The morning that was not welcomed, bloomed across the horizon anyways. Selena sat on the edge of the bed, naked and duvet pulled up to her chest. She used to waking up naked once in a while before this, but now, it seems to be a norm. Oddly, her face is dull, filled with heartache and sorrow. She doesn’t know how long she has been sitting stoned, gazing emptily upon the sunlight pouring through the window in her room. The whole house is quiet. Zaden is still sleeping behind her, hugging a pillow, probably thinking that it’s her.
It hit her hard, this is the day that will actually change her life, leaving behind no choice. Well, climbing Mount Manuka would be the first life-changing decision but she was given the option to return to her old life. The Samrat Kingdom wouldn’t give her that chance.
She frowned when all of a sudden, a memory flashed between her grey eyes. She flustered and struggled. Various images popped up in her mental window. Dried up single tree, screeching scream of a woman, a log, a wooden hut, rain piercing down in drops from the dark sky above, a sob, a large thorn, and finally the sea. It was too rapid and none except for the sea looked familiar. She rubbed her temple in an attempt to calm down. Her tummy began to harden up like the day before, hard as a rock. A warm palm embraced her shoulder, snapping her out of her momentary struggle
“Hey… are you feeling sick?” it is Zaden, concerned about her as he slides his hand to her forehead, checking her temperature.
“Nothing… I’m fine” Selena turned around to face Zaden, with a gentle smile that only radiates pain, written all over her face. Zaden clasped the back of her neck, bringing it close to him, bumping his forehead with hers
“Don’t worry, ok? Everything will be fine…” he whispered
“Is that a promise?” Selena asked low and Zaden silenced to that. He really can’t promise that everything will be fine but he sure is prepared for the aftermath.
Her eyes trailed down. It aches to see the little bubbly girl drop her head in sorrow. She shuffled into Zaden’s chest, pushing him back to bed in the process
“Can we stay like this for a while?” she whispered, and he nodded. She snuggled into him, hoping to freeze the moment and he hugged her across her shoulders. Time flew by just like that.
“We have businesses running in town, they are auto-pilot. Keeps generating money for your whole life. You don’t need to do much, dad will take care of it” Selena looked up with a frown as she swallowed her saliva. He combed his finger through her hairline
“There is a safe box in the communal room, under the bar counter. Password is 094563, same as for all my credit and bank cards.” he continued with a soothing tone, yet Selena hated it. She just wants him to shut up.
“And… it’s Hazel Black if it’s a girl… Aslan Black if it’s a boy…” he whispered, and tears rolled down her cheeks.
“Don’t you dare” she said through her gritted teeth and pushed herself to sit
“Selena…” Zaden wanted to make sense to her but what he got in return is a slap on his cheeks. He inhaled slowly, calming his Alpha down.
“NO!!! Don’t you dare do that to me!!!” she shouted at him. Zaden is now sitting, duvet covering till his navel. He stretched his hands in an attempt to hug her but she swats them away too.
“Don’t you dare do that to me, Zaden Black!!!” she shouted again as more and more tears rolled off. The door flung open as Orion and others rushed into the room, panicked. Selena snapped her head to them, revealing her tear-streaming eye.
Zaden saw a window of opportunity and clasped the back of her head, pulled her towards him, burying her into his chest and she started crying even more.
“Shu… It’s just a precautionary step. Just in case, ok? I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to hurt you…” he laid a kiss on her hair. Orion softened and a clench felt in his heart. He understood the pain, more than anyone else. Zaden even had him prepared for the worst. Orion guided everyone out. Selena let out all her depression on Zaden’s chest as he caressed the back of her head, trying to calm her down.
It was somewhere around 2 pm when a gentle knock came from outside the room. Makeala opened the door. Zaden and Selena were still wrapped in their duvet, only now, Selena is coiled on Zaden’s lap, hands wrapped around his neck and he is partially leaned on the headboard. Makeala sighed out and walked to them, sitting by the bed foot
“Selena… sweety… come on now…” Selena shook her head, refusing to let Zaden go, after all, it’s ‘her Zaden’, right?
“Selena… I understand it’s hard… but you need to eat… at least for the baby… He is our next alpha, he needs to have a strong foundation…” Selena remained silent for a minute
“Plus, it’s Alpha Zaden Black, from Mount Manuka. Didn’t you hear his 38 rogue story, yesterday?” Makeala softly caressed Selena’s arms.
“Come on… let’s get a bath, please…” Zaden whispered to her.
“I have a bowl of prunes for you…” Makeala raised her eyebrow and waited with anticipation. It made Selena huff out a laugh between her tears. Makeala laughed as well
“I will be there…” Selena said softly and Makeala left the room. They got bathed and headed out of the room for lunch.
