The night had started perfectly. Selene had glowed red as her son, Liam, stood proud before the fire during his first shift ritual while the pack gathered in a wide circle around him. But deep down, a knot of nerves twisted tighter every time she caught sight of Kyle.
And worse, Kyle hadn’t spared her a single damn glance. So she decided to change that! If he wouldn’t come to her, she’d make him. She waited till it was the after-party, drinking as she greeted the other pack members. Then, she turned towards Kyle’s direction, drink in hand and a plan forged. Just as she got near him, she’d faked a wobble in her step, letting out a faint sigh. “I feel sick,” she’d murmured with just enough softness that the Alpha had caught her arm. His grip had been firm, almost too warm against her skin. He hadn’t looked at her like a lover. More like… an obligation. It stung. But she’d never been so happy. Finally, she had his attention! “ Thank you, I think I need a rest” Selene had pointed towards the stairs and Kyle had only nodded and led her upstairs, his hand briefly on her back. Selene didn’t try to start small talks about how they were old acquaintances. She very well knew Kyle was aware, and it hurt that he acted as though he didn’t. But Kyley didn’t mind, it would be easier when they were alone later. Liam had followed. Her sweet, overly protective son. Selene had gritted her teeth, shooing him with a faint smile. “I’ll be fine, baby. Just stay downstairs. Go have fun.” To keep her act believable, she’d asked Kyle for a glass of water, knowing it would send him back to her room. ‘ Back to this very bed.’ Selene almost chuckled as she patted the soft mattress gently; she was amused at her own cunning nature. Selene shifted again, tugging the robe open so it hung loosely off her shoulders. The cool air brushed her skin, raising goose bumps. Her body felt warm and alive, every nerve bracing for the moment the door would open and she’d see him again. Once again, she imagined the click of the handle, the way his eyes would darken when he saw her waiting, flushed and ready. He’d drop the glass, maybe curse under his breath. He wouldn’t even care that her son’s ceremony had just ended. He’d only see her, the way he used to when they were young. Her fingers brushed over her stomach, over the faint scar she always hated. She was older now. Wiser. Harder. But if there was one thing she knew about men like Kyle, it was that they didn’t forget. They didn’t forgive easily… but they didn’t forget, either. Tonight, she would make him remember. The knock jolted her upright. Her heart jumped into her throat. She sat up, adjusting the robe so it hung just right — open enough to tease, closed enough to look effortless. “Come in,” she said, her voice low, almost husky. The door swung open. And everything inside her went still as Kyle stepped in. However, Selene’s excitement turned into a deep frown. He wasn’t alone. Beside the handsome alpha stood a tall, raven-haired woman who followed him in, leaning on his arm like she belonged there. The glass of water Selene had requested sat in Kyle’s hand, but his eyes weren’t on Selene's alluring body. They were cold, sharp, cutting straight through her pretense, causing her to quiver and shift her gaze away. Only to meet the woman’s mocking glance. As she looked Selene up and down, she mused at her undone robe and the lingeries scattered on the floor, smirking like she already knew the game. Selene’s stomach dropped. ' What the hell is this bitch doing here?' “Your water,” Kyle said flatly, moving to settle the glass down on the nightstand without looking at her too long. His voice was deep, rough, and completely void of warmth. “Don’t choke on it.” He further teased. The other woman let out a quiet, mocking laugh at this, further contributing to Kyle’s instigation. Selene’s nails dug into the sheets, heat flooding her face. Embarrassment burned hotter than any lust. “Who is she?” Selene asked, her voice sharper than she intended. “None of your concern,” Kyle replied, glancing at her for half a second before turning to leave. The door shut behind them, leaving Selene frozen on the bed, half-naked, most humiliated. For a moment, all she could hear was the thundering of her own heartbeat. Her plan had just gone up in flames, and it stung. No, it burned! Selene’s lips parted still in disbelief and shock. Her humiliation mixed into something sharp, a piercing stab in her heart. Left confused, disappointed, and embarrassed, she spiraled in her thoughts, wondering if Kyle really just doesn't want anything to do with her. ' He has a woman?' The face of the lady stu k to her mind, remaining a plaguing memory that haunted her throughout the rest of her night. Selena plunged in bed, feeling sick from her very guts. It wasn't the drink, it was Kyle! ' How could he?' Selene blamed in her reeling thoughts, regardless of the fact that she'd rejected him in the past. She turned and twisted in bed, feeling torn and dejected. ' I did all of this for him and he just wants to ignore me, pretend I mean nothing' Selene was on the verge of tears. She still didn't believe Kyle bore no feelings for her anymore. She refuse to believe it! ' Fine!' she harrumphed, frustrated and unwilling to chase him any further. Selene was done with Kyle! She grabbed her pillow and hugged it tight, anger embedded on her face as she reeled in her mind over and over again. Her wetness left her even more frustrated than the fact that she was let down and embarrassed by Kyle. Even now, she won't stop being horny and wanting of him. She hated it! " Ah!" Selene threw the pillow in her grasp at the wall, subsumed in anger.“So,” Liam said, clearly eager to change the subject, “I made some new friends today. A girl named Ivy and this nerdy guy, Aaron. We’re gonna go to school together from now on.” Iam didn't like that at his big age, his mom still has to bring him to school.Selene raised a brow, a teasing smile forming on her lips. “Ivy, huh? Sounds like a pretty name.”Liam instantly went red. “It’s not like that!”“Oh?” Selene leaned forward, smirking. “Then why are you so defensive, hmm? Is it because of Ivy’s pretty smile?”“Mooom,” Liam groaned,“It’s not like that. Seriously.”Selene laughed softly, her teasing easing some of her earlier frustration. “Alright, alright. I’ll drop it… for now.”As Liam got up to put his dishes in the sink, his phone buzzed. He glanced at the screen and typed for a while before raising his head as if to recollect something, “Oh, uh… Aunt Clara messaged me. She says she’s coming to visit.”Selene’s stomach dropped. “What?”“Yeah. She said she wants to check on us and…
