Chapter#09

Selene’s POV

I glanced down. My heart lurched as Varian darted past me. His words hit me like a physical blow, an accusation that sent a chill down my spine; not because of his tone, but because of what he might know.

Before I could process it, Liam appeared at my side, “You’ve got this,” he said as he offered a reassuring nod. “Keep pushing, Kaelen. You’re the Alpha’s son.”

His words were always comforting. He knew I didn’t fit in this place. His support gave me the strength to nod and force my legs to move faster, despite the ache in my body.

By the end of the course, my strength was gone. My body screamed for rest as I collapsed at the finish line. My limbs trembled, and my breath was ragged. The world tilted for a moment. Sand filled my mouth as I spat it out with a groan. The day wasn’t over, but I wasn’t sure I could keep going.

“Five kilometers,” Rowan said firmly, leaving no room for argument as he stood over me.

“What?” I croaked, staring at him in disbelief. My voice was hoarse as I struggled to sit up.

“You underperformed. We’re not letting you fall behind,” Caden added, crossing his arms.

They didn’t give me a choice. By the time I finished the run, my legs felt like lead. The male trainees were already filtering out of the showers by the time we made it back to the barracks.

The shower room was a mix of private stalls and open showers. Rowan and Caden moved ahead, weaving through the space as though they belonged. I hesitated at the threshold. My heart pounded as I pulled my uniform tighter around me, trying to cover myself. One wrong move, one slip, and my disguise would be shattered.

And then I saw him.

Liam stood under one of the open showers. Water cascaded down his broad shoulders, and his sculpted chest and abs gleamed under the dim torchlight that flickered on the stone walls. The droplets followed the lines of his body, trailing down his lean, muscular frame. His russet hair was plastered to his forehead. His hazel eyes were closed as he tilted his head back into the stream. He hadn’t noticed me yet, his towel discarded on a nearby bench, leaving nothing to the imagination.

My breath caught. A flush crept up my neck as I tried to look away, to pull my gaze upward, or anywhere else, but my eyes betrayed me. They followed the path of the soap in his hands, sliding lower, tracing every curve and line of his body. The water accentuated the strength in his frame. My wolf stirred, the mate bond with him pulling at me, urging me closer, even as my human mind screamed to turn away.

He turned, his hazel eyes locked onto mine, and for a moment, I couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe. My thoughts were scattered. My pulse raced like I’d just sprinted another five kilometers. My cheeks burned hotter than the water cascading down his body.

“Kaelen?” his voice was soft, tinged with confusion as he tilted his head. His hazel eyes searched mine. A flicker of amusement crossed his face as he reached for his towel, wrapping it around his waist with a casual ease.

I froze, my feet glued to the slick stone floor. My cheeks burned with embarrassment. Did he catch me staring? The thought was mortifying. My mind scrambled for an excuse; anything to explain why I’d been gawking at his perfectly shaped body.

“Uh…” My voice was barely a whisper. My deepened tone faltered as I struggled to find words.

And then Varian appeared out of nowhere. His broad shoulders filled the doorway. A towel was wrapped low around his hips. Droplets dripped down his scarred, muscular frame in a perfect rhythm. His black hair was wet and slicked back. His stone-cold eyes locked onto me with an intensity that made my wolf scream to come out.

His icy gaze swept over me, then flicked to Liam. His lips curved into a mocking smile as he leaned against the doorframe, “Well, isn’t this interesting?”

I didn’t dare move. The tension in the room suffocated me. It was a silent battle of dominance playing out between the two men; men who were commanding, who would fight to the death for their mate, who stood wet and nearly bare in front of me, their scents mingling with the steam in a way that made my wolf howl, uncontrollable at this point.

“Careful,” Varian said as his gaze fixed on Liam, “Wouldn’t want you stepping on toes that don’t belong to you.”

Liam bristled, tightening his jaw, “Funny,” he shot back, “I don’t remember asking for your opinion.”

Before either could say more, Rowan appeared in the doorway, “What the hell is going on here?” he demanded. His silver-streaked hair fell into his eyes as he stepped closer.

I didn’t have an answer. My heart pounded as the mate bonds, my disguise, and the danger of exposure collided, leaving me trapped between the two men who claimed me as theirs, and the brother who’d die to keep me safe.

