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Chapter Twelve
CHAPTER TWELVE
Selene
He didn’t hit her.”
Not physically. Not in a way that would leave marks. But when a man grips a girl half his size with enough force to make her cry, it doesn’t matter whether his hand lands or not. Something breaks.”
And it broke me.”
That night, I packed a small bag and stared at my reflection in the mirror, tracing the faint swell beneath my ribcage. I wasn’t showing yet. Not enough for him to notice. But I knew. I’d known for days. The sickness. The heaviness in my bones. The way my wolf stirred protectively whenever I felt afraid.}
There was life inside me.}
And I couldn’t raise it in a house like this.
I had reached for the door when I heard the sound of his boots on the marble.
“Where are you going?” Damien’s voice was hoarse. Unshaven. Sleepless. “You’re leaving?“}
I turned slowly, forcing my face to stay neutral. “Yes.”}
He looked at me like I’d kicked him. “Selene, wait–please, wait. I… I wasn’t myself. I’ve been under stress-”
“You scared that girl.” My voice didn’t tremble, but something inside me did.
His eyes dropped. “I know. I shouldn’t have lost my temper. I just–there’s pressure. From my father. From the elders. And then you–you’re so distant lately, and I didn’t know how to reach you.”}}
Reach me?
I almost laughed.}
But then he stepped forward, reached out–gently this time–and placed a tentative hand on my cheek.}
“Please don’t go,” he whispered. “Give me another chance.”
And because I was tired. Because I was pregnant. Because some broken part of me still wanted to believe in the boy I’d left everything for…
I stayed.”
For two weeks, he was the man I remembered. Soft–spoken. Attentive. He kissed my forehead every morning and made sure I ate. He even asked about names.
But I should have known it wouldn’t last.
It never did.
-2
I first met Elara officially when she came with her mate–Damien’s brother, Marcellus. They arrived for the Lunar Equinox feast, and I still remember the way she smiled when she stepped out of the carriage. Honey–blonde hair in soft waves. Emerald dress clinging to her body like a second skin. Eyes that sparkled like kindness but cut like daggers.}
“Selene,” she said, hugging me lightly. “It’s so good to finally meet the famous princess.” She pulled back with a laugh. “You’re even prettier than the rumors.”
I smiled politely, but something in her tone didn’t sit right.
That was Elara’s power–poison, perfumed like roses.}
At the feast, she sat beside Damien, even though her mate was seated across the hall. Every few minutes, she’d lean in to whisper something, her hand brushing his forearm as if by accident.
I said nothing.2
I’d learned by then what silence was worth.
Later that evening, she cornered me in the hallway. Her eyes traveled down to my belly–barely visible beneath the folds of my gown.
“Congratulations,” she said sweetly. “Must be exciting for you… carrying the future Alpha’s heir. I can’t imagine the pressure.”
I blinked, unsure how to respond.”
She smiled wider. “And here I thought Damien didn’t want children so soon. He always said he needed time to adjust.”
My chest went still. “He told you that?”
“Oh.” She pressed a hand to her mouth. “I assumed he had. We talk so much, you know. It gets hard to separate what’s said in confidence and what isn’t.”
She leaned closer then, voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. “Don’t worry, I’m just here to help. I’d hate for you to feel overwhelmed…. or alone.“}]
Then she walked away, perfume trailing behind her like a curse.
-0
Over the months, her visits became more frequent. Always with Marcellus, always timed perfectly. And always followed by a shift in Damien’s behavior.
He’d snap more easily. Get home late. Sometimes, he wouldn’t come to bed at all E
11:25 AM
And when I asked…
“You’re paranoid, Selene,” he’d say, brushing me off. “Elara’s like family. She’s mated to my brother.”
O
But her lipstick would end up on his collar. Her earrings, on the bathroom counter. Her laugh, echoing in his study long after I’d gone to bed.
I wanted to leave again.
Many times.
I wrote letters I never sent. Packed bags I never took. I’d stand at the edge of the Shadowfang territory with a hand on my belly and tears
in my throat, whispering to my child, “Just a little longer. Just until I’m strong enough.“}
Then Damien would show up, kneel before me like a man begging the gods.”
“I’m sorry,” he’d whisper. “I’ve been so lost without you.“>
He’d hold my stomach, press kisses to it like an oath. “This baby needs us together. I need you. I’ll change.”}]
And for a little while, I believed him.M
But apologies are only as good as the silence that follows them.
And Damien’s always had an expiration date.
<–>
The night I went into early labor, Elara was in our home again.)
Damien wasn’t.
She found me doubled over in the hallway, clutching the wall, the floor slick beneath my feet.}
I begged her to call for help.
She looked down at me with pity. Tilted her head. “Are you sure it’s not just Braxton Hicks?”
“Elara–please…”
She leaned down, brushing hair from my face. “You should have taken better care of yourself, Selene. Pregnancy is delicate. Especially in a place where you’re not really… wanted.”
Then she stood. Turned.§
And walked away.
