Alethea
Holy hell, the universe has to be kidding me right now. Something big is about to go down.
As much as I want to go to this dinner, I can’t ignore the massive elephant in the room.
“What is it, Selena?” I asked, locking my gaze with hers. I need to read her emotions, to figure out what’s going on behind her suddenly guarded expression.
She smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “Go on, enjoy yourself. When you come back, I’ll tell you everything,” she says softly.
I blink in shock. “Seriously, Selena? You’re going to keep quiet and let me walk out of here despite the horror in your eyes?” My voice rises, in disbelief. “It’s obvious something is wrong!”
She lowers her head slowly, refusing to meet my eyes. Her silence feels infuriating. I can’t stand it.
“No,” I say firmly. “You have to talk. Right now.”
I fold my arms, waiting for Selena to say something. When it’s clear she’s not ready to talk, I turn to Xavier instead.
“Do you know each other?” I ask, looking directly at him.
“Yes, I know Dr. Selena,” Xavier replies. “She used to visit BloodMoon pack a few years back during her medical outreach programs.”
I nod slowly, then turn back to Selena. She gives me a stiff nod.
“Xavier is the Beta of the BloodMoon pack,” she adds quietly.
“Okay, we all know that,” I say, narrowing my eyes at her. “But that doesn’t explain why you reacted like that when you saw him.”
Selena takes a sharp breath, her gaze flicking between Xavier and me. Then, finally, she speaks, her words rushing out like she’s been holding them in for too long.
“I don’t like him. I don’t want him anywhere near you because he’s no good, Ally. There’s too much at stake, and I can’t let you get hurt. He’s not good for you,” she says firmly, her eyes narrowing at Xavier.
Xavier stiffens under her glare but doesn’t say a word, and I feel caught in the middle of something much bigger than me.
“What do you mean, Selena?” I ask sharply, catching the edge in her voice. She looks like she’s ready to spill everything.
Then she drops the bombshell. “Xavier and his girlfriend, Maya, are the reason you left the BloodMoon pack.”
I freeze, stunned. I blink at her, unable to process. I’ve asked her countless times if she knew why I left BloodMoon, and she’s always said she had no idea. And now, this?
I turn to Xavier, searching his face for answers, but he looks just as shocked as I am.
“What do you mean, Selena?” I ask again, my voice barely above a whisper.
She exhales deeply, “You were arranged to be Xavier’s breeder. Maya, his girlfriend, couldn’t handle it. She was furious that you were going to take her position. Her mother was replaced by a breeder, and Maya feared the same fate for herself. So, she threatened you-leave the pack, or she’d kill you.”
Xavier takes a step forward, with a tight voice. “Selena… is this true? I had no idea…”
“Of course, you didn’t. You were too busy being her pawn to notice the damage she was causing.” Selena cuts him off with a sharp look
I stumble back, clutching my head as a sharp ache pierces through. A flash of memory rushes in-a threat. ‘Run away, or I’ll kill you.’ It’s Maya’s voice.
But just as quickly as it comes, the memory blurs, slipping through my grasp.
“Ally, are you okay?” Xavier and Selena rush toward me.
“Don’t!” I snapped, jerking away from them. My chest heaves as I take a step back, keeping them at a distance. “Leave me alone!”
I whirl on Xavier, with a trembling voice laced with anger. “So, that was the arrangement, huh? To make me a breeder? That’s the ‘plan’ you had for me? Pathetic. Pathetic, Xavier!”
His mouth opens to speak, but I’m not done.
“And you, Selena. Why? Why did you keep this from me? All those times I asked you for answers-and you said nothing! Why?” I turn to Selena, my heart breaking with every word.
“Because I was protecting you, Ally. There are things at stake, things beyond my control. I thought… I thought keeping it from you would keep you safe. I wish I could make all of this go away, but it’s not that simple.”
I scoff, in disbelief. “Protect me, Selena? From who? And why do I even need protection? You act like you don’t know a thing about my life-that someone just dropped me at your doorstep and you only took me in because you’re a doctor. And now you’re telling me you’ve been trying to protect me? None of this makes sense!” The words pour out of me in a rush, my chest heaving as I let my frustration loose.
Before I can continue, I notice Amelia stepping closer. Concern etched on her face. I don’t know if I want her to witness this mess.
“I should go,” Xavier says suddenly, his voice cold and detached as he steps toward the door. “This was a bad idea from the start.”
“Oh, no, you don’t,” I snap, my anger boiling over. “You’ll stay right there and tell me what the hell you’ve been hiding!” I don’t care if he’s my boss or the Beta of the BloodMoon Pack. I don’t care about anything right now except the truth.
Xavier freezes, his back stiffening as he slowly turns to face me. His gaze hardens, and that makes my heart race. His eyes darken, and for a moment, I think his wolf might surface.
“Watch your tongue, young lady,” he growls, his voice low and dangerous. “Do you understand me? I have nothing to explain to you. If there’s something you want to know, ask her,” he says, jerking his head toward Selena.
I turn back to Selena, her face pale and unreadable, and for the first time, I don’t know who to trust anymore.
I swallow hard, my throat dry as sandpaper. My head spins, but I force myself to keep my gaze on Selena. “Start talking. Now.”
Selena exhales shakily, her eyes glistening with emotion. “I’m sorry, Ally. I couldn’t just watch you suffer at BloodMoon Pack. You were always a target-bullied, ridiculed-and your father…he did nothing to protect you.”
“So, what did you do?” I ask.
“I saved you. That’s all I did,” she says softly, looking away.
I narrow my eyes, studying her closely. “That doesn’t make any sense. Why would you just decide to save me if there’s nothing more to it? You’ve claimed all this time that I just showed up on your doorstep, but you know a lot about me.” My voice rises with every word. “Why are you so invested in my life, Selena? Why?”
She doesn’t answer immediately. Instead, she sits down slowly, as if the question is too much to bear. Her hands tremble as she clasps them together.
“Selena, how come you know so much about me?”
She hesitates, mumbling something under her breath that I can’t quite catch; I step closer in frustration. “What did you say?”
Finally, she looks up at me, her eyes filled with pain and something deeper-guilt. “I care about you, Ally. I always have. And that’s because…” She pauses, her voice breaking. “Because I’m your mother.”