Chapter 46 Teamwork
Selene froze while staring at him.
Her mind refused to work, like someone had pulled a cord inside her head and everything went silent at once. The office around her blurred. The shelves. The desk. The light coming in from the window. None of it mattered anymore.
Only him.
Standing there, leaning casually against his desk, was a man she knew.
A man she had laughed with. A man she was accused of betraying someone with. A man who loved Lunaria just as deeply as she did.
A man she thought she understood.
“Ryzen?!” The name tore out of her mouth before she could stop it.
His grin widened, bright and shameless. “Hello!”
Her heart slammed violently against her ribs, pain blooming as her body reacted too fast for her injuries to keep up. She sucked in a sharp breath, gripping the armrest of the chair.
“Why are you so shocked?” Ryzen asked, clearly enjoying himself.
“Why would I not be?” she burst out, her voice rising despite the pain. “I mean—h-how, w-what? I don’t understand!” She slammed her hand onto his desk without realizing it, the sharp sound echoing in the office.
Ryzen chuckled, clearly amused. He leaned back in his chair, folding his arms behind his head like he was enjoying a show.
“Oh gods,” he said, shaking his head. “I missed this.”
“You missed—” Selene stared at him like she was about to lose her mind. “You’re the Alpha.”
“Yes.”
“The Alpha of the Montclair Pack.”
“Yes.”
“Our enemy pack.”
“Yes.”
“And you’re sitting there like this is funny?!”
He tilted his head. “A little.”
She groaned loudly and leaned back, pressing her fingers to her temples. “This is not real,” she muttered. “I’m still injured. I must be hallucinating.”
“If you are,” Ryzen said cheerfully, “I’m flattered that your mind chose me.”
She shot him a glare sharp enough to cut steel.
“You avoided me,” Selene said suddenly, realization hitting her. “You avoided me this entire time.”
Ryzen’s grin turned smug. “I did.”
“You were here the whole time,” she continued, disbelief turning into frustration. “Watching. Knowing I was awake. And you didn’t come.”
“I wanted you better first,” he replied simply.
She scoffed. “That’s not an excuse.”
“It is to me,” he said easily. “I wanted this reaction when you could actually sit up and yell at me.”
Selene stared at him for a long second.
“…You waited almost a month,” she said slowly, “just for this? Just… stayed away because you wanted a dramatic reveal?”
“Yes.”
“You’re insane.”
“I’ve been told.”
She let out a long breath and slumped back into the chair, exhaustion finally catching up to her. “You were my friend,” she said quietly. “Just… Ryzen.”
“And now I’m an Alpha and just…Ryzen,” he said. “Some things don’t change.”
She shot him a look. “A lot has changed.”
For a moment, Ryzen studied her more carefully. The humor in his eyes softened just a little. “You look thinner,” he said quietly. “And tired.”
Selene looked away. “I almost died.”
The words hung heavy between them.
Ryzen’s smile faded.
“That,” he said after a pause, “is why I called you here.”
Her fingers tightened on the armrest. “You know what happened?”
“I know you were found broken near the river,” he said, his voice calm but low. “I know the injuries don’t match a simple fall.”
She swallowed.
“But before that,” he continued, “I want to answer one thing. You look like you’re about to explode with questions.”
She let out a shaky laugh. “That obvious?”
“Yes.”
“Then answer me this,” Selene said quickly. “Why were you even at the university? You’re an Alpha. You’re running a whole pack. Why pretend to be someone else?”
Ryzen leaned forward slightly, resting his elbows on the desk. “Because sometimes,” he said, “being just ‘Ryzen’ is easier than being ‘Alpha Ryzen.’”
She frowned. “That’s not an answer.”
“It’s part of one,” he replied. “The full story… I’ll tell you when the time is right.”
“When is that?”
“When you’re ready to hear it,” he said gently.
Selene searched his face, trying to find deception. She didn’t see any. Just patience.
Her shoulders sagged slightly. “Fine.”
His expression shifted then. The playful edge vanished, replaced by something sharper. “Now,” he said, “tell me what really happened to you.”
Her breath caught.
For a moment, she considered lying. Brushing it off. Saying she slipped, that she was careless but this was Ryzen.
Her friend.
Selene looked down at her hands. “My sister pushed me.”
The words came out soft, almost fragile.
Ryzen didn’t speak.
“She was angry,” Selene continued, her voice low. “Maybe she lost control after everything, and the pressure Christopher kept putting on her. I wasn’t careful… and then it was too late. The moment I felt her hands at my back, the river swallowed me whole.”
Still silence.
“And before that…” She hesitated. “I think you are already aware that she betrayed me with my mate.”
The air in the room changed.
Ryzen slowly straightened in his chair. His jaw tightened. His eyes darkened, something dangerous flickering beneath the surface.
Selene noticed—but she kept going.
“I survived once before,” she whispered. “I died once because of them. This was the second time I almost didn’t make it.”
Ryzen stood up.
The chair scraped loudly against the floor as he turned away from her, walking toward the window. His hands clenched at his sides.
For a long moment, he said nothing.
But Selene could feel it.
The anger.
The killing intent.
The room felt colder, heavier, like the air itself was warning her. She had seen this look before—on Alphas who were seconds away from losing control.
“Ryzen…” she said softly. “I’m okay. I’m alive.”
He didn’t turn around.
“She pushed you,” he said slowly. “Off a cliff.”
“Yes.”
“And the mate,” he continued, his voice tight, “was supposed to protect you.”
“Yes.”
His fingers dug into the window frame.
If Selene had been anyone else, she might have been afraid.
But she wasn’t afraid, because she knew him. If Ryzen were truly the monster they claimed he was, he wouldn’t have gone out of his way to protect Selene.
After a deep breath, Ryzen finally turned back around. The rage in his eyes was still there but it was contained. Locked behind years of discipline.
“What do you plan to do?” he asked.
She hesitated.
Then she met his eyes.
“I have a plan,” she said.
Ryzen’s brow lifted slightly. “Oh?”
“But I can’t do it alone,” she added. “I need your help.”
For a second, he just stared at her. Then his face lit up.
“You’re asking me?” he said, disbelief and excitement mixing in his voice. “Me?”
She gave a small, tired smile. “Unless you know another Alpha I can trust.”
Ryzen laughed. “You really know how to flatter someone.”
“This isn’t a joke,” she said quickly. “It’s dangerous. And messy. And if it fails—”
“I’m in,” he interrupted.
She blinked. “Just like that?”
He nodded. “Just like that.”
“Ryzen—”
“You survived twice,” he said firmly. “That means something. And you asking for my help?” His grin returned, softer this time. “That means even more.”
She let out a breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
Ryzen stepped closer, resting a hand on the desk. “Whatever you’re planning,” he said, eyes sharp but kind, “we’ll do it carefully. Quietly. And on our terms.”
Selene nodded.
For the first time since everything went wrong, she felt something close to relief. It wasn’t safety or peace—it was strength. And this time, she wouldn’t stand alone… just like six years in the future.