Selene’s POV “Mom, where’s Dad? You said he’d be here before my birthday started, but I can’t find him anywhere,” Ella whined, tugging on the hem of my dress. Her big, tear-filled eyes stared up at me, searching for answers I didn’t have. The weight of guilt pressed down on my chest. Crouching to her level, I prepared myself to tell another carefully crafted lie. “Baby, Dad called. He said he’s on his way,” I murmured, trying to sound convincing. Her little brows furrowed. This was the second time I’d spun this tale, and I could see the doubt creeping into her innocent gaze. Still, she clung to a fragile thread of hope. “You know your dad wouldn’t miss your birthday, right? You’re his little princess, his favorite girl in the whole world. He’ll be here.” I stroked her soft hair, pressing a kiss to her forehead. She nodded, but the sadness in her eyes remained. “Okay…” “Why don’t you go play with your friends?” I said, forcing cheer into my voice. “They’re waiting for you, and I
Selene’s POV "What did you just say?" I asked, disbelief making my voice tremble. I had to have misheard. He couldn’t have said those words. Not Alex, not the man I’d stood by through everything. But my wolf, silent and shrunk in disgust, confirmed it. He had said it. “Did I say something wrong? You are useless; a Luna with a disabled wolf isn’t worth the position, and you know it,” he continued. His words felt like a slap, but the sting didn’t stop there. Natasha, ever the opportunist, chimed in with a smirk. “Don’t make a fuss about it, Selene; he isn’t telling a lie; you are indeed a disabled wolf.” “Finally showing your true colors, huh? Natasha, you have no right to say anything here. And you, Alex, calling me a disabled wolf after everything I’ve done for you? After I stood by you when everyone thought you couldn’t lead? I defended you. I took on the hits, even got poisoned and stabbed by assassins, for you!” I cleaned my eyes once more, but the tears just kept on falling
Selene’s POV Alexander meant what he said. He had the guards lock Ella in her room, forbidding her from seeing her friends and taking away her toys. My sweet, spirited girl, confined like a criminal. I stayed with her that first night, listening to her cries and pleas until they gave way to exhausted whimpers. By the time dawn broke, she had developed a fever. It only got worse. On the second night, her tiny body was wracked with shivers, her cheeks flushed with an unnatural crimson. I held her close, whispering soft reassurances I wasn’t sure I believed anymore. My baby needed help! Panic rising in my chest, I ran to the guards stationed outside. “Please!” I begged, gripping the nearest one by the arm. “Get the pack healers. Tell them the Luna commands their presence immediately! My daughter is sick—she needs help!” The guard shifted uneasily. “I’m sorry, Luna. The Alpha’s orders stand. He said no interference—” “She’s a child!” My voice cracked. “She’s your princess! Are
Selene’s POV “What?! What do you mean, what’s wrong with my baby?” I burst into the room, panic clawing at my chest. The healers stood motionless, their heads bowed, refusing to meet my gaze. Their silence suffocated me. “My Luna… she’s in…” “Speak up!” I roared, the desperation in my voice echoing off the walls. “She’s in a coma,” one of them finally mumbled, barely audible. “It’s… severe.” My world tilted. I staggered, clutching the doorframe for support as my eyes darted to Ella’s still, fragile body on the bed. My baby girl, my heart, lay motionless, her tiny chest barely rising. “Her treatment was delayed... There was nothing we could do in time.” Delayed. The word struck like a whip, and I knew exactly who was to blame. “What’s going on here?” Natasha said in a whisper as she and Alexander walked into the room. That was it. The dam of my restraint shattered. I lunged at her, grabbing her by the collar before she could feign innocence. “You are the reason! It’s all bec
Selene’s POVTwo days.It had been two days since I last saw the break of dawn, two days since I heard the voice of my little princess calling me "mommy." I was weak and unwilling to let my faith die.My body sagged on the floor, unable to stand anyone. I had bruises on every inch of my body, an impact of hitting the metal gate so much that my head had bruises as patches of dried blood.I had cried, I had prayed, I had begged and fought for two days with no hope of coming out of here. Alexander meant it when he said he was going to punish me for a crime I didn’t commit.He meant it when he said he was going to make my life miserable.I refused to let the idea sink in, as I forced myself up again, my sore knees crawling on the floor while I dragged myself to the gates of the dungeon, my bloody hands wrapped around the rusty bars of the cell room.“Is anyone there! please… just get the Alpha for me. I need to know where my baby is." I couldn’t cry or yell, but I knew they could hear me
Lucian’s POV “Mate?” The word echoed in my head, clawing at my sanity. It couldn’t be true. She was mated to my brother! Alexander, he married her because she chose him over me. How could she possibly be my mate? “I felt it,” my wolf, Escarnor, growled, smug, and relentless. I stalked through the pack corridors, my chest tight with anger. The air was thick with the stench of betrayal, the walls steeped in memories I had spent years trying to forget. Her scent lingered here, winding through the halls. It was maddening. Intoxicating. Six years. I returned to this wretched pack, not with the aim to rescue Selene. I didn’t expect that. My only purpose was to take back what was stripped from me. Alexander might wear the title of Alpha, but we both knew who it rightfully belonged to. He had lied, manipulated, and cheated his way into power. I was going to make sure he went on his knees. The plan had been calculated. Infiltrate the palace in disguise, assess the state of
