Once Betrayed; Now Wanted By The Lycan King

Selene

My palms wouldn't stop sweating no matter how many times I rubbed them against my dress beneath the table. 

The voices around me sounded distant, and barely reached me properly. My entire world had ended two days ago.

I lowered my gaze to my lap because I could not trust myself to look at anyone without falling apart.

I needed to tell him.

I had to tell him tonight.

“Selene?” I looked up slowly and found Tyler staring at me with concern written all over his face.

“Are you okay?” he asked quietly.

I stared at him for a few seconds without answering.

Tyler Locke.

My mate.

The man I loved more than anyone else. The man I was supposed to marry in five days.

“I’m fine,” I whispered.

Tyler frowned slightly. “You do not look fine.”

“I’m okay. I’m just tired.”

Before he could say anything else, another voice interrupted us.

“Of course she is fine.”

My body stiffened immediately as I turned toward my younger sister.

Amelia sat across the table crying. Her blonde hair rested messily around her shoulders, and her makeup was ruined from tears.

“She has never cared about me anyway,” Amelia said shakily. “Why would tonight suddenly be different?”

“Amelia—”

“No, Selene,” she interrupted loudly. “I’m tired of you pretending to care for me.”

The entire table became quiet.

Tyler sighed softly. “Amelia, I’m sure Selene did not mean anything by it.”

Amelia wiped her tears angrily. “My mate rejected me today, and she has been sitting there acting irritated ever since.”

I stared at her quietly. Because that was the confusing part.

Damon Vale rejected Amelia earlier today.

Everyone in Ebonvale thought Damon was a poor omega. But today the truth came out.

Damon was actually the Crown Alpha of the Nightfang Pack. The same Damon, Amelia had constantly embarrassed in public.

Still, I could not understand why she was crying so much.

She never loved him and everyone knew that.

“You should be grateful I even let you stand beside me,” Amelia once told him during a gathering.

Damon looked hurt that day, but he said nothing. And now Amelia cried like she had lost everything.

Tyler cleared his throat softly. “Selene probably just doesn’t know what to say.”

Amelia turned toward him immediately. “No, Tyler. She is happy this happened to me.”

“That is not true,” I said quietly.

“Yes, it is!” Amelia shouted. “You have never wanted me to be happy.”

My mother finally spoke up.

“Selene,” Helena said sharply. “Your sister is grieving right now. At least pretend to care.”

My father sighed heavily. “This attitude of yours is becoming exhausting.”

A painful lump formed in my throat as I looked around the table slowly.

My parents sat beside Amelia comforting her. And at that moment, I felt something painfully familiar settle inside my chest.

I was second choice again.

I had always been the second choice in this family.

Everything always became about Amelia.

Her feelings mattered more. Her happiness mattered more. Meanwhile, I spent years trying to earn affection from my own parents.

Amelia cried louder before pointing at me.

“She is probably happy Damon left me,” she said through tears.

“Amelia, stop saying that,” Tyler said carefully.

“No!” Amelia snapped. “She probably feels satisfied watching me suffer.”

My mother rubbed Amelia’s arm gently before turning toward me again.

“You could at least comfort your sister instead of looking irritated.”

I almost laughed at that.

Comfort her?

I wanted to scream.

Two days ago, I sat alone in a hospital room while a doctor calmly explained that my baby no longer had a heartbeat.

Two days ago, I lost Tyler’s child.

And nobody noticed my pain because Amelia was crying again.

“You are acting selfish again,” Helena continued coldly.

That was what they called me after years of supporting Amelia through everything.

Tyler suddenly placed his hand over mine beneath the table.

“Enough,” he said softly. “Selene did nothing wrong.”

My chest tightened painfully. Our engagement ceremony was only five days away. Maybe I should tell him now. He deserved to know.

“Tyler…”

He turned toward me immediately. “What is wrong?”

I stared into his eyes as fear settled heavily inside my chest.

