Chapter 2

Selene POV:

Lycan's gaze flickered from my face to Isabella's tear-streaked one. "Why must you be so difficult, Selene?" he asked, his voice low and laced with frustration. "Isabella is carrying my brother's child. The future of this pack. She needs our support."

"Her own quarters in the Elders' wing would be supportive," I retorted, my voice shaking with a rage I could no longer contain. "This is the Alpha and Luna's den, not a public nursery!"

His jaw tightened. He took a step toward me, his immense presence filling the room. "She is carrying the blood of a Blackstone hero," he growled, and I felt the subtle power of his Alpha's Command wash over me. It was a force that compelled lesser wolves to obey without question. My body tensed, instinctively wanting to submit, but my soul screamed in defiance. "I will not allow her or the child to come to any harm!"

"And who is harming her?" I challenged, fighting the urge to lower my eyes. "I am asking a simple question, Lycan. Why is she living in your den, being cared for by you, her brother-in-law, and not by the pack's designated caregivers?"

"Because my brother died saving my life!" he finally roared, the sound echoing with guilt and pain. "I owe him this. I owe them this. It is a blood debt."

A bitter, humorless laugh escaped my lips. "Then let me make it easier for you. Release me. Reject me and break our bond! Then you can take care of her and her child as intimately as you clearly want to, with a clear conscience."

He stared at me, his anger momentarily replaced by confusion, as if the idea was so foreign he couldn't comprehend it. He thought I was throwing a tantrum.

He stepped forward, his expression softening as he tried to placate me. He brushed a kiss against my forehead. "Don't be ridiculous. I'll have the pack's treasurer transfer you a fortune. Buy whatever you like. A new car. Jewelry. Anything."

He thought he could buy my forgiveness. He thought my soul had a price tag.

I heard him leave the room, his voice dropping to a low, soothing murmur as he spoke to Isabella just outside the door. I heard her soft, fake sobs, and then, a sound that shattered what was left of my heart: their shared, quiet laughter.

I slammed the door shut.

"Selene, please don't be angry," Isabella's voice called through the wood, thick with false tears. "I'll go. I'll pack my things and leave in the morning. I don't want to come between you and Lycan."

A moment later, Lycan's voice joined hers, low and comforting. "Don't be silly. You're not going anywhere. Don't mind her, she's just been spoiled her whole life."

That was it. The final, unforgivable straw.

I ripped the door open. Isabella was half-leaning against Lycan's chest, her face buried in his shoulder as she "wept."

A cold smile touched my lips. "Your relationship is a violation of the sacred laws of the Moon Goddess," I said, my voice ringing with an authority I didn't know I possessed. "An Alpha consorting with his brother's widow under his own roof is an act that demands exile."

Isabella gasped, pulling back from him. "I'll leave! I'll leave right now!" she cried, making a show of her sacrifice.

But Lycan's gaze was locked on me. His eyes were glacial. "In this pack," he said, his voice a deadly whisper, "I'd like to see who dares to make you leave."

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