Selene's 20th birthday should have been a celebration. Instead, she discovers her boyfriend’s evil betrayal, falls prey to her stepsister’s twisted schemes…and wakes up beside a dangerously cold stranger with eyes like ice. Prince Lucian of the Lycan Kingdom is used to losing everything: his throne, his fated mate, the only woman he ever trusted. But when he meets Selene—an outcast with no wolf and no scent—he mistakes her unique perfume for his betrothed’s and claims her in a night of passion he can’t forget. Now Selene is pregnant with Lucian’s heir, sold off by her own family to hide her shame, and rescued only by the man she barely knows. Thrust into the glittering, ruthless world of royal politics, Selene must find her strength, uncover her secret bloodline…and prove that true power comes from the heart.
View MoreChapter 1: Betrayed on my birthday
“Fucking hell, Corwin! Just like that...fuck, yes!”
I stood frozen in the doorway of my boyfriend’s bedroom, my stomach lurching, heart imploding in my chest. We'd been together for years… and I sure as hell wasn’t the girl on her knees with her ass in the air.
The horror bleeding through me now was a gut punch compared to how I felt just this morning.
I’d woken up with a buzz of hope in my veins. It was my birthday, my 20th, and even if no one else gave a damn, I told myself I’d enjoy it. It was supposed to be a big deal...coming of age, stepping into my power, maybe even discovering the wolf buried inside me.
My boss at the perfume shop had let me off early, called it a birthday gift. And with my heart full and dumbly beating for Corwin, I made my way to his place.
He was the only one who ever gave a shit about me. The only one who made me feel seen. I’d trusted him. I was going to give him everything.
And now this.
They were both naked...bodies slick with sweat. The girl moaned like she was getting wrecked in the best possible way, hands fisting the bedsheets while Corwin rammed into her from behind like a goddamn animal.
“You like that? Say it,” he growled.
“God, yes! Harder...fuck me harder!”
Corwin grabbed her waist, slamming his hips into her faster. The girl’s voice cracked into a high-pitched cry, her body jerking in rhythm with every rough thrust. “Shit...you feel so fucking good!”
Then he lunged forward, one hand tangling in her hair, shoving her face into the pillow while he kept pounding her like he was trying to break the bed.
“Fuck, I’m gonna come,” he grunted, deep and raw, while she screamed beneath him...her muffled moans riding the edge between pain and pleasure.
The whole damn bed was shaking like a boat in a fucking storm.
I don’t know what finally broke me out of my trance, but as they both collapsed in their post-orgasmic bliss, I found my voice...and screamed.
“How could you, Corwin?!”
His head snapped toward me, face covered in sweat and guilt, eyes wide. But I wasn’t staying to hear his pathetic excuses.
I ran.
Didn’t stop to see the girl’s face. Didn’t care. Couldn’t.
My life had always sucked, but this… this was a new low.
I’m Selene Caelum. A disgrace. That’s all I’ve ever been.
My father, Alaric Caelum, is Alpha of Duskwatch Pack. Not the biggest, but brutal and respected. Like most Alphas, he wanted a son. Not just any son, a legacy. A beast to carry on his name.
But his wife only gave him a daughter. So, he turned to a surrogate.
And the surrogate...lucky me...was my mom. An ordinary omega with no status.
When I was born a girl, he didn’t even try to hide his disappointment. And when my mother died soon after, he had no choice but to take me in. But he never saw me as his daughter.
He hated me from day one. Hated me for being female. Hated that I turned out to be an omega. And it didn’t help that I never manifested a wolf.
Most shifters awaken their wolves around 15.
I was 20. Still nothing. No wolf. No powers. No scent. Just weak. Weaker than humans, even.
Alaric despised weakness. So he despised me.
His wife wasn’t any better. Cassara hated my mom, and every time she looked at me, she saw the woman who shared her husband’s bed. Her disgust was constant. I was treated like a maid in their perfect little house of lies.
