Chapter 3: Chapter 3

SELENE

The smell of hay and grain clung to the damp air as I moved through the barn, my hands numb from the cold as I hauled a fresh bale onto the growing stack near the back wall. Dust stirred with every movement, the faint rustle of animals shifting in their stalls breaking the quiet.

My body ached from hours of labor, but I didn’t mind. The grunt work had become a strange kind of comfort—a rhythm I could lose myself in.

I grabbed a pitchfork, spreading fresh bedding in one of the stalls. The horses snorted softly as they shifted, their breath curling in the cool night air. Nearby, a heavily pregnant ewe lay curled in the straw, her sides rising and falling in slow, steady breaths. I crouched, checking her, running a hand along her belly, feeling the faint stirrings of the life inside her.

Good. No signs of distress.

The water trough needed refilling, so I hauled a heavy bucket across the barn, the weight sloshing against my legs as I dumped it in. The scent of damp earth mixed with hay as I worked, checking over the animals one last time before the cold fully settled in for the night.

I’d been thinking about the upcoming winter, wondering if the extra work would ever lead to anything more. Six years of waiting for something to change. Six years of being just…this.

“Selene!” A sharp voice cut through the quiet, yanking me from my thoughts.

I turned, startled, as Jonah, one of the younger wolves, skidded to a stop just outside the barn. His breath puffed white in the cold air, and his face was flushed from exertion.

“What is it?” I asked, setting aside the pitchfork. My pulse quickened. It wasn’t often anyone sought me out—especially with urgency.

“Message,” Jonah said, his words rushed. “You’re to report to the beta’s office. Immediately.”

The beta’s office.

Cold dread curled around my spine, tightening like a noose. My throat went dry.

Not the common room. Not the storerooms. Not the barn.

~The beta’s~ ~office~.

I forced myself to swallow, to keep my voice steady. “Why?”

Jonah only shrugged, already turning to leave. “Dunno. Just passing along the orders. But you’d better hurry.”

I stood frozen as he disappeared down the path, my stomach twisting itself into knots.

I had never stepped foot in the beta’s office before. Wolves went there for discipline, for orders, for punishment. It was a place for those with rank, not someone like me. And if I was being summoned…

I inhaled sharply, steeling myself. I wiped my hands on my coat and started toward the pack house, each step heavier than the last.

The beta’s office was near the heart of the building, tucked behind thick wooden doors carved with claw marks—a warning and a reminder. I had passed it before, always with my head down, quick to move past. But now, there was no avoiding it.

My fingers trembled as I raised my hand and knocked.

The silence stretched, thick and suffocating.

Then—

“Enter.”

The voice inside was calm. Controlled.

I swallowed hard and pushed the door open.

The moment I stepped inside, the air felt heavier, pressing down on my skin like a weight. The room smelled of paper, leather, and the faint scent of burning wood. It was dim, the flickering oil lamp on the desk casting long shadows against the shelves lining the walls—rows of records, maps, and the weight of authority itself.

I kept my head down.

Erik sat behind his desk, and though I didn’t look, I could feel his presence, steady and suffocating. His scent was sharp—cedar and steel, edged with something colder. His posture was relaxed, but I knew better. Beta Erik never wasted a movement.

The door clicked shut behind me, and my stomach clenched.

“Selene,” he said, his deep voice cutting through the thick quiet.

I dropped my gaze even further, fixing it on the floor near his boots. “Beta Erik,” I murmured.

The faint rustle of paper sounded as he shifted. “Do you know why you’re here?”

My fingers curled into my coat, but I forced my voice to stay steady. “No.”

A pause. Then, measured and slow, “You’ve been summoned.”

My breath hitched.

I stared at the floor, willing my knees to stay locked. “By who?” I asked carefully.

The silence stretched again, thick and weighted.

Then—

“The alpha.”

The words hit like a blow to the chest.

I felt the blood drain from my face, my heart slamming against my ribs.

The alpha?

My stomach twisted violently. No one was ever called before him unless they held rank. Or unless they had something to answer for.

I fought to keep my breathing even, to keep my head bowed.

“Tomorrow,” Erik continued, his voice as unyielding as stone. “At midnight.”

I wanted to ask why, but my throat felt tight, my voice locked behind my teeth.

“You will report to the alpha’s office.” His tone turned colder. “Do not be late. Do not ask questions. And do not forget your place, Selene.”

I nodded quickly, my chin barely dipping, my entire body stiff. “Yes, Beta.”

For a moment, the silence stretched, thick and suffocating. Then I heard the faint rustle of his coat as he shifted.

“Go,” he ordered.

I didn’t hesitate.

I turned, my fingers fumbling for the door handle before I slipped out into the hall. The cool air outside hit my face, but it did little to chase away the unease curling in my stomach.

I barely registered the walk back to the mortal quarters. The shadows outside felt darker than usual, the cold biting deeper as I moved through the pack house.

