*Selena*
Zander stood there, flanked by his beta, Maddox, and gamma, Ethan. His aura exuded intimidation, demanding submission from those around him. Despite the urge to run and jump into his arms, I resisted. He still held that effect on me. But then he dropped the bombshell: he claimed that Damon and my mate bond was fake. How could he say such a thing? I knew what I felt, and the undeniable pull of the mate bond between Damon and me confirmed its authenticity.
“What are you saying, Zander?” I retorted, my voice laced with confusion. “I can feel the bond too. How can you claim that Damon is faking it?”
“Because it’s true. Avery revealed it before she died,” he declared solemnly.
“What? Avery has died?” I gasped, my heart sinking. “H… how? What happened to her?”
“It’s a long story, Selena, and I’ll explain everything. But now is not the time. You need to leave from here,” he demanded, his tone firm.
“So you’re trusting Avery over me?!” I countered defensively, incredulous that he would believe Avery’s words over my own. It was absurd.
“Selena, a dying person never lies,” he gritted his teeth, his annoyance evident through his expression.
“I understand that she was your best friend, but every time you choose her over me, believing her more than you believe me, it makes me realize that being with Damon was the right decision,” I returned with rage, but regret flooded me when I saw the hurt in his eyes.
“Selena is right. You’re trusting a liar, and you have no idea how long Avery has been deceiving you,” Damon interjected, standing beside me and dropping an arm over my shoulder.
“Shut the fuck up and leave my mate,” Zander growled with anger. “I’d sooner believe a demon than believe you.”
“That’s your mistake, Zander,” Damon grimaced.
This time, Zander appeared to be in the wrong, while Damon was right. Zander always behaved harshly toward me, never pausing to consider his actions or decisions.
But Zander became even more furious after Damon’s next words, “You can’t just yell and prove anything true; you need to accept that Selena is my mate.” With a swift punch, Zander sent Damon stumbling backward, nearly causing him to fall. I rushed to Damon’s side, catching him before he hit the ground. As our eyes met, I could see fury reflected in his gaze. His golden trident gleamed ominously, and I couldn’t help but feel a shiver of terror, remembering what he had done to Demon Kong.
“What are you doing, Zander? You’ll hurt him,” I protested.
“Are you worried about him?!” Zander’s gaze darkened with jealousy and anger. “I haven’t hit him properly yet; otherwise, he wouldn’t still be standing in front of me,” he declared menacingly.
Then he grabbed my hand authoritatively and began tugging me with him, “Let’s go, Selena.”
“Selena won’t go anywhere,” Damon growled as he held my other hand. I felt like a pawn caught between two men, both vying for dominance.
“Let go of me,” I growled aggressively, snatching my hands free from both of my mates and glaring at them. “Go to hell, both of you!” I shouted as I broke away and ran.
“Selena!” I heard Zander bellowing, but I didn’t care. I was fed up with being used as a tool. Even if one of them was my fated mate and the other was the man I loved, they didn’t have the right to hurt me and manipulate my emotions like this.
I didn’t know how long I had been running, but when I finally stopped, I found myself in a dense forest. A beautiful river flowed nearby, surrounded by divine flora and fauna.
“Selena, wait!” A voice called out, halting my steps. I turned and saw Harper approaching.
“Harper?! What are you doing here?” I asked, surprised.
“The king sent me to follow you, to ensure that you are safe,” Harper explained.
“But I don’t need anyone, and why would I be unsafe in his territory?” I questioned, puzzled.
“You might not know, but our king has more enemies than friends. One of his enemies is challenging him in court,” Harper replied solemnly.
Enemy?! So she was talking about Zander.
“Go away, Harper. I don’t need company. I’m not in a good mood, and I might say something that will hurt you,” I said firmly, trying to push her away.
“No worries, my queen, but it’s my duty to accompany you whether you want it or not,” she insisted firmly.
“I am not your queen yet,” I glared with frustration.
I was fed up with being claimed by others. I was a free entity, capable of living without needing a man by my side. Zander and Damon were on the verge of facing off, willing to do whatever it took to find their own happiness. But I didn’t want to be caught in the middle. I refused to be used as an excuse for them to vent their frustrations on each other.
“No, Your Highness, I want to warn you not to enter this garden,” she called out, causing me to turn toward her. “It is cursed and locked for a reason. No one has ever gone inside.”
“But why is it cursed? What happened here?” I asked, furrowing my brow and turning my head to look at the alluring garden that was calling out to me.
“I don’t know the whole story, but they say that someone was killed there. They were mates, and it’s believed they died due to the curse of this land. It’s also said that in ancient times, when gods and goddesses were angry and couldn’t find anyone or anything suitable to curse, they cursed this land. Since then, it has brought misfortune to every living creature that enters it.
“But, Harper, I don’t believe in those superstitions,” I said, starting to move my feet toward the garden. However, Harper grabbed my hand and pulled me back with horror evident in her expression. “Oh my God, Selena, what were you going to do?” she yelped.
“The king will punish me if he finds out I let you go to the cursed land,” she said solemnly.
“But I won’t go to the palace. I’m still angry with your King,” I announced grumpily.
“That’s not a problem. If you don’t want to go to the palace, you can come to my place,” she offered.
“Thank you for inviting me to your place,” I smiled softly. “But don’t you think your king will be upset if you give me shelter at your home?” I lifted one of my brows in question.
“It’s my duty and pleasure, my queen. The king would be happy to find you safe and with me,” she assured me, leading the way. Glancing over my shoulder, I felt torn and couldn’t believe what she told me because the land was inviting me, calling me towards it.