Hours roll by like minutes and there wasn’t enough time to be spent between Zaden and Selena– there will never be enough time for the two of them, thou. It is now 5. 30 pm and they are getting ready to leave to the sparing ground.
“Makeala, make sure she eats and sleeps on time. If she gets grumpy, you know what to do. The ice cream is in the refrigerator.” Zaden and Makeala exchanged a smile
“Wait, you are leaving us here?” Selena asked with a frown
“Of course, it is dangerous for you two…” Zaden said
“It is dangerous for you too, that isn’t stopping you. Please, papa… I want to come, I will go nuts sitting here. Not knowing what had happened there” Selena plead to Ozrain and he looked for approval from Zaden. It wasn’t part of the plan, it will get messier and harder to split these 2 from the crowd if things don’t go well. But he also knows that you can’t refuse or change Selena’s decision.
He sighed and stretched his arm out, signaling her to come to him and she immediately ran into his chest as he wrapped his arms around her shoulder. All the way to the sparing ground, he kept repeating step-by-step instructions to Selena.
“If they seem even a little rebellious, I need you to run out of the island. You understand?” Selena nodded.
“You and Makeala, stand in the middle of the pack, understood?” she nodded, and it went on. They have finally reached the sparing ground. The whole ground was encircled with old and young pack members, thousands of them. It was alarming to see so many werewolves at one spot and it reflected in Selena’s eye as it widens. Zaden exhaled before licking his lips and looking down at Selena
“And baby…” Selena looked up at him. He flexed his arms around her shoulder and pulling her close to him while another hand held her cheeks, kissing her lips. A much-needed token of remembrance– a deep, loveable kiss.
“I love you…” he whispered to her, and she nodded again with a worried eye. The others couldn’t ignore the agony between these 2 that it affects even the new acquaintance of Ozrain’s pack.
As they approached, the crowd in front silenced and parted away, providing clearance for Ozrain and his pack. A sparing ground that spreads to about 50 feet in diameter with wooden handrails marking its perimeter came to vision. In the middle of the circle, Epsilon sat in a chair, legs crossed and an evil smirk on his face. Selena’s stomach automatically hardened up, like a rock.
“Welcome…” he said as his eye focused on Selena in Zaden’s arm. He snapped his fingers and a she-wolf brought out a chair and placed it in front of Selena.
“Please, have a seat…” He then waved his hand and a few she-wolfs with trays of drinks and chocolates approached them with a warm smile.
“A welcome drink… forgive me for serving you out here, my dear goddess. There is a whole feast being prepared specially for you in the mansion. We can indulge together once this whole crap is over…” clearly, he was talking only to Selena, earning a glare from all other 14 members and Selena stood reluctant to accept his offerings.
“A soft corner from you will ensure that nothing goes downhill when this is over” he smirked again. His words interpret as ‘Drink or I will kill your mate if I win’
With that polite threat, Selena sat on the chair, crossed her leg, and grabbed a goblet with red juice. The whole pack followed her and grabbed a goblet, chuck it down. Selena looked into the goblet and her stomach began to churn. Her throat felt bitter and nausea hit her in the chest. She closed her eye and brought the goblet near to her mouth, tilt it up. Epsilon smiled, assuming she had taken the offering.
“So, shall we begin?” Epsilon said and Zaden and Orion walked forward. Zaden took off his shirt with eyes blazing at Epsilon. Epsilon raised from his chair and clasped his hands together
“Well… let’s set clear lines first, shall we?. I am gambling my kingdom for Selena. If you win, you get to keep Selena and the kingdom. If I win, I get to keep Selena and the kingdom. No one, including my wolves, is allowed to use their special abilities during this fight, meaning Samrat’s are not to use their commanding tone. If they do, I automatically win the fight. Simple, agreed?” he looked at Zaden and Zaden looked back at Ozrain. He nodded and so, Zaden nodded as well.
“Let’s begin then” right at that moment, a murmur evoked behind Epsilon and they parted making way to the delicate beauty coming through. Queen Aira, in white dress looking angelic, came stood behind Epsilon
“Ah… Aira!!! What a pleasant surprise. Aira, meet Selena…” Epsilon looked at Selena with a smile.
“Selena, meet Aira…” earning a glare from Selena. Epsilon then walked back, gently grabbing Aira’s hands and placed a gentle kiss on the back of her hand while she stood there like a lifeless statue, eyes focused on Ozrain. Epsilon who caught the reflection in her eyes grabbed her cheeks harshly between his fingers and turned her to look at him.
“Ah ah… we talked about this Aira. You are mine. Now, go wait for me inside the mansion. Thank you” with that, Aira slowly turned around, not willing to leave the place but given no choice. She paced away slowly, occasionally looking back at Ozrain with a longing eye.