Selena’s POV
I didn’t wait. As soon as I hung up with my father, I grabbed the first suitcase I could find and dragged it to the bedroom. My hands shook, but I forced myself to focus.
There was no time to think, because if I stopped or slowed down, I would probably fall apart from the weight of what I had just learned.
I opened drawers, pulled out clothes without any care, and stuffed them into suitcases.
As I folded a dress, my hands froze. It was the one Nora had loved. “Mommy, you look like a princess in this.” My chest tightened, and I swallowed hard. Tears welled up in my eyes, but I blinked them back. Not now.
As I shoved another shirt into the suitcase, the door opened.
“Selena?” Cole asked from behind me. “What are you doing?”
I snapped the suitcase shut and turned to face him with a fake smile on my face.
“I’m just rearranging my closet,” I said lightly.
His eyes narrowed slightly as he scanned the messy room. He opened his mouth, but another voice cut in.
“Hey, Selena.”
I froze as my stomach twisted. Lydia’s voice. I hadn’t realized that Cole had come in with her.
My eyes glanced to her chest before I could stop myself, to the place where my daughter’s heart was beating. I had to resist the urge to lunge at her, to shift and claw the heart out of her.
I clenched my fists so tightly that my nails pierced into my palms. My daughter’s heart was beating inside her chest, and she had the audacity to stand in my bedroom, smiling at me.
I said nothing. If I opened my mouth, I would scream in rage. My wolf snarled inside me, begging to be released.
Then I noticed the bags. There were two designer suitcases behind Cole.
I furrowed my eyebrows.
Cole noticed where I was looking, and before I could ask, he smiled as if he had good news. “Lydia is going to be staying with us for a while.”
I blinked at him. “What?”
Before Cole could explain, Lydia interrupted with a little laugh, stepping closer. “Didn’t you hear? I’m pregnant.”
Her hand moved to cover her belly with a wide smile as if she was expecting me to gasp and squeal and hug her.
Instead, I raised an eyebrow. “And?”
Her smile faltered. For a moment, her mask cracked, and I saw the flicker of surprise at my cold reaction. She recovered quickly, her lower lip trembled as she tried to look sad. “I thought you would be happy for me, Selena. I mean… after everything we’ve been through.”
Happy? The word burned through me. What was I supposed to be happy about? The fact that she had ripped away everything from me.
Before I could speak, Cole’s voice cut in, sharp with anger. “Selena, what the hell is wrong with you? She’s your best friend. You should be happy for her. Instead you’re acting jealous and bitter.”
I turned slowly to him with a sneer on my face. Jealous? Bitter?
“Jealous?” I repeated, my voice was cold and icy. “Why on earth would I be jealous?”
His eyes flashed as his wolf surfaced. “Because she’s having a pup, and you—” He stopped himself, but the damage was done. His words pierced through me like silver.
Because I lost mine. Because he killed mine.
I took a deep breath, trying to stay calm and not explode. “Then tell me, Cole.” I pointed at Lydia. “Why is she moving here? Why does she suddenly need to live in this house? Why can’t she stay at the pack house?”
He stepped closer, clenching his jaw. “Because she shouldn’t be alone right now. She needs us. She needs help. That pup needs support.”
“Us?” I asked softly.
“Yes,” Lydia chimed in quietly, trying to sound pitiful. “It’s just until things settle down. I thought you, of all people, would understand.”
Cole nodded. “Exactly. She needs support. She’s part of this pack, Selena. And your best friend.”
I snorted in sarcasm. “She’s not my pack, and she’s most definitely not my best friend.” I spat.
Lydia flinched, and Cole frowned.
“Why are you jealous of her happiness, Selena? Instead of celebrating with her, you’re acting like this.” He pointed toward me with disgust. “Do you hear yourself? It’s pathetic.”
Pathetic.
The word sliced through me, but I didn’t flinch.
I tilted my head, glancing between the two of them with a bitter smile on my lips.
“With the way you’re acting, I have to ask, Cole,” I asked bitterly, “is it your pup?”
The room went silent.
Cole’s jaw twitched. Lydia’s eyes widened in mock shock.
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Cole snapped, his Alpha command bleeding into his tone. “Of course it’s not mine.”
“Really?” I lifted an eyebrow. “Then why is she moving in with us? Why are you getting so defensive?”
“She’s alone, Selena!” Cole growled. “She has no one else, and she’s carrying a pup. What kind of monster would turn her away?”
What kind of monster would kill his own daughter? I asked myself.
The words echoed in my head, but I didn’t let them slip out.
Instead, I turned back to the suitcase and deliberately zipped it closed. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I would like to finish rearranging my closet.”
Cole murmured something to Lydia, and together they walked out of the room.
The moment they were gone, my smile fell. My hands shook as I gripped the suitcase. My wolf whimpered, broken and betrayed.
