CHAPTER THREE
1222 Words
---
Selene stood at her window long before the sun rose.
The air was cold, quiet, still laced with the sharp scent of pine and morning frost. She hadn’t slept much. Her body ached, not from the physical pain of the rejection, but from the aftermath—the void left behind, the pressure of what she had dared to do.
Her fingers curled around the curtain as she stared at the northern path leading out of the pack.
He would leave today.
Just like last time.
Only this time… he would leave without her.
---
Damon stood with his unit at the gates just after dawn, ready for the border mission. The same mission that would change everything.
His armor caught the faint light, his golden eyes scanning the clearing as if searching for something—or someone.
He didn’t see her.
Selene didn’t come.
She was watching, though. From her window, high in the Beta’s estate, hidden behind the curtain.
He shifted on his feet, jaw tight. There was no smile on his face today.
Only confusion. Frustration. And something dangerously close to regret.
He mounted his horse and gave the command.
Without a word, the group vanished into the misty woods.
Selene closed the curtain slowly.
---
Rumors spread like wildfire.
By midmorning, whispers had spilled into every corner of the pack: Selene Thorne rejected Damon Wulfhart, the Alpha’s only son. The chosen Luna. The girl who had once glowed at his side like a second moon.
Now? She had snapped the bond herself.
The pack was stunned.
Some were impressed. Some insulted.
Some simply didn't believe it.
---
That evening, her family confronted her.
They waited until after dinner. Her father, Beta Ryker, stood by the fireplace while her mother quietly folded the linens. Marcus hovered near the stairs, pretending not to eavesdrop.
“Selene,” her father began calmly, “there’s something we need to ask.”
She looked up from her chair, face unreadable.
Her mother glanced at her husband, then back to Selene. “Are the rumors true? Did you really… reject Damon?”
Selene folded her hands neatly on her lap. “Yes.”
The word fell like a stone in the room.
Her father’s brows knit. “That’s not something done lightly, Selene. You were promised—”
“No,” she cut in. “I was never promised. I was assumed.”
Silence.
Her mother’s voice was gentle but firm. “You loved him. Everyone knew it. What changed?”
Selene looked her mother in the eyes. “I loved him too much. That’s what changed.”
Her father exhaled slowly. “People are talking. Some say you’ve dishonored the Beta line. Others say you embarrassed the Alpha’s son.”
Selene stood, her voice steady. “I don’t regret it. I won't explain it. I made my choice, and I stand by it.”
She met her father’s gaze directly. “And if Alpha Grayson wishes to speak to me, I’ll tell him the same.”
There was a long pause.
Then her father nodded, though his eyes were shadowed. “He’s not asking to speak to you. He’s asking to speak to me.”
---
The next day, Beta Ryker was summoned to the Alpha’s residence.
The hall was silent as he entered, the tall wooden doors creaking behind him. Alpha Grayson sat at the head of the council table, alone, fingers steepled beneath his chin.
“Beta Ryker,” he said, voice even. “Thank you for coming.”
“My Alpha,” Ryker bowed.
Grayson didn’t waste time. “Your daughter rejected my son.”
“Yes,” Ryker said. “Without our consent, but not without thought.”
The Alpha’s eyes narrowed slightly. “She had a role. A future. As Luna.”
Ryker remained calm. “With respect, she had a bond. Not a title. A bond she chose to sever.”
Grayson leaned back, silent for a moment. Then he said, “And you support her?”
Ryker paused.
Then nodded once. “She’s my daughter. Strong. Intelligent. Arrogant, yes—but never reckless. If she did this, it’s because she believes it was necessary.”
The Alpha’s eyes flickered. “Damon is confused. Hurt.”
“So is Selene,” Ryker said quietly. “But she won’t show it.”
The Alpha dismissed him after that—but Ryker left the room knowing the conversation was far from over.
---
By the week’s end, the entire pack was buzzing.
“She really rejected him?”
“They say she didn’t even flinch.”
“She was always proud, but this… this is different.”
Selene walked through the village like a ghost queen—neither shrinking from the whispers nor reacting to them.
She trained harder than before. She visited the sick. She helped her mother gather herbs. She sparred with the warriors and gave no ground.
She was… everywhere.
But she never said a word about Damon.
---
One morning, Elder Mira pulled her aside in the gardens.
The older woman had always favored Selene since she was a child. Her wrinkled hands folded over her cane, sharp eyes studying her face.
“You look like someone who’s just begun to breathe again,” she said softly.
Selene blinked. “That’s… accurate.”
Mira smiled faintly. “Good. But breathe wisely, child. The world does not like women who free themselves.”
Selene bowed slightly. “Then the world should learn to adapt.”
---
That night, a scout returned early.
Selene heard the bell sound from the eastern wall—low and slow. A returning warrior. Unexpected.
She stepped out onto the porch. Her father was already gone—summoned to the gates.
Within an hour, the Alpha called another meeting.
---
They gathered in the central clearing, the pack humming with tension.
Alpha Grayson stood before them, flanked by warriors and Beta Ryker. The returning scout stood nearby, his tunic torn and face scratched.
Grayson’s voice carried clearly across the gathering:
“A tragedy has reached our borders. A neighboring rogue pack has been completely destroyed. Ambushed. Annihilated.”
Whispers.
Selene stood still, heart slowing.
“One survivor was found. A young woman. Injured, near death, clinging to the river rocks, though they are rogues they were under our protection they are not dangerous, but peace loving.”
A pause.
“She is being tended to now. But she will live.”
Then his voice grew heavy.
“Her name is Lia.”
Time stopped.
Selene’s ears rang. Her fingers curled into fists.
“She will remain with us under protection. As a guest. A survivor. Until she finds a place to heal.”
Murmurs broke across the crowd.
“Lia?”
“Rogue-born?”
“Is she dangerous?”
Selene said nothing.
Her wolf stirred inside her like a rising wind.
She’s here.
Despite all her changes.
she knew she couldn't stop Lia from coming, but she could stop her from hurting her again, if it is Damon she wants, she can have him. she didn't want revenge, she just wants to live her life being happy and free but Lia should stay far from her, she should not go near her Loved ones or else don't blame her for being merciless.
- Writer
