# Chapter 259:

# Chapter 259:
Melinda's POV

Pain ripped through my body like wildfire. The moment Michael plunged that bright blue serum into Selena's thigh, both of us—twins bound by blood and curse—began screaming in agony. It felt like every cell in my body was combusting from the inside out, my skin burning as though bathed in acid. I couldn't think, couldn't breathe—there was only this all-consuming, white-hot agony.

Through my haze of pain, I felt Michael's strong arms wrap around me, cradling me against his chest. His touch, normally so soothing, barely registered through the inferno consuming me. I could hear his heartbeat, rapid and strong, even as my own pulse thundered in my ears like a stampede.

The pain finally subsided, draining away as suddenly as it had arrived. Selena was already struggling to her feet, though her movements seemed clumsy, almost uncoordinated. Her face contorted with rage as she snarled, "Your poison won't work on me!"

I knew better. I could feel it—the serum had worked. My fingers instinctively moved to my chest, where I still sensed Leah, my inner wolf, curled warm and present. I hadn't lost my connection to her at all. But something had definitely changed with Selena.

«Are you okay?» Michael's voice slipped into my mind, concern wrapping around each word.

I managed a slow, barely perceptible nod, still gathering my strength.

Selena raised her hand toward us, her lips moving in what I recognized as an incantation. Nothing happened. No spark of magic, no crushing force, nothing at all.

"You..." Her eyes widened in shock. "You did something to me!" She tried again, fingers splayed dramatically, but the result was the same. "What have you done?!" she shrieked, her voice climbing to a pitch that made me wince.

The pressure that had been holding us down suddenly vanished. Michael stood and helped me to my feet, his hand steady and warm against mine. The relief of being able to move freely again was immense, like breaking through the surface after nearly drowning.

Michael let out a low chuckle that vibrated through his chest. "Feeling any different?" he asked Selena, his voice steady but edged with satisfaction.

Selena began screaming louder, falling to the floor and pounding her fists, kicking her legs like a toddler in the midst of a tantrum. "My wolf!" she wailed, her face contorted in anguish. "What did you do?! Where is my wolf?!"

Michael turned to me, and I nodded in confirmation. The serum had worked perfectly—Selena was human now. I was honestly impressed by Michael's quick thinking. The realization dawned on me: if the antidote could work on a full werewolf like Selena when injected, not just on stray werewolves, that meant... well, it meant a lot of things. It probably required a higher dose, but it worked.

My thoughts were interrupted when Michael suddenly slipped his arm around my waist and pulled me close, his lips finding mine in a deep, passionate kiss. The world around us—Selena's screams, the ornate hall, the looming danger—all of it faded away. I tasted salt; tears of relief and joy were streaming down my face.

We'd done it.

We'd stopped Selena without anyone dying.

"See?" Michael murmured against my lips when we finally parted. "I told you to trust me."

"You're always right," I whispered back, my voice still hoarse from screaming.

"We should take her to her father—the Alpha King," I suggested, glancing at Selena, who was now sobbing between curses. "He'll know what to do with her."

Michael nodded, and before Selena could react, he hoisted her over his shoulder like a sack of flour. She kicked and screamed, but without her supernatural strength, she was no match for Michael. He strode forward, pushing open the doors of the banquet hall with a forceful shove, and I followed close behind.

Several bewildered guards stared at us as we passed through the entrance, their expressions a mix of confusion and uncertainty. One looked directly at me, his eyes widening.

"P-Princess?" he stammered, clearly recognizing me despite never having met me before. The family resemblance to Selena must have been striking.

"Where is my father?" I asked, the words feeling strange on my tongue. I had a father—a real, biological father—and he was here, somewhere in this mansion.

The guard pointed toward a heavy wooden door, his hand trembling slightly. "The throne room, Your Highness."

"Save me!" Selena shrieked from over Michael's shoulder. "I command you! I'm the real princess!"

The guards sniffled but made no move to help her, either still dazed from earlier or perhaps unable to recognize Selena in her human form. Either way, their inaction was a blessing.

Michael used his free hand to push open the wooden door with a powerful thrust, and we walked into what could only be described as a throne room. Ornate chandeliers hung from the ceiling, casting a warm glow on the plush carpet that led to the throne. Candles flickered in sconces along the walls, illuminating the path.

And there, seated on his throne, was my father—Alpha King Norman Lancaster. He had propped one hand under his chin, and he looked up with confusion as we approached. Michael walked right up to him and unceremoniously dropped Selena at his feet. She immediately curled into a ball, sobbing and screaming.

"My wolf!" she cried. "He took my wolf!"

The Alpha King slowly lowered his gaze to look at Selena, then raised it again to Michael and me, his eyes lingering on me for a long moment. I waited for some flicker of recognition, some hint that he knew who I was.

But he didn't say a word. In the candlelight, I could see dark circles under his eyes, a sickly pallor to his skin, and a vacant look in his eyes. Something was very wrong.

"Dad...?" I whispered, stepping forward and kneeling at his feet. "It's me. Your daughter. Melinda."

My father just stared at me, blinking slowly, not uttering a single word. His eyes were dull, almost lifeless, as if whatever spark had once animated them had been extinguished.

"Sire, don't you recognize your long-lost daughter?" Michael asked. "The missing twin?"

Still nothing. Just that empty, vacant stare.

I slowly rose to my feet, a sense of unease creeping up my spine. This wasn't right. Selena was human now, her powers gone—the spell she had cast on the Alpha King should have been broken. Yet he continued to stare blankly, as if he didn't comprehend a word we were saying.

Maybe the magic takes time to wear off? Or maybe Selena's hold on him was stronger than we thought?

I stepped back to stand beside Michael, who wrapped a protective arm around me.

"Mom...?" Selena suddenly whimpered, wiping tears from her face as she sat up on the floor.

I exchanged a confused glance with Michael. Mom? Our mother was dead. She had died in childbirth. Unless...

A white shoe emerged from behind the massive throne. Then a white dress. And finally, a pale woman stepped out, with skin as white as snow, hair just as white, and eyes a vivid, unnatural red—like an albino, but somehow more ethereal, more terrifying. She was stunningly beautiful yet deeply unsettling, a cold smile playing on her lips as she stood before us.

"Hello, Melinda," she said, her voice like ice cracking on a frozen lake.

My blood ran cold as I realized we'd been focused on the wrong threat all along.