Royal Choas

[Four Years later]

*Ares POV*

“Did you watch her last night?”I heard my sister ask as she sits beside me.

I had.

I watch Selene's interviews religiously,I don't know what would have kept me sane if she hadn't become a movie star.

“No.”I lie without remorse,chewing hard on my food as if it was the cause of my problems.I dread these types of questions.

“Why not?”she asked knowingly.

Part of Me knows she knows I watch Selene,but I rather choke on my meal right this instant than to actually admit it out loud.

“Any way,”Athena continued,cutting herself some lemon cake. “She said she has no intention of being Luna,and her visit is strictly professional.”

“I'm not looking for yet another wife.”I say immediately.

“I know.”she chuckles,picking strategically through the bowl of fruits for the most perfect pieces of strawberries. “I just want you to keep it in the back of your mind that if you choose to chase her,you will be crawling on Your hands and knees…and she would still say no.”

I laugh dryly and take a long sip of coffee.This was exactly the reason I hated coming to the family estate. Everyone was too involved in my business.

“Mother said she will not be coming for the Blood Blossom Ball.”I say,trying to change the topic. “That leaves everything with us.”

“And this man,Dominic Torchelli”Athena continues merrily. “He named his newly built Hotel after her.Its called Little Miss Foxx.You should visit if you go to Paris,I hear its stunning.”

I frowned at my failed attempt and took a deep breath as I continued my breakfast.

Before the next morsel of food entered my mouth,yet another problem presented Itself.

Perhaps the most annoying one yet.

Yolanda Fortlyn.

Selene's step mother and my ex mother in law.

She came rushing in the dining room with bulging red eyes,and a scrunched up news paper in one hand.

Cameron,our butler stood a few feet behind her,mouthing apologies to Athena and I about how incapable he was from stopping a skinny white lady from entering the house.

“Good morning,Alpha Ares.”Yolanda bowed breathlessly And turned to Athena with a smile. “Miss Sinclair,good morning.”

“Morning.”Athena replied cheerfully.She had a way of faking her tone that made it sound so genuine,but after years of being on the receiving end of her sarcastic hits, you became quite discerning. I wonder why Yolanda never caught on to it yet.

“Will you like to join us for breakfast ?”Athena asked with another forged smile as she pulled a cup to her lips.

“Oh no,Miss Sinclair.”she says precisely,taking proper care to not let her tongue wrongfully call Athena by her first name.Thats a privilege she allows only a few and evidently Yolanda is not one of the few.

“I came to talk to Alpha Ares.”she says.

I throw her a glare and clear my throat.Her left hand is still clutching The magazine she brought in.

“Well?”

Her face scrunched firmly as she opens up the magazine and holds it up to our faces.

“Do you know what this is?”she asks. “Timeless Magazine.Most popular magazine today!”

“Yolanda,”I say as calmly as my irritation could allow. “I'm having breakfast.Do not tell me you interrupted me for this.”

She lowers herself unto one of the chairs and flips frantically through the pages then finally settles down on a page,takes a deep breath and begins to read like a news caster.

“Alpha Ares and His Luna,once stood as an emblem and unity,but it seems that even bonds formed by the godess herself can fray,reports from reliable sources have confirmed the divorce from the royal couple.”

She looks up at Athena and I as if she was expecting a reaction. She didn't get any and so she continued.

“Some sources even speculate that the reason for the divorce was a certain movie star who has made plans to return to town,if these rumours are in any Way true,who are we to blame the Alpha for his shifted interest?”

Yolanda makes a disgusted face and closes the magazine.

Athena gasps as if on cue and grabs her chest. “That's horrible journalism.”she says. “What movie star are they talking about?”

I gave her a stern look and she swallowed her laugh.

“It's obvious they are talking about that tramp Selene.”

“Don't ever call her that.”I say instantly.It was almost like a reflex,I only realise that I had said it when I heard my own voice back in my ears.

The table turns quiet for a second and Yolanda quickly picks up again,pretending nothing happened.

“The bad part is that the public knows about the separation,”Yolanda says dreadfully. “Someone leaked it.We have to find out who–”

“I told the press,”I said blankly.

Yolanda's big eyes widens Even more,it Quickly darts to Athena and back to me.

“You told The press?”she repeats in the same severity of tone you used when someone told you they have committed murder.

I nod nonchalantly,and return to my waiting meal.

“But I thought we agreed that you and Noelle will give it another chance.”Yolanda pressed.

“Im not trying again.”

Yolanda voilently Jerks and throws Athena an accusatory look.

“I tried to talk him out of it.”Athena lies effortlessly in between sips of her tea.If anything she talked me into it.She never liked Noelle,and despite her neutral interactions with her,Noelle could tell Athena wasn't her biggest fan.It was only Yolanda that had trouble grabbing the concept.

“What will the council say? You and Noelle are the symbol of marriage…the pillar of the society,the moon goddess chose you two to lead.”

“I don't care what the council says about what happens with my pack.”I say,raising a piece of pancake to my lips but as I said,every morsel came with his very own problems.

The next old lady that marched into the breakfast parlour was the lady of perfection herself.

My mother. Now this was when you knew matters had gotten really chaotic,my mother never leaves her vacation for anything in the world.

“Good morning.”she says formally and turns to me before we could respond.

“Ares,we need to talk.”she reaches into her handbag and brings out a copy of the timeless magazine. “Privately and immediately.”

