Chapter 3

I was up early the next morning, packing my things to head back to my birth pack.

Once I was ready, I called my mother, the Pack Luna, from downstairs. She stepped outside, her face lighting up.

“Selene, look who finally decided to come home!”

“Come in, I made your favorite—venison stew.”

I nodded, following her into the Alpha’s residence.

Dad, the Pack Alpha, was already at the table, casually eating. I pulled out a chair and sat across from him.

We ate quietly for a while before I finally worked up the nerve to speak.

“Mom, Dad… I need to talk to you about something.”

Their heads lifted instantly, curiosity flashing in their eyes.

I hesitated, then met their gazes. “I’m thinking about rejecting my mate bond with Kieran.”

Both of them spoke at once. “What?!”

Dad’s silver spoon hit the wooden floor with a sharp clang.

Mom was the first to react. “Did something happen? Did you and Kieran have a fight?”

“If he upset you, just tell me—I’ll handle it.”

I exhaled slowly, choosing my words. “It’s not just an argument. It’s more than that… We can’t keep going like this.”

“He doesn’t care about me. Not really.”

The room fell into silence. Dad’s brows knitted together, his expression unreadable.

After a long pause, he finally said, “I’m meeting with Alpha Magnus for dinner tonight. Come along. Talk it over with him.”

That evening, dressed and ready, I rode with my parents to the Pack’s Council Hall, where the Alphas gathered.

As soon as I stepped into the private dining hall, my breath caught.

Kieran was already there, dressed in a fitted black training shirt, exuding dominance like he belonged at the head of every table.

I barely spared him a glance before greeting his father.

“Hello, Alpha Magnus.”

The older Alpha smiled warmly. “Selene, it’s been too long. You’ve grown into a strong she-wolf. Come, sit with us.”

I nodded, deliberately choosing the seat beside my mother, ignoring the empty one next to Kieran.

He noticed.

His hand tightened around the chair he was about to pull out, but instead of sitting, he pushed it back in, his face darkening.

Sensing the tension, his father made an effort to keep Kieran engaged, serving me roasted meat, refilling my drink, and keeping the conversation flowing.

It didn’t change the fact that the air between us was stifling.

Maybe it was all the water I drank, but soon, I excused myself to step out.

As I left, another door nearby opened.

And out walked Mira Thornclaw.

She froze.

I stared.

She smelled like nerves—anxiety rolling off her in waves.

Dressed in a dark violet gown that hugged her curves, she looked anywhere but at me, her fingers twisting together.

My jaw clenched. “What are you doing here?”

I glanced at the private pack chambers behind her, suspicion crawling up my spine.

Mira Thornclaw, the Beta assistant from a struggling Omega family, standing inside an elite Pack Elders’ gathering?

Something didn’t add up.

I took a step forward, intent on seeing exactly who was inside that room.

She stepped in front of me.

I moved to the side, and she did too.

I was done playing.

I shoved her aside, harder than I meant to, and she tumbled to the floor with a startled gasp.

Just as my hand closed around the door handle, a furious voice rang out.

“Selene! What the hell are you doing?!”

I turned in time to see Kieran storm toward us.

His Alpha instincts kicked in immediately, kneeling beside her, checking her injuries.

Her scraped knees. Her tear-filled eyes. Her trembling lips.

And then he looked at me.

Golden Alpha eyes burning with fury.

“Selene, apologize. Now.”

Something inside me snapped.

He hadn’t even asked what happened. He hadn’t questioned why I reacted. He had just assumed.

I let go of the door handle and met his gaze with an icy glare.

“Apologize? Sure. But first, tell me something—”