Chapter 22

Selene’s pov

"Now that was quite the spectacle," Raven placed a hand on her hip, watching the Elders go.

"You weren't even here to witness it," I said, rolling my eyes.

"Oh, don't deceive yourself, darling," she laughed. "How do you know I wasn't here?"

I looked at her in surprise when suddenly Lucian grabbed my waist and drew me closer to him. My breath hitched as I felt the scent of him—so strong and surprisingly so pleasant.

I had the overwhelming urge to lay my head on his broad chest and let him engulf me in the strength of his arms. As I stared up at him, my eyes lowered to his lips, stretched in a thin, unyielding line, but I doubted they would be as hard as they looked.

"The next time," he began, jolting me from my very inappropriate and shocking thoughts, "when you are in the midst of people with me, you keep your mouth shut."

Now that he was no longer clogging my senses with his aura, I frowned deeply. "What do you mean by 'keep my mouth shut'? I am not a puppet!"

"You are mine," he said fiercely, stepping even closer to me, "and you are under my control."

"I have a mind of my own, in case you hadn't noticed, and I didn't ask you to take over me. I'm an adult, Lucian—I can make decisions for myself!"

"What is the problem with you?" he demanded.

"What, angry that I'm not exactly what you pictured me as?"

"Nope, you are not what we pictured," Raven interrupted, standing beside me. "This is a very interesting position you two are in."

With a snarl, Lucian released me, and I stumbled slightly but managed to find my balance.

"If you are to ever survive here, then you have to follow my lead and not oppose me at every turn," Lucian continued.

"Actually, if you start talking with me about what decisions you want to make and let me contribute to them, maybe I wouldn't be so opposing."

"You know nothing about how this world works, and you have nothing to contribute because of that."

Now this was the last straw. I decided that I had had enough of his dominance. "Then by all means, take me back to my world where I belong so I wouldn't bother you anymore!"

"Don't you understand?" he stressed. "This is where you belong! Why can't you see it yet? Are you that dense?"

"Get off your high horse, Lucian, and then maybe you'll realize that I can't understand anything since you haven't explained anything to me!" I snapped.

"Now, this would draw quite a crowd if we were in a public space," Raven mused, placing a hand on Lucian's shoulder.

Her eyes bore into mine with an intensity I had never seen in her before. "You should not provoke him. You don't know what it's like to be alpha and have the decisions of a whole pack on your shoulders. Everything he does is for your good."

"I don't care!" I shouted, sick of all these people.

"Why am I burdened with her?" Lucian groaned.

"I think this is what happens when you keep her locked up for too long. She becomes a huge pain in the ass," Raven suggested.

"Now you see—" I began, pointing a finger in her face, but she interrupted me.

"I think it's time to put this energy to good use. What do you say we explore your powers?"

Her words made me pause. "What do you mean 'explore my powers'? Am I some sort of experiment to be carried out?"

"It's simple, darling. If you're ever to be of any use to us, then we must know what you can do. Not just that—we need to know how to harness these powers so you can be in full control of them, else you are as dangerous to yourself as you are to others."

"In this state, if we empower her, she's only going to bite us in the end," Lucian stepped around me, "literally."

"Well, that wouldn't be such a bad idea, would it?" I asked.

"Are you trying to help matters here or not?" Raven demanded. "Or do you want to stay in your room forever, protected only by these four walls until the operatives find a way to reach you?"

"The operatives?" I asked.

"You think they suddenly gave up because of the little stunt you did there? If I were them, I'd be pretty excited at the prospect of what you can do. I would intensify my efforts, double the risk just to reach you."

She circled me, her tone shifting to that of a predator, and it made my blood curdle. "And when I find you, ill-prepared and cowering behind a door, I would be so disappointed. Nevertheless, I would take you and use you for my original plan."

"That will never happen," Lucian insisted. "If she gets taken by the veil, then the supernatural world will crumble as we know it. My pack will go into extinction, as will all other werewolf packs."

It felt like a huge weight, them all banking on my decision. I kind of liked the idea of such power, but come on—these people had to be serious. I couldn't be all that important.

Thinking of it though, my mother always told me I was extremely special. Maybe she saw something, but the whole world depending on me? That was a long stretch.

"Raven is right," Lucian began. "We have to find out the extent of your powers and how to control them, even for your safety."

I crossed my arms. "And how exactly do you intend to do that? Open me up and do some operations?"

"Appealing, since opening you up would force you to keep your mouth shut, but no," Lucian replied. "You will start training with me."

"No way!" I shifted away. "Are you insane? I will never train with you!"

"The next attack on you will be deadly. Either you train with me, or you stay in your room."

"Why don't I get to train with someone else?" I demanded. How could my luck get any worse? Training with Lucian would be like hell on Earth.

"My pack, my estate, my rules," Lucian informed me, speaking slowly so that his words would sink in.

And sink in they did. My life was going to be terrible here.