***

My mother pushes a strand of her gray hair out of her face and stares down at me,her blue eyes dark and disapproving.

“Ares.”

I stare up at her face and rub my temples in frustration. That tone only meant an impending argument and that's something that isn't on my schedule today.

“Aren't you supposed to still be on cruise?”I ask calmly.

“I had To cut it short.”she says regretably,pushing the door to a close behind her. “It seems like things are spiralling out of Control without me overseeing the necessaries.”

“You are talking about my divorce.”I say blankly.

“No,”she says,taking a seat. “I'm talking about your marriage,contrary to the media and you,it's not a divorce.”

I draw in a deep breath and pray for patience.I could already feel a headache kicking in.

“Yolanda already informed me of what was happening,”she adds metricicouly. “When she told me about your plans for divorce,I didnt think you would actually do something so reckless.”

I stare at the papers before me.My hands itched to pick it up and stare properly stare at Selene's beautiful face.

I made sure Yolanda was dismissed from the council years ago,little did I know doing so was going to recruit her into being my second mother.It was pointless to fight two yapping women.

“Ares?”my mother calls in annoyance.

“I heard you.”I grunt.

“You didn't reply,”she says.

“You want me to deny it?”I ask,my mind suddenly replaying a flashback from a night that happened for years ago.

“I want to hear your side of the story.”

I kept my mouth shut again,because in reality.I didn't know what to say. I didn't like Noelle was the best I could come up with. I did feel like she was a puppet for Yolanda and my mother,apart from that…she was okay. But I didn't want okay.

Maybe if I had met her first I would want okay,but It wasn't the case. I had met Selene first,how could I settle for anything less than the surge of adrenaline I felt at the mere mention of her name?

Rejecting her was The hardest thing I ever had to do,I don't think I have ever felt true happiness since. I tried to console myself that it was for the pack’s saftey,that she wasn't my luna,that somehow I will love Noelle enough to forget her.Unfortunately but expectedly none of it worked.

“You won't ever let me live in peace,would you?”I gritted

My mother gasped dramatically,raising her eyebrows like I had just spoken blasphemy against the moon goddess herself.

“How could you even think that I dont want you to live in peace?” she asks. “We are on the same team.I am doing all this so we live In peace.”

“Its just a divorce.”

“Its not just a divorce and you know that.Its breaking centuries over centuries of tradition,it's neglecting your duties,it is putting our pack in jeopardy.”

I groaned and began to rub my temples. The headache had hit me.

“You Of all people know about the disbanding of the Werewolf packs,The Overseer Council has an agenda,they want Ravenclaw pack to be the sole pack–we cannot give them a reason to break us.”she hesitates and leans foward. “We have one more strike till they see us unworthy of being a pack.Are you really going to let that happen to us too–especially over a woman?”

“Don't act like I don't sacrifice enough for this pack–”

“Then one more shouldn't be that hard!”my mother yells frantically. “Noelle is a lovely lady,she is even willing to forgive you for your rudeness towards her.”her voice turns recognizably low as she fidgets with her gloves.Her next words are tinged with sadness. “She reminds me of myself,we both know what it costs to be a Luna.”she sniffs dramatically and wipes a tear. “I did not raise you to be the same heart ache your father was, Ares.”

“Your marriage and mine and two different things.”

“Yes,that is true.”she nods vigorously. “Your father didn't try to divorce me just because his favourite movie star is coming to town,not to mention this girl is a fraudster,a liar,a disrespectful woman.Is this the woman you really want sitting besides you on that throne?”

I quietly return my eyes to the paper,arguing with my mother brought me nothing but headache. I should have played mute.

My mother notices my gaze on the open magazine and slams it shut before me.

“Ares,”she starts gently,her shaking hand raising resting on my shoulder.

“Dear son.”she calls again as she walks behind me and massages my shoulders. “The weight Of the crown is heavy to bear for every Alpha. Perhaps these are the challenges the moon goddess has for your regime.”

I still keep silent,I was in no mood for this.

“Your wife is on the plane back already,she will be at your side at tonight’s ball.I have heard rumours that the Council has sent spies to monitor the festivities,so pretending to be a happy family will be crucial for the pack's survival.”

She pats my shoulder and clutches the magazine to her chest.

“I trust you will make the right decision.”she says, and with that, she walks out of the office,closing the door behind her.

I shut my eyes long and hard.

I should listen to my mother.She was right about alot of things,she has always been the moral compass of the family,the smartest decision would be to avoid Selene till she leaves…right?

I pulled my left drawer open and bring out my copy of the Times Magazine that was causing so much chaos.

But I couldn't stop now.I didn't invest in a whole movie just to ignore her for existence.

I didn't craft this whole plan to bring her back here for six while months and then pretend that I wasn't deeply obsessed with her.

Like I always been.The only differences was that now…I had a reason to chase.

Precisely four months ago,while watching one if her movies,I saw something that revived my entire pursue after her.Her hair…There was a strand of white in it.The sacred color of the luna,it stood out among the jet black hair around it.Staring at me,calling me to do something.

Since then, the possibility of her actually being the real Luna has haunted me…I needed to see her In person to prove the connection was still there. To tell myself that what I was feeling wasn't simply lust–it was the bond.

My finger caresses her inanimate face,then her thick black hair to the perfection of her hips.

“Selene Foxx.”I whisper softly. “You are going to be the end of me,aren't you?”