Selene
Having Drake here is an absolute Goddess-send.
Not only is he precisely the kind of familiar and loving face I needed to help soothe Lila’s overwhelmed nerves, but he was with me throughout my first pregnancy and knows exactly how to make me feel better.
When I crave something sweet, the Eros Alpha knows what brand of cookies to buy. When I turn green and make a run for the bathroom, he knows to turn up the air conditioning and pour me a glass of ice water. When I start to cry over nothing, he knows which jokes to tell in order to make me laugh.
Still, as relieved as I am to have my friend close by, his sudden appearance makes me uneasy. “I don’t understand.” I admit once the initial excitement has died down, “when did Bas
Selene“What do you mean, Frederic wants to claim me for himself?” I ask nervously,glancing back and forth between the two betas.“The message he sent Bastien made it very clear, Selene.” Donovan sighs. “He plans on taking you for his mate, whether you agree or not.”That doesn’t make any sense.I think uselessly.Why not?Luna asks.You’re the Alpha’s mate, you have his child and the pack loves you both. Who better to convince them to accept Frederic as their new leader than you?Ignoring my wolf, I press, “Why? Just to spite Bastien?”The men exchange a look that sends my stomach lurching up into my throat. “That’s possible.” Aiden admits.“But?” I prompt, knowing there has to be more to this.“But we
Arabella Fourteen Years EarlierIt wasn’t easy getting away from Odette. The powerful she-wolf was determined to keep me in the shelter with the other women and children, but I’ve always been good at slipping through the cracks when adults aren’t looking.I’m still furious at Flynn and Bastien, they always treat me like I’m a baby. It isn’t fair that they get to go fight while I’m expected to cower in the darkness and wait for the danger to pass. Boys get tobe warriors, why is it any different for girls? I may not be as old as they are, but I’m every bit as brave - I know I am. Darting through the forest, I head towards the sounds of the battle, determinedly keeping my eyes straight ahead. I can hear snarls and screams in the distance, and every now and then crimson pools flash in my periphery, blood spraying from f
Arabella“You’re sure this will work?” I ask, studying a bottle of viscous liquid labeled with swirling text in a language I neither speak nor understand.“Entirely.” Jax - for that’s the only name he ever gave me - answers. The big bear is covered in tattoos from head to toe, and thus far he’s the only member of the Calypso pack from the lower city who I’ve dained to meet.It was dumb luck that I found him at all. After a particularly tense dinner with Blaise, who seems to be the kind of man who believes the best way to keep his women in line is through violence, I decided to invest in a bit of insurance. I’m not sure the Alpha would ever raise his hand against me, but he has no problem raising them against his concubines. I watched him half-strangle the one delivering his steak simply because she placed his knife on the wrong side of
SeleneIt’s been three days, and still Bastien hasn’t called.I’m trying not to be an alarmist and avoid jumping to conclusions, but I can’t help but feel a sweeping sense of dread. Something is wrong. I know it. My mate wouldn’t let so many days go by without checking in, if not for Lila’s and my piece of mind, but for his own. I know how worried he was for our safety when he left, he wouldn’t just stop calling.Luna has been beside herself since Bastien left, but now she’s really starting to lose it. Her agitated energy is combining with my own nerves and constant nausea in a very unpleasant way, and I’m starting to think all this turmoil will drive me completely crazy. There’s only so much a she-wolf can take.What makes it worse is that Lila has been asking on a nearly hourly basis when Daddy is going to call, and the best I can
SeleneThe fire raged past dawn and throughout the early morning.I got the call just after 4am, but Aiden and Donovan insisted I stay away because of the risk of smoke inhalation. They didn’t want to chance harming the baby, no matter how much my presence might have helped calm the pack. So Lila and I sat by and waited for the all clear to be announced, but it didn’t come for hours and hours. By that evening, the news was all over the city, and the damage was irreparable. What used to be the most beautiful forest in all of Elysium now lies in ruin, a charred husk of the fertile lands where our ancestors built this city. The once lush land is buried beneath thick mounds of ash, and everywhere the eye can see is a charred black shell pulled straight from my worst nightmares.It was pure luck that the firefighters were able to prevent the inferno from spreading beyond the edge of the fore
Bastien“What are you saying?” I demand. “Who is Selene?” The name seems to be ringing a bell in the very back of my mind, but I have no idea why. Of course, if what Arabella is saying is true, I would expect her name to be familiar. It simply isn’t possible. My father can’t be dead.“Selene is your wife.” Arabella sighs.“No.” Shaking my head, I raise my palms to her in denial. “You’re lying. I don’t have a wife, and if I did, it would be you.” I’ve always planned on marrying Arabella, ever since that horrible day FLynn died to protect me. It seemed like the least I could do in order to ensure she was always taken care of.“Bastien, you broke our engagement when you met Se
Selene“Maybe I should call him?” I suggest to Drake.“Selene, Bastien will call when he can.” My friend replies, for what seems like the thousandth time. I can tell he’s getting tired of my constant fretting, but his frustration cannot ease my worries, no matter how guilty I feel. “You mustn’t allow yourself to become overtaxed. It’s not good for the baby.Why is it that men always feel so confident in telling women what is or isn’t good for their children, when they would never be able to bear the toil of actually bringing one into the world themselves? I ask Luna.Because they’ve convinced themselves they’re the stronger gender. My wolf replies, And it comforts them to think they have some control in these things.Idiots. I mutter internally, letting my grumpiness take full control. 
Flynn, Aiden and Bastien raced through the forest beneath the full moon, playing like pups much younger than they were. They wrestled and joked until they caught the scent of a huge stag, his powerful musk combining with large, deep tracks in the mud.The hunt was on in an instant. The wolves fell in line without a single word, giving way to the natural patterns of the chase and fulfilling the roles they’d been developing since childhood. Their instincts were irrepressible, demanding they pursue their target the moment it caught sight of them and took flight. Darting through the trees after their prey, they herded it toward the river, circling it on all sides. Together Aiden and Flynn drove the buck towards their future Alpha, who lay in wait just beyond the shoreline. The beast reared up when he saw the massive shifter, grunting and kicking his hooves while his eyes went wild. With the other wolves still at his back, he lowered his antlers and prepa