Selene’s POV Arabella Winters is everything I am not: Tall, blonde and voluptuous, with an innate confidence that allows her to flourish in pack society. I sit across from her at a small table, a pair of cappuccinos sitting untouched between us. Big brown doe-eyes look me up and down, her face never revealing her thoughts. When she finally speaks, her voice is high and reedy. “Listen, I know things are really complicated with you and Bastien right now, and I just felt…” She pauses to search for the right words, “I saw how upset you looked last night and I just want to assure you that nothing happened between Bastien and me.” “Oh?” “You have my word.” Arabella vows, “Nothing happened and nothing will until your separation is official.” I can’t keep the surprise from my face. Arabella winces, “I’m sorry I thought the information was public.” I bring my coffee to my lips, intending to buy time with a few sips. I barely taste it before I remember that pregnant women aren’t supposed
Selene’s POV “I’m not,” I insist. I’m bobbing through the air, the door drawing closer and closer. Abruptly I realize Bastien intends to remove me from the bathroom, “No, stay here!” I exclaim. Bastien’s palm presses to my forehead and cheeks, “You have a fever.” He says it as if it’s my fault. “And if you’re so ill that you cannot leave the bathroom, then you need to go to the emergency room.” Panic blooms in my chest. I can’t go to the hospital. I can’t see a doctor. They’ll find out I’m pregnant. They’ll tell him. “No.” I object loudly. “I’m fine.” “You aren’t,” he corrects me in a warning tone. “And you know how I feel about lies, little wolf.” For once I don’t give a damn about his scolding. “I won’t go, you can’t make me!” I cry, desperately trying to wriggle out of his arms. It’s no use, Bastien is too strong for me. I can fight all day long but we both know I won’t get anywhere. “Let me go!” I order angrily. A warning rumble vibrates in Bastien’s chest. He abruptly settle
Selene’s POV Bastien has gone to find us some food when I see a doctor approach the nurse’s station outside my room. I rise from bed as quickly as I can, hurrying out of my room and pulling my IV behind me. “Excuse me, are you my physician?” The man turns to face me, looking mildly surprised. “Mrs. Durand, you really shouldn’t be out of bed.” “Please, I feel fine, and I need to speak with you alone.” I beseech him. Bright blue eyes survey me thoughtfully. “As you wish,” he gestures toward the corridor, moving us away from the main desk. “Is everything alright?” He asks. “I don’t know.” I admit nervously. “My husband said I hit my head and was dehydrated, but I know you must have run tests and things.” I trip over my words, “That is to say – I mean, I wanted to ask you…” Sensing the direction of my thoughts, he raises a pacifying hand. “Do not worry, your baby is in perfect health.” A weight I didn't realize existed lifts from my shoulders. “Thank you,” I breathe, “But that’s onl
Selene’s POVArabella is curled in a heap at the bottom of the stairs, her pitiful cries grating against my ears like nails on a chalkboard. I can’t see any blood, but the sickening, unnatural angles of her legs leave me with no doubt her pain is genuine. A healthy, young wolf, she’ll heal quickly; but that won’t stop the injuries from hurting like a bitch in the interim.I might feel some sympathy for her, if it wasn’t for her melodramatic wails and repeated howls of, “Why Selene? Why did you do it?” Doctors and nurses crowd around her, shouting orders, but no one seems to pay me any mind.I’m still in shock. Everything happened so fast and my brain is scrambling to catch up. I haven’t moved from the top of the stairs, looking down at the grisly scene with wide eyes. How had everything gone so wrong so quickly? One moment my secret was safe, and the next my husband’s mate was trying to push me down the stairs because I hadn’t been smart enough to have a sensitive conversation in priv
Selene’s POVGarrick disappears in a wisp of smoke and I duck down behind the sofa’s backrest, choking on my sobs. The door slams shut, and I hear the thud of heavy paws against wood floors. The wolf rounds the sectional, shaking off excess water as he prowls toward me.I cower away from Bastien as he approaches, clamping my eyes shut when he’s near enough for me to feel the heat of his breath on my face.I expect growls and pain, instead feel the pillows dip beneath me, and then a huge furry body nudging me away from the backrest and taking its place. I peek one eye open, to make sure I’m actually feeling what I think I am. Bastien’s wolf has wound himself around my body like a furry blanket, so much larger than me in this form that I’m completely encircled.He’s still herding me into position, prodding and nuzzling until I relax against him, leaning into his warmth and using his shoulder as a pillow. His fur is damp but I don’t care, the quilt around my body shields me from the cold
