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
14: FINAL SONGSELENEThe monster moved again, and it felt like tiny invisible threads were wrapped around my hands and legs, tugging my limbs in multiple directions.My body froze, my muscles seized, and my arm twitched as it started moving up on its own without my control.“I refuse to let this thing control me.” I clenched my teeth, fighting back against the invisible threads trying to pull me apart. I could see the monster grinning as it felt me resisting.It had stopped controlling its army since it thought I was already under its control, and that was it's mistake.“What the hell are you doing?” Xercer screamed in my mind as I relaxed my body and let the monster pull me forward.And then with every ounce of strength I had left, I moved. The strings pulled tighter, but I didn’t care. I lunged forward, wrenching my arm free with a scream of defiance as I shifted my hand into claws.The monster's eyes widened as it realised my plan, but it was too late. I punched into its chest, ig
15: RESCUE TRISTAN“I've spent enough time waiting…its the eight day already and she's not out. I need to go and get my mate.” Every second that passed was another second that Selene was down in that cursed place, alone and helpless, and I refused to delay anymore.I tightened the lace on my boots, my movements swift and efficient as Tibet watched me with worry in his eyes, but under my calm exterior, my pulse roared like an ocean as I thought about what I had to do. “Are you sure about this?" Tibet exhaled, shaking his head. "You have no idea what you'll fine there…or if she's even still-”"Do not say it," I snapped, my voice edged with warning. I refused to think about it…Selene was not dead, I was sure of it. “I will find her.”Tibet's eyes narrowed, but he knew better than to argue with me when my mind was made up. "Be careful, brother."With a deep breath, I steeled myself and entered the Hole, and the moment I did, the world shifted.The air was thick and oppressive, carrying
TRISTANThe amber liquid in my glass swirled lazily as I rolled my wrist, staring blankly into the dim light of my office. I brought the glass up to my lips, taking a sip, and the whiskey burned on its way down, but it did nothing to dull the ache in my chest.I can't believe she went through all that, and I treated her that way….My mind was still reeling with everything Selene had told me. The weight of it settled deep in my chest, suffocating. It wasn’t just guilt, although I was feeling a lot of that emotion at the moment, it was fury, regret, and something darker that churned in my gut.I let her enter the Hole mere hours after suffering betrayal, near death, and the unimaginable loss of her baby. And not just any betrayal—her mate had been the one to shatter her.Her former mate, I reminded myself, but the correction did nothing to ease the sickening feeling twisting inside me.I exhaled sharply, dragging a hand down my face. My fingers trembled, my grip tightening around the gl
SELENE“What are you doing?” A giggle left my lips as Tristan scooped me up into his arms, cradling me like a bride.He didn’t answer, didn’t even hesitate as he walked right out of the conference room as if carrying me around like a sack of flour was the most normal thing in the world.“Tristan—” I hissed, but my words were cut off by the shocked gasps of the pack members that stopped in their tracks to stare at us.Some of the warriors who were in the meeting did a double take as they saw us, and I caught a glimpse of their stunned faces, some wide-eyed, others exchanging knowing smirks. One warrior even let out a low whistle, and I knew my face was as red as a tomato.“Alpha…?” One of them started to ask, but Tristan didn't even acknowledge them, he just kept walking, completely unfazed.I wonder what they thought happened in there, or what they'll think when they see the broken chair.Oh, Goddess…Heat flooded my cheeks, and I buried my face in his shoulder, trying to avoid the eye
SELENE“You want to know why I want Lucas dead?” My voice came out hoarse from hours of crying.“Yes.” Tristan's voice was as low as mine, as if he didn't want to disturb the quiet.I swallowed hard and turned away slightly, staring at the shattered chair he had thrown earlier. The jagged edges of the broken wood reminded me too much of my own past.I hesitated, the words sticking in my throat. But I knew I had to tell him. I had to make him understand."I'm the daughter of the former alpha of the Razorback pack," I said, the words tumbling out in a rush. I wanted to get this story over with as soon as possible instead of dwelling on it."Lucas was my mate, we were supposed to rule together, and my father approved of him, he loved him like the son he never had. When my father died, Lucas took over as alpha, and I was Luna.”Tristan's eyes widened in surprise. "You're the daughter of...?"I nodded, confirming his thoughts.“You never told me you were Luna of the Razorback pack.”“No on
SELENE As soon as the conference room door shut behind the last person, Tristan turned away from me and started pacing, his steps heavy, his hands flexing into fists at his sides. The muscles in his back tensed beneath his black shirt, the fabric stretching as if it could barely contain the force of his anger. I frowned as I watched him, confusion etched on my face. What was going on? “What’s wrong with you?” I asked, leaning back in my chair. His sudden tension made no sense. He didn’t answer me, instead his strides became even more agitated as he moved back and forth across the room. Every few steps, his claws slipped out, his control fraying. Then, as suddenly as he had started pacing, he whirled toward me with a low, guttural snarl. “Did you sleep with Lucas?” he spat at me, his eyes blazing with accusation. The words hit me like a whip and I blinked, taken aback by the question even as my heart started beating faster. "What? Why would you think that?” “Did. You. Sleep.
