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.]

Selene's POV

I take my luggages to the car after my call with Mel, however, even as I'm stuffing my box in the boot, I could hear gunfire, screams, howling of my pack, calling, and all I could do was gasp and hold onto my chest, knowing I couldn't help them. He didn't allow it.

So unable to bear it anymore, I shut the car and entered back into the house.

But just as I passed the staircase, two guards entered through the back entrance, both of them tall and serious, scanning the place like it was a war zone already.

“Luna,” one of them nodded politely.

The other added, “We were instructed to stay close to… Miss Mira.”

Of course you were.

I offered them a tight smile and said nothing. What was the point? Arguing would only make me look petty, that's if they haven't already tagged me as one.

As they moved toward the bedroom that used to be mine and Lucian's, where Mira was now resting, I slowly followed.

One of the guards knocked softly on the door before entering. I stayed by the doorway, leaning slightly against the wall, my arms folded as I listened.

Inside, she was sitting up now. Her voice was soft and sweet, the kind that made people drop their weapons and offer her tea.

“I heard the pack is under attack. Is Alpha Lucian okay?” she asked weakly.

I didn’t miss the way her voice trembled, perfectly timed, like it was rehearsed.

“He’s fine,” one of the guards answered. “He’s out securing the eastern perimeter.”

“Tell him… tell him to be careful,” she whispered. “Please.”

I rolled my eyes before I could stop myself.

The guard glanced at me, maybe catching the expression on my face, but said nothing.

I turned and walked away, heading upstairs. If I stayed there any longer, I might say something I’d regret.

Let her play the helpless damsel. Let him fall for it.

I wasn’t going to beg for a place in his heart. Not anymore.

I stepped out onto the balcony, needing air.

From up here, I could see smoke curling above the tree line. The faint glow of fires flickered between the shadows. Every so often, a sharp crack sounded, so loud it's deafening, of course it's gunfire and somewhere beneath it, the low rumble of snarls and the chaos of a fight.

I gripped the railing, leaning forward until the cold metal bit into my palms.

“Moon Goddess…” I murmured, my breath misting in the air, “please… protect them. Protect us. Don’t let any more die tonight.” Even if I'm going to be gone for good tomorrow. I don't want to leave behind a dead pack.

I swallowed hard and kept my eyes fixed on the woods.

But all of a sudden, I heard a loud cry, so loud that I froze.

Of course I’d heard wolves cry out in battle out of pain, loss, desperation. But this one… this one cut straight into me because it was made by Lucian himself! I couldn't be mistaken, not when I could feel it in my chest, sharp and aching, as if someone had reached inside and pulled at my heart.

He was in trouble.

I gritted my teeth and shook my head. No. He told me to stay. He told me to protect her.

I turned away from the railing, but my legs didn’t move.

While the pain in my chest throbbed with every beat of my heart. I could feel him through the bond, hurt, struggling, and the longer I stood there, the worse it got.

What if he… what if he didn’t make it?

I didn’t want to care. Not after everything. But the thought of him lying out there, bleeding out alone, made my stomach twist.

I didn’t remember making the decision. One moment I was gripping the railing, the next I was swinging my legs over it. The drop wasn’t far, but my hands scrabbled for support against the wood panelling. A plank gave way with a sharp crack, and I fell the rest of the way, landing hard enough to send pain shooting up my leg.

I sucked in a breath through my teeth, staggering. For a moment I thought I’d broken something, but then the pain shifted, dulled, and I felt the telltale snap and burn of my bones resetting.

I didn't even wait for the healing to be fully done as I ran. Past the garden, past the outer walls, toward the smoke rising from the trees. I didn’t think about the danger. I didn’t think about his orders.

I just knew I had to get to him.

I didn’t notice how far I’d gone. Considering the facts that all I could focus on was that pull in my chest, the bond, guiding me straight to him.

The sounds of the fight grew louder. My breath came in short bursts as I kept running.

Then, finally I broke through the treeline… and stopped.

They were there.

Figures in black, their faces hidden under hoods.

And merely glancing at them, they have no air of rogues. Their movements were too sharp, too coordinated... Like they are ..

My eyes darted past them,

And my stomach dropped when I saw Lucian was on the ground.