Selene turned to face him once they were inside, wringing her hands. “I… wanted to ask if you could lend me some money. Just enough to get by this month. I’ll pay you back, I swear.”Kyle leaned against the doorway, arms crossed over his chest, amusement flickering in his eyes. “Money, huh? And here I thought you came to confess your undying love.” he muttered the last par just enough for her to hear, clearly still teasing.“Kyle,” she hissed, her cheeks burning. “I’m serious.”He chuckled, walking in to grab his wallet. “Relax. Here.” He handed her a folded stack of bills, his expression infuriatingly calm. “You don’t have to pay me back.”Her stomach twisted at those words. “What? No. I will pay you back.”“Why?” He raised a brow. “You think I’m going to pity you if you don’t? You’re overthinking, Selene.”She froze, anger bubbling under her skin. “So that’s what this is to you? Pity?”Kyle's smirk faltered, but he didn’t back down. “I don’t do pity. If I wanted to pity you, I would
After finalizing their discussion with the principal, Selene left and Liam went to class.By the time lunch rolled around, Liam was trying to keep a low profile in the cafeteria. He grabbed his tray and picked a corner table, but it didn’t take long for yesterday’s bullies to find him.“Well, if it isn’t the Alpha’s little pet,” one of them sneered, leaning over the table. “Think you’re special now?”Liam’s jaw tightened, but instead of blowing up like yesterday, he smirked, a sharp, Kyle-like smirk that came almost naturally. “Special enough to put you flat on your back again if you’re looking for a repeat.”The bullies blinked, not expecting the calm, cutting tone. Liam leaned back in his chair, feeling as suave as Kyle when he was in control. “What’s wrong? 'dog' got your tongue?”The boys trembled in spot, angry at the sensitive word. However, they only muttered empty threats and backed off, cursing under their breath as they left. Liam grinned to himself at this, feeling elated.
Kyle’s voice suddenly softened, the harsh edge fading. “You’re on the edge of your awakening, Liam. That fire inside you, that rage you have in you~ it’s the wolf. That's it's power roaring. And it can burn you alive if you let it.” Liam looked up at him, frowning. “So what? I’m supposed to just… pretend I’m not mad? Pretend I’m fine? Pretend every messes up thing going on around me is fine?” “No,” Kyle said, his gaze shifting toward the crescent moon. “You see that?” He pointed at the glowing sliver above them. “That’s you right now. New and recent. But at the same time half-lit, half-shadowed. We werewolves are like the moon, we carry a long with us its madness. But more importantly, we're to carry two halves inside us, just like the half-moon. The lit side is the madness, the calm side shadowed. Human and wolf. If you let one half consume the other, you lose the balance. You lose yourself. and you become like the full moon. Fully lit, fully mad!" Liam’s eyes followed the cre
“Liam?” Selene walking into her son's room said gently, knocking once before letting herself in. He was on the bed, staring at the ceiling, his jaw tight. " I don’t want to talk,” he muttered. “Well, I do,” she said, stepping inside. “Look, I know this place is hard. I know it’s not what you wanted. But this anger you’re carrying, it’s not going to help you nor would it help us both. I'm worried it’s only going to eat you alive.” Liam turned his head, his young face pained. “Why do you let them talk to you like that? Why do you even care about what he thinks?” He was speaking about Kyle. Selene’s breath caught. “It’s… complicated,” she said softly. “ Kyle and I have a past. We kind of hurt each other, something like friends do. Close friends. You'll understand this when you have some. But- what matters is, what you see now isn’t the whole story. Sometimes, the one who looks like the bad guy isn’t really the villain. And the person who’s hurt the most doesn’t always look like t
Selene hesitated outside the house. She had never called him before, not ever. But today, she took out her phone and scrolled to his number. Her thumb hovered over the call button. What’s the worst he can do? Hang up? She pressed it. “What is it?!” Kyle's voice thundered through the phone, low and harsh. Selene froze, her heart leaping to her throat. “I— I’m sorry,” she stammered. “I just… I came by, but you weren’t home. I wanted to talk to you about something.” There was silence for a beat before his voice came again, colder than ice. “Since when do you care where I am?” Her stomach sank. “I didn’t mean it like that. I was just—” “I’m busy,” he muttered. And just like that, the line went dead. Selene stared at the phone, her chest tight. Why did his voice cut her so deep? She had no reason to expect kindness from him. Not anymore. " More importantly, why do I fear offending him?' Selene wondered as she left to finish her other tasks before returning home. By t