From His Luna to His Rival's Mate

Chapter 12

SELENE

I could not stop thinking about the strange feelings that kept hitting me at random times. After what happened when Elara touched my arm and when Kael touched me after the trial, I knew I needed real answers. I went back to the library the next afternoon with a clear purpose in my mind.

The big building felt quiet and cool inside, soft light came through the high windows and made long shadows on the floor. I walked past the normal shelves filled with books that everyone could read and headed straight toward the restricted section at the back.

The wooden gate blocked the way but I showed my student card to the old librarian sitting at her desk as usual and she let me in.

"Be careful in there," she said in a low voice.

I nodded and stepped inside. The air smelled stronger here, like dust, old paper, and a hint of something sweet like dried flowers, tall shelves reached all the way up to the high ceiling.

Some books looked so old that their covers were cracked and faded. I moved slowly between the rows, running my fingers lightly along the spines until I found the section about bloodlines.

I pulled out a thick book with a dark red cover, the pages felt heavy in my hands and I carried it to a small wooden table in the corner and sat down.

The chair creaked softly under my weight. I opened the book and started reading carefully. My eyes moved across the yellowed pages as I searched for anything about the Vale bloodline.

The book explained how different bloodlines carried special gifts from the ancient times, one line could heal much faster than normal werewolves, another could sense danger before it happened.

Some could control the emotions of people around them during full moons. I kept turning the pages, reading every word slowly. The more I read, the more curious I became.

I found the section on the Vale bloodline after several minutes. My heart beat a little faster as I read the words. It said the Vale line was once known for its deep connection to the Moon Goddess, some members in the past could sense strong emotions in others, especially when they were under stress or during important lunar events. The gift was rare and usually appeared after great pain or a major life change.

I sat back in my chair and stared at the page for a long time. My fingers traced the old ink on the paper. Could this explain the strange rushes I had been feeling?

Did my rebirth wake something up inside me? The thought made my hands feel cold. I closed the book slowly and rubbed my face with both hands.

I spent a long time going through more books. I pulled out three other thick volumes and opened them one by one. Each book gave me small pieces of information.

Some bloodlines carried gifts that stayed hidden for generations until something big happened to wake them up. Pain, loss, a second chance.

The words made me think about the warehouse again but I pushed those memories down and kept reading.

The afternoon light outside the windows grew softer as time passed. I did not notice how long I had been sitting there until my neck started to ache. I rubbed it with one hand and kept turning pages.

Every new detail made me more certain that something real was happening inside me. I was changing in ways I did not fully understand yet. The thought felt both scary and exciting at the same time.

I was still sitting there, lost in the books, when the chair across from me moved. Elara sat down quietly with a soft smile on her face. She looked as pretty as always in a light blue dress that flowed nicely around her. Her long hair fell smoothly over her shoulders. She placed her hands gently on the table and looked at me with kind eyes.

"Selene," she said in her sweet voice. "I saw you come into the library earlier. I thought we could have a little sisterly talk. Just the two of us. No one else around."

I closed the book in front of me and looked at her carefully. My body felt tense. "What do you want to talk about, Elara?"

She leaned forward a little and smiled wider. Her fingers stayed relaxed on the table, but I noticed how tightly she held them together. "About Calder, and about you. I have been worried about you lately, Selene. You have been acting so different. Rejecting him so strongly in public. Kissing Kael right in front of everyone. It is not like the girl I used to know."

I kept my face calm and looked straight at her. "The old me is gone. I am making better choices for myself now."

Elara gave a small, sad smile. She reached across the table and touched my hand lightly with her fingers. "But Calder cares about you. He really does. He talks about you all the time when we are alone. He wants to protect you and take care of you. Our families need this marriage. It would help both packs so much. If you keep pushing him away like this, you might lose more than you think."

The moment her fingers touched my skin, I felt another rush, possessiveness. I pulled my hand away quickly and tried to hide how much it affected me.

"I am not going to marry him," I said firmly. "No matter what you say or what anyone else wants. My life is my own now. I get to choose."

Elara's eyes changed, the sweet look on her face faded just a little. She leaned closer and lowered her voice. "You do not understand how powerful Calder is, Selene. He can make things very difficult for you here at the academy. For your family too. It would be smarter to accept him. Be a good Luna, stop these silly games with Kael Voss. He is not good for you, he never has been."

I felt anger rising in my chest, but I kept my voice steady. I sat up straighter and looked her straight in the eyes. "Are you threatening me again, Elara?"

She smiled, but it did not look friendly this time. "I am simply giving you good advice as your roommate. As someone who loves my brother very much. Stop embarrassing him in front of everyone. Stop fighting what is meant to be. Or you might regret it later when things become harder for you."

I stood up slowly from my chair. My hands stayed steady even though my heart was beating fast. "I will live my life the way I want to live it, and I suggest you focus on your own problems instead of trying to control mine."

Elara stood up too. She looked at me for a long moment, her pretty face stayed mostly calm, but her eyes looked cold and sharp. "You are making a big mistake, Selene. Calder always gets what he wants. Always. It would be better for everyone if you remembered that."

She turned and walked away with smooth, graceful steps. I watched her leave the restricted section until she disappeared from view.

My hands felt a little shaky as I sat back down. I stayed in the library a little longer to calm my racing thoughts. I put all the books back carefully on the shelves and took one last look around the quiet space.

The fresh air outside felt good on my face when I finally stepped out of the building. Students walked around me, talking and laughing. I thought about everything that had happened today.

I needed to get stronger. I needed real help with training, someone who understood power and control, someone who would not treat me like I was weak. That someone was Kael.

I would ask him to train me in secret. I walked toward the training grounds with steady steps. My mind felt clearer now. I was not going to wait for trouble to come find me. I would prepare for it, I would get ready for whatever came next.

The sun was starting to set, painting the sky in soft orange and pink colors. I reached the edge of the training fields and saw Kael in the distance. He was practicing alone, his movements looked smooth and powerful under the fading light. I stopped for a moment and watched him.