured next to my ear, and I shivered as his breath hit my skin. “Fine…” there was no way I could concentrate on my meal with all he was doing to me. We silently walked down to the car, but before I could even stretch my hand to open it, Tristan was there, opening it for me. “Thank you.” I murmured feeling shy for some reason. He walked round the car and got in, but instead of starting the car, he turned to look at me. “Now…I've been patient enough. You can't give me that little kiss and expect me to be satisfied now, do you? Before I could say anything, his fingers found their way
SELENE The dress was strapless and silky, and it hugged every part of my body like it had been made perfectly for me. The contrast of my snow blonde hair and pupils and my fair skin against the blackness of the dress made me look like a goddess, like the moon admist the black night sky. And the slit…goddess, the slit was criminal. It ran so high up my thigh, showing enough leg to cause a scandal, and one wrong movement would have exposed everything. I stared at my reflection in the mirror as my fingers tugged on the top of the dress, turning it to adjust it so that it would sit perfectly on my chest. I looked lethal, wild and powerful, like I would step on anything and anyone that dared to be in my path. “Selene…” Tristan growled, and I saw that he had gotten up from the couch and was stalking towards me. “Well?” I asked, feigning nonchalance as I turned in front of the mirror. His gaze dropped to my legs, then climbed back up to my collarbone. I knew that look, the heat on hi
SELENE“I still don't see why you had to come with me.” I grumbled as I sat in the passenger's side of Tristan's car, watching the lights blur past us as I stared out the window.The sight of his muscular arms framed in his dark blue shirt sleeves gripping the wheels was almost enough to make me drool and forget about why we were in this situation in the first place.“Well, well, if it isn't the outsider.” Nancy had cornered me while I was walking down a hallway in the pack house.Since her plans to ruin Tristan and I’s relationship did not work, I hadn't seen her and thought he had left for good, but apparently she was still here.“And if it isn't the rejected one.” I smirked at her. I had a lot on my mind already, but I'll be damned if I let her get away with taunting me.Nancy narrowed her eyes and I could see the annoyance on her face.“You know nothing about me or why I'm here, so mind your fucking business and go look for someone else to play games with.” I continued before she
lSELENEThe annual packs trade was coming up and all alphas were required to attend.The trade was a huge event, one that united packs from across the continent in a rare truce to exchange information, strengthen alliances, flaunt resources, and socialize. The kind of thing that helped decide which packs would thrive and which would fall behind in the months to come.I had never gone with Lucas to any of the events outside the pack because he used to tell me that it was not necessary for me to go with him, that it was boring and full of “alpha talk” I wouldn’t understand.Part of me used to imagine what went on there, what it would be like to dress up and walk beside him, eyes on us as a power couple. But deep down, I think I always knew he did not want me to be seen.And although I was a bit curious about what actually went on there and Tristan had been bugging me to go with him for the last few days, I did not want to go…I did not want to risk running into Lucas or anyone from my p
SELENEThe only way I would survive long enough to destroy Lucas... was to kill Tristan…my mate.I buried my face in my hands, sitting on the cold tile floor of the bathroom like a ghost of myself.My bare legs were curled up beneath me, Tristan’s shirt hanging off one shoulder, still smelling like him.I should have taken it off, I should have thrown it far away, but I could not bear to do that. I could not even peel it from my skin without feeling like I was losing something I wasn’t ready to let go of.How the hell am I supposed to kill the one man who made me feel like I was alive again?How was I supposed to look at him and not think about what I had to do?How was I supposed to lie next to him knowing that one day I might be the reason he stopped breathing?I did not have any answers for myself.“You’re weak,” Xercer whispered in my head. “You’ll get us both killed for some foolish fantasy of love. You want revenge, don’t you?”“I hate you,” I whispered, pulling at my hair. “You
SELENEThe room was quiet except for the soft rustling of the sheets as I shifted closer to Tristan, resting my head against his chest.His arm was wrapped securely around me, his fingers lazily tracing patterns against my bare skin.I sighed contentedly, letting my fingers glide over his stomach, feeling the steady rise and fall of his breathing."You know," I murmured, "I think this might be the first time in a while that things have felt... normal.”Tristan let out a low chuckle, his fingers brushing over my shoulder. "Normal is overrated. But I understand what you mean.”We lapsed into silence again, enjoying the rare moment of stillness.The last few weeks had been nothing short of chaos, and yet, lying here with him, I felt a strange sense of relief. Like maybe, just maybe, things were finally falling into place.As we lay in bed, cuddled up together, Tristan and I chatted about minor stuff, not venturing close to any serious topic and talking about nothing in particular, and it
SELENEWhen Tristan and I reached his…well it was our room again, I hesitated in the doorway, feeling nervous.Tristan set my things down before turning to face me. "You belong here, Selene. With me.”I took a deep breath and stepped inside, closing the door behind me. The moment it clicked shut, Tristan was in front of me, his hands sliding around my waist."Are you really back?" he murmured, his forehead resting against mine."Yeah.” I swallowed hard, my fingers curling into his shirt. "I thought you would not want to see me again."I hesitated, my fingers tightening around the hem of his shirt. "I almost didn’t, but I overheard her talking to someone about how she was succeeding in her plans to come between us. And I realized... She was right, I almost let her come between us.”"I'm so sorry again, Selene," Tristan whispered, his lips brushing against my ear. "I promise to make it up to you.”My heart was pounding at the intensity of the emotions in Tristan's eyes as he stared at
SELENETristan turned to me, his eyes softening as he stared at me."I'm so sorry," he said, his voice low and husky. "I'm so sorry that I didn't protect you.""You didn't protect me?" I repeated in confusion as I looked up at him. "Tristan, that wasn't your fault, Tibet didn't mean to hit me."Tristan's eyes flashed with anger again as his mind replayed Tibet's fist smacking into my face."That's not what I'm talking about," he said. "I'm talking about Nancy. I'm talking about how I didn't tell you about her, how I didn't break things off with her when I should have."Tristan was actually apologizing, actually taking responsibility for his actions? I felt extremely surprised."Tristan, I..." I started to say, but he cut me off."No, Selene, let me finish,” his jaw clenched, frustration flashing across his face. "I was wrong, and I know it, I was wrong to keep Nancy a secret, wrong to let things go on for so long. I should have told you about her, I should have shut her down completel
SELENEI stood outside Tristan’s door, my fingers clenched into fists at my sides, my heart pounding as I stood there debating with myself about whether or not I should walk in.Should I go in? I had spent so many days avoiding him, keeping my distance, refusing to acknowledge the weight of his absence in my life. And now, here I was, hesitating like a coward despite the fact that I had to talk to him.I had accidentally heard Nancy talking to someone about how she was very close to destroying mine and Tristan's relationship, and I suddenly realized what Nancy's plan had been all along.“After what she saw in the office, she wouldn't believe anything he says…one more push and it’s over and I can take Tristan back. It’s almost too easy…like taking candy from a baby.”She had been manipulating this from the start, and I had been a fool for allowing Nancy to play me and I had no idea.Tristan had his flaws and he should have told me about him and Nancy before I found out the way I had, b