Chapter 256
Selina
I stared at Isla in disbelief.
"You want me to transfer half of my territory rights to you?" I whispered, my voice barely audible.
Isla's expression remained cold and resolute. "That's the price, Selina. I can take the blame, but I won't do it for free anymore."
I paused for a while and agreed.
When it was done, Isla stood up with grim determination. "I'll honor my promise and turn myself in to the Wolf Council."
I should have felt grateful. This was what I'd asked for, what I needed. But watching her prepare to sacrifice herself for me, I felt something crack inside my chest.
"Isla..." I started, but couldn't find the words.
She didn't look back as she headed for the door. "Take care of yourself, Selina."
The door closed with a soft click, and suddenly I was alone in my apartment. The silence pressed down on me like a physical weight.
---
My phone buzzed with an urgent notification from the pack's internal communication network. The headline made my blood run cold: [Moon Light Orphan Foundation Scandal Exposed - Wolf Pups Abused Under Charity Cover.]
I quickly scrolled through the post, my heart sinking with each line. Summit Global Group had released a devastating exposé revealing systematic abuse within the foundation I'd been representing as their spokesperson. The evidence was overwhelming - financial records, witness testimonies, video footage.
Freya. Her name burned in my mind like acid. This had her fingerprints all over it.
Within minutes, my phone exploded with calls and messages. My manager, my publicist, board members from various organizations - everyone was in full panic mode. The Wolf Council had already issued a statement launching an immediate investigation.
I tried calling my supporters, the pack members who had always stood by me, but one by one they either didn't answer or gave me cold, professional responses. The evidence was too damning, too comprehensive. Even my most loyal fans couldn't defend me against such overwhelming proof.
Then came the final blow - a call from Wilson Pack's legal department.
"Beta Selina," the cold voice informed me, "Wilson Pack is immediately terminating all contracts and endorsement deals. Furthermore, we're transferring the family enterprise spokesperson role to Bella, effective immediately."
I hung up the phone with shaking hands. In less than twenty-four hours, I'd lost my closest ally, half my territory, and now my most prestigious endorsement deal.
The worst part was seeing the pack's reaction online. Bella's performance in Mist was being praised as a testament to "true Beta resilience," while my own work was being dissected and criticized. The contrast was humiliating.
---
I was still reeling from the disasters when I heard footsteps approaching my private study. Frost entered without knocking, his expression colder than winter ice.
"Frost," I started, relief flooding through me at seeing him. At least I still had—
"Let's dissolve our marking bond," he interrupted, his voice devoid of any warmth.
I staggered backward, gripping the edge of my desk for support.
"What? No, you can't—" I began desperately. "You can't just break our bond!"
"I can and I am," he said with brutal finality.
My composure finally shattered completely. "I gave up everything for you!" I screamed, my eyes flashing with golden wolf light. "I turned down Liam Wilson's pursuit because I chose you!"
Frost's lips curled into a cruel smile. "Did you, Selina? Or did you choose what you thought I could give you - access to Wilson Pack's bloodline and territory?"
I felt my face burn with shame because deep down, I knew he was right.
"That's not true," I whispered, but even I could hear how hollow the words sounded.
Frost stepped closer, his Alpha dominance pressing down on me. "You never wanted me, Selina. You wanted what being with me represented. Well, congratulations - now you have nothing."
He turned to leave, but paused at the doorway. "You know what the real tragedy is? Liam Wilson was willing to give up everything for you once. However, you threw that away for what you thought was a better deal."
The door slammed behind him, leaving me alone in the suffocating silence of my study. I sank into my chair, the weight of his words crushing down on me.
Liam. The name echoed in my mind, bringing with it a flood of regrets. Frost was right - Liam had been genuine, willing to risk his family's disapproval to be with me. And I'd calculated, weighed my options, and chosen what I thought was the more advantageous path.
Now I had nothing. No Isla, no territory, no endorsements, no mate.
Yet, there was one who still had everything I'd lost. One who seemed to effortlessly attract the loyalty and love that had always slipped through my fingers.
Bella.
My hands clenched into fists as rage consumed me. If I was going down, I wasn't going down alone.
---
I slipped into Bella's dressing room at the studio. Bella was sitting at her vanity, calmly applying lipstick.
"Hello, Bella," I said softly, stepping out of the shadows.
Bella didn't even startle, just met my eyes in the mirror with that infuriating calm confidence.
"Selina," she acknowledged, continuing with her makeup. "I wondered when you'd show up."
Her composure only fueled my rage and I asked, "Enjoying your victory?"
"What victory?" Bella asked, finally turning to face me. "I'm just living my life."
"Your life?" I laughed, the sound high and brittle. "Let me tell you about your precious life, Bella."
I stepped closer, savoring the moment before I destroyed her world. "You want to know why Liam really marked you? Why he keeps you so carefully controlled and monitored?"
Bella's expression didn't change, but I caught the slight tension in her shoulders.
"You're nothing but my blood supply backup," I revealed, watching her face carefully. "Liam marked you and keeps you by his side for one reason - we have the same rare blood type."
Now I had her attention. The color drained from her face slightly.
"Those nights when you wake up feeling dizzy, when you can't remember parts of the evening? That's because Liam drugs your food with sedatives and draws your blood while you sleep." I leaned in closer, my voice dropping to a vicious whisper. "All those mysterious needle marks you've found on your arms? They're not from medical checkups."
Bella's hands had stilled completely, her makeup brush frozen in mid-air.
"He keeps you sedated and controlled, using you as his personal blood bank for when I need transfusions." I threw back my head and laughed, the sound echoing off the walls. "You think you're his beloved mate? You're livestock, Bella. Carefully tended, well-fed livestock."
Bella stared at me, her face pale but her eyes still holding that damnable composure.
But I could see the cracks forming. The doubt creeping in.
"Everything you thought you had," I whispered, "was just an elaborate lie to keep you compliant while he used your body to keep me healthy."
I savored the look of dawning horror in her eyes as the pieces clicked into place.