Chapter 18Selene's POV"Come on, let's go in here!" Gina looped her arm through mine, practically vibrating with excitement as she towed me toward the ritzy clothing boutique.I couldn't help but laugh at her infectious enthusiasm, allowing myself to be swept up in the bubbly current of her energy. For someone initially so wary around me, Logan's younger sister had certainly warmed up quickly."Lead the way," I grinned, gesturing for Gina to take point.She flashed me a megawatt smile before barreling into the store, a whirlwind of nonstop chatter and brash confidence. I trailed dutifully in her wake, trying not to be too overwhelmed by the opulent surroundings. "Oh my god, Selene, you have to try this one on!" Gina was already zeroing in on a shimmering golden gown that looked more suitable for royalty than me.My eyes practically bugged out when I spotted the eye-wateringly high price tag dangling from the plunging neckline. "Uh, I'm not sure that's really...necessary," I hedged.
Chapter 19Logan's POV"How dare you!" I snarled, every inch of my body tensing as the feral instinct to attack surged through my veins. Mia flinched back, eyes widening as she registered the full, lethal threat I represented. Good, let the treacherous bitch reap the consequences of her actions.I moved to lunge, to tear into her vulnerable flesh and make her pay for daring to strike at what was mine. But a firm hand on my bicep stopped me short."Alpha Logan, please." The placating tones came from the male beside Mia - Nathan, if I recalled correctly. An alpha in his own right, though clearly outmatched here. "This was just a misunderstanding between my mate and yours. There's no need for violence."My lips peeled back from my elongated fangs as I fought for control. Part of me recognized his words as the diplomatic truth - I couldn't simply rip out Mia's throat in front of the humans, no matter how richly she deserved it."A misunderstanding?" I bit out through gritted teeth, throw
Chapter 20Nathan's POVWatching Logan and Selene drive off together, so wrapped up in their newfound mated bliss, felt like a gut punch. Seeing two people build a life and future with each other when that chance was ripped away from me...it's the hardest thing for any man to witness.If not for my foolishness and stubborn beliefs all those years ago, maybe it could have been me embracing my true mate with such unrestrained joy. But I'd squandered that precious gift through arrogance and pride."Mia, it's time to go." I reached for her hand, desperate to escape this torturous scenario before it carved any deeper into my fractured psyche. But Mia merely wrenched her arm away from my grasp, stormy eyes flashing defiance as she stalked toward the car without a backwards glance. She moved with jerky, angry motions, dropping her purse in a dramatic huff before wrenching open the driver's side door.I stood rooted to the spot, mouth slightly agape asI watched her unraveling tantrum play o
Chapter 21Logan's POVToday the big dinner with council and elders of Blood Moon pack. My heart beat fast as I approach hall, Selene by my side. My beautiful mate.The whole pack stand when we enter. They respect me as Alpha, their leader. I give nod to show I see them. Selene walk close, I hold her tight like somebody gonna try take her from me. We sit at head table, Selene to my right. My mama and sister Gina on other side. Luke and Zara next to them, Luke my beta. My mother want me mate with Zara before but Moon Goddess choose Selene for me instead.Elder Raph, he old friend of my father, he signal for me to make speech. I squeeze Selene's hand under table and she smile up at me. Her face give me strength.I stand tall and clear my throat. "Greetings, my fellow pack. It been too long since we gather like this for council meeting."I look around at all my people. "Important for Alpha to share bread with those who guide our great pack. Discuss problems and victories as family."I p
Chapter 22Zara's POVI stomp out of Logan's office, face burning with shame and fury. That arrogant bastard! How dare he reject me like that after everything I did to seduce him? I seethe as I recall stripping naked right there, putting my perfect body on display just for him. Yet he didn't even spare me a second glance once that...that nobody Selene walked in.My lip curls in disgust at the memory of Logan shamelessly fawning over the unworthy little outcast. Throwing away his chance with me - an Alpha female of impeccable pedigree - all for some disgraced reject from a lesser pack.This insult cannot go unanswered. My hands clench into fists as I stalk toward the packhouse exit. I don't care if he is Alpha. No one treats me with such disrespect and gets away with it.Bursting outside, I barely make it past the tree line before a low growl rumbles behind me. I whirl to see Luke emerge from the shadows, eyes gleaming in the dimness."What's got you so riled, little sis? Trouble with
Chapter 23 Mia's POVI sit back, drinking in the pungent fumes swirling through Littne's dark ritual chamber. That acrid, swampy stench of dark magics and incantations never fails to fill me with wicked satisfaction these days.A sly smile curves my lips as I recall how gloriously my vengeance against Selene initially unfolded. That naïve little bitch never suspected a thing back when we were supposed "best friends." Made it laughably easy to sabotage her at every turn until she was the one exiled in disgrace instead of me.Of course, my carefully constructed schemes hit a bit of a snag when Selene somehow ended up in the arms of Logan himself - Alpha of the fearsome Blood Moon pack. I sneer at the thought of that arrogant brute and the way he fawned over my castoff trash of an ex-friend.Still, even having that idiot mutt take Selene as his mate shouldn't have posed much issue in the grand scheme. Not if the hex I cast on her wretched former packmate Nathan held true like it was mea
Chapter 24Mia's POVLittne's gnarled claws rake across the aged parchment almost reverently as she outlines the obscene ritual. "To summon a force capable of countering this...Angelicus threat you speak of, a most profane covenant must be undertaken. One requiring the vital essence of your enemy herself as primer."She fixes me with those hollow pits that pass for eyes. "You must present me with a substantial offering of Selene's blood, hair, anything bearing her life force. Only then can the rite be properly channeled."My brow furrows slightly at the daunting prospect. Selene has been granted sanctuary with the full might of the Blood Moon pack protecting her. Extracting anything from her, let alone some kind of biological sample, won't be easy."And I'm supposed to obtain these...offerings directly from under Logan's watchful eye?" I can't quite disguise the mocking skepticism in my tone. "In case you haven't noticed, that arrogant dog has made it his life's mission to keep his ne
Chapter 25Mia's POVThe putrid, swampy reek of Littne's lair clings to my clothes like a viscous miasma as I finally emerge, wrinkling my nose in distaste. Honestly, I'll never understand why that twisted old crone insists on dwelling in such repulsive squalor.I pause to draw in several steadying breaths of fresh forest air, allowing the familiar scents of pine and petrichor to chase away the foulness as I re-center myself. My gaze shifts toward the lightening sky just peeking through the canopy overhead, streaks of pre-dawn violet already starting to bleed across the horizon.A cruel smirk twists my lips as I think of the seeds of beautiful, glorious ruination I've planted this long, profane night. Soon enough, everything in that sacred celestial expanse will come to fear the name of the one true Lich Queen ascending.But first, there's the delicate matter of upholding certain...domestic pretenses in the interim, lest I arouse suspicion about my nefarious schemes from any undue cor