SELENE“You'll join in on the next meeting.”When Tristan had said those words three days ago, I thought he was joking, but as I followed him down the halls of the pack house, my stomach knotted in nerves.I had no idea why I was nervous. I'd been in meetings before, presided over them. But not as an outsider, and not with people who already hated my presence.My body was tense, my instincts whispering that I did not belong here, in the midst of the enemy.Lucas was my enemy now. I had to remind myself that I was not betraying my pack, I was simply trying to save them.Beside me, Tristan radiated authority, his presence impossible to ignore.“This way.” His hand on my back seared into my skin, and I had to hold myself back from reacting to it.What is wrong with me?I can't believe I was getting butterflies over something as simple as a touch. It had never been like this before, not even when I found out that Lucas was my mate.After a few more seconds of walking, we stopped in front
SELENEA huge wedding ceremony…. If we did that, news would spread that the Alpha of the Denizens had found his mate, and a lot of people would try to get a glimpse of me out of curiosity.If that happened, Lucas might see me and recognise me, and he'd know I didn't die, he'd know I would come after him…My thoughts were occupied with the deal I made with Tristan earlier as I brushed out my wet hair.Once we got into the pack house, he was whisked away to attend to pack issues while I was left alone to my own devices.The huge bathtub in Tristan's bathroom, well our bathroom…since we shared the room now, was calling to me, and I decided to take a long soak while waiting for Tristan.It had been an hour now but he still hadn't come back. I didn't think anything major had happened while we were out that they needed his attention.I stared at myself in the mirror, from my snow blonde hair and snow white pupils down to the slight curves on my body. My father always said I looked just like
TRISTAN "You want what?" Selene asked in surprise.The fire in her eyes reminded me of how she looked after I brought us to the restaurant, her feelings practically radiating off her in waves. She had been so adorable, her arms crossed over her chest and a scowl on her face.But what entertained me the most was how quickly her anger shifted to jealousy and possessiveness the second the waitress had greeted me like she knew me."Your usual table, Alpha?" the woman had asked, smiling warmly.Selene had gone stiff. She had tried to act indifferent like she didn't care, but I could see through her act.I had seen jealousy before, but on Selene? It was adorable. The slight narrowing of her eyes, the way she looked everywhere but at me, the forced indifference in her tone when she finally asked the question she had been dying to know.How many women have you brought here? She hadn’t wanted to ask, but the question had slipped out anyway.She had tried to sound casual, like she didn’t care,
SELENEBy the time we left the restaurant, the tension between us was undeniable. I could feel it, and I'm very sure Tristan could too.“What did you mean earlier?” I asked, trying to distract my thoughts as Tristan drove us back to the pack house. “Hmm…you'll have to be a bit more specific.” “When you said we can do both at the same time? The mating ceremony and my plans for revenge.”I cleared my throat, trying to focus on the conversation instead of the feeling of Tristan's hand on my thigh, or his finger going around in circles and scrambling my mind.“You were a member of the Razorback, right? The pack that betrayed you.” He asked.“Yeah….” I replied, my mind going back to the life I lived before Lucas ruined everything.A part of me wants to go back to the time where I had no idea what was going on behind my back. I may have been naive, but I was happy, at least I thought I was.I hadn't told Tristan the whole story yet, about me being the daughter of the past alpha, and the p
SELENE“Tristan, we're not even dressed well for a place as fancy as this. Besides, do you even have a reservation?”This place was popular, but it was really hard to get a reservation here. I know because I had tried to get one a few months ago for Lucas and I, but it was impossible.“We don't need one.” He smirked before getting out of the car. He went round the front to open my door for me, but before he could get here, I had already gotten out myself.“You should have let me open it.” He scolded.“I think you've forgotten who you're talking to. I'm perfectly fine with opening my door.” I was a little bit pissed off with him, and I wanted him to know it.Tristan caught my wrist. His touch was warm, sending a wave of shock through me.“Selene.”Just my name, nothing more, but the war he said it, the possessive tone he used, it sent a wave of desire coursing through me. I may be angry, but my body wanted him.“This does not count as a date. I need to be asked out properly, not tricke