Chapter 52 YES
Selene turned her face back toward him, still blushing. “I’ll go.”
Ryzen froze.
“…What?”
“I said,” Selene repeated, voice softer, “I’ll go with you.”
For a second, Ryzen looked like he didn’t believe her. Like he expected her to laugh and say she was joking.
Then his gaze dropped to her cheeks.
To her lips.
To the way she couldn’t fully hide her embarrassment.
Ryzen’s eyes widened slightly.
Selene’s blush deepened.
“Stop staring,” she muttered.
Ryzen blinked like he had been caught, then he laughed softly—quiet and almost breathless.
“I’m not staring,” he lied.
Selene narrowed her eyes. “You are.”
Ryzen leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table again. But this time, his voice was lower.
“I just didn’t expect you to say yes so fast,” he admitted.
Selene looked away again. “I didn’t say it fast. I froze for like a whole minute.”
“That’s fast for you,” Ryzen replied.
Selene huffed. “You always tease.”
Ryzen smiled, but his smile softened in a way that made Selene’s stomach twist then Ryzen’s heart started beating faster.
He could hear it, loud in his own ears. He didn’t know why her reaction hit him so hard. Maybe it was because Selene never looked like this in the university. She was confident there. Calm. Sharp. Always ready to fight back with words.
But right now.... She looked shy.
Her cheeks were pink.
Her eyes kept avoiding his, but not because she hated him.
Because she was embarrassed.
And it was… beautiful.
Ryzen swallowed quietly, trying to steady himself.
Selene wasn’t wearing anything fancy. Just simple clothes. Her hair was loosely tied. Her face was bare, no jewelry, no makeup, nothing that screamed “important.” and yet, Ryzen couldn’t stop seeing her the same way he saw the moon at night, glowing and breath-taking.
Her lips were slightly dry.
Her lashes lowered whenever she tried to hide her blush.
Her expression was soft, but her eyes still carried strength underneath.
Ryzen felt his chest tighten.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” Selene asked suddenly, annoyed but still shy.
Ryzen blinked again and quickly looked away.
“No reason,” he replied too fast.
Selene raised an eyebrow. “That’s suspicious.”
Ryzen cleared his throat and stood up so suddenly his chair scraped the floor.
Selene flinched. “What—?”
“I’ll pick you up later,” he said quickly.
Selene blinked. “Later?”
“Yes,” Ryzen replied, still moving too fast like he was trying to escape his own feelings. “I’ll send a tailor to your room. So you can choose a dress.”
Selene’s eyes widened. “A tailor?”
Ryzen nodded quickly, cheeks faintly pink now. “Yes. A tailor.”
Selene opened her mouth to speak, but Ryzen rushed again.
“And don’t refuse,” he added. “It’s not negotiable.”
Selene stared at him, stunned. “You— you said I don’t have to go.”
“I changed my mind,” he said, then immediately realized how childish that sounded. He coughed and corrected himself. “I mean— just… let the tailor help. You need something proper for tonight.”
Selene’s blush returned full force.
Ryzen’s ears were hot.
He turned his head away and mumbled, “I’ll come back later.”
Then he took two steps toward the door, stopped, and looked back at her.
“Rest until then,” he said, voice softer now. “Don’t overthink.”
Selene scoffed weakly. “That’s impossible.”
Ryzen smiled again. “Try.”
And then he left.
The door closed.
Selene sat completely still.
For three long seconds, she didn’t move.
Then she lifted both hands and covered her face.
“Oh my god,” she whispered into her palms.
Her cheeks were burning.
Her heart was beating too fast.
She pressed her forehead against her hands like she could hide from the embarrassment.
“Partner?” she whispered again. “Dinner? With Ryzen?”
She peeked between her fingers like someone might suddenly appear again.
The room was empty.
Selene groaned and dropped her hands to the table, then slowly slid her face down onto her arms.
She stayed there, breathing slowly, trying to calm herself but it didn’t work.
Every time she remembered Ryzen’s eyes on her, her face heated up again.
Every time she remembered how nervous he sounded, her heart beat faster.
Selene clenched the sleeve of her shirt. “This is dangerous,” she muttered.
Not because of the pack.
Not because of enemies.
But because of feelings.
The door opened.
Selene sat up so fast she almost hurt herself.
Cariel stepped in first, followed by Jenna.
They both stopped immediately when they saw Selene’s face.
Cariel’s eyes widened. “Oh.”
Jenna blinked. “Your cheeks are red.”
