Chapter#11

Rowan’s POV

My eyes scanned the dim room as I got up for some water. Selene wasn’t there. My stomach twisted. She had to be in front of my eyes, or Caden’s, at all times in this camp. I turned to Caden, who was dead asleep. I went up to him and gave him a little shake to wake him up. “Where’s Selene?”

“She went to wash the group’s uniforms,” Caden yawned.

I frowned. Washing uniforms wasn’t her responsibility. Everyone handled their own, and Selene wasn’t one to go out of her way for others, especially not for a chore like that. “Why would she…” I started, but Caden cut me off,  “I tried to tell her it wasn’t her job, but she said she wanted to clear her head, focus on something else, like washing uniforms.”

Something felt off. The unease in my gut grew as I left the room. Selene was hiding something; I’d known it for a while. It wasn’t just Varian troubling her, though that was bad enough. There was something else, something she didn’t want me to know.

But we were in this together. We’d never kept secrets from each other before the massacre, so why now? The question gnawed at me as I made my way through the quiet corridors.

It didn’t take long to find her. She was near the washing basins. But it wasn’t her I noticed first, it was him. Varian. He had her pinned against the wall. My body tensed, and instinct took over as I moved toward them.

“Varian!” I growled.

Varian stepped back, a smug look spreading across his scarred face. His lips curled into a mocking grin as he raised an eyebrow. “You’re lucky he showed up,” he muttered as his gaze flicked to Selene.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” I spat, positioning myself between them in an instant.

“Isn’t this the fallen warrior?” Varian taunted. He didn’t wait for a response. His gaze briefly flicked back to Selene before he turned and walked away.

I spun to face Selene, my fists still clenched. Adrenaline coursed through me as I took in her pale face. “What the hell are you doing out here, alone?” I demanded, “And why are you washing the group’s uniforms?”

She didn’t answer at first. I wanted her to speak, to explain herself, to give me something to ease the fear clawing at my chest, but she just stood there with her hands gripping the edge of the basin.

Finally, she broke the silence, “I don’t need you or anyone else telling me what I can and can’t do. I’m capable of taking care of myself. I don’t need to be watched 24/7,” she snapped.

Her words hit me like a blow. I knew she hated feeling controlled, but hearing her say it, knowing she felt I was overstepping, stung in a way I couldn’t explain. I didn’t have time to process it, not with the adrenaline still pumping through me.

I stepped closer and my frustration boiled over as I accused, “You’ve been hiding things from me.” The words slipped out like venom, “We’re not the same as we were, Selene. We’re not some inseparable unit anymore.”

Her breath hitched. A subtle flinch crossed her face as if I’d struck her. “You were out here alone, with a stranger, at this hour. If Damien’s soul finds out, you’ll be cursed.”

The mention of Damien broke her. I saw it in the way her face twisted. Her eyes filled with tears. She collapsed against the wall. Her body trembled as sobs tore through her.

I stood there, stunned. My anger dissolved into regret as I watched her break, not knowing how to fix this, how to take back the pain I’d caused. I reached out as my hand hovered for a moment before I placed it gently on her trembling shoulder. “Selene…” My voice was a whisper. I wasn’t used to seeing her like this, vulnerable, broken, and it shook me to my core.

She didn’t look up, her face hidden in her hands. I knelt beside her, my voice softening as I spoke, “Don’t you remember, we’re in this together.”

I shouldn’t have said those things. I shouldn’t have brought up Damien. All I wanted was to protect her, but I’d hurt her instead, reopening a wound that had never healed. Guilt clawed at my chest as I tried to undo the damage. “Selene, I’m sorry,” my words rushed out, desperate to make her understand. “I didn’t mean to snap at you like that. I only wanted to protect you. I promised Father and Kaelen I’d look after you. You mean more to me than anyone.”

Her shoulders relaxed slightly. Her sobs quieted as she lifted her head. Her gray eyes were red and glistened with tears. “I haven’t been the sister you deserve.”

“Don’t say that,” I said, reaching out to rub her arm gently, “You’ve done nothing wrong. It’s me, I should’ve been more understanding.”

“Don’t say that,” she replied, looking up at me, “You’re the best brother ever, and you know that.” Her gaze shifted to the moon visible through a narrow window. She let out a shaky breath, as if releasing a weight she’d carried alone. “You’re right, I’ve been hiding things.”

I’d known she was keeping secrets, but hearing her confirm it left me reeling. What was she hiding? I didn’t press her, didn’t demand answers, I just waited, giving her the space to trust me.

She fell silent, her expression conflicted, “I’ll figure it out first,” she said quietly, “I don’t want to add more stress to you right now.”

I understood what she meant. She was carrying a burden I couldn’t yet grasp. I wanted to push, to know what she was hiding, but I could see the toll it was taking on her. I respected her decision to keep it to herself for now, knowing how delicate this moment was.

Before I could respond, a rustling sound cut through my ears. My senses snapped to attention. My wolf stirred as I turned toward the noise, instinctively stepping in front of Selene to shield her. A shadowy figure moved in the darkness beyond the torchlight, too quick to identify.

“Did you see that?” Selene whispered. Her hand gripped the edge of the basin as she peered.

I didn’t answer. Someone had been watching us, and that meant one thing: they might know who Selene was. My heart raced, Stay here,” I said, taking a step toward the corridor. “I’ll go check.”

But Selene grabbed my wrist, “Don’t,” she said, “Don’t go. Whoever it was, they’re already gone.”