Selena’s POV
The dawn crept in sluggishly, the golden rays failing to pierce the icy wall surrounding my heart. Zane returned as the sun broke through the horizon, his disheveled appearance betraying a long night spent away from his duties—and me. His boots thudded heavily on the floor as he entered, and for the first time in weeks, I noticed a flicker of guilt in his storm-gray eyes.
“Selena,” he greeted, his tone awkward, unsure.
I didn’t bother looking up from the book in my hands, the words blurring as my wolf, Lyra, stirred restlessly. “Good morning,” I replied, my voice calm, detached.
Zane hesitated, clearly thrown off by my lack of reaction. Normally, I would have confronted him, demanded answers for his absence, but today I couldn’t muster the energy.
“Sorry I couldn’t make it back last night,” he said, his voice laced with forced sincerity.
I shrugged, feigning indifference. “It’s fine. I’m sure you had more important things to attend to.”
His brows furrowed in confusion. “Are you upset?”
“No,” I said simply, flipping a page I hadn’t read.
“Really?” His tone held disbelief, as though he couldn’t fathom my lack of anger.
“Yes.”
Zane’s gaze narrowed, scanning my expression for cracks in my façade. “Then what’s this about?” He stepped toward the trash bin and pulled out a small vial, its contents unmistakable.
I met his gaze evenly, refusing to rise to his bait. “I decided I didn’t need it anymore.”
A smirk tugged at the corner of his lips, patronizing and cold. “Petty, aren’t you? Throwing away months of effort over something so trivial.”
Something inside me cracked, but I kept my composure. My hand hovered over the pregnancy report hidden beneath my book. I had planned to tell him, to let him know about the life growing within me, but his next words froze me in place.
“You’re the one obsessed with having a child, Selena, not me,” he said with a shrug, his dismissive tone slicing through my resolve like a blade.
I swallowed hard, retracting my hand. Whatever fleeting hope I had of salvaging our bond evaporated in that moment. Zane must have noticed the shift in my expression because his tone softened slightly as he sat beside me on the bed.
“Here,” he said, pulling a small, worn jewelry box from his pocket. “Linda felt terrible about upsetting you. She wouldn’t stop nagging me to bring you something.” He opened the box to reveal a tarnished gold necklace, its once-brilliant tear-shaped pendant dulled by age.
The air left my lungs. This wasn’t a gift. This was pity.
I glanced at the necklace briefly before turning back to my book, the weight of my emotions pressing down like a boulder. Last night, I had seen Linda’s latest post flaunting the sapphire necklace Zane had given her, its caption oozing adoration: “An Alpha who knows how to make his Luna feel special.”
Zane’s jaw tightened as he noticed my disinterest. “Why are you so ungrateful? Do you even realize how hard I’ve been working?”
I scoffed under my breath but said nothing, unwilling to give him the satisfaction of a reaction.
Frustrated, he tossed the jewelry box onto the nightstand and stormed into the bathroom, slamming the door shut behind him. Lyra growled softly in my mind, her disdain for our mate mirroring my own.
He’s toying with us, she said, her voice tinged with anger.
When Zane returned, his mood had shifted once more, his lips curving into a sly smile. “I just remembered,” he began, his voice low and suggestive. “Today’s your ovulation day. Maybe we should try again.”
My stomach churned at his audacity. Before I could respond, the distinct chime of his phone interrupted us.
The sound was cheerful, almost mocking. I knew that ringtone well—it was assigned to one contact and one contact only.
Linda.
I glanced at the glowing screen, the name “Cupcake” surrounded by a string of heart emojis. My chest tightened, the betrayal striking fresh yet again.
Zane barely spared me a glance as he picked up the phone, his expression softening in a way it hadn’t for me in years. “Hey, Linda,” he said, his voice warm.
I turned away, my hands trembling as I gripped the edges of my book. The urge to scream, to demand answers, surged within me, but I swallowed it down.
Lyra’s voice cut through my spiraling thoughts. This ends now. You’ve given him enough of your heart, Selena. It’s time to take it back.
The final thread of my patience snapped. Quietly, I slipped the pregnancy report into my drawer and rose from the bed. Zane didn’t even notice as I left the room, his laughter with Linda trailing after me like a haunting melody.
As I stepped into the corridor, the cool air of the packhouse washed over me, clearing my mind.
Zane might have taken my trust, my love, and my dignity, but he wouldn’t take my strength. From now on, I would fight for myself—and for the child growing within me.
The war for my freedom had begun.