Honestly, I would’ve killed myself years ago if it weren’t for one person: Rhiannon.
My stepsister. Two years older. Confident. Beautiful. She never picked on me, never played the cruel games her parents did. She was the only thread holding me together.
Well, her and Corwin.
Corwin freaking Thornevale.
One of the strongest wolves in the pack. Smart, sharp, hot as hell. Everyone thought he’d be Alaric’s successor. He had his pick of all the girls, and yet somehow, he chose me.
He was the only one who ever looked at me like I mattered.
Corwin had been my light. My escape. My reason to survive.
I was going to give him my virginity tonight. Wrap it up in a bow and hand it over with my whole damn heart.
But that dream just got burned alive.
I didn’t make it far. My legs gave out somewhere in a back alley downtown, and I crumpled to the pavement, sobbing until my voice was raw.
“Selene?”
Rhiannon’s voice broke through the dark.
I didn’t know how she found me. Didn’t care. I was too broken to think. Too shattered to move.
She knelt beside me. I told her everything between hiccups and tears. She listened...calm, quiet, warm.
A car passed by, its headlights slicing through the dark just long enough to catch a glimpse of her wrist.
Her bracelet.
The same damn bracelet I’d seen on the girl in Corwin’s bed.
My stomach flipped. “She even had a bracelet just like yours.”
“She did?” Rhiannon blinked. Her voice caught for a moment as she looked down at her wrist. “Oh… probably just a popular model or something.”
She looked shaken. For a split second, I thought I saw fear flicker in her eyes.
But it vanished. She smiled like always and unfastened the bracelet. “You know what? Screw it. Let’s toss the damn thing.”
She threw it into the dark. Gone.
“No need to keep reminders of tonight,” she said lightly. “We’re rewriting the ending.”
I sniffed. “Rewriting?”
“Duh. You think I’m letting your eighteenth birthday end like this?” She pulled me to my feet. “We’re going out. You’re gonna drink. You’re gonna forget his name. And you’re gonna look so hot tonight, every guy’s gonna want a piece of you.”
“I don’t know if I can…”
“You don’t have to know. You just have to trust me.”
I didn’t trust much anymore.
I wasn’t ready. I was still aching, bleeding inside.
But gods help me, I didn’t want to feel anything anymore. So I let her lead me away.
Chapter 71 – It feels like truth Selene’s POVThe gardens behind the palace are quieter than I anticipated... too quiet, almost like they’re holding their breath. The soft shuffle of our footsteps along gravel paths is the loudest sound, save for the distant murmur of fountains and the occasional rustle of wind through hanging blossoms. I expected laughter or music, maybe the hum of life from a royal estate. Instead, there's a stillness that feels... watchful.Elowen walks between Darian and me with a graceful authority that betrays her title of “princess.” She’s not just decorative royalty; she carries herself like someone who’s used to making decisions that matter. Each time she exchanges a glance or a passing comment with Darian, there’s a flicker of understanding between them... one that’s layered and growing.As we pass beneath an arbor laced with moonflowers, I find myself learning more from their casual conversation than any formal announcement could provide. Her father, I gat
Chapter 70 – New kingdomSelene’s POVThe parchment trembles slightly in my grip, though I try to steady my hands. The ink is still fresh, a small corner curling as if it too resists being bound to its content. I stare at it in disbelief, my mind struggling to piece together the meaning behind the words."You want to what?" My voice is quiet, breathy with disbelief, but sharp enough to cut through the silence between us. I glance up at Lucien, seeking an explanation in his eyes. “You want to marry me again?”He doesn’t flinch. His face is carved from stone, all softness vanished, all warmth long extinguished. If I didn’t know him, I’d have thought he was indifferent to the question. But I do know him. And I know when he is hiding something."Don’t misinterpret this,” he replies. His voice is low, measured, as if each word has been reviewed and chosen with care. “This has nothing to do with affection or feelings. That part of us… it’s no longer relevant.”I start to respond, my mouth p
