Chapter 5.

~Selene~

Everything around me, all worries and all thoughts ceased to exist when I was out here. It was just me and the trees, the wind that danced, and the leaves that followed.

The only noise came from nature and it was beautifully soothing.

I could breathe out here, I could shut my thoughts out and simply be. This feeling was what I craved when I was inside the packhouse.

But today, I needed more.

I walked down to the little lake at the far end of the woods.

Nobody ever came here so I knew i was safe.

I closed my eyes and took a few deep breaths before stripping out of my clothes.

I placed one foot in the ice-cold water and felt it chilling me down inside and out.

I needed my body too cool down. Ever since seeing him in the kitchen, my body has been on fire.

I placed my other foot in and without thinking, I dove into the water, emerging my entire body.

The freezing cold was welcomed as I felt everything settle down within me.

The heat that had accompanied seeing the Alpha was beyond anything I had experienced before.

And that terrified me.

I stepped out further to where the water covered my chest and I closed my eyes.

I breathed in the fresh air and ignored the shivers of the cold water.

I needed this badly.

Just as I was getting ready to get up from the water, I felt a presence. I opened my eyes and saw him standing there. I blinked a few times and rubbed my eyes but it wasn’t a figment of my imagination, it was him. He was here and I was naked.

I gasped and covered up my chest as I started to look around frantically, trying to find a good hiding spot.

“The water is clear, Selene. I can still see-“ He paused for a beat.

“-Everything.”

And just like that, I wasn’t self-conscious. It was like magic. I was drawn to him.

I removed my hands, exposing everything to him. He visibly gulped as I stepped out of the water and onto dry land.

It was winter and I should’ve been cold. I was earlier, but not now. The heat was back and this time, cold water wouldn’t suppress it.

The Alpha removed his hands from his pockets and started stretching his fingers to his sides.

His build was so perfect. He was larger than anyone else here with little to no fat on his body. He was muscular and his muscles were bulging under the shirt he was wearing. Everything on him was formed to perfection.

His defined jawline and big grey eyes could read your soul.

I was standing in front of him and without thinking, I reached up and placed my hand on the side of his face.

I scanned his face, seeing every little detail. His eyebrows were bushy and his lips were firm but gorgeous. How could I not have seen this before?

I had known the man my entire life but I had never taken the time to look at him as I was doing right now.

Under my touch, he took a shaky breath and placed his hand on top of mine and his other hand on the small of my back.

My lips were parted and all rationality was lost.

“What is happening to me?” I meant to say it in my head but the words came out.

For a split second he looked torn but then his hand gently squeezed mine and he softly removed it.

He looked at our entwined fingers for a moment.

“You’re having urges,” his face turned back, and our eyes locked.

“Urges that I would give anything to fulfill but I can’t. They’re not mine to take care of.” He whispered.

Did he mean my mate? That my mate would be the one to take care of them?

But at that moment, I wanted him.

“Do it,” the words left my mouth before I could stop them, or perhaps I didn’t want to stop them.

“I want you too,” my voice sounded breathless and hoarse.

The alpha looked down at me, his eyes were dark with an emotion I could now decipher. It was lust, it was the same look I had seen in Adam's eyes. Adam…

And just like that, I was back. As a cold shower had drenched me, I was back to my senses and he saw it too.

His jaw clenched and the darkness turned to a black fog as his anger rose to the surface.

“Alpha?” I took a step back, worry starting to settle in.

“Percy?” His head jerked back and his eyes were starting to go back to their normal grey color.

“Get dressed. Your dress is in your room. Try it on and let Charity know if it needs to be readjusted.”

Those were his last words before he turned around and headed back. He started off slowly but eventually, he shifted and sprinted away.

I got dressed and hunched down behind a tree.

“What did I just do?"

I buried my head in my hands, reveling in the stupidity that is me.

~Percy~

Her naked body was standing in front of me. All I had to do was reach out and grab her. She would be mine.

“What is happening to me?” Her voice sounded fragile. Her body wasn’t shaking from the cold, it was steady, warm.

Your body is begging for my touch. That was what I wanted to tell her.

