LOGINThe room remained quiet after Damian's words faded.Neither of them spoke.The apology lingered between them.Heavy.Unsettled.Real.Selene sat motionless on the edge of the bed, her fingers curled tightly into the blanket beneath her hands.She had imagined this moment before.Not often.But enough.Enough to wonder what she would say if the Alpha ever admitted he was wrong.Enough to imagine confronting him.Demanding answers.Making him understand.Yet now that it had happened, she felt none of the satisfaction she expected.Only confusion.A strange, exhausting confusion.Her eyes lowered.Then slowly lifted again.Damian had not moved.He stood exactly where he had been, saying nothing further.No excuses.No defense.No attempt to lessen what happened.Just silence.As though he had finally spoken the truth and had nothing left to hide behind.Selene hated that.Because anger was easier.Anger gave her something solid to hold.Something familiar.This uncertainty felt far more
The silence that followed Selene's question felt endless.She sat motionless on the edge of the bed, her eyes lowered, her chest still tight from everything she had said. The tears had stopped falling, but the ache remained.Across from her, Damian stood quietly.For once, the Alpha of Silvermoon looked like a man searching for the right words instead of someone who always had the answers.Selene almost laughed at the irony.For years, she had imagined what she would say if she ever had the chance to confront him.Now that the moment had arrived, neither of them seemed to know where to begin.Finally, Damian exhaled slowly."I never wanted you to feel abandoned."Selene's jaw tightened.The statement sounded sincere.That was what made it hurt."Then why did I?" she asked softly.Damian looked away briefly before meeting her gaze again."Because I made mistakes."The admission surprised her.Not because she thought he was incapable of making mistakes.Because she never expected him to
The silence stretched.Neither of them moved. Neither of them looked away. Damian stood beside the bed. Selene sat rigidly against the mattress.The space between them felt fragile now. Like one wrong word could shatter everything. Her heartbeat refused to slow.Lyra had gone quiet.Not absent.Watching.Waiting.Just like she was.Damian's crimson eyes remained fixed on her, Searching and trying to understand the anger he had just seen. The anger she could no longer hide.Selene swallowed hard. Then finally“How long?”The words came out softer than she intended.Damian frowned slightly.“What?”Her fingers tightened around the blanket.“How long have you known?”The room went still. Completely still. The change in his expression was immediate. Small. Almost invisible. But she saw it. And that was answer enough.Selene looked away first. A bitter laugh escaped her. Humorless. Painful. “You did know.”Damian said nothing.The silence confirmed it.Her throat tightened.“You knew.”This
The click of the closing door echoed through the chamber.Then silence.Selene stared at it.As if the healer might suddenly return.As if another interruption might save her.But nothing happened.The room remained still.And for the first time since falling out of the closet, she realized they were completely alone.Her stomach tightened.Damian stood a few feet away from the bed.Watching her.Not speaking.Not moving.Just watching.The silence stretched.Long enough to become uncomfortable.Long enough for Selene to wish he would say something.Or leave.Either would have been better.Instead, he remained exactly where he was.Patient.Waiting.As though he knew she was fighting a battle inside herself.Her fingers curled against the blanket.She refused to look at him.Refused.Because every time she did, she remembered.Mate.The word echoed inside her mind again.Lyra stirred faintly.Selene immediately pushed the feeling away.No.Not now.Not with him standing right there.“
Selene could feel his heartbeat.Or maybe it was hers.She couldn't tell anymore.Her breath trembled.Damian's gaze remained fixed on her face.Studying.Searching.As though trying to understand something he could not quite reach.As though she had suddenly become unfamiliar to him.The silence stretched.Long.Uncomfortable.Neither of them moved.Selene hated that she couldn't look away.Hated that Lyra's words were still echoing inside her mind.Mate.The word refused to leave her alone.Damian's arm remained around her waist, supporting most of her weight.Strong.Steady.Warm.Far too warm.Her face burned.Embarrassment.Confusion.Anger.Everything tangled together.Then Damian spoke.Quietly."Why were you hiding?"The question struck harder than it should have.Selene froze.Because there was no answer she could give him.Not the real one.Not now.How was she supposed to explain that everything had changed less than ten minutes ago?How was she supposed to explain that she
Selene did not realize when her breathing changed.It was no longer just uneven.It had become shallow.Controlled.As if her body had begun to listen for something her mind had not yet accepted.The silence in the chamber was no longer empty.It was waiting.Heavy.Alive.Her fingers curled slightly at her side.Still trembling.Still lost inside everything Lyra had said.The words still echoed faintly inside her chest like something refusing to settle.Outside the chamber, a faint sound echoed somewhere far down the corridor.Her eyes drifted sharply toward the door,Listening.Footsteps,Approaching.Slow.Not far.Not uncertain.Controlled.Intentional.Her heart tightened.Lyra’s presence sharpened instantly.“He is coming.”Selene swallowed.Her body reacted before her thoughts did.“No…” she whispered again.But this time it was not refusal.It was panic.Footsteps grew closer.Voices followed faintly.Not loud enough to understand clearly.But enough to know they were here.Se
Selene’s hands trembled as she scrubbed the worn-out sofa. The fabric was stiff from years of use; the dust caked deep into its fibres.Each of her rags seemed to leave behind more grime than it removed, but she didn’t dare stop. She couldn’t afford to. Not with the heavy weight of eyes always watch
Selene’s breathing slowed, but the ache from the nightmare she just had in her chest remained, as real and raw as the day had all happened. Ten years had passed, yet the memories of her family’s past lingered, refusing to fade away and always reoccurring in her dreams.No matter how much time went b
The acrid smell of burnt wood lingered heavily in the air, thick and suffocating, as seven-year-old Selene pressed her tiny hands on her ear.The voices outside her small room escalated, a mix of fury and sorrow merging in the chaos. Her hand pounded erratically, each thud reverberating like a drumb
Damian Stormcrest walked through the castle like he owned it. Yes, he was in chargeNot because he was the Alpha, but because he had the weight of the pack on his shoulders.His tall figure, broad shoulders and a hard body made him look like he was sculpted for battles. He moved like a force in th







