Chapter 149 His Heart Belongs Elsewhere

Chapter 149 His Heart Belongs Elsewhere
Winnie’s POV

Aubree’s bruises told me she was desperate, but the hatred that flashed across her face when Selene’s name was mentioned told me something even more useful. She was desperate enough to do almost anything, and I intended to find out exactly how far she was willing to go.

“Aubree, are you okay?” I asked, carefully hiding my thoughts behind a concerned expression.

Her face immediately tightened. She glanced down at herself and quickly tugged at the thin fabric of her dress, trying to cover the marks on her skin. The attempt was useless. Some of the bruises were too visible, and the way she shifted her weight showed that she was uncomfortable.

Still, Aubree forced a weak smile.

“I tripped. That’s all.”

The lie was so obvious that I almost laughed.

I had seen her moments earlier leaving Dominic’s room. I knew enough about his reputation to guess what had happened behind that closed door, but exposing her would only embarrass her and make her defensive. That was not what I wanted.

I needed her to trust me.

“I see.” I nodded as though I believed every word. Then I softened my expression. “Why don’t you rest in my room for a while? I have some ointment that might help with those bruises. If they leave scars, that wouldn’t be good, especially with your career.”

Aubree hesitated, clearly surprised by my kindness. After everything she had been through, perhaps she was no longer used to anyone offering help without demanding something in return.

“That would be great,” she finally said. “Thank you.”

I smiled and led her toward my room.

Once inside, I went to a drawer, took out the ointment, and handed it to her. Aubree accepted it carefully, and for the first time since I had approached her, some of the tension left her face.

“Thanks,” she said, and this time her gratitude sounded genuine.

I sat nearby and watched her for a moment. There was no reason to rush. A desperate person could be useful, but only if handled carefully.

While Aubree focused on the ointment, I casually asked, “How are things between you and Adrian?”

The change in her expression was immediate.

Her hands froze.

The little calm she had regained disappeared, and a mixture of pain, humiliation, and bitterness filled her eyes.

“We’re not together anymore,” she admitted.

There was obvious reluctance in her voice, as though saying those words aloud made the breakup more real.

I tilted my head. “What happened? Was it because of that incident at the banquet?”

I made the question sound casual, almost as though I were simply making conversation, but Aubree’s reaction was exactly what I had expected.

Her jaw tightened.

“It’s all Selene’s fault!” she spat. “She’s the reason everything fell apart!”

There it was.

I kept my satisfaction hidden and raised my eyebrows as though the answer surprised me.

“So Selene was behind everything that happened that night?”

“Yes, it was her!” Aubree answered immediately.

The hatred on her face was impossible to miss now. Whatever humiliation she had suffered, whatever she had lost, she had gathered all of it and placed the blame on Selene.

Perfect.

I leaned back slightly, pretending to think about the situation.

“What’s so special about Selene anyway?” I scoffed. “Besides playing tricks to attract men, what else can she do?”

Aubree looked at me, and something changed in her eyes. Perhaps she had finally realized that she was speaking to someone who disliked Selene just as much as she did.

I narrowed my gaze slightly.

“If you really want Adrian back, there might still be a way.”

Her entire expression changed.

The sadness vanished beneath sudden hope, and she leaned forward eagerly.

“Ms. Lowell, tell me. I’ll do whatever it takes to change his mind.”

Whatever it takes.

Those were exactly the words I wanted to hear.

I let a faint smile touch my lips. “Think about it. Adrian probably left you because Selene manipulated him. She made him believe whatever she wanted him to believe. If we can make him see what kind of woman she truly is, things could change.”

Aubree listened closely.

I continued, keeping my voice calm. “And if Selene herself admits what she did to you, Adrian won’t be able to ignore it.”

Aubree’s brief hope disappeared.

“She’ll never confess!” she said through gritted teeth. “Selene would never admit it. She thinks she’s too clever.”

“Not willingly,” I agreed.

Aubree stared at me.

I leaned closer and lowered my voice, whispering my idea into her ear.

As I spoke, the frustration slowly vanished from her expression. Her eyes brightened, and the corners of her mouth began to rise.

By the time I pulled away, Aubree was smiling.

It was not the broken smile she had worn outside Dominic’s room.

This one carried confidence and revenge.

“This time,” she said with a smirk, “Selene is finished.”

I returned her smile, although a warning remained at the back of my mind.

Aubree was desperate, emotional, and angry. Those qualities made her useful, but they could also make her careless.

I just hoped she would not mess it up.

Selene’s POV

Night had already swallowed Fostrau, but sleep refused to come anywhere near me.

I turned beneath the covers again, closed my eyes, and tried to empty my mind, but Lucian’s face appeared almost immediately.

I could still remember the Ferris wheel.

The stars.

His hand around mine.

The warmth in his eyes when he told me that Teressa belonged to his past and that I was the woman he wanted beside him now.

Those words had sounded so sincere that I had nearly allowed myself to believe every one of them.

Then another memory replaced it.

His arms around my waist.

His lips against mine.

And that name.

Teressa.

My eyes opened immediately.

The anger I had been trying to bury returned, but underneath it was something far more uncomfortable.

Pain.

