Tristan’s POVI paced back and forth in my room, the sound of Laleh's heels clicking against the marble floor echoing in the room. I couldn't shake off the feeling of unease that had been following me since my meeting with the witch."Are you sure this dinner is a good idea, Tristen?" Laleh's voice cut through my thoughts. "The last time we gathered the elites, things didn't exactly go as planned."I turned to face her, a faint smile playing at the corners of my lips. "I have a feeling things will be different this time, Laleh. We need to show our strength and unity to maintain my position as alpha."Laleh nodded, her expression serious. "You're right. We need to keep a close eye on Zander. He's a wildcard and we can't afford any slip-ups."Just as I was about to respond, a sentinel burst into the room, panting heavily. "Alpha Tristan, there's been a murder at the pack's boundaries. One of the pack members you sent out was found dead and mutilated."A vein popped in my head at the new
SELENA’S POVAna and I are putting on our hoods, trying to be as quiet as possible when Roy suddenly appears. I jumped, startled by his presence."Hey, you two," he whispers, "The coast is clear. The alpha is holding a party tonight. You can leave now.""Thanks, Roy," Ana said, smiling.I nodded in agreement, still feeling a bit uneasy. I knew that leaving the pack house without the alpha noticing is risky, but Ana was right. Tonight is the best opportunity we'll get.As we start to head out, a sentinel stops us as usual. We were the diversion needed for Sonya, Lily and Roy to get the food out without the guards noticing. He interrogated us, asking us what we were doing and where we were going. I tried my best to act naturally, but my heart was pounding in my chest.As he approached us, I could feel a knot in my stomach. We were so close to leaving undetected, and now this sentinel is blocking our path."Where do you think you're going?" the sentinel asks, his arms crossed over his c
SELENA’ s POVI try to keep my breathing steady, but my heart is pounding in my chest. I can feel the sweat on my palms and forehead, and I know that everyone in the room can see how nervous I am. This is the same ballroom where Laleh and her minions humiliated me, it was also close to the room where I first met Tristen, where he tried to force me to mate with him. The memories were still fresh, still painful.But I don't have a choice. I have to be here. I have to bow before Tristan and show my respect, even if it's the last thing I want to do. I take a deep breath and walk towards the front of the room, feeling the eyes of the other wolves on me. I try to ignore their stares and focus on Tristan, who is seated at the center of the room.I fall on my knees and begin to speak, my voice shaking. "Alpha Tristan, it is an honor to be in your presence. I humbly offer my respects to you and to the pack."Tristan doesn't even look at me. He's engrossed in a conversation with Laleh, who is
SELENA'S POV The next time I open my eyes, I'm back in my living room where I can see my mother happily stirring her broth in the kitchen through the open floor concept of the entire house.I blink, looking around. This is my home. These are my chairs and furniture. The ceiling I have stared at for years.I pinched myself and winced when I felt the pain but refused to wake up.This must be a post-traumatic stress reaction as I know there is no way the hands of time have been magically reversed and I am back to my old house and my mum is cooking her ever-famous herbal soup, the soup is made out of one of our healing plants and I hate the taste, but my mum always says it is hygienic and re-energizes us, especially after healing.Diane is sitting on her chair, her hair all curled up and she is playing with her stuffed doll."I hate this doll," she spat out, tossing it angrily I'm the floor. She has always had a temper when she doesn't get what she wants. My mum approached her, picked u
Selena’s POV I couldn't believe my eyes. I couldn't really phantom why I was seeing Zander in this dream. It's not like we ever met when we were kids. The first time we met was the day he saved me from the rogue.I mean, I'd understand if it was Tristan in this dream because he had been the complete nightmare in my life and he was related to why I could be having a fever dream about my dead mother and sister.I gently walked towards him, careful not to make any noise or trip him off. My heart thundered in my chest in fear because I didn't know what to expect from him. Around this time, all I knew about him was what the rumors said. That he was a wild monster cursed with a rabid wolf.I swallowed, hiking my basket up in my arms and trying to be very gentle and quiet as I inched closer. He suddenly turned and gazed at me, emerald green eyes the color of lush fields blinked up at me in uncertainty… and all that fear I had went flushing down the drain.There was something calm and soothi
SELENA'S POVI woke up to the sound of the morning birds chirping. It's a new day, but I feel the same as I did yesterday and the day before that. Exhausted. Broken. Humiliated.Every night since the feast, the alpha has invited me to his lavish parties, and each time he degrades me in front of his guests. I feel like a puppet, his toy to play with and throw away when he's done. I can't take it anymore.But today, I have a few hours to myself. I decide to do some laundry, something normal and mundane, to try and take my mind off things. As I'm sorting through my clothes, a small pouch falls out of one of my pockets.I bend down to pick up the fallen pouch, and my heart skips a beat as I recognize the intricate embroidery on it. This is the pouch that my mother gave me on my 15th birthday, a few months before she passed away. It's been years since I last saw it, and I never thought I would find it again.Curious, I open it up and find a small piece of paper inside. It's old and worn,
Selena’s POVI looked down at the small, shiny black seeds in my hand, feeling a mix of curiosity and suspicion. Nightshade was not something one kept on hand unless they had a nefarious purpose for it. And yet, here it was, in the possession of a concubine."What do you think, Ana?" I asked, holding out the seeds for her to examine.Ana leaned in, her bright green eyes scanning the seeds carefully. "Definitely nightshade," she said with a frown. "But why would a concubine have something like this?""Maybe she's planning to take out the competition," Roy chimed in with a smirk.I rolled my eyes at him. "Very helpful, Roy. But seriously, we need to figure out what's going on here."Ana nodded in agreement. "Maybe we should check her room for any other suspicious items."I handed her the seeds. "You do that. I'll keep an eye on things here."As Ana hurried off, I turned to Roy. "So, any thoughts on why a concubine would have nightshade?"Roy rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "She's obvious
SELENA’s POVI wake up with a heavy feeling in my chest, the events of yesterday weighing down on me. Should I tell anyone what I saw? I don't have concrete evidence to back up my suspicions, but at the same time, I can't just ignore what I witnessed. It's eating me up inside.After much internal debate, I decide to confide in Ana and Roy. They're both reliable and have proven their loyalty time and time again. I can trust them to keep my secret and help me gather more evidence if needed.I get dressed and quickly made my way to Ana and Roy, who were in the courtyard in the middle of a conversation."Selena! What brings you here so early in the morning?" Ana asks, noticing me first."I need to talk to you guys about something important." I reply, trying to keep my voice steady."Of course.""Guys, I need your help," I said, interrupting their conversation.I take a deep breath and begin to recount everything I saw the day before. Ana and Roy listen intently, their expressions growing