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.

Moscow, Russia

Maelis Rolkov

“Twenty dead,” I said, placing the number between us like a verdict.

Across the polished desk, Alpha Viktor Damaris sat stiff as stone, restless and cornered.

The proud wolf of Volkov Ridge now looked more like a man sitting on his own grave.

I tapped my gloved fingers against the wooden desk as I asked, “Do you know what I hate most, Alpha Damaris?”

He blinked. “Lady.. M—Maelis?”

“Dishonesty.” I looked up, meeting his dark eyes.

He leaned forward, forcing confidence he didn’t have. “I swear, the mishap wasn’t intentional. The Americans--”

“--didn’t know where to strike until someone in your office gave them our route,” I cut in, “That ‘mishap’ cost us twenty men and a full shipment. Your shipment. Our shipment!”

His jaw clenched. “You can’t possibly think I--”

“I don’t think. I verify.” I said, bringing out a folder from my bag and sliding it across the desk. “And this? Verified. Unless you're trying to say your assistant’s signature on the cargo was forged. And the crest stamped on the falsified document was not yours. You betrayed your deal, Damaris.”

Viktor’s throat worked as he tried to speak. “Please, Lady Rolkov. I can correct this... I’ll double... no I'll triple the loss....”

“You had three months to correct it. Yet, you mess it up. You should know my Alpha doesn’t wait that long.”

My gaze lifted to meet his. “Neither do I.” I muttered, crossing my legs.

“Lady Maelis, I beg you. Don’t do this. Alpha Alaric and I, we’ve worked together for years...”

“You should have thought of that before selling our route for American gold.” I cut him off mid sentence, watching color drain from his face without blinking.

“Please just let me speak to him directly.”

“No,” I said, standing at last. “You’ll receive a termination notice in three days. Signed and sealed by the Rolkov estate. With it, your company and all shares tied to the Rolkov's will be revoked. Including any protection we afford your pack, Alpha Damaris.”

His eyes widened in horror, “No… you can’t do this to me… Lady Maelis... What am I supposed to tell my people? My pack will suffer. They’ll starve and lose their homes--”

“You should consider it mercy,” I said flatly, “We could take your estates now and burn what remains of your pack to the ground. And you’d die knowing you chose the ashes yourself.”

I finished, slow and cold, “Sign the papers in three days. It’s the easiest option.”

I turned on my heels and walked out of his office.

***

The elevator doors closed behind me with a soft hiss.

And I couldn't help but glanced at the mirrored walls which threw my reflection back at me, sharp eyes, painted lips that hadn’t remembered warmth in years. Somewhere, beneath the frost, a part of me wondered when I started looking more like my father.

“You know,” came a lazy voice from the corner, “you didn’t even let him offer you a drink this time.”

I glanced sideways to see Luka, my right hand and my most frequent headache leaned against the wall, his tie undone, dark hair falling into his eyes.

“He’s lucky I didn’t let Rosa finish the conversation,” I said. “And don't you know to look formal?”

“He’s going to run to the Americans again, you know that right?” he said, deciding to ignore my comment about his disorganized dressing as the elevator started moving.

“I’m counting on it.” I adjusted my gloves, eyes staring into the blank space without blinking, “The more desperate he gets, the easier it is to trace who he'll crawl to.”

“Do you even know what everyone says about you?”

I don't answer that. Only held my head high, but Luka, being his annoying self, went on. “They call you Maelis Rolkov. The Phantom of the North.”

“I know that,” I said evenly. Just as I know they also call me an unmateless bitch who hides her hideous face behind a mask. But the thing with people is, they only judge the weak. And,

“When you rule through fear and efficiency,” I said quietly, “you can’t afford sentiment. That’s how my father built his empire… and how I intend to keep it.”

The elevator chimed and slid open.

I stepped out first. Snow drifted through the glass hall, carried by the wind that always seemed colder in Moscow by this time of the day. My heels clicked softly against the marble as I made my way toward the waiting car.

Luka got in the driver’s seat and glanced at me through the mirror. “Where to?”

“Home,” I said, leaning back against the seat. My head rested against the leather, and for the first time that day, I allowed myself to breathe.

The past few nights had been hectic, tracing leads, and unraveling the betrayal that had started from the root. It had taken more from me than I’d care to admit.

The car glided smoothly through the road and It didn’t take long before the gates of the Rolkov estate came into view,

This had been my home; where I was born, well, until that time when I ran, even went as far as marrying an Alpha who's not from the motherland. All of which got me casted out until three years ago.

I stepped out of the car, the cold biting through my gloves. Then, like always, I lifted my chin and walked forward because weakness had no place within these walls.

I shrugged off my gloves and coat as soon as I'm inside the estate, handing them to one of the maids who hurried forward. All I wanted was a shower, maybe a drink, and a few hours to myself in my quarters.

But I didn’t make it past the grand staircase. When,

“Lady Maelis.”

The deep voice pulled my attention to the end of the corridor.

Ronan, Father's head of security was walking towards me, tall, broad-shouldered, his face looking striking as always, though, not in the delicate way of beauty.

He bowed slightly as soon as he got closer, “Alpha Alaric has returned and he requires your presence. Immediately.” he said.