6 Days Until the Rejection CeremonySelene’s POVEarly morning sunlight filters through the windows and bathes the room in dappled light. I feel Bastien tracing the patterns its rays form on my skin, trailing his fingers down my spine, circling the shadows and delicate illuminations across my ribcage.At some point last night he must have shifted and carried me to bed. Now he lies beneath me, the steady rise and fall of his chest rocking my body like a boat bobbing on the waves. I stretch drowsily, turning my face up to his. His eyes are already on me, his rugged features radiating warmth. “Good morning, little wolf.”I snuggle closer, reacting rather than thinking. “Good morning.” There are dark circles beneath Bastien’s eyes, “You didn’t sleep?”“No.” He confirms, “I was a bit distracted.”I can feel the blood drain from my face. “Is Arabella…?”“She’s going to be fine.” Bastien assures me. “You on the other hand…” he trails off ominously.I stiffen in his arms, “Bastien, I didn’t d
Selene’s POVI’ve never seen so many people in one place.Nova hall is packed to the gills with glittering bodies. Wolves from across the pack have gathered to celebrate Gabriel, all decked out in their finest. I know most of the people here, having met them at some point or another over the last three years, but at least a quarter of the guests are outsiders.Members of a dozen other packs have come to pay their respects, for tonight not only marks Gabriel’s birthday, but also his 30th anniversary as Alpha. There is no question my father-in-law has been a highly influential leader, brokering unprecedented alliances with powerful packs across the continent.I stand close to my mother-in-law’s side, wishing I could go back to the pack house. I hate these events, which always leave me feeling scrutinized and judged by the prying eyes of pack socialites. Most pack members view me as either an oddity or a charity case, but there is one group in particular who took great offense when Basti
Selene’s POVMy lungs burn as I choke on the salty pool water, trying desperately to keep my eyes open. A razor sharp pain explodes in my chest, tearing me from the inside out. As my airway seals shut and all the oxygen leaves my body, I feel a strange sense of peace. As if I know in my heart it’s over now, and I can finally rest.As my eyes shutter for the last time, I catch a final glimpse of the mortal world: An eerie cauldron of blue and green, dotted with the reflections of the garden’s fairy lights. The yellow orbs are broken only by the soft air pockets floating skyward, and then an explosion of bubbles and foam.An iron bar circles my middle, and suddenly I’m ascending, catapulting towards the surface. Saltwater spews from my mouth as I burst into the fresh air. I cough violently, unable to focus on anything but gulping in as much oxygen as I possibly can. I’m floating towards the pool’s edge, vaguely aware of a warm body holding me aloft.Half a dozen hands pull me from my wa
Selene “Why do you have that look on your face?” I ask Bastien, suspiciously eyeing his tense expression as he guides our car through the winding mountain roads. My father is in the back seat napping, and another vehicle follows behind us, transporting Helene and Frederic’s coffins. It’s both grim and comforting to be returning home under such circumstances, and I know Bastien is feeling as conflicted as I am about feeling so happy when our journey cost us so much. Still, I don’t think that’s what’s bothering him – but something clearly is. “Are you worried about how the pack is going to receive you?” “No.” Bastien sighs, anxiously rubbing the back of his neck. “Then what?” I press, wanting to comfort him the same way he’s comforted me over the last few days. After the initial elation about surviving wore off, a thousand distraught feelings closed in around me, threatening to pull me under. Nightmares about Blaise, guilt about Helene and Frederic, sorrow about their los
Bastien When I set out on this journey, I never planned on being gone for so long. I thought I’d travel for a few weeks, deal with Blaise as best I could, and return home before Selene started showing. Maybe it was naivete on my part, but there’s no denying things did not go as expected. Now, as I lie in bed a full twelve hours after the entire world as we knew it imploded, I’m merely grateful that we survived. Selene is bundled safely in my arms, and our pups are growing safely in her womb. I still don’t know how we managed to make it through the last few days unscathed – physically at least. I know the losses of Helene and Frederic are already weighing on my mate, and she hasn’t even begun to process their sacrifices. But we have plenty of time for that in the days to come. In fact – we have all the time in the world. We’re both eager to get home to Lila as soon as possible, not to mention that I’m dreading the mess I’ll be returning to in Elysium, but for now there is
As long as I live, I’ll never forget the sight of Bastien killing Blaise, or the strange sense of relief to watch another being’s life snuff out so brutally. Under any other circumstances I might be horrified, but now there is only the eerie sensation of all my fear evaporating at once. It almost happens too fast, ricocheting me back and forth between such extremes of emotion that my brain needs to shut down in order to cope. I actually black out for a few moments, the world going as dark as my shadows as I try to process what has just happened. Luckily I’m not alone. My father is by my side anchoring me to reality, and before long my mate is there too. Of course I didn’t see it happen; one moment Bastien was shaking Blaise like a ragdoll, the next he’s in front of me. He’s back in human form, bloody, bruised and naked as the day he was born. I can barely comprehend that it’s over, that the danger has really passed. Still, my wolf is rejoicing as Bastien takes my face in hi
