Selena’s POV

Lydia leaned in closer to Cole, her voice dropping. “But Cole… what if Selena finds out? Aren’t you worried about what she might do?”

Cole chuckled coldly and smugly. “Selena? Please. She’s nothing without me. She cut her pack off for me, and now she has no one. She’s powerless. If she dares misbehave, I’ll cast her out as a rogue where she belongs.”

Lydia giggled.

The gift box slipped from my hands, landing on the floor quietly, but neither of them noticed as they were moaning into each other’s mouths.

Lydia was there the night Nora had her first heart attack.

She stayed up with me at the healer’s clinic, brought me food when I forgot to eat. She told me Nora was the light in her life.

A bitter laugh caught in my throat as I remembered her words. “Nora lives on inside me.”

She hadn’t been lying.

Tears blurred my vision as I stumbled back, struggling to breathe. My wolf whimpered in agony. My world had shattered in a single moment.

I picked up the gift from the floor, tears running down my face as I walked out without making any sound.

By the time I reached the living room, my legs gave out, and I collapsed on the couch as I began sobbing.

The tears wouldn’t stop. My chest hurt, and my throat burned. That was when my phone buzzed.

It was a picture on Instagram, posted by Lydia.

It was a photo of Lydia smiling beside a man as his hand gently cradled her belly.

His face wasn’t visible, but I recognized that watch instantly. I had gotten it for Cole at our last year’s mating anniversary.

His hand cradled her belly affectionately. “Our little pup (kiss emoji)”

I stared at the screen until my eyes blurred.

That was my mate, and that was my daughter’s heart, beating inside my best friend’s chest, my mate’s mistress.

I smashed the gift box against the wall and screamed until my throat burned. My wolf howled in pain, thrashing inside me.

My stomach twisted. I ran to the bathroom and threw up until my throat stung.

I wanted to claw my skin off. I sat on the cold tile, shaking as tears ran down my face.

This was my fault. I should have read the contract. I should have checked what I was signing, but I had trusted Cole blindly.

My hands shook as I clenched my fists tightly.

Cole had called me a nobody. He thought I had nobody.

But he was so wrong.

I reached for my phone and dialed a number I swore never to call again.

“Hello, Father. I’m ready to marry whoever you want me to. Come and pick me up in five days, after I finalize my divorce.” I said, trying to keep my voice from shaking.

“Divorce? I thought you were hopelessly in love with Alpha Cole Hale. Why the sudden change of heart?”

“He killed my daughter,” I replied. “And I want him to pay.”

My father’s voice sharpened. “I warned you, Cole was never worthy of you. He doesn’t deserve the dirt under your feet.”

I released a bitter laugh. “I know that now. And he’ll know it too, soon enough.”

My father’s tone hardened. “Then come home, Selena. Your brothers have been waiting. And Cole will learn what it means to make an enemy of the Ashfords.”

A tear slipped down my cheek at the thought of my five brothers. They were overprotective, loud, and violent. But they had always loved me, and I had thrown them all away for Cole.

They warned me. All five of them.

They told me he was scum, and I screamed at them to shut up.

I slammed the door in my father’s face the day I chose Cole.

“Tell them I’m coming home,” I whispered.

I hung up and looked around the house one last time.

In five days, I would be gone, but I will make Cole pay.

He took my daughter’s heart to save his mistress. Now I’ll rip out his world, piece by piece. That wasn’t just a threat. It was a mother’s vow.

Cole would finally understand what happened when you crossed an Ashford.

Because my father wasn’t just any man. He was Magnus Ashford, the Alpha of the Silvercrest Pack, the most powerful pack in America.

Selena’s POV

I didn’t wait. As soon as I hung up with my father, I grabbed the first suitcase I could find and dragged it to the bedroom. My hands shook, but I forced myself to focus.

There was no time to think, because if I stopped or slowed down, I would probably fall apart from the weight of what I had just learned.

I opened drawers, pulled out clothes without any care, and stuffed them into suitcases.

As I folded a dress, my hands froze. It was the one Nora had loved. “Mommy, you look like a princess in this.” My chest tightened, and I swallowed hard. Tears welled up in my eyes, but I blinked them back. Not now.

As I shoved another shirt into the suitcase, the door opened.

“Selena?” Cole asked from behind me. “What are you doing?”

I snapped the suitcase shut and turned to face him with a fake smile on my face.

“I’m just rearranging my closet,” I said lightly.

His eyes narrowed slightly as he scanned the messy room. He opened his mouth, but another voice cut in.

“Hey, Selena.”