“Selene?” Tyler called softly again. But then, suddenly a loud scream filled the room and everyone jumped violently.

I turned quickly toward the other side of the table to see that, Amelia had collapsed onto the floor.

“Amelia!” my mother screamed. My father rushed toward her while Tyler stood so quickly his chair nearly fell backward.

“Amelia, wake up!” Helena cried desperately. My mother turned sharply toward me. “Selene! Bring water immediately!”

I flinched before rushing toward the table with shaking hands.

Tyler was already kneeling beside Amelia while holding her carefully against his chest.

“Amelia,” he called worriedly. “Look at me.”

I grabbed a glass of water quickly before hurrying back toward them.

“Hurry up!” Helena snapped impatiently as I handed her the glass quietly.

My mother sprinkled water across Amelia’s face. When she did, a soft cough finally escaped Amelia’s lips earning relief instantly from everyone’s faces.

“Oh thank Goddess,” my mother breathed shakily.

Tyler wrapped his arm around Amelia immediately. “You scared us.”

My feet froze at those words.

I had been seconds away from telling Tyler that our child was dead. But now nobody even remembered I existed anymore.

Amelia slowly opened her eyes before wrapping both arms around Tyler’s neck weakly. And without hesitation, Tyler lifted her fully into his arms and walked out. 

“I have you,” he murmured softly.

Amelia looked at me and then I noticed it. The tears in her eyes disappeared had instantly and a small smile slowly formed on her lips.

For a moment, I convinced myself that I must have imagined it. And that maybe grief was making me overthink things.

At least her fainting had given me more time. More time to gather enough courage to tell Tyler about the miscarriage.

A few days passed after that dinner. And somehow, every single day became harder.

Tyler was constantly busy because of the engagement ceremony. And whenever I tried speaking to him privately, someone always interrupted us.

“Alpha Tyler already left.”

“Alpha Tyler is in a meeting.”

It became one excuse after another.

Then the day of our engagement ceremony finally arrived. I stood in front of the mirror quietly after finishing dressing up.

The silver gown rested perfectly against my body while my long white hair fell softly over my shoulders.

Everyone said I looked beautiful. But all I could think about was the emptiness inside me.

I placed my hands slowly against my stomach. A soft knock from the door drove me out of my reverie. “Come in,” I said quietly as one of the maids stepped inside nervously.

“Miss Selene, your parents asked everyone to gather downstairs for a family meeting.”

I frowned slightly. “Did something happen?”

The maid hesitated briefly. “Miss Amelia has been crying downstairs.”

Of course she had.

The moment I entered the living room, I noticed everyone was already there.

My father sat beside my mother while Tyler stood nearby looking tense. And Amelia sat in the middle of the room crying again.

“Selene,” my father called. “Sit down.”

I sat slowly opposite them. My mother immediately turned toward Amelia worriedly.

“Sweetheart, tell us what is wrong.”

Amelia wiped at her tears shakily. “I can’t…”

“You’re scaring us,” Helena said softly.

Tyler frowned. “Amelia, talk to us.”

Amelia lowered her face into her palms before crying harder.

Amelia slowly looked up.

“I’m pregnant.”

The room became silent immediately. My eyes widened in shock.

Pregnant?

My mind instantly went to Damon. But that made no sense.

Amelia never even liked him enough to let him touch her.

“Oh my Goddess,” my mother gasped happily.

“You’re pregnant?” my father asked in shock.

Tyler stared at her silently, while Amelia cried harder. “I didn’t know how to say it.”

“We’ll handle this together,” my mother said gently.

But Amelia shook her head slowly.

“No.”

My mother frowned. “What do you mean no?”

Amelia slowly lifted her tear filled eyes. Then she looked directly at me.

“Damon isn’t the father.”

A gasp escaped my lips before I could stop it. My father stood up immediately. “What?”

Helena looked horrified. While Tyler’s jaw tightened visibly.

But Amelia never looked away from me. Then, finally she spoke again.

“Tyler is the father.”