Selene froze.
Cariel slowly walked closer, narrowing her eyes like a detective. “Selene,” she said, voice low and dramatic, “why do you look like you just got caught stealing candy?”
Selene grabbed a pillow and hugged it tightly. “I don’t.”
Jenna tilted her head. “You do.”
Cariel’s grin slowly grew. “Did the Alpha visit?”
Selene didn’t answer.
Cariel gasped loudly. “He did!”
Selene tried to act annoyed. “Cariel—”
Cariel hurried to the table, leaning in. “What did he say? What did he do? Why are you blushing like this?”
Jenna crossed her arms, watching calmly. “He asked something.”
Selene’s eyes widened. “How do you know?”
Jenna nodded toward the door. “Because you look like someone asked you something life-changing.”
Cariel slammed her hands on the table. “Tell us.”
Selene groaned. “No.”
Cariel leaned closer. “Selene.”
Selene glared. “Cariel.”
Jenna spoke gently, “We won’t tease too much.”
Cariel immediately added, “I will.”
Selene sighed deeply, defeated. “He asked me to be his partner for the dinner.”
Silence.
Cariel stared.
Jenna blinked.
Then Cariel screamed.
“WHAT?!”
Selene flinched. “Lower your voice!”
Jenna’s eyes widened. “Partner… as in… you’re going with him?”
Selene covered her face again. “Yes.”
Cariel grabbed Selene’s shoulders gently and shook her. “SELENE. DO YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT THIS MEANS?”
Selene pulled away. “It means I’m going to a dinner.”
Cariel pointed at her like she was foolish. “No. It means the Alpha asked you personally.”
Jenna nodded slowly. “That’s… serious.”
Selene peeked out from her hands. “It’s probably just political.”
Cariel scoffed. “Political? With the way you’re blushing?”
Selene grabbed a pillow and threw it lightly at Cariel’s face.
Cariel caught it, laughing. “Oh, you’re embarrassed!”
Jenna smiled faintly. “He looked nervous too, didn’t he?”
Selene froze.
Cariel’s grin turned wicked. “He did, didn’t he?”
Selene groaned. “Stop it.”
Cariel bounced excitedly. “This is the best news I’ve ever heard in my life.”
Jenna shook her head, amused. “Cariel…”
“What?” Cariel defended. “This pack needs happiness.”
Selene muttered into her hands, “I need peace.”
Cariel leaned down near Selene’s ear. “No peace for you.”
Selene smacked Cariel’s arm lightly.
Cariel laughed. “That’s the spirit.”
Jenna walked to the table and adjusted the breakfast tray that was still there. “You should eat more,” she reminded.
Selene looked up. “I already ate.”
“Eat again,” Cariel said immediately. “You need energy. You’re going to a dinner with the Alpha.”
Selene’s face turned red again. “It’s just dinner.”
Cariel clasped her hands together. “Not just dinner. A whole event. People will stare. People will whisper. People will die from jealousy.”
Selene rolled her eyes. “Cariel.”
Jenna sighed softly. “We’ll help you prepare.”
Selene paused. “Help?”
Cariel nodded strongly. “Yes. We’ll make sure you look so beautiful that our Alpha will forget how to breathe.”
Selene threw another pillow.
Cariel dodged it, laughing.
Selene groaned again and leaned back against the pillow behind her. “This is going to be exhausting.”
Jenna smiled gently. “But it might also be… good.”
Selene’s expression softened slightly. “Good?”
Jenna nodded. “You’ve been through a lot. Maybe you deserve one night where you’re not scared.”
Selene didn’t answer right away.
Because Jenna was right.
She had spent so long surviving that she forgot what it felt like to live.
Cariel leaned in again, eyes sparkling. “Now finish your food. The tailor will come soon. And we need to choose something that fits the Alpha’s taste.”
Selene frowned. “His taste?”
Cariel grinned. “Yes. And I already know what he likes.”
Selene blinked. “How would you know that?”
Cariel winked. “A maid knows everything.”
Jenna shook her head. “Cariel, stop scaring her.”
Cariel laughed. “I’m not scaring her. I’m preparing her.”
Selene sighed, but this time, it wasn’t only annoyance.
It was something lighter.
Because even if she was embarrassed and even if she was nervous. She wasn’t alone and tonight, for the first time in a long time…
Selene would step into the world again.
Not as a broken girl in bed but as someone walking beside an Alpha.
And that thought alone made her heart beat faster.