I froze as my stomach twisted. Lydia’s voice. I hadn’t realized that Cole had come in with her.

My eyes glanced to her chest before I could stop myself, to the place where my daughter’s heart was beating. I had to resist the urge to lunge at her, to shift and claw the heart out of her.

I clenched my fists so tightly that my nails pierced into my palms. My daughter’s heart was beating inside her chest, and she had the audacity to stand in my bedroom, smiling at me.

I said nothing. If I opened my mouth, I would scream in rage. My wolf snarled inside me, begging to be released.

Then I noticed the bags. There were two designer suitcases behind Cole.

I furrowed my eyebrows.

Cole noticed where I was looking, and before I could ask, he smiled as if he had good news. “Lydia is going to be staying with us for a while.”

I blinked at him. “What?”

Before Cole could explain, Lydia interrupted with a little laugh, stepping closer. “Didn’t you hear? I’m pregnant.”

Her hand moved to cover her belly with a wide smile as if she was expecting me to gasp and squeal and hug her.

Instead, I raised an eyebrow. “And?”

Her smile faltered. For a moment, her mask cracked, and I saw the flicker of surprise at my cold reaction. She recovered quickly, her lower lip trembled as she tried to look sad. “I thought you would be happy for me, Selena. I mean… after everything we’ve been through.”

Happy? The word burned through me. What was I supposed to be happy about? The fact that she had ripped away everything from me.

Before I could speak, Cole’s voice cut in, sharp with anger. “Selena, what the hell is wrong with you? She’s your best friend. You should be happy for her. Instead you’re acting jealous and bitter.”

I turned slowly to him with a sneer on my face. Jealous? Bitter?

“Jealous?” I repeated, my voice was cold and icy. “Why on earth would I be jealous?”

His eyes flashed as his wolf surfaced. “Because she’s having a pup, and you—” He stopped himself, but the damage was done. His words pierced through me like silver.

Because I lost mine. Because he killed mine.

I took a deep breath, trying to stay calm and not explode. “Then tell me, Cole.” I pointed at Lydia. “Why is she moving here? Why does she suddenly need to live in this house? Why can’t she stay at the pack house?”

He stepped closer, clenching his jaw. “Because she shouldn’t be alone right now. She needs us. She needs help. That pup needs support.”

“Us?” I asked softly.

“Yes,” Lydia chimed in quietly, trying to sound pitiful. “It’s just until things settle down. I thought you, of all people, would understand.”

Cole nodded. “Exactly. She needs support. She’s part of this pack, Selena. And your best friend.”

I snorted in sarcasm. “She’s not my pack, and she’s most definitely not my best friend.” I spat.

Lydia flinched, and Cole frowned.

“Why are you jealous of her happiness, Selena? Instead of celebrating with her, you’re acting like this.” He pointed toward me with disgust. “Do you hear yourself? It’s pathetic.”

Pathetic.

The word sliced through me, but I didn’t flinch.

I tilted my head, glancing between the two of them with a bitter smile on my lips.

“With the way you’re acting, I have to ask, Cole,” I asked bitterly, “is it your pup?”

The room went silent.

Cole’s jaw twitched. Lydia’s eyes widened in mock shock.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Cole snapped, his Alpha command bleeding into his tone. “Of course it’s not mine.”

“Really?” I lifted an eyebrow. “Then why is she moving in with us? Why are you getting so defensive?”

“She’s alone, Selena!” Cole growled. “She has no one else, and she’s carrying a pup. What kind of monster would turn her away?”

What kind of monster would kill his own daughter? I asked myself.

The words echoed in my head, but I didn’t let them slip out.

Instead, I turned back to the suitcase and deliberately zipped it closed. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I would like to finish rearranging my closet.”

Cole murmured something to Lydia, and together they walked out of the room.

The moment they were gone, my smile fell. My hands shook as I gripped the suitcase. My wolf whimpered, broken and betrayed.

Selena’s POV

That night, I couldn’t sleep. I just lay in bed, staring at the darkness.

Cole lay beside me for a while, but I noticed when he slipped out of bed at midnight, thinking I was asleep.

I kept my eyes shut, breathing calmly till the door clicked shut behind him.

For a long time, I lay there in silence. I could hear Cole’s voice and Lydia’s giggles through my enhanced hearing.

I pressed my hands to my belly. I had life growing inside me, but Cole didn’t know yet, and I would make sure he never did.

The next morning, Cole walked in with a smile on his face, like he hadn’t just spent the night in another room with my best friend. I had heard every single thing.

“Selena,” he said carefully, “we need to talk.”