“Don’t worry, Rowan,” Varian said as his lips curled into a smirk that sent a shiver down my spine, “We were just asking little Kaelen to join us in the shower.”

My face flushed with a heat that rivaled the steam in the room. My cheeks burned as the thought of showering between these two men made my insides scream with a longing I couldn’t allow myself to feel.

Why did it feel so good to imagine it, to picture myself under the warm water with them? But I couldn’t betray Damien. And above all, I couldn’t stray from my path.

“I’m fine,” I said quickly, grabbing Rowan’s arm and giving him a nod as I forced my voice to steady.

Caden appeared just in time. I shot him a desperate glance, begging him to take Rowan away. “I need you back there, Rowan,” Caden said, pointing to the bathroom lockers at the end of the room.

As soon as they were gone, I turned to slip away. But Liam’s voice stopped me. “That sounds alright to me,” he called after me.

I turned back. My breath caught as I faced him. Varian stood beside him. “We could have a shower together,” Liam continued, “It would be perfect to discuss unfinished matters, because some people like to make things complicated.”

Varian’s lips curved into a mocking smile. “Yeah, join us. Take those dirty clothes off, little Kaelen.”

Varian’s words echoed in my mind: “Join us”, a simple offer that was anything but simple.

My eyes locked onto Liam’s. The dripping water from his bare chest made a melody I couldn’t ignore. Each drop made my nerves pulse faster. Then my gaze shifted to Varian, stirring feelings I couldn’t begin to express. My wolf howled for him in a way that terrified me. He was perfect, undeniably perfect, and the pull between us was a force I couldn’t fight much longer.

But reality hit like a cold slap, cutting through my frazzled nerves. I had to leave, fast.

“I… I’ll catch up later,” I muttered, avoiding their gazes as I backed away.

“Selene,” Rowan’s voice stopped me as I reached the barracks, “Are they bothering you?” he pressed.

“I’m alright, Rowan.”

Later that evening, when the barracks were quiet, I slipped back to the shower room. The door creaked open as I stepped inside.

The water felt good against my sore muscles, warm and calming as it cascaded over me, soothing the bruises and cuts that still lingered. But as I scrubbed away the sweat and dirt of the day, my thoughts kept wandering back to the two men.

As the warm water rolled down my body, I couldn’t stop thinking about the way Varian had looked at me earlier; his words, “You lied to me,” echoed in my mind. He was everything I didn’t need in this camp.

Liam was the opposite, everything I needed; kind, supportive, a friend in a place where I had so few, but the mate bond with him was just as real.

But being stuck between two powerful men wasn’t the worst part. My scent was something I couldn’t escape. Sometimes it was faint, just a trace, but at other times, especially when Liam or Varian were near, it flared up, threatening to expose me as Selene. Would they realize it was mine? Would they know I was someone… different?

The water splashed against the stone tiles as I scrubbed harder, trying to wash away the restless feeling in my chest. I couldn’t let myself get too close to either of them.

I finished and dried off, wrapping myself in a coarse towel. I knew I couldn’t keep hiding things from Rowan for long, not when he was already so suspicious.

“Selene?” Caden mumbled as soon as he saw my pale face, “What’s wrong?”

“I need your help,” my voice trembled as I sat on the edge of Caden’s mattress, clutching the towel in my hands, “I can’t keep masking it. The scent. It keeps getting stronger. It fluctuates when Liam and Varian are near me, and I don’t know how to control it, especially after I shower.”

“That’s why Rowan needs to know…” Caden began as he crossed his arms.

“Rowan cannot know,” I cut him off.

“Selene, with everything happening between you three, do you think Rowan is stupid enough to not see what’s going on?” Caden exclaimed.

“Even if we tell him, what’s he going to do about it?” I shot back, exhaling sharply, then softening as I placed a hand on his shoulder, “This is only going to worry him. Have you seen how protective he’s become since the massacre? We don’t want to burden him, right, Caden?”

Caden studied me for a moment, “Alright,” he finally said.

I swallowed back the lump in my throat. Relief washed over me as he stood, pacing the room for a moment before speaking again. “We can only increase the strength of the scent blocker, Selene. If they’re your mates and your wolf reacts when they’re around, your scent will fluctuate. It depends on you to control your wolf. Controlling your wolf is the only way to keep your scent steady.”

“I’m trying to…” I managed to say, “And yes, you’re right. We should increase the strength of the scent blocker.”