Chapter 8
POV (Selene’s Foster Father)
I stormed into the living room, slamming the door behind me so hard it rattled the damn frame. The phone call with Selene had gone exactly as I expected—her guilt–ridden aws arisally agreed to come back. Perfect. She was too soft for her own good, and now she’d be walking right into my
I saw Lydia huddled in a corner, looking more terrified than a rat in a trap. I crossed the room in two strides and grabbed her by the arm, yanking her up from the floor where she’d been cowering.
“Get up. Lydia” 1 mapped, shaking her a bit. “You’re not done yet. That useless girl’s coming back, and it’s about damn time you get your act together.
Lydia tried to pull away, her eyes wide with fear. “Marcus, please ”
“Don’t’t
“please me, you spineless idiot. I need you to make sure Selene does exactly what I’ve planned. And you better do it right, or so help me, i make sure you regret it.”
she started to cry tears streaming down her face. “I won’t use her. I won’t-
I grabbed her by the hair, yanking her head back so she could see the fire in my eyes. “You will use her. I’m not asking. Lydia. I’m telling you. You don’t have a choice. If you don’t get your shit together and make her play her part, I’ll find her myself. And I promise you, Lydia, it won’t be pretty
She whimpered, her voice barely a whisper. “I’ll do it. Just…don’t hurt me
sure your precious
I threw her to the floor, watching her crumple with a sense of satisfaction. “Good. Because if you screw this up, I’ll make sure y daughter is dead. And you’ll be the one holding the knife.”
Lydia scrambled up, trying to compose herself, but I could see the fear etched into her features. She was a mess, and rightfully so. I wasn’t about to let her off cary.
get to watch
“Don’t you dare les Alpha Dorian find out about this. You think he’d give a damn about your sob story? No, he’d rip you apart, and I’d go So keep your mouth shut and do what you’re told”
I grabbed her roughly by the collar and shoved her toward the door. “Get out of my sight. And remember. Lydia, if you fuck this up, it’ll be the last Titit you ever do ”
She scurried out, her sobs fading down the hall. I took a deep breath, calming the anger that still simmered under the surface. This was far from over. Selene was coming back, and I intended to make sure she stayed under my control. There was no room for mistakes, and no room for
I turned my attention to the small, cluttered desk in the corner, picking up the phone and dialing a number. Time to make sure everything was in place for her arrival. I had plans to execute, and nothing was going to stop me.
The door creaked open again, and Lydia perked back in, lookingg pale and shaky. “Marcus, you should know-
I didn’t let her finish i stormed over and shoved her back out of the room, slamming the door behind her. She was a useless, pathetic mess right
no time for her raruses. My focus was on Selene and the twisted litle game I was about to play.
Genariogrilarr, Tydu” Listered to myself as
pulled out a file and started reviewing the plans. “We’ve got a lot of work ahead of us
Lavonned out of the house, my rage barely contained. I was heading straight for the pack house, my thoughts racing faster than my steps: Selene’s petube was the key to merrything falling into place, and I couldn’t wait to rub it in Durian’s face. I hoped he’d choke on the news. My son, Chief
maybe ‘even Alphur someday. This was my ticket to rewriting the rules.
front gates, not even bothering with pleasantries. The guards, uses to my explosive entrances, barely flinched. As 1 Dorian’s offer, I could already picture the smug look on his face as he pretended not to care about Selene. But I knew The guy was petted enough to still have a soft spot for her, and that would be iny leverage.
orged into dar park houur, feeling like I was on a mission straight out of hell. The guards eyed me with a mix of confusion, and wariness asl
(through, making my way to Alpha Dorian’s tattic They knew better than to get in my way, not with the way I was looking right now,
Door tier to the monster’s dem Alpha Durian was at his desk, his face half–burned in paper work, looking every bit the brooding monster he’d become. But as soon as he saw mic, his head shot up, his eyes narrowing witli a mix of Irritation and curiosity.
“Sperak” be proveled, barely hiding the irritation in his voder.
I didn’t waste a second “Alpha Durian, I’ve got news, beleur–she’s
1/2
boining back:
Chapter 8
His eyes widened so fast it was almost comical. “What?”
“She’s actually coming back. I just got
word
from
Lydia. She bought a ticket and everything she’s on her way as we speak.”
“Selene’s coming back! She’s really
Dorian’s face lit up with a twisted grin, the kind that would chill your bones if you weren’t used to seein
coming back?” His voice was almost a whisper, like he couldn’t believe his own ears.