“You’re having urges,”

“Urges that I would give anything to fulfill but I can’t. They’re not mine to take care of.” Except they were. They were mine, she was mine. Mine to grab and to hold, mine to love and to care for.

“Do it, I want you to."

‘Get your mind right or we’re dead

I tried, I tried to get my mind right but she was right here, in front of me, asking me to take her. But then something shifted in her eyes. My own lust was revealed as I held her hand in mine.

She was thinking about something else.

‘Adam’

Fuck

All emotions disappeared and all that was left was rage. After Patrick ripped his brother away from Selene we dragged him into my office where I went to town on him. I busted his lip for touching her, I broke his hand feeling her body and then some, simply because I wasn’t done.

I saw her lips moving but I couldn’t make out a single word.

“Percy?” My name.

She said my name.

“Get dressed. Your dress is in your room. Try it on and let Charity know if it needs to be readjusted.”

I turned around, I had to leave, I had to be far away from her for these remaining few days.

‘Good luck with that’

Shut your trap

I shifted and let Edon take control. We ran for two hours before heading back home.

Even then, I hadn’t calmed down.

I went up to my room and slammed the door shut behind me before walking over to where I kept the vodka.

I poured a glass and swept it all down in one go.

I gripped the window railing with both hands and held on as though I would fall. I heard cracks in the stone and saw that it was crumbling under my grip.

I started pacing back and forth with no idea what to do. I always knew what to do, I knew who to fight and who to kill, how to talk, and how to be a leader. But how to let the woman I loved walk away? That was new and I couldn’t handle it.

“Percy,” his voice filled the room but he wasn’t alone.

I turned around and saw Bella standing next to him.

I was angry and furious and it was about to be directed at my best friend.

“You need to forget, or you’ll do something stupid that will hurt you more,”

“Not possible,” I growled. Even though Edon knew the stakes, she was his mate as well and he was clawing his way to the surface.

“I will not allow this to happen. Which is why this,” he said and gestured at Bella.

“Must happen,”

Patrick turned and left the room. I was opposed to the idea but at the same time, I knew I wouldn’t get Selene out of my head.

Without talking I went up to her, ripped her skimpy dress off, and tossed her onto the bed. She lay there, naked, at my mercy. I scanned her body. She was wearing red lingerie and she was the kind of female that any male would go crazy for.Me, I wanted to throw up.

I couldn’t do it.

I wanted to, I wanted to fuck the memory of Selene out of my head. I wanted to take out all of my rage on Bella's pussy but I couldn’t.

Because her picture was burned into my head. Her face, her body-oh god that body.

Bella had a seductive smile on her face and her hand was grazing the lace of her panties.

I turned around before a second thought could occur and went out of the room.

Patrick was standing at the end of the hallway. I grabbed him by the shoulders and had him pressed up against the wall.

“You ever pull something like that again and I swear by the goddess that when you find your mate, I will tell her how you’ve fucked every single she-wolf in here. Is that clear?”

Patrick rarely showed fear but here and now, he was afraid. It is one thing to mess with me but to mess with an aspect of me in which my mate was involved, I will fucking kill.

“He will kill you."

Yes, he would. But there was one catch.

“Only if I act on it.” I let go of Patrick and stepped back.

“The girl is a princess, Percy. Her father is the king. Don't get yourself beheaded for fuck sake,”

I grinned, knowing that he was looking out for me.

“I’m not planning on it.”

“That’s the problem.” The grin disappeared and in its place was a restless face waiting for him to continue.

He walked to my office and I followed him. Something was up and the sooner he tells me what it is the sooner he can stop acting like a douche.

When I closed the door and locked it, Patrick turned around. He looked exhausted.

“You’re not planning on getting beheaded, I get that. But that’s the problem because you don’t plan. You always havebefore but when it comes to her you don’t. You're a wild card and you do it without thinking. You have been off for the last few days knowing that the Jule is getting closer and knowing they would come but since you got that letter, you’ve been completely shut down. I get that you want her, you want to be with her,”

“She’s mine.”

