Chapter 2: Betrayal

Selene's POV

Why? 

That was the question on my mind as I stared at the invitations. Why hadn’t I seen these before now?

These invitations were supposed to go to my guardian and then be handed over to me. 

I stared at the invitations, my fingers gripping the edges so tightly the paper began to curl. I realized there was only one explanation. 

My mom. As my guardian, she received these invitations. But she never gave them to me. Instead, she hid them from me, buried under sweaters in my closet.

But why would she do that? 

I’d always tried so hard to be a good daughter, to listen to her and follow her rules, even though it meant excluding myself from all the other wolves. It was crushing sometimes, the loneliness I felt as a child. I longed for friends, to go to school, to do all the other fun things that other wolves my age did. I endured the constant ridicule of the other wolves because I had no friends, and I did it to keep the peace with my mom. I never complained about how bad things were for me. I never told my mom how hard it was to BE me because I didn’t want to upset her,  even though, deep down, I often dreamed of a different life, one full of fun activities with friends, where I could play and laugh like the other kids.  

Growing up, it had just been me and my mom. I never knew who my father was and I never asked because I didn’t want to upset my mom. She worked so hard to raise me, slaving away in the pack’s kitchen so she could keep a roof over my head and provide me with everything I needed. Her job was awful, slaving away every day in the chaotic, filthy pack kitchen. She always came home after work exhausted, her clothes smeared with grease. But she worked relentlessly, never taking so much as a single day off. 

I’d been grateful that she worked so hard for me. And even though my heart hurt every day from the constant mocking and bullying, I thought my mom and I were a team, that we were in it together. 

But now, as I fondled this year’s invitation in my hand, I realized the truth. And it was a hard truth to swallow——

I had been invited to the ball and my mother had hidden it from me. 

I felt like I couldn’t breathe. Tears welled up and streamed down my face and I angrily swiped at them. My mother had betrayed me and the gravity of that squeezed my chest so hard, it hurt. 

She knew how badly I wanted to go to the ball. Every year, she held me as I cried when my invitation didn’t come. And all the while she’d KNOWN that I actually WAS invited.  How could she do this to me? 

I collapsed onto my bed, still clutching the invitation. The golden lettering blurred as I stared at it. And then, somewhere deep in my mind, a voice whispered a terrifying thought. 

Your mom lied to you. Maybe Jason did too.

My breath hitched in my throat. 

Jason? 

Cynthia’s voice reverberated through my mind, her boisterous bragging to the other she-wolves. “Jason’s going to declare his love for me at the ball tonight.” 

A sick, twisted feeling coiled in my stomach. It couldn’t be true though. Jason would never betray me like my mother had. He couldn’t. He loved me.

Didn’t he? 

There was only one way to find out the truth. I had to go to the masquerade. If Jason really was there, I could confront him and demand an explanation. 

So I reread the invitation, more carefully this time. Lycan Royal Family Cosplay. That was this year’s theme.

It was such a retro idea. Lycans were practically the stuff of legends—bigger, stronger, faster than werewolves. They’d once ruled over all the packs. But now? They were nothing more than bedtime stories told to kids while mothers tucked them in for the night. 

I’d always been fascinated by Lycans. Everyone was, really. Well, everyone except my mom. Whenever I brought up Lycans, she just rolled her eyes and told me I was wasting my time with “nonsense”. 

I had to admit, it was a fun theme. I dug through my clothes, trying to find something suitable to wear to the ball. Eventually,  I found a slim-fitting pink dress. It wasn’t great, but it would have to do. Time was ticking; the ball was starting soon. So I pulled on the dress and quickly slapped on some makeup. 

Then I proudly put on the final detail - red contact lenses. 

Everyone would be wearing red contacts. Red eyes were the mark of the Lycan Royal family. So I carefully slid the lenses into my eyes, and blinked at my reflection in the mirror. 

I had to admit, the red eyes looked good on me. They felt... right, like they’d always belonged to me. I actually looked like a Lycan Royal. I gave my reflection one last curt nod, and then rushed out the door to the ball. 

At the ball, I stopped just outside the doors, clutching the invitation tightly in my trembling hand. I took a shaky breath, and tried to steady myself. 

You were invited. You belong here, I whispered to myself. Just smile politely and everything will be fine. 

I handed over my invitation for inspection and felt a twinge of excitement. I was there! I was finally at the ball after all these years. It felt surreal! I was giddy with anticipation, completely caught up in the revelry of it all! 

But the moment I stepped inside, my heart sank. 

There he was, in a crisp white shirt that practically glowed under the chandeliers…

Jason. 

My chest constricted painfully. His golden hair was styled perfectly, with not a single strand out of place. He held a glass of wine like it was an extension of his hand, his piercing blue eyes half-lidded as if he owned the room. 

He looked... untouchable. Like a prince out of a fairytale. And me? I glanced down at my pathetic pink dress. I was nothing compared to him. He was a star and I was just some nameless extra in the background. 

So he was here after all. It almost broke my heart, knowing that. He’d promised me he wouldn’t go. All the way to the ball, I’d clung onto the hope that he wouldn’t be there, that I’d show up and confirm for myself that Jason was true to his word.  

But all that hope was crumbling right before my eyes. Jason was there, all right. Standing proud with a drink in his hand, swarmed by a circle of elegant she-wolves in stunning, expensive dresses. He was smiling. My heart was breaking. 

My secret boyfriend had lied to me.