Chapter 19
Selene’s POV
The phone call ends, and 1 drops
bed, staring at the empty space where Dorian had been just seconds before. He’s gone. Of course he is A twisted part of me expected it, the way he stormed out like that. But there’s that sting, a flicker of something hollow and sharp gnawing at my
I shake it off. Tran
He can leave, take his branding looks and guilty eyes
s with him. It’s better
er this way—cleaner, Less complicated.
I’m not the girl who chases after men anymore. Especially not him.
1 leave the parkhouse with confusion in my chest and ctidaction in my head. At least I got him to help Scott rise to being Chief Beta. Tthat was I needed to accomplish. My handy eventually find their way onto the necklace sitting on my neck. He made this during the war! That’s barely believable considering he might as well be shoving his cock into Amara as they try to conceive a child, all while I was waiting back in the packhouse like a kid.
Darkness hovered over the horizon in no time. Seconds pass by fast when you’re deep in thought. The moment my stepfather gets what he wants. and 1 pull Mom out of this situation, I’m getting out of here.
The door to my bedroom creaks open, and in steps Mom–Lydia–her frail face lined with worry–immediately reminding me of what I emae back in this pack for Great Juil what I need. She sits on the edge of the bed, not saying a word at first. We both know why she’s here.
“Selene” she
she starts
her voice soli. Too soft, like I’m fragile. I’m not
Last straighter, crossing my arms. “Mom, don’t”
“Don’t what Care!“, She sighs, brushing a lock of hair behind her car, Tin just worried about you. That’s all. You’ve been… different”
Yeah, no shit. If you spent years out of this place and somewhere you think you’ve reached freedom in being a surgeon and helping por, and then get dragged back in here–Tin sure anyone would the different.
1 force a smile one that doesn’t reach my eyes. “I’m fine. Really i don’t want to worry her,
She doesn’t buy it. Heli. I wouldn’t either
ser you undr. Ant
wit she says, shifting on the bed like she’s trying to find the right words. “You’re not the same since you’ve come back. I barely Durian Isn’t he the right one for you? You loved him.”
atinot laugh. Dorun? The right our! The thought is fucking ridiculous. But I don’t laugh, don’t crack. I keep my expression neutral
i nel mirrested in romance right now, Mom There’s too much that to handle.
Lanaj, and Fin instantly regretting it. But there’s no going back. “I just want to huish what Lather–my step f
step father wants and get the hell
salesor. My stepindler’s face falls, like the air’s been sucked out of her lungs. I almost feel bad for her. Almost. But not when I’m telling her exactly
asks quietly. “Where will you go!“
I spit them out. “You could come with me.
1/3
Diddling with the hem of her start. It’s the hast time I’ve seen her specs less in a long time
amu sherly, carefully, “you know what happensat we lease. Weargu to be wild wolves. There’s going to be rogues. Vulnerable
Chy we hard. “That I can protect in?
Hey por, her laiss harrowing. “How? You’re strong, but you can’t protect unstrom every rogue out there
Jesh forward. Inwering my voice like we’re bading serocks. Tuade hijends alunad. Powerful fricish, Including a witch”
SHEPM c
Chapter 19
Chapter 19
Seler’s POV
The phone call ennds, and I drop it onto the bed, staring at the empty space where Dorian had been just sa
- e. He’s gone. Of course he is
A twisted part of me expected it the way he stormed out like that. But there’s that sting, a flicker of something raniow and sharp gnawing at my
I shake it off. Focus
He can leave, take his brooding looks and guilty eyes with him. It’s better this way–cleaner. Less.complicated.
I’m not the girl who chases after men anymore. Especially not
I leave the packhouse with confusion in my chest and satisfaction in my head. At least I got him to help Scott rise to bring Chief Beta. Tthat was all I needed to accomplish. My hands eventually find their way onto the necklace sitting on my neck. He made this during the war? That’s barely believable considering he might as well be shoving his cock into Amara as they try to conceive a child, all while I was waiting back in the packhouse
Darkness hovered over the horizon in no time. Seconds pass by fast when you’re deep in thought. The moment my stepfather gets what he wants and I pull Mom out of this situation. I’m getting out of here.
The door to my bedroom creaks open, and in steps Mom–Lydia–her frail face lined with worry–immediately reminding me of what I can back in this pack for. Great Just what I need. She sits on the edge of the bed, not saying a word at first. We both know why she’s here.
“Selene, she starts, her voice soft. Too soft, like I’m fragile. I’m not
Esit straighter, en
crowsing my arms. “Mom, don’t.”
“Don’t what! Care!” She sighs, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear. “I’m just worried about you. That’s all. You’ve been… different.”
Different. Yeah, no shit. If you spent years out of this place and somewhere you think you’ve reached freedom in being a surgeon and helping people, and then get dragged back in here–I’m sure anyone would the different.
I force a smile, one that doesn’t reach my eyes. Tm fine. Really.” i don’t want to worry her
She don’t buy it. Hell. I wouldn’t either.
