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’s POVWoops.When I asked Drake to keep me company at the party, I planned to flirt and dance, to give Bastien a little taste of his own medicine. Annoyance, that was the plan. An annoyed Bastien is manageable, an enraged Bastien is dangerous.I stare at my husband with wide eyes. He’s standing in the doorway, on the verge of shifting, fury rolling off him in waves. His metallic gaze is locked on my face, on my tears and Drake’s comforting hands.Drake doesn’t seem the least bit troubled by the rabid creature looming over us. He slides his fingers from my skin, turning to Bastien with a friendly smile. “Bastien, it’s been a while.”“Too long.” Bastien agrees, “So long you seem to have forgotten who you’re dealing with.”Drake rolls his eyes, and I have a sudden and newfound respect for the young Alpha. He may wear the face of a playful rogue, but underneath he is every bit the hard and commanding leader the role demands. “Honestly Bastien, I didn’t think you’d be so ungrateful.