Of course there is. I hold her gaze for a beat.
“Tomorrow,” I say. “We’ll talk in the morning.”
A pause. She studies me… then nods. “Okay.”
I brush her hair back, my thumb lingering at her temple. “Sleep.”
This time, she lets herself rest. I stay beside her until her breathing evens out… until her body finally gives in. Only then do I move.
TELL HER.
My wolf’s voice cuts through the silence. “I will.”
NOW.
My jaw tightens. “Not like this.” A beat. “She deserves one night without the drama.”
Silence.
Then…SHE DESERVES THE TRUTH.
I exhale slowly, dragging a hand through my hair. “I know.” My gaze shifts back to the bed. To her. Peaceful. Unaware.
“For the first time,” I murmur, “she’s not in pain. She has peace.”
A pause.
Then quieter…
“And tomorrow I tell her who took away those she loved most.” Mywolf stills.
MARK HER. PROTECT HER.
My chest tightens. “Tomorrow,” I repeat. Because when she knows…
Ronan and Candice didn’t just betray her, frame her, and kill her in our previous lives.
They killed her parents.
I pull her closer, silently vowing to be worthy of her choice, to protect her from whatever storms tomorrow brings.
13
Selena’s POV
Ican taste the judgment in the air, thick, acrid, and unavoidable.
The Alpha and Luna did not speak. They could not. Bound by council law, they remained silent as their son’s actions unfolded before the entire chamber.
Every pair of eyes in the chamber bores into me, hundreds of wolves waiting to see if I’ll break under the weight of their stares. I won’t. Not today. Not ever again.
The pack chamber feels smaller than yesterday, crowded with ranked members, warriors, and elders who sit elevated on their ancient platform. Their faces remain impassive, though I can sense their unease. Ronan and Candice stand across from me, his stance defiant, her eyes red-rimmed but calculating.
I glance at Rylan beside me, drawing strength from his presence. Just hours ago, we were in his room, his expression grave as he showed me the recording device.
“You need to hear this before we go in,” he’d said, pressing play.
The voices had been unmistakable, Ronan and Candice, speaking casually about weakening my bond, about coordinating with rogues, about deaths that were never accidents.