“And I’m not saying otherwise. But if you think about it, it’s a good thing they’re coming now. She won't realize that you’re her mate and the bond won’t have been fully sealed. It will be easier for both of you. She’s a sweet girl, Percy. You're sparing her the pain of having to choose between her mate and her family.”

I let his words sink in. He was right, obviously, but I didn’t care. Call me selfish, I wanted her here with me.

I walked over to the sofa and sat down.

“You think they’re coming with them?” I asked him.

“Who? Your parents?” I nodded my head.

Patrick shrugged his shoulders and blew out a heavy breath.

“I sure hope not but then again, probably. I mean, you’re his son. He probably wants to check up on you at some point.”

“Me or the pack?” I raised an eyebrow and he nodded his head.

“Yeah, the pack,” he cringed.

We laughed and for a split second, the pain wasn’t there.

A knock on my door broke the moment of joy.

“Come in.”

Cathy stepped in with a worried look on her face. Both me and Patrick rose to our feet and braced ourselves for whatever the news was.

“It’s your father, Percy, he’s here.” My entire body stiffened and I felt like a stone.

“He’s early?” She nodded her head.

“Fine. Go tell Selene to stay in her room until the Jule on Saturday. You will bring her food and whatever she needs until then. Nobody else is allowed near there is that clear?”

“Of course, Alpha,"

“Patrick, fuck, alright," I dragged my hand through my hair and took a deep breath.

"Let's go meet the old man,” I said and watched as Cathy scurried away to tell Selene to stay hidden. She couldn’t see him, not yet.

---

“Son!” He called as we descended the stairs and down to the lobby.

“Dad, how are you?” I hugged him and gave him a hard pat on the back before pulling back.

“Not too bad, actually,” something was off about him. He wasn’t wearing his fake facade like he usually did. He was well-groomed and he was smiling. All those things were red flags.

“Where’s mom?” I asked.

His face fell and he started looking around uncomfortably.

There it was.

“Dad?” He sighed before letting his head fall down. When he looked up again I saw an emotion I hadn’t seen in... ever.

“We need to talk, son,”

We started walking outside with Patrick close behind. We walked around the house and sat in the gazebo by the pond. All very cute and gross.

“What’s going on?” I asked him the second we stopped.

“Please, sit.” It wasn’t a question but an order.

“And Patrick, if you don’t mind I need to have a word-“

“Nope. He’s staying. Now, speak.”

His eyes narrowed and he straightened his back. He was taking my tone as a challenge but one thing he was forgettingwas that he wasn’t the alpha anymore, I was.

“Alright then. Your mother and I are no longer together.” I believe he was waiting for a reaction but he was barking at the wrong tree.

“Oh really? How come, I mean your relationship was filled with such love and loathing.” I said sarcastically.

“Watch it.” I raised an eyebrow and waited for him to continue. Patrick was holding back a chuckle beside me as he pinched his lips together.

“She found her mate at the castle, one of the guards.”

“Do I have a sibling I don’t know about?” I saw how his face was turning red and his hands were balled up. He was getting angry.

“Percy, she is still your mother and you will show some respect.” This time, I laughed.

“My mother? The woman who gave birth to me, I’ll give you that. But then she acted as though I didn’t exist. Whenever I would call for her she would talk to someone else and pretend like I wasn’t there." I stood to my feet, my voice getting louder.

“She would leave me in my room for days on end, sending me some food and some caretaker telling me that my mother is out but she asked for me to be a good little boy and stay put. To not cause any drama and not cause a mess. She may have given birth to me but that woman was no mother!”

“THAT WASN’T HER CALL!” He shouted as he got up in my face. My father was a few inches shorter than me but it was barely noticeable.

“What did you just say?”

“I wanted you to be like me. To be mean, tough, and a good leader and to do so you couldn’t be coddled. I told her what she was in for if she was to bear my heir and she accepted but when the day came and you were born, she couldn’t follow through. So I told her that she either gets on board or she leaves the pack. Eventually, she did. She left because she couldn’t stand the thought of neglecting you as she had but then she came back. That was why you were confined to your room, so that you wouldn't ask questions,” I could tell that he was nervous, and he should be.

I shifted and Edon took over.