Bastien‘s Pov
I only make it a few paces out of the cafe before I change my mind and turn back. All night I’ve been tip-toeing around, trying to get through this fight without upsetting Selene, but I can’t hold back any longer.
I don’t want my mate to be afraid of me. I don’t want to trigger her and send her into a PTSD episode, but I have a right to be angry. Besides, fights are upsetting. There’s no way to honestly have one if you can’t express your feelings for fear of offending someone else’s.
Selene jumps when the door slams back open, the bell hanging above it jingly wildly. I stalk back to our booth, towering over my beautiful mate with steam billowing from my ears. “How long?
“What?” Selene squeaks, eyeing me warily.
“How long before you left did you know you were pregnant?” I demand. My mate immediately drops her head, unable to meet my gaze. The mo
Selene's povOh Goddess, why did I just say that?It seemed like a good idea in the moment. Bastien was watching me with that predatory gleam in his eye and my heat sparked with a vengeance. One look and I combusted, flames of passion engulfing my body and driving all sense from my head.Luna got the better of me, convinced me I needed him more than I needed oxygen, told me to say whatever it took to make him claim me. But I just challenged him, told him he hadn’t done his job as my mate – as if he wasn’t already angry enough.He was going to rut me either way, I tell Luna ruefully, I didn’t have to provoke him.Yes you did, his wolf needs this – and so do I. She insists.She’s right, I realize, and she’s not alone in her desires. I need to feel Bastien’s dominance, I need to feel his possession so deeply that it permanently brands m
Selene's pov“What?” I ask, unable to conjure any other words.“I’ve been away too long,” Bastien sighs, “And so have you.” He adds pointedly.Suddenly I realize he must have dropped everything to come here. He has so many responsibilities in Elysium, I don’t know how he managed it. Who’s been running the pack while he’s been busy chasing me around Asphodel? The council?Next I wonder how none of this occurred to me before. We can hardly be together while living in separate cities. In Bastien’s mind, I probably agreed to come back to Elysium the moment I let him claim me. The last card in my hand had been needing to keep Lila near her father, and that excuse went out the window when I told him the truth about the DNA test.“Bastien, I have a life here.” I reply hesitantly.“You had a life there too.” Bastien reminds me, brushing a
Bastien's povMy small family is gathered in Drake Cavanaugh’s office. Selene and I sit across from the Eros Alpha with Lila balanced between our laps, preparing to announce our departure to Elysium. I was anticipating a scene, given the way things went when the other man found out I’d claimed Selene, however now I’m not so sure.Everything was so chaotic after the kidnapping that I didn’t pay attention to the way Drake was looking at Selene, but now the difference is striking. Whereas he used to eye my mate with unrequited longing, now he studies her with nothing but friendly warmth.I have a feeling I know the reason behind this sudden shift, and while I still harbor some resentment for the little she-wolf who helped kidnap my mate and pup, solving my Drake problem might just be worth my forgiveness. I know she was a victim in all this, but the fact remains that m
Selene's povLeaving Asphodel is harder than I imagined. I’ve been homesick for Elysium ever since I left, but I have so many fond memories here. This is where Lila took her first steps and said her first words, this is where her young life began.Bastien seems to sense my sadness, he’s been hovering over me all morning in the agitated way men do when they’re faced with a problem they don’t know how to solve. I think he feels guilty for putting his foot down about the move, but not guilty enough to delay it. I suppose prolonging the ordeal would only make things worse anyway.Lila is actually taking this better than anyone, though I don’t know how long that’s going to last. She’s been running around the docks while the men pack the boat, saying
Bastien's povAt first I wasn’t sure springing a vow renewal on Selene was a good idea. She doesn’t tend to do well with surprises, but my mother convinced me that this surprise would be well received. It just goes to show: you should always listen to your mother – when you’ve got one like mine anyway.Selene is beaming, her blue and violet eyes shining and hair still disheveled from sleep. Sliding her hands around my neck she asks, “Can I kiss you now?”Sweeping my thumb over an escaped tear, I purr, “You have to answer me first.”Selene giggles joyfully, “Of course – of course I’ll marry you again.
Selene In the dawning light of early morning, Bastien and I emerge from the forest, dressed in our wedding garb once more. Lila and Aiden are already awake, though the Beta looks like he would rather have slept in. I’m sure the excitement of her first camping trip rendered Lila incapable of staying in bed for a single moment longer than she had to, and her uncle Aiden must have been the weak link among her babysitters. He’s rubbing his eyes, clearly regretting caving to Lila’s adventurous whims. She’s currently seated beside him in front of the campfire, but she has the squirrelly energy of a pup who’s been told she can’t go play until she finishes her breakfast. When she sees us, Lila looks askance at our disheveled state. “Mommy you’re dirty.” Her little head tilts to the side as she takes in the sight of my muddy limbs beneath my dress. Bastien isn’t any cleaner, but his suit covers him a hundred times better than my gown. “What were you doing?” Her q
Bastien By the time I’m clean and dressed in fresh clothes, Lila’s tantrum has subsided. I find her and Selene by the campfire, the pup sniffling softly against her mother’s neck. Selene trails a gentle hand up and down Lila’s back, somehow soothing her and scolding her all at once. “I know it’s a lot of big changes and it’s all happening very fast,” She murmurs, kissing Lila’s hair. “It probably seems like all of these things are happening around you and you don’t know what’s going on, just that all the grown ups are telling you that everything’s going to be different and you don’t have a say in any of it.” Lila nods, rubbing her wet, salty skin over Selene’s collar. A wave of guilt washes over me. Here I thought her tantrum was just regular toddler mood swings – I took it at face value, but Selene knew instantly. I wonder if it’s maternal intuition, or simply experience and knowing the pup so much better than I do. A few weeks ago I would have
Bastien I’m tempted to have Selene and Lila enter the house through the garage, bypassing the gathered councilors and going straight up to our apartment. However I know such a diversion would be seen only as weakness, and more than anything else, I refuse to give the men that kind of power over me. We’ll enter through the front door with our heads held high and if I have to incapacitate every last elder in order to do so, I gladly will. Our small gathering exits the side door, moving down the walk towards the front of the house. Aiden and Donovan flank Selene and Lila while I stride ahead, bracing myself for whatever unpleasant news awaits. “Gentlemen,” I greet the assemblage without any hint of a smile, “to what do we owe the pleasure.” They are all looking past me, surveying my mate and pup with undisguised curiosity and, in some cases, distrust. “You’ve been gone nearly a month, Alpha.” The chief elder states, “And we’ve heard nothing but outlandish rumors from Asphodel – thoug