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Chapter 4
Adrian’s hand was still raised when he saw Selene’s eyes-wide, broken, staring at him in raw disbelief. A strangled sob escaped her as a thin line of blood welled from the corner of her
mouth.
“A-are you all right, Selene-” His voice faltered as he reached out, but she recoiled as if his touch were poison. She stumbled to her feet, trembling, clutching her belly where two fragile heartbeats pulsed. Even the bond felt corrosive now, burning her skin like acid.
“Forgive me, sister. It was my fault. Adrian, apologize to Selene at once,” Cassandra begged, her voice high and sweet, her hands pressed to her face. She played the martyr, tears streaking her cheeks.
For a moment, Adrian froze, staring at Selene as though she were a stranger.
“Selene,” he said at last, his tone stripped of warmth. “If you apologize to Cassandra, I will forget this. We will pretend it never happened.”
The humiliation cut like a blade. Tears blurred Selene’s vision of the mate she had once believed in-the Alpha who would soon be the father of her twins, who now looked at her with nothing but command.
Cassandra sobbed louder, clutching her chest. “I never meant to hurt my sister. I can’t bear to see her in pain.” With practiced steps she fled the chamber, leaving Selene alone in the wreckage of shame.
“Cassandra-wait!” Adrian called after her, then turned back to Selene, his face cold with judgment. “Go home. Tend your wound. You have disappointed me greatly. Do not expect me to return tonight.”
Like a master dismissing a servant, he left her behind and followed Cassandra’s trail. Three years of Selene’s love, three years of sacrifice-all discarded in one moment of anger. On his name-day, when she had clung to the hope that at least her children might carry his protection, she now realized neither she nor her unborn pups had a place in his life.
She staggered from the Blackthorn hall, the night air sharp as blades. She had left her talisman-pouch inside, so she turned back, her steps heavy, her ankle burning from the fall. As she neared Cassandra’s chamber, muffled sounds froze her where she stood.
Whispers. Breathless moans.
Selene pressed a hand to her mouth, bile rising. Through the narrow crack of the door she saw them-Adrian and Cassandra, half-clad, entangled on the bed.
“Oh, Adrian, remove the ring,” Cassandra murmured between gasps, her voice sweet as honey. “No,” Adrian growled, his hunger rough. “The forbidden makes it sweeter. If only Selene were half as enticing.”
Selene’s world shattered. The same man who had struck her, who had humiliated her before the pack, now lay with her sister.
Memories crashed over her-nights she had bled at the Moon Altar to strengthen his wolf when sickness gnawed at him, months she had fed him with healer’s broths while her own body
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starved, years of bending, breaking, sacrificing so he could stand tall as Alpha.
She thought of the satin gown he had once given her, the way he kissed her throat and whispered, “You are my one true mate.” Now she saw the lie-it had first belonged to Cassandra. The silver ring on her finger burned as though it seared her flesh. With shaking hands she clawed at it until blood welts rose, then hurled it onto the flower stand outside the door.
She turned and fled, her steps echoing through the stone halls, each one carrying her further from the bond that had been nothing but chains.
This union, like her heart, lay in ruins.
That night, as the moon climbed higher, a whisper brushed against her mind-link. Mara’s voice, calm and steady: “Selene, the severing scroll is ready. When will you claim it?”
Selene drew a ragged breath, her tears cooling on her cheeks. She did not need seven days
anymore.
“Tomorrow,” she answered.
9:37 pm P**
Olivia Harris is an emerging author celebrated for her captivating romantic and steamy DaisyNovel. With a talent for crafting deep emotional connections and fiery chemistry between her characters, Olivia’s stories offer readers an escape into worlds filled with passion, intrigue, and heart-stopping drama.