Chapter Three

Selina’s POV

Pain was a familiar companion.

It throbbed in my side, sharp and insistent, but it wasn’t just the physical wound that hurt. It was the way Kieran had looked past me as if I didn’t exist. As if I hadn’t nearly died trying to save the woman he had chosen over me.

I clenched my fists, forcing myself to stand despite the dizziness. Blood soaked through the fabric of my dress, but I refused to show weakness. Not here. Not now.

Not in front of them.

Lilith whimpered softly in Kieran’s arms, her fingers clutching his shirt as she whispered, “I was so scared…”

Kieran’s jaw tightened, his grip on her tightening protectively. “I’ve got you,” he murmured.

A hollow laugh threatened to escape my throat.

Where was that protectiveness when it had been me?

The warriors were still gathered, murmuring among themselves about the attack, but no one paid attention to me. No one ever did.

I was still bleeding. Still standing in a puddle of my own blood.

And yet, all that mattered was her.

It was foolish, the way my heart clenched, the way my body trembled with something deeper than pain. Betrayal. Humiliation.

Something inside me cracked.

I was done being invisible.

A firm hand landed on my shoulder, steadying me. “You need a healer.”

I turned, surprised to see Beta Dorian standing beside me. His brown eyes were sharp, assessing the wound on my side.

“I’m fine,” I muttered, trying to pull away.

He didn’t let go.

“No, you’re not.” His voice was low, serious. “Come with me before you collapse.”

I should have fought him on it. I should have pushed past the pain and walked away with whatever dignity I had left.

But I was too weak. Too tired.

And so, for the first time that night, I let someone take care of me.

The healer worked quickly, her hands cool against my fevered skin as she stitched up the wound.

“You’re lucky,” she said. “Another inch and he would have punctured your lung.”

Lucky. Right.

I stared at the ceiling, feeling numb.

Kieran hadn’t even asked if I was okay.

A bitter laugh threatened to escape, but I swallowed it down. I had spent years loving him. Years worshipping him.

And what had it gotten me?

A rejection. A bleeding wound. A reminder that I would never be enough.

The healer finished wrapping the bandage around my waist. “Try not to strain yourself,” she advised.

I gave her a tight nod and stood, ignoring the pain that flared in my ribs.

I needed air.

The moment I stepped out of the healer’s wing, the cool night breeze hit me, but it did nothing to calm the storm inside me.

I walked blindly, my mind racing, my emotions tangled in a web of fury and pain.

And then I heard them.

Low voices. Whispering.

Curiosity made me pause. I pressed myself against the stone wall of the packhouse, just out of sight.

“What do you mean you lost him?” Kieran’s voice was sharp, filled with frustration.

“We had him restrained,” a warrior responded, sounding nervous. “But by the time we reached the dungeons, he was gone.”

My breath caught.

Gone? The attacker had escaped?

“That’s impossible,” Kieran growled. “He was barely conscious.”

Another voice, deeper and unfamiliar, spoke. “It wasn’t just him. Someone helped him.”

A heavy silence fell.

“Who?” Kieran demanded.

“We don’t know yet,” the warrior admitted. “But this was planned. Someone inside the pack helped him get out.”

I sucked in a sharp breath.

A traitor.

Someone inside Blood Moon had orchestrated this.

The knowledge sent a shiver down my spine.

Kieran cursed under his breath. “Find out who it was,” he ordered. “I want answers by morning.”

“Yes, Alpha.”

Footsteps echoed as the warriors scattered, leaving Kieran standing alone in the moonlit courtyard.

I should have left then. I should have turned and walked away.

But something inside me snapped.

He had ignored me. Abandoned me.

But this?

This was my problem too.

I stepped out of the shadows. “You should be more careful, Alpha.”

Kieran’s head snapped up, his piercing blue eyes locking onto me.

For the first time that night, he really looked at me.

His gaze flickered to the bandage wrapped around my waist, his jaw tightening. “You should be resting.”

I laughed, but there was no humor in it. “You didn’t seem too concerned before.”

Guilt flashed in his eyes—just for a second—before he masked it with cold indifference.

“You were reckless,” he muttered.

I took a step closer, fury burning through my veins. “I saved her. I could have died, Kieran. And you didn’t even care.”

His eyes darkened. “I never said I didn’t care.”

“Then why didn’t you act like it?” I snapped. “Why did you only run to Lilith?”

The silence between us was suffocating.

And then he sighed, rubbing a hand over his face. “Because I made my choice.”

I flinched.

Of course. His choice.

Not fate. Not destiny.

Just a decision.

And it had never been me.

I swallowed past the lump in my throat, forcing myself to meet his gaze. “Then do me a favor,” I said, voice shaking. “Stay out of my way.”

Kieran’s brows furrowed. “What are you talking about?”

I lifted my chin. “If there’s a traitor in this pack, I’ll find them.”

He scoffed. “You think you can do what my warriors can’t?”

I smirked. “Your warriors didn’t even make it to the dungeons before their prisoner vanished. So, yes, I do.”

Something flickered in his expression. Frustration. Annoyance.

And then—

Something else.

Something like pride.

“Selina—”

I didn’t let him finish.

I turned on my heel and walked away, leaving him standing there, watching me.

For the first time in my life, I wasn’t going to wait for someone else to decide my worth.

I would carve out my own fate.

And I would never let anyone make me feel powerless again.