Selene had not meant to linger in the hallway, not at first. She had been on her way past, her mind already tangled with restless thoughts about Killian and Freya, when voices stopped her in her tracks. She told herself she would move on, that it wasn’t her business, but her feet rooted to the ground as though her body already knew what her heart refused to accept.
She heard everything.
Every sharp word. Every heated exchange. And then...Killian’s voice, raw and unguarded, crashing into her like a blade through her chest:
“You’re my mate!”
The world seemed to stop. Selene felt her lungs seize, her breath caught halfway, as if someone had slammed a fist into her ribs. Her fingers curled against the wall for balance, nails digging into the wood. A ringing filled her ears, and for a terri