“Yes, Alpha. She’s making her way back here, and I’m guessing she’ll be here soon
He sprang up from his chair like a coded spring, pacing around his office like a caged anjoul. The excitement in his eyes was unsettling, but I knew better than to let it show. I had to keep my own shit together, or he’d turn his rage on me.
“Finally,” he muttered to himself, his voice cracking with barely suppressed emotion. “Finally, she’s coming back. After all this time.”
I could see the way his hands trembled as he tried to keep his composure. The man was a mess, but he was barely holding it together. I could see the desperate need in his eyes, the way he was clutching at this one sliver of hope like i
e it was his lifeline.
I remembered the day it all went to shit, Dorian came back to the packhouse and everyone rumored he’s looking like he’d been through hell and back. I’d seen him on a rampage before, but this was different. It was like someone had tom a part of his soul out and left him a hollow shell–only Selene could give him this. The rage in his eyes was wild, almost unhinged, as he smashed everything in sight at the packhouse. I’d never seen him lose control like that, and it was fucking terrifying
He’d lost at when he found out Selene was gone, that she’d vanished from our lives. He’d been obsessed, chasing shadows across continents, tearing through every lead and dead end he could find. The manor incident, the chaos, and the fucking betrayal–his own regret of driving his pregunİ woman out ate him. He became a twisted version of himself, fixated on finding her convinced that she was the only thing that could save him from his own damn madness. He was a shadow of the man he used to be, just another fucked–up relic of what once was,
“Well, it looks like she’s coming back, and you’ve got a chance to make things right. But remember, she’s been gone a long time. Things might not bras
easy you think
Dorian shot me a sharp look, his face twisting know what’s at stake here.
g with a mix of anger and desperation “Don’t you dare tell me what I should or shouldn’t do, Marcus. I
I nodded quickly, knowing when to back off. “Right. I’ll, uh, make sure everything’s ready for her arrival. You don’t need to worry about that.” “Damn right you will,” he snapped. I gave a quick nod and turned on my heel, making a beeline for the door. I had a lot of shit to do and not a lot of time. I could already feel the tension in the air, the way everyone was on edge with the news of Selene’s return. Dorian was a loose cannon, and had to keep my head down if I wanted to stay out of his crosshairs. ↑
Just when I was about to leave, Amara came in with that damn cup of coffee for Dorian. Her trembling hands and pitiful attempts to cater to him were pathetic. Dorian’s eyes, however, were dead set on the cup and not on her. The moment she stepped in, I could see his irritation simmering. He barely glanced at her before letting out a low growl that could freeze blood. “Get the hell out,” he snapped, “I don’t want your shit”
I watched as Amara’s face fell, her eyes wide with hunt as she quickly shuffled out of the room. The woman was a pawn, a mere tool for Dorian’s public inuge. Hell. I knew she was only here to keep up appearances–Dorian didn’t give a damn about her. All he cared about was Selene, the wonun who had driven him to the brink of insanity. If it wasn’t so pathetic, it might’ve been amusing.
1 let a smirk curl on my lips as I watched her leave. “Good riddance,” I muttered under my breath. I had my own plans brewing, and getting rid of Amara was just a small part of it. The engagement was nothing more than a political maneuver. And now that Dorian’s obsession with Selene was glaringly obvious to everyone, it made things easier for me.
Wasching Dorian go mad over Selene, I couldn’t help but think how dumb he was. He’d let her slip through his fingers over some ridiculous diplomatic shit. Now everyone in the Dusk Howler’s pack could see how much he was losing his mind over her. It was all laid out for me -Selene’s return would not only drive Dorian further into his obsession, but it would also put me in a perfect position. If she came back, Derian would be so focused on her that he’d ignore the political landscape, giving me the chance to maneuver my son, my damned useless son, into the position of
Chief Bela.
I knew Dorian’s regret and obsession would play right into my hands. And with Selene back, all I had to do was manipulate the situation so that son would get the position he’d never truly earned. With her as Luna of the Dusk Howler’s pack, my status would be elevated. My identity within the Wolf Clan would shift dramatically. I’d be on top, and Dorian would be too blind with his twisted love to do anything about it
my
Hell, maybe it was time to push Amara out for good. She was just another loose end, and I’d seen enough of her pathetic attempts to win Dorian’s favor. She was a tool, and once Selene was in the picture, there’d be no place for her.