Selene's POV The dungeon was suffocatingly silent. It was late at night. And over six hours since I had last seen him. Part of me started to believe I’d imagined it, that maybe I’d conjured him out of desperation. But the greasy plate and half-empty can of water at the edge of the cell told me otherwise. He had been here. I saw Lucian. My arms wrapped around my knees as I tried to still the ache in my chest. Six years ago, the pack’s seer declared Lucian a threat, claiming the goddess herself had demanded his imprisonment. If he wasn’t contained, she warned, our pack would face unimaginable suffering. And like the fool I was, I didn’t listen. I was young and reckless, following my heart instead of reason. I trusted him when he said he cared for me, when he whispered promises of escape, freedom, and a life far from the suffocating grasp of the pack—and my parents. But when the moment came, he chose a life without me. I hugged my knees tighter. He made a fool of me, he ridicul
Selene’s POV His hard palm came crashing on my face, fast and hard, immediately sending me to the floor. I shuddered as the pain spiralled through my body, the room rotated around me, and I felt nauseous. I had tried maintaining my composure, but I vomited right there; half of it’s content was blood.I was pulled to my feet and pinned against the wall; my hands were held apart beside me; a guard brought out a dagger and shoved it into my palm; therefore, pinning my hands to the wall, a blaring scream escaped my lips.The same action was done to my other hand; I could not take it anymore, and I let myself cry. I could not move my hands, and the silver knife burnt my skin. Alex held my jaw up; he passed a menacing grin towards me, but in mere seconds my vision blurred with tears."Oh, Selene, you wouldn’t have gone through this pain if you had answered, but somehow you found a way to complicate things for yourself. Now I will ask you one more time, Where is your daughter, and who is you
Joan’s POVAfter the news about Lucian and Selene. And Alex and who ever was involved I was downcasted for the longest of periods and as the goddes might have it my bruises were not as bad as one would imagine.A few broken bones and an cute but once again miss Selene if she was here. It would have been better because surely she would help a friend out.Now I had to move around with a limp, tired and exhausted as I walked out of the ward down the hall Lucian and lilac were in the study room and I was heading to see Ella who in my understanding hasn’t gotten up from bed yet.I walked over to her room, there were guards in the room where she was staying, and two more outside I heard her talking with one of them they were playing card games on the bed.“Joan.” She cheered without looking up from her card.“Hey little one, how are you doing?” I asked as I leaned on the bed and and reached out for her thighs, it wa totally uncalled for but I placed my head on her thighs it wa bandaged and
Selene's POV“Don’t thank me yet,” he replied lightly, though there was a seriousness in his eyes that told me he’d seen more than I cared to admit. “Rest now, and when you’re ready, we can talk. But first, you need to recover.”I looked away, remembering the sharp, bitter taste of the wind and the haunting sound of those rogues’ voices. “I’m a rogue,” I repeated, as if to convince myself that I could still be the fierce, independent warrior I’d always been. “I don’t usually need help.”He paused, his hands still working over my wounds. “Maybe not,” he said softly. “But even rogues have scars that run deeper than the skin. Let me help you patch those up tonight.”I wanted to protest, to cling to the pride that had kept me isolated for so long, but the truth was undeniable. I was tired—physically and emotionally battered. And deep down, I knew that letting someone in wouldn’t make me weak; it would simply make me human. With a sigh that seemed to come from the depths of my soul, I nodd
Selene’s POVI lashed out with my free arm, slamming my elbow into my attacker’s ribs, and he grunted, loosening his grip on my wrist for just a heartbeat. The chaotic sounds of the forest—the relentless storm, snapping branches, and the harsh murmurs of the rogues—filled my ears. I scrambled backwards, my heart pounding hard enough that I could almost hear it. I knew I had to run. I couldn’t stay here and be caught by these desperate fools.I bolted through the underbrush, adrenaline pounding in my veins, each step fueled by fear and fury. My breath came in ragged gasps as I dashed blindly through the forest, blood seeping from fresh cuts and old bruises alike. I didn’t dare look back, though I could hear the snarls and angry shouts trailing me in the distance.The wind still whipped at me, unrelenting, and for a moment I thought it would sweep me off my feet entirely. I fought it, clinging to the wet ground as if my life depended on it—because it did. I could almost taste the metall
