Selene's POV

"Lucian, I... " I tried to explain before he misinterpreted what's going on. However,

"Enough. I don't want to hear anymore of it!" his voice cut me off sharply, his eyes were cold, obviously burning with an anger that's aimed at me.

"I swear with the moon goddess I..."

"I saw what happened, Selene. So you have nothing to say, I just never thought you'd go this far."

Went this far? This was all a setup! But would he believe that if I say that to him?

Mira whimpers beside him, and instantly, his attention shifts from me as he walks towards her, concerned softening his features as he crouches next to her.

"Are you hurt?" His voice was soft, so soft it stings.

She sniffles, shaking her head quickly. "No, no, I... I'm okay. It's not Luna Selene's fault. I must have twisted my ankle and fell on my own..."

Lucian sighs. "You don't have to cover for her, Mira."

I take a step forward. "Lucian, you don't understand..."

But he isn't listening. He isn't even looking at me anymore.

He runs a hand through his hair, exhaling before helping Mira up on her feet, "Come on, let's get you to the doctor. Do you think you can walk?"

She winces, placing a delicate hand on her ankle. "I... I don't think so. It hurts so much around here."

Without another word, Lucian sweeps her into his arms, cradling her against his chest like she's something fragile, something precious. Then he turns to me with a glare.

He says nothing afterwards, just simply holds Mira closer and walks away without looking back.

The moment they disappear down the hallway, my legs give out and I collapse against the wall, my nails digging into my palms as I gasp for air.

The cold night air doubled the pain as it bites deeper and deeper into my skin, but it's nothing compared to the ache in my chest.

I should run after him. I should scream, demanding that he listen to me.

But I don't. I couldn't, because I already know he won't listen to me. After all, I'm not Mira who can cry and he will believe her.

And for the first time in four years, I wonder why am I still waiting for him to choose me?

When I don't even know if I have anything left to fight for.

***

I returned to our bedroom and got out of the clothes and the accessories I had on before slumping myself on the large bed which felt cold somehow that night.

My eyes stung as my gaze went to our mating ceremony framed pictures on the table in our room. The man in that picture was the Lucian I used to know, not the Lucian I've been dealing with since she returned.

And I knew tonight is going to be like one of those nights I slept in a cold bed. He wouldn't come back here tonight, I was sure of that until I heard a knocking sound at the door.

Who is it? I wondered as I got out of the bed and quickly wiped my tears,

A Luna is expected to be a strong figure, so I mustn't be caught crying.

It must be gamma Roslyn, I thought as I walked to the door and opened it to see Lucian there, Mira hugged to his chest.

"Lucian..." I trailed off looking at him again and pinching myself to be sure I wasn't dreaming.

"Get out of the way Selene." He replied gruffly and my brain felt like it was short circuited at that moment. He always calls me Sel...

"I said get out of the way!" He snapped pushing me aside as he stride inside our bedroom and lay Mira who has her eyes closed on the bed.

"What's going on.. why is she here...on our?" My voice trembled as I pointed to the bed.

He dragged his hand through his hair, "The doctor said she needs extra monitoring and care."

"There's a guest room, there are maids to look after her... Why our room? Why our bed?"

"Maybe you should've thought about the consequences your actions will bring before pushing her like that!"

My mouth parted in shock. "I...yes, I did push her! But it was an accident! She was the one who..."

"I've told you already! I don't want to hear your lies anymore! The Selene I used to know was so kind and gentle! The Selene I know was a good Luna to my pack and would never go to such a length, or stoop so low to an extent of hurting someone, let alone a former Omega of the pack!" He yelled at me.

And a laugh bubbled in my throat. A bitter, broken laugh.

"You see what you want to see, Lucian." My voice wavered, "I have done nothing but be a good Luna to your pack. I have stood by you, loved you, even when you paraded her around like she still mattered like I was nothing! Do you even realize what you've done? You left me alone in that dressing room, made me wait like a fool, and then had me walk into that hall without you, all because of her!"

He suddenly scoffed, "So all of this was because you're jealous?" he shook his head. "I always knew you had a temper, but I never thought you'd be so petty and so cruel."

He glanced at Mira, who was still lying on our bed, pretending to be weak. "Now you've turned yourself into a hot tempered and bittered bully."

A bully, that was what he saw me as?

Not his mate. Not his wife but a jealous, and petty bully.

I felt something inside me shatter as I blinked away my tears, my hands clenching at my sides.

"If I were to ask you right now..." My voice wavered. "If you had to choose between me and her... who would you choose, Lucian?" I demanded even though I knew the answer.

His lips parted slightly, but no words came out.

I let out a soft, broken breath. "knew it." I'm the evil queen in their fairytale. And it has been stupid of me holding on even though he has let go.

Tears slid down my cheeks, but I didn't wipe them away, instead, I met his unloving eyes and forced myself to smile.

"I hope you enjoy your life with her, Alpha Lucian Blackwell of Moonflower Pack."

I took a step back, "Because I, Selene Rory, I'm breaking the bond between us." I said, removing my wedding ring and throwing it to him. "And I'm rejecting you as my mate."

