Selene’s POVHowever I thought this day would go, I never could have predicted this.I’m so overwhelmed and confused I don’t even know where to begin, but the strange reality remains: I’m safe. Lila and my secret are safe from my mate, and though I cannot even begin to understand how it happened, I am eternally grateful.This doesn’t make sense. Luna whimpers.No, I agree, It doesn’t. But thank the Goddess it happened. Weren’t you listening to what he said? Luna presses. He wants you, whatever else happened before, he wants you now. He wants Lila. Well he can’t have either of us. I argue. I’ve had my fill of men pretending to be innocent, refusing to be accountable for their actions.I can’t deny how deeply
Odette’s POVI don’t transform very often anymore.It hasn’t felt the same since Gabriel died, and though my wolf gets restless like any other, this freedom has a cost. I always miss my mate more when I shift. The pain of his absence is most acute in my soul’s truest form, and I feel eternally guilty for going on without him.Even so, there’s no avoiding it tonight.Bastien disappeared into the darkness in such a fit of rage I’m afraid of what he might do if he’s left alone. Aiden and Donovan went after him, but I do not trust them to pull him back from the edge, and I know they will not tell him what he needs to hear.I follow Bastien’s path at a steady lope, trotting along in his footprints hoping he’s not so far ahead that my efforts are in vain. If he gets it into his head to kill Cavanaugh or seek retribution, wa
Bastien’s POVA pair of guards flank the entryway to Selene and Lila’s room in the Pack House. Apparently our arrival, combined with the threat of the bounty, was sufficient to cajole my mate into moving in – if only temporarily.The guards try to block my approach, but quickly quell beneath the force of my scowl, stepping aside so I can knock. Bracing my shoulders for a fight, I rap on the heavy wood, listening to the movement inside with baited breath.The door swings open, revealing a startled looking Selene. Her hair is up in a messy bun, and her soft blue sundress appears to have been splashed with water. I can smell the remnants of bubble bath and shampoo, and suspect I’ve just missed bath time.“Bastien.” Selene greets me stiffly, her nervousness clear for all to see. My wolf whines, wanting to comfort his mate, but I hold him off. I don’t wan
Bastien’s POVI close the bedroom door as quietly as I can, unsurprised to find my mate waiting on the other side. I almost smile; some things never change. My little mate seems just as prone to eavesdropping as ever, and just as bad at disguising her misbehavior. She leapt halfway across the room when I came out, and now stands with her arms coiled defensively around her body, eyeing me with apprehension.“Still listening at doorways, little wolf?” I ask, striding forward until I’m towering over Selene and she’s forced to back away to escape my shadow.Rather than answering, she glowers and says, “Why did you do that?”“Do what?” I feign ignorance, “Put your pup to bed?”“No.” She corrects me immediately. “Why did you say those things to her?”“Because Lila wanted a bedtime story.” I shrug, watching her skirt away from me with amusement. She should know better than to run from a predator – especially her mate. I follow her at a distance, never coming close enough to make contact, but
Drake’s POVI’ve been waiting for Selene to get over Bastien from the first day she set foot in Asphodel. I told myself that as long as I was patient, as long as I proved myself a good friend to her and gave her the space she needed to heal, she would eventually realize how perfect we are for each other.I don’t care that I’m not her mate, or that this isn’t what the Goddess planned.As far as I’m concerned mates are overrated. Bastien never appreciated Selene. He was never good for her and she has always deserved better. I’ve worked incredibly hard these last few years to help Selene move past him, and I’m certain we could have been together by now – if he’d only stayed away.Except he didn’t stay away. He turned up in my city without notice or permission, and immediately set his sights on the woman of my dreams. 
Bastien’s POVI’ll kill them all.Every last wolf who laid a paw on Selene will pay, followed by that coward they call an Alpha. It was bad enough that Drake wasn’t man enough to fight his own battle, but to let his men attack an innocent she-wolf is a new level of abhorrence.I thought I was hallucinating when Selene joined the fight. After all, my mate doesn’t have a violent bone in her body, but I suppose her wolf had other ideas. Everything should have stopped then and there, but I wasn’t near enough to help her, and Drake’s guards were so blinded by bloodlust they never even registered that the obstacle blocking them from their target was the mother of their Alpha’s child.In fairness, Drake is almost as angry as I am. We both moved for Selene the moment we heard her yelp, surging forward to protect her even as the scent of her blood seeped into
Selene’s POVMy first thought is of Bastien.I remember Drake’s attack, the horrible battle which followed and the terror of watching the odds turn against my mate. I remember Luna’s primal instinct to protect him, and the panic which spurred me to shift faster than should have been possible for someone of my experience. I remember wolves charging toward me with their fangs bared, and then there are only dizzying flashes of color and sound; distant voices and vivid waves of pain.It’s all a blur of fear and torment which my overloaded brain can’t seem to hold onto. The details slip through my fingers like water as consciousness returns, and the aches covering my body make themselves known.Where is Bastien? My thoughts entwine with Luna’s voice, our questions circling and alternating in a maelstrom of worry and confusion.
Bastien’s POV“Bastien, I’m fine!” Selene insists, spreading her arms wide to show me the veracity of her words, “See, all healed.”It’s true that the gashes and bite marks that once littered her body have already faded to the faintest scratches and bruises, no doubt accelerated by the healing power of her Volana blood. Even so, I refuse to risk it.“It’s too soon.” I decree, nudging her back towards the bed. She’s been trying to convince me to let her leave the makeshift infirmary all day long, too anxious about everything going on to stay put. Wrangling her has been surprisingly difficult, it seems I can’t turn my back without her trying to sneak out. If I had any doubts that my little wolf found her strength during our time apart, her rebellious behavior today has certainly erased them.As if reading my mind, my mate