Chapter 146 Who Would He Choose

Chapter 146 Who Would He Choose
Selene’s POV

For several painful seconds after I asked Lucian who he would choose between Teressa and me, he said nothing.

The warmth that had surrounded us at the top of the Ferris wheel seemed to fade with his silence. Lucian lowered his gaze, his fingers still holding mine, but his expression became difficult to read. Even after the Ferris wheel started its slow descent, he remained quiet, and with every passing second, the small hope that had risen inside me began to sink.

I had known the question would ruin the moment, yet I needed an answer. I could not allow myself to fall deeper for a man while wondering whether another woman still owned the most important part of his heart.

The Ferris wheel continued downward, carrying us closer to the lights and noise of the amusement park, but neither of us spoke. I turned my face toward the window and pretended to admire the city below, although my attention remained completely on Lucian.

Perhaps his silence was already an answer.

Maybe asking him had been unnecessary. Teressa had been part of his life long before me, and from what I understood, she had once been the woman he believed was destined for him. A bond like that was not something a person simply erased because another woman appeared.

A dull ache settled in my chest.

Just as the cabin was approaching the ground, Lucian finally lifted his head.

“Selene.”

Something in his tone made me turn toward him.

His dark eyes locked onto mine, and unlike the teasing expression he usually wore around me, there was no amusement in them now. He looked completely serious.

“Teressa belongs to my past,” he said slowly. “Whatever happened between us happened before you came into my life.”

I held my breath.

Lucian continued, never looking away from me. “Right now, the person I want beside me is you.”

My heart stumbled painfully against my ribs.

There was no hesitation in his voice.

He tightened his fingers gently around my hand. “If being with you means letting go of the person I once believed was my destined mate, then I’m willing to do that.”

For a moment, I forgot how to breathe.

This was Lucian Frostbane, the future Alpha of Moonveil Pack, telling me that he was prepared to give up the bond he had spent years believing in because he wanted me instead.

Inside my mind, Frieda immediately became excited.

“Alpha, I like this man.”

I almost rolled my eyes.

Of course she did.

“You seem very pleased.”

“Why shouldn’t I be? He just told you exactly what you wanted to hear.”

“That doesn’t mean anything yet.”

Frieda gave an amused laugh. “Keep telling yourself that.”

I pushed her voice aside and looked at Lucian.

“Oh?” I asked, trying to sound casual despite the way my heart was racing. “You would really give up your destined mate just for me?”

Lucian nodded once.

“Yes.”

The simplicity of his answer affected me more than a long explanation could have.

Then a faint trace of hope appeared in his eyes.

“So,” he added, “does that mean you can give me your answer sooner?”

I stared at him before a laugh escaped me.

There was the Lucian I knew.

“No.”

His brows pulled together.

“I just gave you the answer you wanted.”

“And I told you that you would have to wait two months.”

“Selene.”

“No negotiations.”

His disappointed expression almost made me smile wider.

“I said two months, Lucian. You’ll wait.”

He released a quiet sigh, though I could tell he was more amused than truly frustrated.

“Fine.”

The cabin reached the ground, and the door opened.

As Lucian helped me step out, his earlier answer continued circling through my mind.

He had said exactly what I wanted to hear.

Teressa was his past.

I was the woman he wanted now.

He would even let go of his destined mate if that was what it took to be with me.

The words should have erased my doubts completely, yet they did not.

Could he truly do it?

I knew enough about destined mates to understand that such a bond was not ordinary love. It was believed to be a connection created by the Moon Goddess herself. Rejecting that bond could bring terrible emotional pain, and some werewolves spent years suffering from the consequences.

Lucian had once been deeply attached to Teressa.

Could feelings like that really disappear?

A part of me desperately wanted to believe him.

Another part remained afraid.

Words were easy when Teressa was nowhere around. What mattered was what Lucian would do if she actually stood before him one day.

Until then, perhaps I could never know for certain.

Still, despite every doubt inside me, a quiet happiness had begun to grow.

For once, I allowed myself to enjoy it.

Lucian and I left the Ferris wheel and continued walking through the amusement park. The rain had stopped completely, leaving the air fresh and cool. Streetlights reflected against the damp pavement while couples and families wandered around us, their quiet conversations mixing with distant music from the rides.

Lucian walked beside me without trying to hold my hand again.

Strangely, I noticed.

I glanced toward him.

He caught me looking almost immediately.

“What?”

“Nothing.”

His lips curved slightly, but thankfully, he did not tease me.

We continued walking.

For the first time, I wondered what exactly we had become.

We were no longer strangers forced together by Alaric’s agreement. We certainly were not enemies, even if Lucian still possessed a remarkable talent for annoying me.

Friends did not usually hold each other the way we had.

Friends did not make promises about winning each other’s hearts.

Friends definitely did not kiss each other at the top of Ferris wheels and talk about refusing destined mates.

Yet I had not accepted him either.

Perhaps there was no proper name for what existed between us yet.

We were more than friends.

But not quite lovers.

That thought brought a small smile to my face.

After spending almost the entire day walking, exhaustion finally began catching up with me. I slowed slightly and glanced at the time.

“It’s getting late,” I said. “We should go back.”

Lucian nodded.

This time, he did not argue or find another reason to keep me outside.

By the time we returned to the hotel, I was ready to go straight upstairs and sleep.

The lobby was quieter than it had been during the day, though several guests still sat in the lounge area while hotel employees moved behind the reception desk.