“Alpha, your heart is restless,” Frieda said inside my mind. Her voice was unusually thoughtful. “It feels as though there is a knot inside you that you cannot untangle.”

I stared at the dark ceiling.

“What should I do?” I murmured.

For once, I genuinely wanted an answer.

Frieda was silent for a moment before saying, “Why not try sleeping with him?”

I almost choked.

“Ugh! What kind of advice is that?”

Her laughter filled my mind.

I rolled my eyes and pulled the blanket higher, wondering why I had even bothered asking her.

“Sometimes,” Frieda continued, sounding far too pleased with herself, “a destined mate isn’t simply given to you. Sometimes you have to go after him yourself.”

This time, I did not immediately argue.

Her words touched the very problem I had been trying to avoid.

Did I want Lucian?

My heart already knew the answer better than my mind wanted to admit.

Something had changed between us. He was no longer simply the man I had been forced into an engagement with. Somewhere between our arguments, the danger we had survived together, the warehouse explosion, and the quiet moments afterward, Lucian had slowly become important to me.

That was exactly what frightened me.

Lucian still had Teressa in his heart.

If I pursued him now, what would happen if she returned?

Would everything he felt for me disappear the moment his destined mate stood in front of him again?

Would I spend the rest of my life wondering whether he was looking at me or searching for someone else in my face?

No.

I could not live like that.

I turned again, but frustration tightened my chest until staying in bed became unbearable.

Enough.

I did not want to think anymore.

I abruptly sat up, reached for my phone, and called Gia.

She answered after several rings, her voice thick with sleep.

“Hello?”

“Come have a drink with me at the bar.”

There was silence.

Then Gia groaned. “Miss, do you have any idea what time it is? It’s the middle of the night. What’s wrong with you?”

“Not feeling great,” I muttered.

The sleep vanished from her voice immediately.

“Selene, what happened?”

I rubbed my forehead. “I’ll tell you when we meet.”

Gia knew me well enough not to keep questioning me over the phone.

“Alright. Send me your location. I’ll pick you up.”

I ended the call and climbed out of bed.

After changing my clothes, I left my room and made my way downstairs. The hotel was much quieter at this hour, and the stillness only gave my mind more opportunities to wander back toward Lucian.

I refused to let it.

When I stepped outside, Gia’s car was already arriving.

She lowered the window as she pulled over.

“Get in.”

I opened the passenger door and slid inside.

I had barely settled into my seat before Gia leaned closer and studied my face.

Her eyes narrowed.

“Okay, tell me. Did Lucian piss you off again?”

I shot her a warning look.

“Don’t bring him up. Just drive.”

A knowing smirk appeared on her face, but thankfully, she did not push me yet. She started the car, and we drove through the quiet streets of Fostrau.

I rested my head against the seat and stared outside.

The city lights passed in blurred streaks, but they did little to calm the thoughts running through my head.

Why did Lucian have to call Teressa’s name?

Why did it matter so much to me?

If I did not care about him, I would have laughed and walked away without feeling anything.

Instead, I had slapped him.

Worse, I had spent the entire night thinking about it.

By the time we arrived at the bar, I was even more frustrated with myself.

Gia led me toward a quiet corner away from most of the crowd. Once we sat down, she poured me a glass of red wine and pushed it across the table.

“Now spill,” she said. “How did he make you mad this time?”

I picked up the glass and drank everything in one gulp.

Gia stared at me.

“I don’t even know how to explain it.”

“Huh?”

She tilted her head, waiting.

I reached for the bottle and poured myself another glass, but this time I did not drink immediately. I slowly moved the wine around inside the glass, watching the red liquid circle the sides.

“Lucian has always had feelings for someone else.”

Gia’s playful expression disappeared.

She leaned back and listened as I briefly told her about Teressa, about Lucian’s past feelings, and about everything that had happened between us.

I told her about his promise on the Ferris wheel.

Then I told her what happened afterward.

By the time I finished, Gia understood exactly why I was angry.

She nodded slowly.

“So you think he’s using you as Teressa’s replacement?”

I looked at her as though the answer should have been obvious.

“Isn’t that exactly what it looks like?”

Gia did not immediately agree.

Instead, she studied me with a seriousness that made me straighten slightly.

“I don’t think so.”

My brows drew together.

Gia continued, “If he’s choosing to pursue you, why are you hesitating?”

I exhaled sharply and placed my glass down.

Because it was not that simple.

Perhaps for another woman, it would be enough to know that Lucian wanted her now. Perhaps she could ignore everything that came before and simply enjoy his attention.

I could not.

“Because I’m the Alpha of the Bloodfang Pack,” I said, meeting Gia’s eyes. “I have responsibilities, not just to myself, but to my family.”

The words settled heavily between us.

My future marriage would never affect only me. The man I chose would become connected to everything I protected and everyone who depended on me. I could not make that choice simply because my heart raced whenever Lucian came near.

“I don’t have to believe in destined mates,” I continued, my voice quieter but firmer. “I don’t care whether the Moon Goddess tied someone to me with fate or not. But there is one thing I cannot accept.”

Gia remained silent, waiting for me to finish.

I tightened my fingers around the wineglass.

“I can’t accept a future husband who loves someone else.”