My father is bending over me, his large, warm hands on my shoulders. “She’s gone Selene.” He murmurs, “She’s gone, you can’t help her now.” “No!” I insist tearfully, “she’s lived forever, she’s got more power in her little finger than I do in my whole body, she has to be faking, this has to be some kind of spell.” “Sweetheart, you have to focus.” My father coaches, “Blaise still lives and your mate still fights. It’s over for Helene but it doesn’t have to be over for you.” Little by little his words seep into my brain, and I’m finally able to look up at the scene around me. Bastien, Grayson and Matthew are still fighting tooth and nail, but Blaise and his spellcaster are standing side by side, looking only too pleased with themselves. “This is what defiance gets you, my beauty.” Blaise informs me. “Now be a good girl and come to me before anyone else gets hurt.” I thought I knew what anger was, I’ve certainly felt pure rage on any number of occasions in the past, bu
I immediately take a step towards Selene, but Blaise lazily waves his hand and a line of sentries crosses the floor between us, forming a human barricade between myself and my mate. Now Selene, Helene and James are completely encircled by guards, but my beautiful little wolf looks as determined as ever. If I so chose, I could barrel through the shifters dividing us with little issue, but I’m sure that’s exactly what Blaise wants. He wants to distract me, he wants to use Selene against me. Unable to help myself, my eyes drop to my mate’s belly. She’s put on at least five pounds since I saw her last, and her dress is now ballooned outward by a healthy baby bump. Twins, I think again, in awe of how much my wife has been through these last few weeks, and amazed by the miracle she’s embodying. When our eyes meet, I can see her determination so clearly it’s staggering. Nothing I say now is going to convince her to leave, even if it means she’s in for the spanking of a lifetime wh
Looking around in a panic, I demand, “where? Where has he gone?” “His orders were for me to get you out, Selene.” Helene informs me, not sounding as if she’s particularly interested in actually following them. “Then again, you are a headstrong young woman, and I’m just an old woman. It would be only too easy for you to overpower me and go after them.” “Them?” I repeat, “he’s not alone?” “No.” A deep voice sounds behind me, the man who had been standing with Helene before going to dispatch the guards. “His with the rebel leaders, Matthew and Grayson.” Turning around, I study the strange man closely. I’m sure I’ve never seen him before, but he seems oddly familiar. He’s got to be close to sixty years old, with gray streaked hair and the gaunt form of a man who’s known true deprivation. My wolf is already wondering if he might be my father, but the look on his face confirms it. He’s looking at me as if he’s seeing a ghost, his eyes shining with unshed tears. “Hello Sel
Selene “Why are we still in lockdown?” I demand, glaring at Blaise. “I thought you said the danger had passed.” “It has passed, my beauty, I’m merely being cautious.” He insists, reaching up to drag his knuckles over my cheek. “It’s an annoyance to be sure, but one we’ll get through.” “This is what happens when you abuse your people.” I grumble, “if you don’t want to be annoyed maybe you should respect their rights.” “Rights.” He scoffs, “more like a city full of spoiled children clamoring for attention and making unreasonable demands.” “I want to go back to my rooms.” I announce, overflowing with disgust for the horrible man. “You can’t do that yet.” He informs me brusquely. “Why, what’s going to happen?” I ask. “You know I normally don’t mind your sass, but I don’t have the patience for it today.” He gripes, turning away from me. “Wait!” I exclaim, clasping onto his arm as a rush of inspiration strikes me. We’re in his safe room surrounded by guards, but a man as
BastienMaking myself wait to take action until hearing from Helene is one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do. My relief over escaping the dungeons with Grayson and James wore off almost immediately after learning that Selene was still Blaise’s captive. I hadn’t really expected her to get away at the same time we did, but my disappointment and worry once Matthew filled us in was proof of the hope I hadn’t let myself acknowledge.The worst part is waiting for the witch to appear afterwards, but my new allies keep reminding me that I won’t be any help to Selene if I get captured again. Only this fact keeps me from stormi
SeleneI’m woken by the sounds of blaring alarms, the sound so shrill and horrible I slam a pillow over my face before I can stop to consider what the sound might mean. It’s not until my bedroom door swings open and a young servant girl pokes her head in, that I lower the plush implement. She pulls me out of bed and helps me into a robe while my head spins.An alarm. I think hopefully, that’s bad for Blaise. And what’s bad for Blaise can only be good for us. Luna answers slyly.