Selene's POV

The ring rolled to Lucian's feet. However, he sneered and stepped on it, crushing both my dignity and love beneath his heel and harshly said, "Do you really think by acting like this and playing victim I'm going to rule what you did right? I will pretend this didn't happen at all. Because like I said, Mira needs to rest. So go to the guest room and reflect on yourself, and maybe when you get some sense you can come back to this room."

I stared at him, stunned. He looked so sure of himself, so convinced that he was right, that I was the problem.

He turned toward Mira again, adjusting the blanket over her like she was something breakable.

"I won't be going to the guest room." I said quietly.

That made him pause.

He turned, eyes narrowing at me. "What did you say?"

I looked at him. Really looked at him.

The man who used to pull me into his chest on stormy nights. The Alpha who once swore on the stars that I was his home. The mate who used to trace promises on my skin with kisses and call them truths.

Gone.

"I said," I whispered, "I won't go to the guest room. Neither will I stay anywhere in this house tonight."

I moved toward the door.

Lucian stood upright. "Where the hell do you think you're going?"

"Didn't you say Mira needs her rest?" I said resolutely, "I'm letting you have the bed. The room. The house." But I won't let him have me like this. Not anymore.

I didn't wait for him to respond as I turned, ready to walk out the door,

Then suddenly, the front door swung open with a bang.

Kellan, one of Lucian's betas, burst in. He looked breathless, his shirt slightly wrinkled, like he'd run all the way here.

"Luna," he panted, "have you seen Alpha Blackwell?"

"What's wrong Kellan?" he asked, already walking closer.

Kellan took a deep breath. "The pack's under attack."

An attack? My heart screeched to an abrupt stop for a moment considering the facts that we haven't been attacked for the past half a decade.

"How bad is it?"

"One of the food storage was just hit. Surveillance picked up a group of unidentified men in black setting the warehouse on fire, there are even more of them near the other two emergency stockpiles."

Lucian's entire posture changed in an instant. Whatever tension had been in the room a moment ago vanished, replaced by sharp focus.

"How many of them?" he asked.

"We've counted at least twenty eight, but there could be more. And... their identity is unknown because there were no signs of shifting. But they're fast and well-coordinated."

Lucian muttered under his breath. "Humans?"

"We sincerely can't tell yet."

He turned slightly toward me. "Selene. Stay inside. Don't go anywhere."

He turned back to Kellan. "Call Gamma Roslyn. Have her secure the south gate. Double patrols near the ridge and tell the scouts to scan past the west side. If these people know about our warehouses, they've done their homework."

"Yes, Alpha." Kellan gave a quick nod, already reaching for his earpiece.

Lucian stepped toward the door, but just as he got there, he stopped and glanced over his shoulder toward the hallway.

"Send two guards here. Have them protect Mira. Make sure they don't leave this house," Lucian added. "She's not safe alone."

Kellan nodded again.

I stared at Lucian. "What about me?"

He didn't answer.

So I stepped closer. "Lucian."

"You'll stay in here and make sure everyone's safe, Selene."

I felt heat rise in my chest. "You know you're going to need me out there."

His expression barely changed. "Mira's injured. And unlike you, she's not trained. So I'm going to need you to stay in here with the other two guards for everyone's safety."

Everyone safety? Or hers?

That hurt more than it should have but I'm not about to let whatever I'm feeling right then cloud my reasoning. All I knew was my pack needs me and I'm not going to stay in here like a coward.

"You've already assigned two guards to her," I said, trying to keep my voice steady. "Yet you're telling me to stay put, when the people I swore to protect are in danger?" Even he knows if we don't stop them as quickly as we could.. It's either they get to us, or hunger does. Exactly why our food storage is being hit first.

"Selene! Do you think now is the appropriate time to be all jealous and envious!?"

I let out a small laugh, bitter and quiet. "Right."

He looked away again. "We can argue about this later." Then he gestured to Kellan, "Come on, let's get moving."

I thought back to something I hadn't thought about in the past years.

Just a few months into our relationship, I'd brought him lunch at the office as a surprise. I waited outside while he chatted with his Alpha friends.

One of them had asked him, "Why a she wolf like her?"

He'd laughed. "The Alpha is stronger with his fated mate by his side."

At the time, I pretended I hadn't heard. I told myself it didn't matter. After all, I loved him that much. And I believed he felt the same.

But now, watching him leave with Kellan, making me a watchdog for his old flame, I felt sick at how naïve I was.

I'd made so many mistakes. But the biggest one was staying when I should have walked away years ago, maybe, just maybe I wouldn't have completely ruined my position back at home.

Does that even matter anymore?

But it's now very clear that I'm going to lose myself if I don't let go now whether he accepts my rejection or not.

So I walked to the closet and started to pack my things, after I was done, I called Melanie. My best friend. She'd moved to one of the biggest packs in North America last year.

She didn't answer, so I rang again.

On the fourth try, she finally picked up.

"What?" she said sleepily.

"Mel..." I cried... "I was wrong. I should never have given up my career for him. I regret it. I want to come find you. Please."

She sighed. "You bloody fool." Then she hung up.

I sat on the edge of the bed, completely still. Not even hurt. I'm empty.

Flashes of all the times she had tried to talk sense into me came to mind and I remembered the look of disappointment on her face when she left.

As the tears started falling, a new message popped up on my phone.

[Flight booked. Tomorrow. 2pm. Don't be late.]