– Chapter 158

Frederic

Well this is interesting. I didn’t think Selene had it in her to stand up for herself, clearly the betas and Drake have been a worse influence on her than I realized. On the other hand, she is here, and that gives as an opportunity to help her see the error of her ways.

“What do you mean?” I ask, spreading my hands in front of me and inviting her to continue.

“Don’t give me that.” Selene snaps, “You just publicly challenged my husband.”

Goodness, she can be feisty when she wants to. My wolf growls.

Just another bad habit to train out of her. I think back. There were always bound to be a few.

And look, she looks much better, she must have figured out about the pills. My wolf points out, sounding even more irritated than before.

I too have to admit that’s a problem. I had been hoping she’d miscarry without the right drugs, but I didn’t want to trigger it directly because then she’d be released from the hospital and go home. Far better if she be admitted for a drawn out stay and lose the baby towards the end, by which point I’d have been her closest confidant. I still hadn’t given up hope for this plan when she left against my orders, after all I knew she’d be back soon enough without the right care. Unfortunately her watch dogs seem to have figured out that she wasn’t getting better for a reason.

“Yes, I’m sorry about that.” I sigh, trying my best to sound genuine. “This has all been so unfortunate.”

“You’re sorry?” Selene parrots fiercely, “You do realize your actions are hurting some very real people don’t you?”

“And what about the harm to the pack?” I argue back, pressing my hand to my heart. “I have to follow my conscience.” I insist. Reaching forward and clasping her by the arms, I ignore her protests and speak as poignantly as I can manage. “Selene, the pack is suffering.”

“And you think playing on their fear and pain is helping them?” She counters incredulously. “You think that exploiting their hardships to make them turn against the best leader we’ve had in a century is going to make things better?” Her tiny hands are pushing at my arms ineffectually, and I can’t help but admire how adorable she is for trying when she has no chance of success. ”No Thomas, let’s be honest, you just want to cause chaos and destabilize the city so that you can swoop in like a hero and take power.”

Hmph, she’s smarter than I realized. My wolf notes, another problem.

Not if she can be won over to our side. I reason, brushing aside his cynical concerns.

Please, you’ve seen what happens when she-wolves get too many bright ideas. He reminds me, Arabella and your mother caused nothing but problems.

They weren’t Selene. I insist. You know as well as I do that she’s normally sweetness itself. You were the one who pushed me to save her from the fire, remember, you couldn’t bear to see such an innocent life taken when she’s already suffered so much.

That was before. He grumbles.

She’s only doing this now because she’s frightened. I state firmly.

Cornered animals are always the most dangerous. He agrees, the question is whether you can ever convince her to trust you. As long as she sees you as an enemy, she’ll never feel safe and we’ll be stuck with this defiance.

I know my wolf is right. I have to make her realize I want what’s best for her – that I, not Bastien, am the one she truly deserves to be with. Staring deep into her eyes, I drop my voice an octave and brush my thumbs back and forth across her bare skin, pleased to see a shiver of desire run down her spine. “That’s not the only reason and you know it,” I declare. “I can’t stand what he’s doing to you.”

“What he’s doing to me?” Selene repeats, her lovely, full lips agape. “I’ll have you know he’s doing all this for me.” She hisses, trying to hide her obvious interest in me by going completely still. “And regardless, I’m not your concern.”

Oh, so that’s the way you want to play it? I think in amusement. “You’re a public figure and the leader of this pack’s she-wolves,” I remind her. “your treatment is of concern to all Novans.”

Her stunning eyes flash, “Lets cut the crap, Dr. Kane.” She insists, “this isn’t about the pack, it never has been.”

“Fine.” I agree. “Let’s speak plainly. Bastien has never treated you right.” She opens her mouth to object, but I raise a finger to her lips. “I’ve known you for years, Selene. I remember how devastated you were when he was rejecting you, I remember the way he sided with Arabella all the while she tried to kill you. How could you ever forgive him after everything he did?”

“No.” Selene pushes my finger away, “You knew me once, at a time in my life when I was weak and confused. I had so little self worth I believed I was completely unlovable, and I was so vulnerable to manipulation that I let a crazy woman trick me into believing my husband didn’t want me. None of it was real.”

“Oh Selene,” I shake my head and sigh, “you poor thing. That isn’t what happened, you’re so caught up in the middle of all this you’re incapable of seeing the truth.”

“How dare you!” She cries, so loudly that I release her and close the door to my office before my secretary can get suspicious. “I lived it, not you! And you’re not an objective observer here. Just admit it, you’ve had it out for Bastien since day one.” When I try to approach her again she backs away, continuing to retreat until we’re circling each other.

“Arabella tried to push me down the stairs and you helped me run away from Bastien, you encouraged me to fear him.” Selene recalls. “Arabella made me believe he was leaving me for her, and you helped me hide my pregnancy, you didn’t tell him I was pregnant when Arabella tried to kill me. You probably altered the DNA results too – didn’t you? You knew I wasn’t dead but you wanted Bastien to be weak so you made him think I was!”

“You’re wrong.” I growl. “I was trying to help you. It never had anything to do with him.”

“And why were you willing to risk so much to help me?” She demands, “You turned against your Alpha, you kept him from his mate. He could have killed you if he found out and no one in the pack would have blamed him.”

“Why do you always defend him?” I explode, slamming my fist on my desk, “He’s an arrogant, entitled, bully! He has good looks, muscles, and nothing else! He only married you because his father ordered him to, then he made you miserable the entire time you were together, he didn’t even claim you until he found out he’d bred you!”

“And what, you would have done things differently, would you?” Selene scoffs.

“Damn straight I would!” I thunder, “I’ve seen how special you are from day one! I would have claimed you the moment I laid eyes on you, if I had his power, I would have made you my queen. I would have made sure you never wanted for anything. You deserved to be pampered and cherished after everything you went through, not tossed aside like yesterday’s garbage.”

Her brows furrow, and a sliver of vulnerability enters her expression. Her voice is small when she asks, “You would have claimed me, when I was barely eighteen, traumatized, wolfless, and didn’t even know what the word meant?”

“Yes!” I assure her passionately, “I wouldn’t have thought twice about it. That’s how much I care about you!”

“That’s despicable.” She forces the words out through clenched teeth, all signs of weakness long gone. “Bastien may have coddled me and kept himself at a distance, but at least he recognized that I needed time to heal rather than just forcing himself on me. I’m glad it was him and not you! I’m glad, even if I did end up almost burning alive because of the target on his back!”

“And who do you think pulled you from that fire?” I question ferociously, “You wouldn’t even be standing here today if it wasn’t for me?”

“Are you saying that you’re the one who saved me?” Selene clarifies, looking truly stunned now.

“Yes!” I cry, “Yes, I saved your life and Lila’s!”

I’m not sure what I expected. Gratitude? Thanks, praise, fawning? Proclamations of love or eternal dedication? Whatever I thought, it isn’t what I got. Instead Selene’s shocked expression fades away, replaced by a look so cunning I take a step back. What?

“And how did you know I was in that cabin, Thomas?” She asks, going in for the kill, “how did you know I needed saving, and why did you abandon me, pregnant and alone, in the neutral territories afterward?”

____________________