He wasn’t shifting. And when I see the silver bullet wounds dotted his chest and shoulders, the metal burning through his skin. I know there's no way he would've been able to.

“Lucian!”

I cried, throwing myself at the closest one without thinking and slashed his throat with my claws, taking him down.

The second came at me from the side, and I drove my knee into his gut before raking my claws across his arm. Two more tried to surround me, but adrenaline kept me moving, as I duck, and slashed, kicking and clawing.

Four were down before I even realized it. My lungs burned, my muscles screamed, but I refused to stop. Heck, I couldn't, not until I killed them all and got him to safety.

But then, something slammed into my back, forcing me to the ground. My face hit the dirt, and I tasted blood. Hands gripped my arms and legs before I could get back on my feet, pinning me down. My claws scraped uselessly at the soil.

“Get off me!” I snarled, twisting, but there were too many.

I caught one last glimpse of Lucian, still on the ground, before someone yanked my head back and slapped my cheek so hard I tasted blood in my mouth.

“You bastards!” I gritted. But,

I froze when one of the hooded men stepped toward Lucian.

His boot connected with Lucian’s ribs, and the sound that came out of him was nothing like the Alpha I knew. It was a weak, broken cough, followed by blood spilling from his lips.

My chest tightened.

How many times had they shot him? How much silver was burning inside him right now to leave him this… this powerless?

Two of them grabbed him by the arms and hauled him upright onto his knees. He barely resisted as his head hung low,

“This is the Alpha? This is the great Moonflower Pack leader?” One of them mocked, clicking his tongue as the rest laughed.

I wanted to tear them apart. Every single one of them. But the hands pinning me to the ground were like iron.

Then I heard some movement,

I turned my head and my stomach lurched.

They were dragging someone else into the clearing.

Her hair was a tangled mess, her dress ripped at the hem. She was sobbing so hard her whole body shook, snot mixing with tears as she cried Lucian’s name over and over like a prayer.

Mira.

“Has the rest of the storage and Warehouse been set on fire?” the one dragging Mira forward asked.

“Yes. And who is this Karen?” The one who'd kicked Lucian pointed at her.

“There's this gossip that the Alpha of the moonflower pack has only one Luna. Just as they also said he has a mistress. Who happens to be this Karen." He said, throwing her beside Lucian and went to stand between them,

“Then why don't you just kill her on sight?” another one said.

He cocked his gun lazily and pointed at the ground. “What's the fun in that? So here’s how this works,” he said slowly, like he was talking to children. “How about you getting to save one. Alpha. Who is it going to be? Your Luna, or your mistress.”

My blood ran cold.

Lucian’s head lifted slightly, and for the first time since I got here, his eyes found mine. My heart leapt, stupidly, foolishly, because some part of me still thought maybe he’d say my name even though he couldn't say it earlier.

But then,

“You can take me!” Mira cried, almost stumbling in her rush to speak. “Just...don’t hurt Lucian. Please. He’s the Alpha… please.”

She looked at him like he was the air she needed to breathe.

She was doing it again. Acting weak and hopeless.

And I… I just stood there. My throat felt tight, but I couldn’t move, couldn’t speak. I wanted to scream, Don’t you dare choose her. But my voice was gone.

Lucian’s gaze shifted between us, and something flickered in his eyes.

Then it was gone.

“You’re the Luna,” he coughed,

“Three... ” The one holding the gun began the countdown.

“Two.”

“Lucian...”

“And...”

“Mira! Let Mira live!” Lucian roared her name, cutting him off and my world went silent.

I didn’t hear the mocking laughter. I didn’t hear Mira’s pitiful sobs or the rustle of movement as they pulled her away from the center of the clearing.

All I heard was that choice.

And all I saw was the face of the man I’d loved for four years, my mate, looking right at me as he decided I wasn’t worth saving.

Something inside me cracked so loud I swore the forest should have heard it.

They could’ve shot me right then and I don’t think I would’ve felt it.

Because Lucian had already killed me in every way that mattered.

So when he finally squeezed the trigger, the bullet flew out of the gun, I could only stare as it hit me and I fell to the ground.

That day, I died.