Lucian’s POVAnother pack member, an older wolf with scars etched deep into his face, nodded slowly. “We owe you our lives. But… why are you out here alone, Mask? Lilac said you wouldn’t leave your post.” His tone was gentle yet filled with concern.I clenched my jaw. “I need to think,” I replied, more to myself than to them. The burden of leadership, the betrayal, and the constant threat from Alex and his allies—it was too much. I didn’t know if I could shoulder it any longer.The wind roared again, as if to remind me that there was no escape from destiny. I turned to leave, but then I paused. The pack’s eyes, filled with hope and desperation, held me in place. Their silent pleas for guidance, for reassurance, weighed heavily on me. I couldn’t abandon them—not when they needed me most.My mind was a storm of conflicting emotions. Anger, sorrow, and a deep-seated guilt churned inside me. I remembered Lilac’s words, the promise I had made. I remembered the faces of those who looked up
Lucian’s POV I was furious. Every muscle in my body burned with anger as I stormed out of the pack house. The recent events still stung like fresh wounds— Alex’s betrayal, the way everything had fallen apart, the weight of secrets.She should have not gone to the human realm she would die. And she knows this too well that she would die yet she did all this why! I pushed open the heavy door and stepped into the cold, unforgiving night. The wind hit me like a wall, whipping my hair and carrying the scent of rain and earth. My heart pounded in my chest, a relentless drumbeat that fueled my rage.I had left for the ward where Joan had been staying—a place I once thought was safe. Now it felt like a trap. I needed to be free, to run away from the constant reminders of failure and loss. Every step I took away from that house felt like a step toward escape. Yet even as I ran, I knew I couldn’t outrun the memories. They clung to me like shadows.Before I had even gathered my thoughts, a str
Selene’s POVI let the guilt sit with me for a while before I let it go, my father was there and even though I know Joan would take care of her I still needed to contact them.I wasn’t with any form of communication devise with me and the realm is too big to go on and about looking for them.The wind was relentless. It howled through the trees, whipping against my body with an unforgiving force. Each step I took seemed like a punishment as it seems the wind wanted to make me one with the RV walls It felt like walking through an invisible wall pushing me back. My clothes clung to my skin, soaked from the endless drizzle, and the icy air cut into me like knives. My nose was force fed air and my mouth was sealed shut. I could not move further and I tried not to be swept away but the force.Damn a valley without rockOr caves or even as much as a tall three.if I was a beaver I would dig the floor and enter. I was exhausted. My body screamed for rest, but I couldn’t stop. Ella’s scent wa
Selene’s POVWhatever I was doing was most definitely working as his breathing pace was now more steady than it had been since we stepped out of the portal, and now that was done I tried to steady my heart beat while trying to make it work so I could send him out of there.But whatever I was doing was also causing something to move in his body, like I was healing not only his system for breathing but his entire body but this time I tea is more different than anything I have ever felt.The moment I got deeper into healing him it felt as though I was glued to his body, it was intense, and magnetic and the more I stayed he became more attached I felt just staying there, the portal grew but it was always decreasing as we proceeded with the treatment.Whatever it was I didn’t care but I pulled him closer to the portal till half of his body was here and the other ther from he held my hand, my heart skills beat.His eyes opened slightly and his lips stretched in. Sly smile.“Thanks for ever
Selene’s POVI tried to kick his hands out, but damn this thick dress. Damn it so much, because of it he was able to climb on my body while pinning my knees to the floor, my attentlg to stand was ended when he held my legs.And now I was trying to crawl out of there but he held my hair in between his hard fingers.“Damn you!” He said.As he held my jaw threatening to break it with his hand I met his broken nose as well, both of were bleeding, but he was smiling at me“Hello Selene hawkmoon. It’s nice seeing you again.” He butted my head with his head and I fell to the floor the room took a quick spin but I was not giving up, I had taken the stone out of my chest pad where I had kept it earlier, and I held it in my hands and when he came close to my face again I slammed his head with the stone.Again. Three times till one’s sure I had gotten the part where was bleeding he rolled on his back as he groaned in pain. I stood to my feet, ready to take to my feet but the dress was crappy an
Selene’s POVit kept on flattering and resizing as it emerges, now I thought of nothing at all but the resent energy in the room it knocked on the walls of my mind, it teared my veins there were so many sick people in the room praying to be healed by some miracle healer all of a sudden.But I had other things, I stood from where I was and I walked over to a distant edge maybe the further I am am from the more distant the rush to want to heal them will affect me.Did it workMaybe.The potato was big enough to size my head and if it could just grow a little bit wider now I would shove myself inside like a tight cave hole. I would not mind it.I had finally gotten to a stage of mind one would calm perfect and once I saw that the ho I had created was big enough to fit me I stood up and it stood still, I could almost cry but I had no—“Shit.” Casper walked into the room, the stillness in my heart died and the portal disappeared but with the look on his eyes I was sure not finding a way o