The alpha.

Tomorrow.

Midnight.

And I didn’t know if I would survive it.

***

The next day felt like it dragged and rushed by all at once. I woke before the sun, as I always did, but this time my stomach was already twisting itself into knots.

“Get it together, Selene,” I muttered to myself. But the words felt hollow, and my stomach churned with every passing minute.

By mid-morning, the nausea became unbearable. I ducked behind one of the storage sheds, clutching my stomach as bile burned its way up my throat. I emptied everything I’d managed to force down for breakfast and stayed crouched there, panting, until I felt steady enough to move again.

The shame of it made my face burn. I couldn’t even keep myself together for one day.

What was I going to do at midnight, standing before the alpha himself?

When I finally finished tidying the last of the tools in the barn, the clock struck ten.

I leaned against the barn wall, wiping the sweat from my forehead despite the chill in the air.

What if I showed up in the wrong place? Worse. What if I was late?

The thought made my stomach lurch again, but there was nothing left to empty.

I shoved my hands into my pockets and started the slow walk back toward my quarters, my steps heavy with dread, but as I passed by the path to the creek, the thought struck me like a jolt of lightning:

I couldn’t meet the alpha looking like this.

The idea of standing in front of him—filthy, sweat-stained, and reeking of livestock—sent a fresh wave of nausea rolling through me.

No. That couldn’t happen. Even if I had no wolf, no rank, and no real place here, I still had my pride. If I was going to face the alpha, I’d do it looking like I belonged in his pack.

Without a second thought, I veered off toward the creek that cut through the pack lands. The moon hung low, silver light skimming the rippling water. I knelt, splashing my face, the cold biting through the grime clinging to my skin. I glanced down at my reflection, distorted in the dark water—hair tangled, dirt streaked.

I sighed, loosening my braid, fingers combing through the knots. It didn’t take me long before I decided to strip down to my underclothes, wading in. The icy water stole my breath, but I scrubbed at my arms, my legs, anything to feel clean, to shake the weight pressing down on me.

Shivering, I stepped onto the bank, drying off quickly. My cot wasn’t far—fresh clothes, a small dignity I refused to forgo.

Back in my quarters, I changed, brushing out my hair before tying it back. In the dim lantern glow, I caught my own reflection in the cracked mirror.

Two hours to go.

***

The alpha’s wing of the pack house loomed ahead, the grand doors at the end of the hall framed by shadows.

My feet moved of their own accord, hesitant yet compelled, as if an unseen force pulled me forward. Each step felt heavier than the last, the air thick with something unspoken.

This part of the pack house was off-limits to wolves like me, a place whispered about in hushed tones. Even being here felt like a transgression. My chest tightened, and though the hall was empty, the sensation of being watched prickled at my skin.

I wrapped my arms around myself as if that could ward off the weight pressing down on me. The silence stretched, broken only by the quiet scuff of my boots against polished floors.

I was too focused on steadying my breaths to notice the figure emerging from the shadows until I collided with him. My forehead met solid muscle, the scent of earth and smoke wrapping around me.

A gasp escaped me as I stumbled back, my hands flying up in reflex. “Watch where you’re going,” a low voice rumbled, sharp but not unkind.

I froze, heart hammering. I didn’t need to look up to know who it was. Beta Erik’s presence was unmistakable.

“I—I’m sorry,” I stammered, my gaze fixed on the ground, as custom dictated.

“You’re early,” he noted, his tone unreadable. “Good.”

Relief and confusion tangled inside me. “Could you…” I hesitated, gripping the hem of my tunic. “Could you show me where to go?”

A pause. Then, calm but firm, he said, “That was my plan.”

I nodded, following as he turned, his footsteps echoing against the walls. I kept a few paces behind, eyes locked downward. The tension was palpable as we moved deeper into the forbidden wing, where sconces cast flickering light over the pristine, imposing space.

How many walked this path? Few, if any.

We reached the end of the hall, where double doors loomed. Erik stopped, his broad frame blocking my view. “Wait here.”

I nodded, hands clenched to still their trembling. Erik disappeared inside, leaving me alone with the weight of my own anticipation.

For a moment, I just breathed, staring at the doors, at the divide between what I knew and what awaited beyond.

Then, they opened.

A figure stood inside, his presence consuming the space.

Luxury Theron.

My alpha.

The air changed, heavy with something I didn’t dare name. My gaze dropped instantly, fixing on the polished floor, my body tensed as if bracing for a storm.

His presence was suffocating, his power undeniable. Even without looking, I felt the weight of his scrutiny, the sharp edge of his focus carving into me like a blade.

Silence stretched taut between us, thick with something dark and unspoken. My pulse pounded in my ears.

Then, his voice—smooth, deliberate. “Come in, Selene.”

The sound of my name from his lips sent a shiver down my spine. I stepped forward, crossing the threshold into the unknown, knowing nothing would ever be the same.