Chapter 9 His Woman?
Selene
The moment our eyes met, I felt a jolt of electricity run through my body. Vortend's dark gold gaze seemed to pierce through my mask, straight to my soul. I quickly looked away, my heart hammering against my ribs.
'Breathe, Selene. Just breathe,' I told myself.
"Bela," a familiar voice called from behind me.
My body froze. Only one person had ever called me that. I turned slowly, plastering a polite smile on my face as Archer approached.
"Alpha Pierce. I need to check on some of the arrangements. If you'll excuse me—"
But Archer was already moving toward me with the grace of a predator. "Hey, are you alright?"
"Of course. I just want to make sure everything is in order."
His eyes swept over me appreciatively. "You look stunning tonight... I'm glad you came."
'I had no choice...' I thought bitterly.
"Thank you, you too. I mean, you look handsome, not beautiful," I stammered, immediately cringing at my awkward response. Frustration bubbled inside me, and I clenched my fist, feeling small ice crystals form between my fingers.
Archer chuckled, then reached out to stroke my cheek and placed a gentle kiss there. The intimate gesture made me tense, especially when I felt Vortend's dark gold gaze burning into me from across the room.
"Come," Archer said, offering his arm. "Let me introduce you to Alpha Vortend Fenrith."
My stomach dropped. Reluctantly, I placed my hand on Archer's arm, feeling like I was walking toward my execution.
We had barely made it halfway across the room when someone collided with me, sending champagne splashing over my arm and dress. I stumbled, instinctively protecting my belly with my free hand.
"Damn, I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!" the man apologized profusely.
Looking up, I recognized Jason's apologetic face. 'My savior...' Relief flooded through me as I realized he had created this distraction deliberately.
Archer's expression darkened. "You should be more careful. If my woman suffers any harm, you—"
'His woman?' The phrase hit me like a slap.
Before Jason could respond, a deep, menacing voice cut through the tension. "You should know better than to threaten my people."
Vortend stood just feet away, his dark gold eyes flashing dangerously. The entire ballroom fell silent.
"It's fine, I'm alright," I said quietly. "I should go clean up."
I glanced around and spotted Vivian standing near Jason. They exchanged a knowing look that confirmed my suspicions—this had been planned.
As I made my retreat, I saw Vortend blocking Archer's path. For a brief moment, our eyes met again before I quickly turned away, disappearing into the crowd.
My heart was racing as I made my way to the restroom. My phone vibrated in my clutch. A message from Vivian: [I'm coming to you. Wait in the restroom.]
I leaned against the cool marble counter, trying to steady my breathing. I felt grateful for Jason's intervention, hoping Vortend wouldn't be too harsh with him.
My mind drifted to Vortend and Adriana. Seeing them in person sent an icy chill through my veins. Even though I'd prepared myself for this, the reality was far more painful than I'd imagined.
The bathroom door swung open, and I tensed. Instead of Vivian, Adriana walked in.
"So this is where you've been hiding these past few months," she said, her voice carrying that seductive quality that had always grated on my nerves.
My entire body went rigid. She recognized me. 'This doesn't matter anymore,' I thought resignedly.
The door opened again, and Vivian rushed in, her green eyes quickly assessing the situation.
"Stay alert, be careful around her, Vivian. I don't want you getting hurt because of me."
"I'll be fine. You need to take care of yourself, Selene. Tonight is a disaster. I didn't expect you to get that close to Vortend! I thought you'd keep a low profile!"
"Archer didn't give me much choice."
"Be careful around him... He's still the enemy..."
I nodded, then asked her to thank Jason for me. A blush spread across Vivian's cheeks as she admitted it had been his idea.
As Vivian prepared to leave, she pulled out a small vial from a leg holster. "Take this... I want you to take it every night... okay?"
"What is it?"
"It's an antidote. Whatever's poisoning you, you're still ingesting it somehow." She looked around nervously. "Be careful what you eat, Selene. I think someone knows you're here, and whoever it is... they're still making sure you're affected by the toxin..."
Shock washed over me. Who would be so malicious as to poison a pregnant woman?
"Adriana's pregnancy," Vivian added suddenly. "That woman wears tight clothes every day. Trust me, she's not pregnant. Besides, she started drinking as soon as we arrived!"
I stared at her, stunned by this revelation. Adriana had lied to me. Anger bubbled up inside me, but I pushed it down.
I slipped the antidote into my purse. I needed to be stronger—for my twins, for myself.
"We should separate. I'll go first."
In a side room, I changed into an ice-blue silk gown and silver heels, then secured a silver mask over my face. Archer was waiting.
"Let's get back to the party," he said, his eyes appreciatively taking in my new attire.
As we walked toward the ballroom, I addressed what had happened earlier.
"Archer... thank you for standing up for me, but... you called me your woman in front of the entire room. We both know that's not true... I don't want to create misunderstandings."
"I wanted to make it clear you're not to be trifled with," he explained, then added softly, "You are my destined Luna."
"I'll wait for you, Selene. As long as it takes. I'm not going anywhere." He paused. "Don't reject me now... I said I would wait... weeks, months, even years if necessary. You walked into my life when I least expected it, and I want you to stay."
'Fate really is cruel... The man I've always loved doesn't want me, while the man I have no interest in wants me... Perhaps I'm destined to walk alone.'
When we returned to the ballroom, I observed Vortend and Adriana across the room. Her voluminous dress cleverly concealed her non-pregnant state. She was smart, skilled at manipulating situations and men's emotions.
Vortend looked up, his eyes finding mine for a moment before I quickly looked away, feeling my heart constrict.
"May I have this dance?" Archer asked.
I nodded, deciding to momentarily forget my troubles.
After our dance, I made my excuses to Archer, who had joined a conversation with several other Alphas. As I approached the exit, I noticed a man's shadow and heard footsteps moving away, but my heightened senses detected that someone wearing high heels remained behind.
I hesitated, almost at the entrance. 'I might not get another chance to confront her...'
Turning back, I caught sight of Adriana emerging from a storage room, a smug smile on her face.
"Adriana!" I called out. "Come with me."
"Fine," she agreed, irritation in her voice.
We walked outside to the steps, where people were too busy to notice us.
"What do you want?!" she demanded.
"Who were you talking to? In the storage room."
Something flickered across Adriana's face before she smirked. "You'd like to know... Be careful, Selene. Stick your nose in other people's business, and you'll be the one who suffers. Ever heard of curiosity killing the cat? No?"
I countered as the temperature around us dropped. "Ever heard that cats have nine lives? No? Answer me, Adriana. Who were you talking to?"
"No," she replied defiantly, crossing her arms.
"Fine. Don't answer that. But remember, all lies eventually come to light. Tell me, Adriana... were you really imprisoned for the past three years, or was it all a fabrication to manipulate Vortend, to make him believe I was involved, because we both know that wasn't true."
Adriana's chest heaved as she pressed her lips together tightly. A chill ran through my entire body as her reaction confirmed my suspicions. It had all been an enormous lie.