The Divine Lycan

Chapter 15

Selene left the meeting hall. As she walked through the settlement, her thoughts were interrupted by a scene that stopped her in her tracks. She saw Michael in the kitchen, cleaning up after the evening meal. But he wasn’t alone. A group of young wolves had surrounded him, their postures aggressive and mocking. Just as she was about to turn away, she saw one of the wolves slap Michael across the face.

The sight was like a jolt to her system. She felt a strange, unsettling pang in her chest, as though she had been struck herself. Her hand twitched, and for a moment, she nearly stepped forward to intervene. But something held her back—an instinct, perhaps, or the cold logic of her position.

Michael remained silent, his head bowed in submission, not fighting back, even as another wolf struck him again. The other wolves laughed, their jeers echoing in the small space. Selene stood frozen, torn between the urge to stop the cruelty and the need to keep her distance.

Darius appeared at her side, his eyes narrowing at the scene. “Should I stop them, Alpha?” he asked, his voice low and controlled.

Selene hesitated for a fraction of a second before shaking her head. “No. Let’s go.”

With a last, lingering look at Michael, she turned and walked away, her heart heavy with conflicting emotions. Darius followed her, and as they reached her quarters, she dismissed him with a curt nod, closing the door in his face before he could say another word.

Inside the privacy of her room, Selene leaned against the door, her breath coming in shallow gasps. She couldn’t afford to show weakness, not now, not when so much was at stake. But the image of Michael, bowed and beaten, lingered in her mind, haunting her even as she tried to push it away.

Finding out the truth about the Divine Lycan and protecting her pack from the threats that loomed on the horizon.

But as she lay down, the darkness closing in around her, Selene knew that this was just the beginning of a storm that would test her in ways she had never imagined.

Selene tossed and turned in her bed, the sheets tangled around her legs as she struggled to find sleep. The events of the day had left her mind spinning, and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t push away the thoughts of Michael—the rogue who had somehow managed to invade her every waking moment and even her dreams.

Frustrated, she finally sat up, the darkness of her room pressing in around her. Her heart pounded with a strange mixture of anger and something she couldn’t quite name. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw Michael’s face—his expression as he had been struck by the other wolves, the way he had taken the blows without fighting back.

The image stirred something deep within her, something she wasn’t ready to face. But the more she tried to suppress it, the stronger it grew.

With a sigh, Selene reached out with her mind, linking with the guard stationed outside her door. **“Bring Michael to me. Clean him up first,”** she ordered, her voice firm but laced with a tension she couldn’t shake.

**“Yes, Alpha,”** came the immediate response, and she could feel the guard’s slight hesitation before the connection was severed.

Selene leaned back against the headboard, her fingers drumming restlessly on the sheets as she waited. She didn’t fully understand why she had summoned him, but there was a pull she couldn’t deny—a need to confront whatever it was that had been growing between them.

Outside, the guard relayed Selene’s orders to another, who hurried to the small cabin where Michael was staying. The guard knocked sharply on the door, and when Michael opened it, his eyes were wary, as if he knew something was coming.

“Alpha wants to see you,” the guard stated bluntly. “You’re to be cleaned up first.”

Michael frowned, his weariness evident. “I just cleaned up not long ago. Can I go like this?”

The guard shook his head, his expression impassive. “It doesn’t matter if you’ve cleaned yourself up a hundred times today. When the Alpha gives an order, you follow it. You’re just a slave.”

Michael’s heart sank at the harsh reminder of his status. With a resigned nod, he bowed his head and allowed himself to be led to the cleaning room. The routine was familiar now, the cold water, the rough scrubbing, the impersonal hands that dressed him in a fresh set of clothes. This time, the attire was slightly more covering, but it did little to shield him from the vulnerability he felt.

Once he was prepared, Michael was escorted to Selene’s quarters. He paused outside the door, taking a deep breath to steady himself before knocking lightly.

“Come in,” came Selene’s voice from within, cool and commanding.

Michael pushed the door open and stepped inside, closing it softly behind him. His eyes immediately found Selene, lying on her bed with an air of casual authority. Her gaze was sharp, assessing him as he stood awkwardly by the door.

“Come closer,” she ordered, her voice low but firm.

Michael obeyed, moving a few steps forward, but her eyes narrowed as she repeated, “I said, come closer.”

There was an edge to her tone that made him quicken his pace until he was standing at the side of her bed. Selene studied him for a moment, her eyes filled with a mix of emotions that Michael couldn’t quite decipher.

“Do you like being treated like a slave?” she asked suddenly, her voice cold. “Do you enjoy being bullied and beaten?”

Michael’s eyes widened at the question, his heart thudding painfully in his chest. “No,” he replied quietly. “No, I don’t.”

“Then why did I see you today, letting those wolves beat you without even trying to defend yourself?” Selene demanded, her voice rising slightly with each word.

Michael’s breath caught, memories flooding back to him, memories he had tried so hard to bury. “I… I didn’t have a choice,” he whispered, his voice barely audible. “I couldn’t fight them off.”

“Couldn’t?” Selene scoffed, her eyes narrowing as she leaned closer. “Or wouldn’t?”