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.

Selena’s POV

My hands shook as I held the broken music box in my palms.

Something inside me cracked.

“You bitch,” I snarled. My voice was a low growl, my wolf bleeding into my tone.

Lydia tilted her head with a sweet smile, the kind that had always fooled me before. “Selena, calm down. It was an accident—”

The word “accident” made me explode.

My hand flew before I could stop it, and I slapped her hard. The sound of the slap echoed through the room, and Lydia stumbled back, holding her cheek in shock. Her eyes widened in total disbelief. She hadn’t expected me to do that.

“You don’t get to touch her things,” I screamed, my throat raw. “You don’t get to destroy the one thing that I—”

“Selena!”

Cole’s voice thundered from the doorway, full of Alpha command, and I turned just as he stormed into the room. His face was filled with rage as he rushed to Lydia, pulling her into his arms protectively.

“She hit me,” Lydia whimpered. Tears welled in her eyes, and her voice trembled.

My chest heaved as I stared at them with the music box in my hands.

Cole’s face hardened. He turned to me, his eyes burning with fury, his Alpha aura pressing down on me. “What the hell is wrong with you, Selena?”

“She broke Nora’s music box!” I cried, lifting up the box in my hands. “She did it on purpose, Cole. She—”

“Stop it!” he barked, his voice was sharp and full of venom. “Do you even hear yourself? You’re pathetic! Bitter! Jealous of a pregnant woman, jealous of your pack sister who has what you don’t have!”

The words tore through me like silver claws, but he wasn’t done.

“It’s not her fault that you don’t have a pup, Selena. Nora is dead, and maybe if you had been a better mother, maybe if you had done more—”

A scream tore out of my throat before he could finish. “Don’t you dare blame me, you bastard!”

Cole growled, his wolf snarled, and before I could blink, his hand flew to my face.

The slap landed with such force that my head snapped to the side. My knees buckled, and I lost my balance, falling to the floor with my cheek burning and my ears ringing.

Tears stung my eyes, but it wasn’t from pain. It was from the humiliation.

Lydia gasped, her hands pressed against her mouth as if she were horrified. But I was the only one who could see the satisfaction in her eyes. She loved this.

My hands trembled as I touched my burning cheek.

Cole stood frozen, breathing heavily with his palm still half-raised. His eyes widened as if he had just now realized what he had done. For a split second, regret flickered across his face.

He took a hesitant step toward me. “Selena—”

But before he could finish, Lydia’s voice cut in.

She broke into sobs, her whole body shaking as she held her belly. “Oh, Cole,” she cried, collapsing against his chest. “This is all my fault. I never should’ve come here. I’ve caused nothing but trouble. Selena was right… I don’t deserve to live.”

Her sobs were dramatic and so fake, but Cole was so blind to her pretense. She buried her face into his chest, sobbing even harder. “I should just die and take this pup with me. Then you will both be free.”

Cole’s shock twisted into panic. He held her tightly, stroking her hair. “Don’t say that, Lydia. Don’t ever say that. You and the pup are everything. You hear me? Everything.”

I stared at them from the floor as my heart broke and my cheeks burned. Lydia’s tears weren’t real. I could see the triumph burning in her eyes, but Cole, the fool, believed her.

He glared down at me, his arms held Lydia tighter. “Look what you’ve done, Selena. Look at her. She’s terrified, she’s blaming herself, because of you.”

“Because of me?” My voice cracked, as it was hard to control the tears from spilling out. “But—”

“Enough!” Cole barked, his face hardened into stone, and his eyes blazed with fury. “I can’t even recognize you anymore. You’re getting out of control.”

I opened my mouth, but Lydia released another sob, clutching her stomach like she was in pain.

“Cole,” she whispered weakly, “the pup… it hurts.”

His panic deepened. He stared at Lydia pale and trembling in his arms, then he glared at me venomously.

“You’re staying in here until you think about your actions,” he snapped. His voice was final and cold. “You’re staying in here until you learn to control your wolf.”

I froze. “What?”

“You heard me.” He wrapped his arms around Lydia, guiding her toward the door. “You’re not coming out of this room until you learn how to control yourself. I won’t let you hurt Lydia—or this pup.”

The door slammed shut, and I heard the door being locked from outside.

“No!” I screamed, throwing myself at the door. My fists pounded against the door until my hands throbbed. “Cole! Don’t you dare leave me in here! Open this door!”

Silence answered me.

I pulled at the handle, but it didn’t budge. “Cole!” I shouted again, my voice cracked. “Please! You can’t do this!”

But he didn’t come back.

I was on the top floor. There was no way out.

Minutes became hours. I screamed until my voice was hoarse, and my throat felt like sandpaper. I called Cole’s phone again and again, until he blocked my line, cutting me off completely.

My body ached, and my stomach growled angrily. There was no food, and no water, like a prison.

I clawed at the door until my nails started to bleed. I screamed, begged, cursed, and prayed until my voice gave out.

My wolf howled in rage. I shifted and threw myself at the door again and again, but it didn’t move. It was reinforced. Every door in this house was.