Chapter 1:Pilot
1220 Words
Selene’s POV
“i***t!!!”
The vase shattered beside my head, shards of porcelain raining onto the floor like jagged little stars.
I flinched, my body curling in on itself, but I didn’t move from where I knelt. There was no point. Running would only make it worse.
“Useless girl!” My father’s voice thundered through the room, thick with rage. “How can you not be pregnant yet?! You’ve been mated to the Alpha for months! What else is your purpose if not to bear his heir?!”
My hands dug into the cold marble floor, nails pressing into my palms.
I wanted to answer. I wanted to tell him that Victor barely touched me anymore. That the passion he once had for me had faded into obligation. That he looked through me more than he looked at me. And whose fault was that? My father.
But I knew better.
Excuses would only make the next blow worse.
Pak!
A sharp pain cracked against my cheek, the force of the slap making my head snap to the side. My vision blurred, my ears ringing.
My mother stood in the corner, her hands clenched together, her face blank. She wouldn’t stop him. She never did.
"You are an Omega, Selene," my father seethed. "Do you think you were chosen to rule by Victor's side because of love? You are nothing without him."
My throat ached with the words I wanted to scream.
I have always been obedient. The perfect daughter. The perfect mate. I had done everything I was told, hoping that one day—just one day—my father would look at me with something other than disappointment.
But I should have known.
Obedience wasn’t enough.
It would never be enough.
The room was silent for a long moment, save for my own ragged breathing. Then my father exhaled sharply.
"Fix this," he ordered, his voice cold. "Make Victor want you again." Seduce him. Get pregnant. And if you fail again, don’t bother coming back here unless I put your head on a stick."
I swallowed the lump in my throat.
"Yes, Father," I whispered.
I felt his gaze linger on me for another moment, then the heavy thud of his boots as he turned and left the room.
The door slammed shut behind him.
I didn’t move.
I couldn’t.
I stood on the floor, my face stinging, my hands trembling, my body feeling like it had been drained of everything I had left to give.
"Selene," my mother finally spoke, her voice soft.
I forced myself to look up at her.
She didn’t look at me with pity. Or with love.
Only expectation.
"Go to Victor’s ball," she said. Wear something beautiful. Make him remember why he chose you."
A hollow laugh built in my throat, but I swallowed it down.
He hadn’t chosen me. He had been forced to accept me because the Goddess had bound us. And now that the bond was weakening, now that his heart belonged to someone else, nothing I wore would change that.
But it didn’t matter.
I was Selene Vaughn. Daughter of Beta Vaughn. The mate of the future Alpha.
I had no choice but to try.
---
The silk of my gown felt smooth against my skin. A soft blue, a color Victor once told me, made my eyes look attractive. The dress clung to my curves, the neckline dipping just enough to be alluring but still elegant.
Anaya, my maid, fussed over the final details, securing the silver clasp of my necklace and ensuring the soft curls in my hair fell just right.
"You look beautiful, my lady," she said, stepping back to admire her work.
Beautiful.
I had been told that my entire life. As if beauty was my only asset. As if it was enough.
Tonight, I needed it to be.
I forced a smile. "Thank you, Anaya. That will be all."
She hesitated, her lips parting as if she wanted to say something more. Then she dipped her head and left the room.
I exhaled slowly, turning to face my reflection.
Tonight, everything will go back to how it was.
The bond would strengthen. Victor would see me—really see me—and he would remember why we were meant to be together.
I had to believe that.
With my heart hammering against my ribs, I stepped out of my chambers and made my way toward the grand ballroom.
The corridors were lined with pack members dressed in their finest attire, voices murmuring, and laughter spilling into the air. The scent of spiced wine and roasted meat filled the halls, the rich hum of celebration vibrating beneath my feet.
But as I stepped closer to the ballroom doors, something came to mind.
Victor should be here. We were supposed to walk in together and be announced. Today was his birthday. The future Alpha, the Crown Prince of the Blood Moon Pack—yet he was nowhere to be seen.
I stopped, glancing around, searching for his familiar presence.
"Where is Victor?" I asked a passing omega.
The girl paled slightly before lowering her gaze. "I—I don’t know, my lady."
Lies.
I could feel it in the air, the unspoken knowledge hanging between the surrounding whispers.
I turned on my heel, my steps quick as I moved away from the ballroom. If he wasn’t here, he would be in his chambers.
My pulse was erratic, but I told myself it was fine. Maybe he had simply stepped away, tired of the attention. Maybe he was waiting for me.
But as I approached the hallway leading to his room, I slowed.
Something wasn’t right.
The guards weren’t at their usual posts. The corridor was eerily silent. The faint glow of candlelight flickered through the c***k beneath his door.
And then—
A sound.
A low, drawn-out moan.
My feet stopped moving.
For a second, I stood there, frozen.
Maybe I had imagined it.
Maybe—
Another moan. This one is unmistakable, breathless. A woman.
I felt my stomach do a cartwheel.
No.
No, it couldn’t be.
My fingers curled into fists, my breath coming too fast as I stepped closer. I shouldn’t open the door. I shouldn’t.
But I had to.
With shaking hands, I pressed my palm against the wood and pushed.
The door creaked open just enough for the scene inside to flood my vision.
And my world stopped.
Victor.
Naked.
His broad, sweat-slicked back facing me, the muscles in his spine flexing with every deep thrust he made.
The woman beneath him was bent over the edge of his bed, her fingers clawing at the sheets, gasping and moaning as he slammed into her from behind.
I couldn’t move.
I couldn’t breathe.
Victor’s voice was a low growl, his hand fisting in the woman’s hair as he pulled her back against him, hard.
"You take me so well," he murmured. "Better than she ever did."
The woman let out a whimper, her voice shaking. "I’m yours, Victor. Only yours."
A sharp, breathless laugh.
A laugh I knew.
My stomach twisted.
No.
I staggered back, my pulse roaring in my ears, the bile rising in my throat.
I didn’t need to see her face.
I already knew who it was.
Liana.
- Writer