The way he said it made my stomach twist.

“What now?” I asked, scowling instantly.

He hesitated, then he cleared his throat. “Lydia… Lydia shouldn’t be cramped in the guest room. She’s pregnant. She needs space and comfort.”

I blinked at him. My mind tried to process his words. “Comfort?”

He nodded. “Yes. The master bedroom is bigger and more comfortable. It makes sense for her to have it.”

For a moment, I thought I had heard him wrong. I released a laugh of disbelief. “You want me to give up my bedroom… to Lydia?”

His jaw tightened. “It’s not forever. Just until the pup is born.”

I stared at him, resisting the urge to strangle him. My wolf snarled viciously inside me.

I wanted to shout that I was pregnant too. That my pup deserved space and comfort, not Lydia’s bastard.

But I said nothing. He was a murderer. He didn’t deserve to know.

He continued. “Selena, you’ve been enjoying the comfortable room for years. Lydia is pregnant. Shouldn’t she be the one most comfortable now? Don’t you think it’s time you made a little sacrifice for your pack sister?”

I kept my lips pressed together, forcing myself not to react. What was the point? Very soon, I would be gone and forever erased.

So I swallowed the scream. My nails dug into my palms. “Okay,” I whispered shakily.

Besides, it was convenient for me because I was already packing my things.

His shoulders relaxed and he sighed in relief. He leaned forward and kissed my forehead gently. I felt so repulsed that I almost shuddered.

“Cole?” Lydia called from down the hallway.

Immediately, he turned to leave without any delay.

“Hold on, Cole,” I said calmly.

I forced my hands to stay steady as I picked up the folder I had placed on the table. “Before you go,” I said calmly, “I need your signature on something.”

He frowned impatiently. “Selena, not now—”

“It’s just some minor paperwork for the healers,” I interrupted softly. “It won’t take time.”

He hesitated, narrowing his eyes, then Lydia called him again. “Cole!”

“Fine. Give it here,” he snapped.

I handed him the document with a blank expression on my face. He didn’t even glance at the words as he signed.

I kept my face neutral, but inside, my heart pounded. He had no idea what he had just done.

“Is that all?” he grunted.

“Yes,” I whispered.

He didn’t wait for more. He was already out the door before I could even finish replying.

The moment he left, I called my advisor.

“End my bond with Alpha Hale. Withdraw all my secret support from the Blue Moon pack and all its businesses.”

Cole never knew I had been backing him from the shadows. I had been funding his warriors, sharing my resources, and sponsoring his businesses. But that ends tonight.

“You will pay, Alpha Cole Hale.” I said aloud to myself.

Then a humourless laughter escaped my lips.

Some minutes later, Lydia appeared in the doorway, her voice filled with fake sweetness. “Selena, let me help.”

Her smile didn’t reach her eyes. I knew that smile. I had seen it when she comforted me after Nora’s death.

I wanted to scream at her to get out, to shift and yank her hair out. Instead, I forced a smile. “Don’t worry, I’ve got it.”

She walked in anyway, glancing around at the empty shelves. “Don’t worry, I’m good at organizing. I’ll take care of everything.”

She walked straight to my dresser where I kept Nora’s things. I hadn’t been able to empty them yet.

“Careful, don’t go there,” I snapped.

Lydia’s eyes landed on the small music box sitting on my dresser. She picked it up and turned the tiny brass key at the side. The soft lullaby that began to play twisted my stomach.

It was Nora’s. I used to wind it for her every night before bed. Tears welled up in my eyes at that tune.

“This tune is sweet,” Lydia said, tilting her head as the melody played. “She used to fall asleep to this, right?”

“Put it down,” I said quietly.

She smiled. “Of course.”

Then she dropped it.

The music stopped as the box slammed to the ground. The tiny dancer inside snapped in half.

“Oh, my,” she breathed, covering her mouth in mock horror. “I didn’t mean to. These old things are so fragile.”

Her eyes danced with glee as she watched me, waiting for my reaction.

For a heartbeat, I couldn’t move. That music box wasn’t just a toy. It was the one thing that carried me through the nights.

Now it lay in pieces, destroyed by Lydia’s deliberate “accident.”

I dropped to my knees, gathering the pieces with shaking hands, not caring as they sliced my skin. Tears blurred my vision as I held the broken box in my palm.

“It was her favorite,” I whispered.

Lydia crouched beside me with a small and satisfied smile on her face. “Don’t worry, Selena. You’ll have more pups. You’ll move on.”

My chest burned as I lifted my gaze to her.

At that moment, everything pressed down upon me, and I snapped.