Lucian and I had barely entered when a woman in a fitted red dress suddenly walked directly toward us.

“Lucian!”

I recognized the voice before I properly saw her face.

My steps slowed.

Winnie.

What was she doing in Phoshire?

She hurried toward Lucian with worry written across her face.

“Lucian, are you all right?”

I looked at her, then at him.

Interesting.

Apparently, our peaceful evening was over.

Winnie’s POV

The second Lucian looked at me, relief washed through me so strongly that I nearly forgot Selene was standing beside him.

He looked healthy.

Completely healthy.

The reports about the explosion had terrified me when I first saw them. Then the media claimed he was unconscious and seriously injured. Even though later reports revealed he had recovered, I could not feel completely at ease until I saw him with my own eyes.

Now he was standing before me, tall, handsome, and perfectly fine.

His expression, however, remained unreadable.

“Why are you here?” he asked.

His tone was not warm, but I refused to let that discourage me.

“You have no idea how worried I’ve been over the last few days,” I said, allowing a gentle smile to form. “When I saw the news about the explosion, I couldn’t stop thinking about what might have happened to you. Now that I can see you’re fine, I can finally relax.”

Before Lucian could respond, Selene suddenly moved closer.

She slipped her arm through his as naturally as though she had every right to do so.

Then she looked directly at me.

“What does it matter to you whether my fiancé is all right?”

The mocking sweetness in her voice made anger immediately burn inside me.

My gaze dropped toward her arm wrapped around Lucian’s.

That shameless woman.

She never missed an opportunity to show off their engagement whenever I was around.

“I care about Lucian,” I snapped.

Selene raised one eyebrow.

She did not look threatened.

That irritated me even more.

I wanted to remind her that the engagement between them meant nothing. Lucian had only accepted the arrangement because of their families. If she thought hanging on his arm in front of me would change that, she was more foolish than I imagined.

Instead of continuing the argument, Selene looked toward Lucian.

“Let’s go.”

She tugged his arm toward the elevators without giving me another glance.

My fists tightened.

She had dismissed me like I was nobody.

I followed several steps behind them, refusing to let them disappear from my sight so quickly.

When we reached the guest floor, I paid careful attention to where they went.

Selene stopped outside one room.

Lucian stopped at another.

Separate rooms.

Relief instantly replaced some of my anger.

Of course.

If Lucian were truly in love with Selene, why would they still sleep separately while traveling together?

They were supposedly engaged.

They had spent days in Fostrau together.

Yet even here, far away from Moonveil Pack and their families, Lucian had not invited her into his room.

That told me everything I needed to know.

Whatever Selene believed existed between them could not be as serious as she wanted everyone else to think.

She was probably the one constantly throwing herself at him.

Lucian was simply tolerating her because of the engagement.

A smug feeling settled inside me.

Selene might be attractive in her own plain way, but there was no comparison between us.

I came from Wilda Pack.

I had status, beauty, family influence, and everything a future Luna should possess. Selene was merely an unknown Omega who had gotten lucky enough to enter Lucian’s life at the right moment.

Luck did not last forever.

I waited until Selene disappeared into her room before walking toward Lucian’s door.

I had not traveled all the way to Phoshire merely to check whether he was alive.

For weeks, I had been begging Martinez to arrange a position for me at Moonveil Group. He kept delaying, saying he needed time to think and that forcing my way into Lucian’s company would only make things worse.

I was tired of waiting.

Then I discovered that Lucian and Selene had traveled to Fostrau for the Frost and Flame investigation.

An opportunity had appeared.

I took the cooperation proposal between Wilda Pack and Moonveil Pack without waiting for Martinez’s permission. It gave me the perfect excuse to travel to Phoshire and speak with Lucian personally.

This time, I would not allow Selene to stand between us.

Before leaving my room earlier, I had spent extra time preparing myself.

The deep red mini dress hugged my body perfectly, its low neckline revealing just enough skin without looking cheap. My hair fell loosely over my shoulders, and my makeup had been applied carefully to highlight every feature.

I knew I looked good.

More than good.

Phoshire was known as the city of romance, and I had no intention of wasting the atmosphere.

Surely Lucian could not remain indifferent forever.

I lifted my hand and knocked.

There was no answer immediately.

I knocked again.

A few moments later, the door opened.

Lucian stood there, his expression already showing impatience.

“What do you want now?”

The coldness in his tone irritated me, but I kept my smile firmly in place.

“I came to discuss something important.”

He did not invite me inside.

That was fine.

For now.

I lifted the documents I had brought with me.

“Lucian, I came all the way to Fostrau because I wanted to discuss the cooperation between Wilda Pack and Moonveil Pack.”

His gaze dropped briefly to the proposal in my hands.

“Oh?”

His expression remained indifferent.

“Is that so?”

“Yes.”

I smiled confidently.

“I brought the complete proposal with me. There are several details Martinez wanted Moonveil Pack to consider, and since you’re already here, I thought it would be better if we discussed everything face-to-face.”

Lucian said nothing.

I took his silence as permission to continue.

“If you’re free tonight, we can sit together and go through the proposal carefully.”

As I spoke, I lifted one hand and slowly brushed my hair behind my shoulder, deliberately leaving the smooth skin of my neck and shoulder exposed.

I watched his face closely.

His sharp eyes narrowed slightly as they moved over me.

My heart began beating faster.

Then something happened that immediately filled me with excitement.

The corner of Lucian’s lips slowly lifted.

He was smiling at me.