Chapter 5. Dexter is Already Dead

"Wake up, little rebel sister," Rouse pulls the tangled blanket off Selene's body before going to open the curtains in her room, a threatening growl is Selene's response when the sun hits her face. "They're waiting for you in the office. Come on, hurry up, it's the third time I've been sent to fetch you."

"Leave me alone, Rouse! I'm sleepy," she complains, covering her face with a pillow. "Tell them I'm not going. It's barely dawn."

"No, Selene. I won't leave you alone because Dad said he would come for you if you didn't come down in the next fifteen minutes. Besides, it's already noon."

"Dad's back already?" Selene sits up abruptly, rubbing her eyes and yawning.

"Yes, he arrived early this morning. Alpha Connor and his beta have been meeting with him for two hours now."

"I'm not going. I don't care what they have to tell me, I've already decided, they're not going to change my mind."

Selene lies back down, and Rouse sighs at her sister's words. No matter what they've told her, she's very stubborn and he doesn't feel like dealing with her this morning.

"Fine, then go tell them yourself. I'll go take care of my own business."

Rouse leaves his sister's room, and a few minutes later, his cousin Morelia, Aunt Ruby's daughter, enters. Selene huffs as she inhales her cousin's perfume that invades the room in a split second.

Morelia is almost the same age as Rouse, studying law, and also a supermodel for a well-known international high-fashion brand. Selene doesn't have to look up to know she looks spectacular as always, probably dressed in a cute and elegant red dress that accentuates her intense blue eyes and blonde hair, exquisite yet discreet makeup, and her hair as shiny as sunlight.

"What do you want? I'm not in the mood for your nonsense, cousin," she says grumpily. She gets out of bed and walks slowly to the bathroom to wash her face and brush her teeth.

"So, is it true?" Morelia follows her there and stands at the door looking at her in amazement. "Are you going to reject him? That man is a dream come true for 9 out of 10 she-wolves, Selene, and he's your mate. You must be crazy to do such a thing."

"Mmmm."

"Mmmm? Is that all you're going to say?"

Selene dismisses Morelia's words and changes out of her large, old-fashioned nightgown into one of her oversized T-shirts. She combs her long, tousled hair with her fingers with little success and exits the bathroom.

"Well, if you're going to reject him, I can ask Dad to arrange an alpha agreement with him. I can be his chosen partner," Morelia adds enthusiastically, now capturing all of her cousin's attention as she turns to look at her intently. "I haven't found my mate either, and I suppose it won't bother you since you're going to reject him. When we mark each other, the bond will form between us as if we were chosen by the moon. We'll make a beautiful couple; I can already imagine many little red-haired pups running around the house. It'll be beautiful."

Saya growls in Selene's mind, and she feels a tightness in her chest as she imagines the scene.

The door bursts open just as Selene opens her mouth to respond. She's left with a bitterness in her mouth that she doesn't know where it comes from and a doubt planted in her head. Will she be able to see Mr. Carrot with her cousin? Red-haired pups? Morelia blows a kiss before leaving the room, increasing Saya's discomfort, who only wishes to jump on her and sink her sharp fangs into her jugular to teach her to respect what isn't hers. Of course, Mr. Carrot is hers, her mate, not her cousin's.

"He's our mate. She must learn to respect us," confirms Saya in her mind, and Selene agrees.

"Little sister," Ethan walks up to her and hugs her before planting several kisses on her cheeks.

"Were you sent to persuade me with your aura?" she asks with glistening eyes, and Ethan nods. "You don't have to, I was leaving."

"Everything will be fine, Selene. Trust the moon goddess, she knows what's good for us. Don't take it as a punishment."

"It is a punishment, they want to force me to accept it to get rid of me."

"It's not like that, sister, this is an opportunity for you. Take it, you deserve to be happy, life goes on out there, Dexter is already dead."

A lump forms in Selene's throat that soon turns into pain in her chest. When he marks her, all memories of Dexter will disappear forever, the moments lived with him, their brief but intense bond.

Ethan offers his hand, and after a few seconds of contemplation, she takes it, letting herself be guided to the office on the ground floor.

***

Connor hasn't slept all night thinking about Selene, debating what will happen between them this morning. He gets up very early, takes a long shower, chooses one of his best suits, and gets ready to go to the castle as requested by Alpha Katrina. Jackson sent a message saying everything was fine, and he trusts his word, but he needs to see her, talk to her, know what she thinks of them.

After a brief breakfast, Beltrán takes him to the castle.

Luckily, Ragnar and Katrina seem happy about the pairing between him and their daughter, but they also clarify several points to consider in case Selene decides to go to Redwood Wolves with him later tonight. Some points he's not very agreeable with and others he is, but considering she's not a very docile young woman, he has no choice but to compromise a little.

After more than two hours of waiting for her and nerves consuming him from within all that time, the door finally opens, and her scent caresses Connor's nostrils to the point of leaving him entranced.

The man's gaze softens instantly when Selene enters his field of vision, and Ragnar is fully confident that his daughter will be very loved.

Selene scans the spacious room. There are her uncles with Morelia, the redhead who is Mr. Carrot's beta, and her parents. She nods briefly to them, they respond to her greeting with a smile, before finally her eyes meet his, her mate.