“How was the interview?” she says, shifting on the bed like she’s trying to find the right words. “You’re not the same since you’ve come back. I barely Mee you umile And Dorian. Isn’t he the right one for you? You loved him
Lalmost laugh. Dorian? The right one? The thought is fucking ridiculous. But I don’t laugh, don’t crack. I keep my expression neutral.
not interested in romance right now, Mom. There’s too much shit to handle,”
“You don’t mean.
n instantly regretting it. But there’s no going back. “I just want to finish what father–my step father wants and get the hell
Silence: My stepmother’s face falls, like the air’s been sucked out of her lungs. Lalnunt feel bad for her. Almost. But not when I’m telling her exactly
“And the
asks quietly: “Where will you put”.
Thesitate, the words tasting bitter before I spit them out. “You could come with
Her eyes seiden, a mix of shock and something I can’t quite place. “Leave the pack?”
Irod. “Why not?”
chards, hddling with the ben of her shirt. It’s the first time I’ve seen her speechless in a long time.
tarti slowly, carefully, “you know what happens if we have. We’re going to be wild wolves. There’s going to be rogues. Vulnerable
my voärr hard. “But Frati protest is”
Shar labs her fer all, terting my
my gaze, her brow furrowing. “How? You’re strung, but you can? protect us from every rogue out there.”
*) won’t have to” I lean forward, lowering my voice like we’re trading secrets. “Imale friends.
s abroad. Powerful friends. Including a witch”
1/3
Chapter 194
다
“A wilch” Her eyes narrow in confusion.
Inod again “She can helpe Tide our sent, nur identities. Keep as off
Lyslia lonks at air like she doesity even recognize me anymar. Maybe she doesn’t, I don’t even recognier
“And you trund her?!
She saved my awu more times iluan I can count. She’sthereal deal, Mom“.
my life more than anyone in my adoptive family had ever door for mor
Stepmother sits back, chewing on her lip, will thinking: Udon’t blame her. Leaving going to get out of this sluthöle, I’m not doing it
cher carefully, waiting for her response, lan her silence stretches, long and heavy.
Finally, she sighs “T
I’ve ne
days
Chiot even sure why she keeps helping me, but I’ll do
never thoughs about leaving. This pack has been our home for so long
Hamr. The word tastes like poison in my mouth.
Tim not staying here.” I tell her flatly.“Not after everything”
decision you make overnight. But if I’m
Her eyes soften, and she reaches for my hand, but I pull away. I can’t afford to get soft now. Not when I’m so close to leaving this place behind.
“You’re sure about this?” she asks.
“As sure as I’ve ever been about anything.”.
Dorian POV
That damn call. It’s been gnawing at me, like a fucking nich I can’t, scratch, Baby–she called someone baby.
Who the hell was she talking to?
1 pace the room, my fats clenching and unclenching, I’m seconds away from losing it. I shouldn’t even care. I shouldn’t give a slamu.
But I do Fuck I do.
The anger’s there, burning like wildfire under my skin, but underneath it there’s something worse. Something deeper. Fear. It’s a quiet whisper at the back of my mind, telling me that I could’ve lost her. That maybe I already did. And I can’t fucking live with that.
She was mine once. Mine in every way that mattered. But she barely even looks at me now. Like I don’t exist. Like I’m not still bleeding out from The day I let her slip through my fingers. My cliest tightens, fury bubbling up, but I push it down. Gotta be smart about this Can’t just tear shit
1 pull any pleone out of my pocket, tracking down the wolf I had keeping an eye on her, the one I trusted to watch her while she was gone. He better Jurer some answers, or I swear I’ll rip his fucking throat out. It took about an hour before a knock on the door finally gave away his presence. He nomes in, a hood hovering over his face
“Hai she been with anyone?” I smart the second I get lum alone, not bothering with pleasantries. I don’t have time for that shit.
“Anyone” Oilier
like poison on my tongue. I hate that I even have to ask. The thought of her with someone else makes me want to fucking
los bread quarkly, knowing better than to make me wait. “No. She’s been focused o her studies. No men, just one close female trienal” Tatare at lian, searching for any loan of a dir, but he looks. doma’t explain that goddamn phone call.
dead in the eyes, strady. He’s not bullshitting me. That’s a relief, I guess. But it
“Then who the hell did a call baby?” I grind out, frustration clowing at me. My wolf stirs pissed off and just as confused as Lam.
fari, mey will urges, Hough and demanding Find her Confront her. Get the fut king truth?
want to God knows I wont treatorn in, grab her, and force her to tell me everything. But it’s not that simple anymore, is itt Not with how things
as though I’m nothing more than a ghost from her past she’d rather finger. Maybe Lam.
jare latern to now. She barely looki
We’re both playing this fucked up game of distance–deer acting code and away from ripping apart anyone who tour header. It’s
tent. She doesn’t give a shit, and use pretending I’m not seconds
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5:40 PM.
Chapter 19
I grind my teeth, the urge to confront her eating me alive, but I hold back. If I push her too hard, she’ll shut down completely. And I can’t risk that -not when I’m this close to getting her back. Even if I don’t know how to yet.
But that damn word–baby–keeps looping in my mind, and I can’t shake it. There’s something she’s not telling me. Something important
My wolf growls, pacing inside me, pushing me to do something, to claim her again, like I should have without knowing the whole story.
Not this time.
irt. But I can’t just storm in
Still…it doesn’t stop the gnawing jealousy from fucking ripping through me. If anyone’s been with her, I’ll kill them. No hesitation. I’ll tear their throats out with my bare hands.
Because she was always mine. Will be, soon. Even if she doesn’t know it anymore,