Chapter 69 – Ties That BindThird povThe sound came softly at first, barely noticeable beneath the steady rhythm of the rain. But then it was unmistakable—a delicate metallic clink that sliced through the air like a whispered secret. Lucian and Selene froze. Both pairs of eyes fell to the ground at the same time, drawn by something shining faintly through the drenched grass. There, half-buried in the mud, lay a silver ring.It wasn’t just any ring.The rain seemed to hush around them as the air thickened with recognition. The glimmering band, dulled slightly by time and weather, remained untouched by the years in its design and sentiment. Selene moved first, her breath catching as she reached forward to retrieve it. But Lucian moved faster. His hand closed around it with swift finality, fingers curling tightly as though he feared it might vanish if he let it go.For a long, agonizing moment, he did not speak.His gaze rested on the ring, and the expression on his face was not easily
Chapter 68 – When the Storm BreaksThird PovElder Jonah’s funeral is held on a damp, grey-skied afternoon, beneath the thick branches of Dawnridge Hollow’s oldest trees. The air is heavy with silence and the scent of damp moss. The ceremony itself is short, simple, and without grandeur—precisely how the old man would have wanted it. No choir, no speeches. Just a handful of those who truly knew him, standing in the soft earth at the edge of the valley, as the soil crumbles slowly over the wooden casket.Even in death, Jonah retained a mystery about him. In life, he had been both a recluse and a legend. He was the kind of man who rarely gave you the answer you wanted, but almost always the one you needed. Though known by many as the pack’s resident drunk, he was also whispered about as the ‘sober prophet,’ his slurred words carrying strange weight and eerie accuracy. He was rough, flawed, often infuriating—but never irrelevant.Lucian stands still, unmoving, as the final handful of dir
Chapter 67 - The VowSelene’s POVI never imagined I would find myself standing beneath the canopy of ancient trees, sunlight dappling the forest floor, dressed in a gown the color of fresh snow. The air feels cool against my skin, but my palms are clammy, my fingers trembling slightly as I try to calm the storm inside me. The delicate lace of the dress rests lightly along my collarbone, and the fabric clings softly to my shape, as if the gown was made just for me, though I know it was chosen in haste.Beside me, Lucian moves with quiet purpose. The sound of the fabric rustling as his fingers adjust the clasp at the back of my gown draws my attention. His knuckles brush against my neck, and the unexpected contact sends a ripple through me, as if his touch has unlocked something I had tried to keep hidden.He steps back slowly, his gaze lingering on me longer than I expect. His eyes sweep over me from head to toe, as if seeing me for the first time, and there is a flicker of something
Chapter 66: markSelene’s POVLucian’s gaze meets mine, his brows knitting together in a mixture of confusion and concern. I can practically see the thoughts racing through his mind, trying to make sense of what I have just asked him. I do not blame him, not one bit. From where he stands, none of this adds up. To him, I have always been a friend, someone he can rely on, someone he trusts. And now, out of nowhere, I am asking him for something so strange, so unexpected, that even I feel the weight of how absurd it must sound.I draw in a slow breath, steadying myself as I find the words. My voice comes out softer than I intend, the emotions heavy on my tongue. “It’s Mr. Jones’s final wish,” I say, each syllable careful and measured, as if speaking too fast might shatter what little understanding there is. “Before he dies, he wants to see me married. It doesn’t matter if it’s real or not. I just want to honor that wish, to give him that comfort in his last moments.”For a heartbeat, Luc
Welcome to GoodNovel world of fiction. If you like this novel, or you are an idealist hoping to explore a perfect world, and also want to become an original novel author online to increase income, you can join our family to read or create various types of books, such as romance novel, epic reading, werewolf novel, fantasy novel, history novel and so on. If you are a reader, high quality novels can be selected here. If you are an author, you can obtain more inspiration from others to create more brilliant works, what's more, your works on our platform will catch more attention and win more admiration from readers.
Comments