Chapter 2 Choosing My Own Mate

Selene's P.O.V

Soon, I heard my mother's voice in my mind. "You've finally made the right choice. Since you've come to your senses, I'll send someone to bring you home."

I nodded, ending the link with her.

Before long, a sleek luxury car pulled up in front of me. The back door opened and someone leapt out, running straight toward me and wrapping me in a tight hug.

"Selene!" Aria Lancaster's voice rang with excitement in my ear. "I'm so glad you finally realized the truth! Malcolm never deserved you. You've been through so much these past three years!"

I hugged her back out of habit, patting her on the shoulder, a strange mix of emotions churning in my chest.

Yes, I was finally back to where I belonged.

Aria had grown up with me. She was my closest friend, my sister in all but blood.

She dragged me into the car, practically bouncing with joy as she cheered me on. "I'm so glad you came back. Money and power are better than that man. I've never liked Malcolm anyway!"

I nodded in agreement. "True. Money and power are worth more than Malcolm in every way."

"I heard everything about him and Christina," Aria continued, fuming on my behalf. "That scumbag! After everything you did for him, he had the nerve to humiliate you. Honestly, I hope wolfsbane takes him out one day, or a pack of Rogues tears him to pieces!"

I laughed despite myself, then patted her shoulder to calm her. "Alright. I know you care, but it's all in the past. He's not worth wasting any more energy on."

All my sacrifices had been because I wanted to make them. Now that I didn't, no one could ever take advantage of me again.

"Good. As long as you don't care anymore," Aria said with a relieved smile. Then she leaned in, her tone mischievous. "So, since you're done with Malcolm, should I introduce my brother to you?"

"Your brother?" The moment Aria said that, it clicked.

Her brother, Blake Lancaster, was the Alpha of the Nyctilux Pack. Not only was he strikingly handsome, but his strength and presence made him a force to be reckoned with.

I once harbored a crush on him when I was younger, but that was long ago. Those fleeting feelings had vanished without a trace.

I just laughed it off, assuming Aria was joking, and let the comment slide.

Soon, the car rolled into the Lunaris Pack territory. Familiar sights and scents eased some of the tension knotted in my chest.

At home, my mother was waiting, radiating the quiet, commanding presence of an Alpha.

The Lunaris Pack was one of the rare packs led by a female Alpha.

As my mother's heir, I'd been put through harsh Alpha training since I was a child. She had even handpicked potential mates for me, all to strengthen the pack.

But I had defied her, insisting that I wanted Malcolm as my mate.

In the end, my mother compromised. Her only condition was that if Malcolm could truly love me within three years, she would allow us to be together. If not, I would return to the Lunaris Pack and accept whatever arrangement she chose.

I agreed to her wager. For three years, I gave everything I could to Malcolm, becoming his official girlfriend in name if not in heart. I had believed that if I was good and devoted enough, he would one day love me.

But now, this was the bitter reality.

Perhaps my mother had seen this all along, which was why she had made the wager.

And she had been right. Now, I was ready to step back into my role as the Lunaris Pack's future Alpha.

When she saw me, she didn't pry into the details of last night. She simply looked at me, her gaze complicated but steady. "You're home. Since you've decided to return, it's time to fulfill your responsibilities as my successor. I will start finding a suitable mate for you."

I met her eyes with a determined gaze. "I agree to an arranged marriage, but I want to choose my own mate."