Chapter 10 You Are Mine
Vortend
The moment I saw her, time seemed to slow. Selene stood across the ballroom, her platinum white hair catching the light of the crystal chandeliers, creating an ethereal glow around her.
Her ice-blue gown flowed around her body like water, each movement so graceful it was almost painful to witness. The air around her seemed cooler, as if her very presence altered the atmosphere.
'Selene,' I thought, my chest tightening. 'Still breathtaking after all this time.'
She had once been my everything—my mate, my Luna, my heart. And I had destroyed it all.
I had promised myself I would control my Abyssal powers and my emotions for her safety. Yet here she was, and the sight of her pregnant belly made my blood run cold.
I clenched my fist, feeling the familiar tingle of dark energy threatening to rise. The black scale-like tattoo on my arm began to spread slightly, responding to my emotional turmoil. I forced myself to breathe slowly, to regain control.
'Focus. Remember why you're here.'
My attention snapped back to the present as I watched Archer Pierce approach Selene. His hand touched her cheek in a gesture of intimacy that made my jaw clench and my vision sharpen.
A possessive rage surged through me, a primal desire to tear her away from him, to remind everyone that she was mine—had always been mine.
As I watched them interact, doubts began to surface. Vivian had told me Selene had lost our child, but the timeline didn't add up. The pregnancy she now carried matched perfectly with when she had left me. Had Vivian lied? But why would she?
"Vortend," Adriana whispered, her grip tightening on my arm. "Remember our plan. Her safety matters more than your feelings. Don't risk everything just to satisfy your curiosity."
I nodded stiffly, but my eyes never left Selene. When she disappeared after the incident with Jason, I felt both relief and frustration. Part of me was grateful for the interruption, while another part raged at the lost opportunity to speak with her.
Later, when she returned in a different dress, I felt that rage return as Archer led her to the dance floor.
The way his hands rested on her waist, the intimate way he leaned in to speak to her... I felt the familiar surge of Abyssal power responding to my anger, and I knew my eyes were probably glowing.
I was still seething when Archer approached me after leaving Selene's side. A thin mist seemed to follow him, hanging in the air around us as he offered a smug smile.
"I hope our earlier little disagreement hasn't left you uncomfortable, Alpha Fenrith," he said, his tone dripping with mock concern. "You don't seem to be enjoying the ball very much."
I straightened to my full height, looking down at him slightly. "I'm honored that the Alpha of Mist Mountain is so concerned about my enjoyment," I replied. "However, you need not worry."
"I apologize for my mistake earlier," he said smoothly. "I'm simply very protective of my woman."
The words 'my woman' made my fingers twitch, dark energy briefly flickering at my fingertips before I suppressed it. I noticed the glasses on a nearby table seemed to tremble slightly.
My eyes narrowed, sharp as knives. "I wasn't aware you had taken a mate."
"There's much about me you don't know, Alpha Fenrith," Archer replied, a mysterious smile playing on his lips. "Mist Mountain has many secrets."
"Apparently so," I said, my voice dangerously calm. "And if she is your woman, then it seems congratulations are in order. You're to be a father."
Archer's smile widened, though I detected something false in it. "Yes, as it should be. You know how important heirs are... We've been together for some time, though she only recently moved to the Mist Mountain pack."
My heart began pounding harder.
I didn't believe him. I had never smelled another man on Selene, and I had never seen her leave the Black Pine pack. Selene wouldn't lie to me about something so fundamental. And I could still feel our mate bond, however faint it had become.
"Yes. I am truly fortunate to have her," Archer added, his eyes gleaming with cunning.
I studied him carefully. If Selene was truly his mate, he would know which pack she came from. The story didn't make sense.
One of Archer's betas, Silas, approached and whispered something in his ear. Archer nodded and excused himself, leaving me alone with my thoughts.
If Selene and Archer were together, perhaps that explained why she had accepted the severance ritual so quickly. And why Vivian might have lied about losing the child. But something still didn't feel right.
I searched for Selene, worried she might have already left. 'No, I must see her!' I needed to confirm her safety and the condition of the child she carried.
Following her distinctive frost scent, I made my way toward the garden area. As I approached, I heard heated voices.
Hidden behind a row of hedges, I found Selene with her back to me, her platinum hair shimmering in the moonlight. Frost formed on the grass blades around her feet. Facing her was Adriana, her golden hair disheveled, her eyes flashing with malice.
"How dare you!" Selene's voice carried a chill that made the temperature drop further.
"Please, Selene! Be quiet!" Adriana hissed, panic and a hint of alluring power in her voice.
"You want me to be quiet? Everything I'm saying is the truth, Adriana! You're a viper. It's time the world knows how you manipulated Vortend!"
I froze, shocked by Selene's accusation. Had I been controlled?
Memories of strange gaps in my recollection surfaced—times when I'd made decisions that felt unlike me, including the day I demanded the severance ritual from Selene.
As I prepared to step forward and intervene, Adriana screamed. A flash of light caught my eye. I ran forward, leaping over the hedge, dark energy swirling around me.
Adriana was on the ground, clutching her bleeding arm. Selene stood above her, her eyes glowing with an icy blue light, her hands surrounded by a thin layer of frost.
I realized with a jolt that her power was out of control.
"Selene!" I called out, my voice echoing in the night air.