Marked By The Lycan King, Betrayed By Fate

CHAPTER 23

(Selene’s POV)

I bit my lower lip, a feeling of unease settling in my chest. Lucian’s words had sounded so serious, as if he were certain that Dexton was behind my attack.

My heart pounded at the thought of something happening to the two of them. Even though I hated Dexton, there was no proof that he was truly responsible. I hadn’t even suspected him at first because, as far as I knew, I had been attacked by rogues without considering whether someone was orchestrating it.

I stared at the ceiling, trying to gather my scattered thoughts.

Was this really Dexton’s doing? If so, what would Lucian do to him? I knew how angry Lucian had been earlier—I could see it in his sharp gaze, in the way his jaw tensed upon hearing that I had been attacked.

If Dexton was truly behind it... I swallowed hard. I didn’t want to imagine what might happen.

I let out a deep breath, my eyes shifting to Royne, who was still standing there. Sensing my gaze, he turned and gave me a small smile.

“Are you feeling better?” he asked.

I tried to nod, but the pain in my body made me wince. “Royne… do you know what Lucian is doing right now?” My voice came out weaker than I had intended.

Royne’s expression turned serious. “Of course. Alpha is interrogating Dexton.”

My heart pounded. “So… it really was him?”

Royne shook his head. “Not necessarily. But Dexton is the only suspect at the moment. After all, he has already treated you badly before.”

That was true. Dexton had almost hurt me—he had nearly r***d me. But would he really be cruel enough to harm me through other wolves? Even through rogues?

That would be like lowering himself to the level of working with them.

I bit my lip, imagining all the possibilities. I no longer loved Dexton; that was a thing of the past. But I didn’t want his relationship with his father to be completely ruined.

Lucian was probably furious right now, but I didn’t want him to do something he would regret. I also didn’t want to be the reason they became even more divided.

“Royne… Will Lucian…?” I couldn’t bring myself to finish the sentence.

Royne understood my worry and gave me a small smile. “Don’t worry. Even if Dexton has made a grave mistake, Alpha won’t kill him.”

I searched his eyes for certainty. “Are you sure?”

Royne nodded. “Lucian isn’t someone who makes rash decisions in anger. He’ll find out the truth first.”

I wanted to believe his words, but I was still anxious. I couldn’t just sit here.

I had to make sure Lucian didn’t do something that would destroy his relationship with his own son.

With great effort, I pushed myself up from the bed.

Pain immediately shot through my entire body. I groaned, making Royne startle in panic and rush toward me.

“Selene! What are you doing?!”

I didn’t respond, determined to get up despite the pain coursing through me.

“Selene! You can’t get up!” Royne hurriedly supported my shoulders to keep me from falling.

To be honest, his reflexes were incredibly fast. He looked strong, with well-defined muscles and prominent veins.

“I need to see Lucian…” I murmured, ignoring the pain in every inch of my body. “I have to make sure he doesn’t lose control.”

Royne shook his head firmly. “No, you’re not fully recovered yet! Alpha ordered me to stay here and watch over you. He’ll be furious if he finds out I let you leave the bed.”

I looked at him pleadingly. “Royne, I can’t just sit here. I have to make sure he doesn’t do something that will destroy his relationship with his son.”

Royne studied me for a long moment before finally sighing.

“I understand that you’re worried, Selene. But we don’t even know for sure if Dexton is really behind this or not.”

I fell silent. I knew he was just doing his duty, and I could see the concern in his expression.

“All we have right now are assumptions. Alpha just wants answers. He won’t act recklessly.”

“But… his expression was so terrifying. If he loses control, he won’t care who his opponent is—as long as they die.”

“Selene, I know Alpha very well. He won’t kill without reason.”

Even so, I couldn’t help but remember how Lucian had killed his own wife when he caught her betraying him.

I mean, if he could kill the woman he loved, then surely, he could do the same to his own son, right? After all, no one truly knows what’s in another person’s heart.

Royne looked at me deeply, as if trying to reassure me. “I know you care about both of them, but trust me, Alpha knows what he’s doing.”

I clenched my fists, trying to calm myself. I wanted to trust Lucian—I really did.

But I knew how angry he was right now. I could only hope that his rage wouldn’t blind his judgment.

I closed my eyes, attempting to steady my erratic heartbeat. Royne’s voice came again, gentle yet firm.

“Lucian has always watched over Dexton from a distance, even though that boy is stubborn. But I know that deep down, he still cares about him, just like you don’t want to see them hurt each other.”

I slowly opened my eyes. “I just… don’t want to be the reason they hate each other.”

Royne gave me a faint smile. “You’re not the reason, Selene. This isn’t your fault. The one at fault is whoever attacked you. We just need to find out who the real culprit is.”

I nodded slightly, then glanced at the slightly open window. There was still no sign of Lucian returning. I couldn’t hear anything from their conversation either.

Slowly, I took deep breaths, exhaling over and over. I tried to envision a good outcome because I believed in the power of affirmations—that thinking about something positively could make it happen.

“Can you hear or see anything? Are they fighting?” I asked Royne.

“There’s no fighting, Selene.” His answer was too short for my liking. I couldn’t tell if he was speaking the truth or just trying to reassure me.

“I just hope Lucian doesn’t do something he’ll regret…” I whispered.

Royne didn’t respond. Only silence surrounded us. A heavy silence, filled with unanswered questions.