Chapter 34 — Come 

Chapter 34 — Come 

Selene’s Pov

The dim corridor seemed to stretch endlessly before me, but my gaze was fixed on the two dark silhouettes blocking the doorway ahead. My breath caught in my throat, and for a long moment, I was frozen, unable to look away. The weight of what this confrontation meant pressed down on me like a stone.

“Grab my hand, Selene! Now!” Seris’s voice cut through the silence, sharp and urgent, snapping me out of my trance. Her hand was stretched toward me, fingers trembling but steady, beckoning me to move. Panic surged in her tone, but also something else — fierce protectiveness.

Yet, even as her desperation filled the air, I found my limbs heavy, unmoving. A stillness, colder than fear, settled over me. In that brief heartbeat, a chilling clarity crystallized inside: I understood what was at stake. I knew exactly what I had to do. If we were to survive this night, it wouldn’t be together. Not this time.

“Go without me,” I said, my voice steady despite the pounding in my chest.

She blinked, disbelief flashing across her face. “What? No! I’m not leaving you behind!” Her voice cracked with urgency, and I saw the struggle behind her eyes — the fierce loyalty battling with the cruel reality I was forcing on her.

“There’s no time for arguments,” I whispered, placing a hand protectively over the small, unmistakable curve of my belly — the precious life growing there, fragile and untouchable. “The only way off this floor is a jump from the windowsill. I can’t shift into my wolf form right now — not like this. It’s too dangerous. I’d risk both our lives if I tried.”

Seris’s brows furrowed in frustration, her jaw tightening as she fought against the truth I laid bare. “I can carry you,” she insisted, voice fierce. “Down the stairs, through the windows — whatever it takes, I’ll find a way.”

Her determination clawed at my heart, making it ache. Even after everything — after the walls between us, the secrets, the betrayals — she still refused to abandon me. That stubborn loyalty was both a blessing and a curse.

But I could not let her risk herself for me. Not now.

“If you run alone, you might make it out,” I said firmly. “Carrying me will slow you down. They’ll catch us both — and then it’ll be the end.”

“No, Selene—” she started to protest again.

“Please,” I interrupted softly, voice thick with unspoken emotion. “I’m entrusting you with more than my life now. This baby… it’s the future. You have to get out. Find Lucian. Bring help. Come back for me.”

The words fell like stones between us, heavy and irrevocable. I watched as her fierce expression melted into something softer, almost tender — a crack in the armor she’d always worn around me. For a fleeting moment, I thought she might stay. But reality was cruel.

I let her hand slip away from mine, quiet and resigned.

Before long, the strong hands of the Alpha and his Beta gripped me firmly and began pulling me down from the makeshift ladder that had been our tenuous escape route. The cold air bit into my skin, and the metallic scent of fear filled my lungs. The last thing I saw before they pulled me fully into their grasp was the glint of golden hair — Seris’s hair — shimmering faintly in the fading light, a silent promise that she hadn’t given up. Not yet.

Then the door slammed shut behind me, and I faced the merciless eyes of my captors, knowing everything had changed.

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Isolde’s Perspective

I stood before the mirror in my private chamber, the soft glow of candlelight casting gentle shadows across my face. Carefully, I pressed a light touch of foundation over a stubborn bruise on my neck — a cruel reminder of earlier violence, of the nightmare that had unfolded in the span of a few hours. The red mark was stubborn, and I could feel the sting beneath my fingertips.

The memory clawed its way back, sharp and unwelcome.

I had been hurrying home, heart fluttering with anticipation for the meeting with Lucian. Thoughts of that reunion had danced through my mind like flickering flames — the opulence of the palace, the warm embrace I imagined waiting for me, the words I wanted to say. I had pictured it all with hopeful innocence, as if the world might still hold moments of light for me.

But fate had other plans.

Halfway along the cobblestone street, the world had turned dark in an instant. Heavy hands grabbed me roughly, dragging me into the shadowed embrace of a narrow alley. My heart pounded like a frantic drumbeat as I struggled, desperate for escape. A second figure appeared — a man blocking my path — and the realization hit me like a blade: I was trapped.

Through the muffled noises, I caught fragments of their harsh voices.

“Are you sure she’s Isolde? The prince’s fiancée?”

Their doubt gave me a sliver of hope. I forced myself to speak, voice trembling but steady. “No. You’ve got the wrong woman.” I met their gaze with as much conviction as I could muster. “I’m nobody special. The real Isolde wouldn’t be out alone at night like this. If you let me go, I won’t say a word.”

They exchanged wary glances, suspicion thick in the air. I seized the moment, whispering softly, “She’s just down the road — third house on the left. Black hair, green eyes, petite. She wears the ring.”

With a final glance back at me, they disappeared into the night, footsteps fading.

I hoped against hope that in misleading them, I had bought Selene some time — that I had sent those shadows away from her forever.

Now, smoothing a stray strand of hair behind my ear, I fastened a delicate pair of pearl earrings — simple, elegant, perfect for the meeting I was about to face. I took a deep breath and stepped away from the mirror, trying to compose myself.

In the sitting room, Lucian awaited — his expression sharp, eyes cold and unreadable.

“Lucian,” I said softly, trying to mask the turmoil beneath my calm facade.

He didn’t smile. His gaze bore into me like ice. “What’s this about Isolde?” he demanded, suspicion and anger bleeding through his words.

I motioned toward a chair. “Please, sit. Would you like some tea?”

“I don’t have time for pleasantries,” he snapped. “Why did you ask to see me?”

Before I could answer, the door burst open. Seris stormed in, breathless and frantic. “Selene’s been taken! We need to act—now!”

Lucian’s face darkened instantly, his jaw clenched tight. “How?”

“No time to explain. We have to move before they hurt her!” Seris pleaded, urgency flashing in her eyes.

Frustration curled in my chest, sharp and bitter. Why was Selene’s fate the only thing that mattered to him? Why was I so easily overshadowed?

I reached out, fingers trembling as they sought his hand, hoping to break through his hardened exterior. “Please, Lucian. This meeting was meant for us. I have things I need to tell you.”

But he jerked his hand away, cold as ice. “I’m only here because Selene insisted. And whatever you want to say… I’m done listening. Our relationship is over. I don’t love you anymore, Isolde.”

His words hit me like a physical blow — cruel and final.

“I’m married now,” he continued, voice low but resolute. “This ends everything between us.”

Seris watched with a faint, almost triumphant smirk as he turned away, leaving me standing there, breathless and numb, unable to find words.

I escaped the cold atmosphere of the palace and fled to my office, desperate to regain some semblance of control. But even here, peace eluded me. A cleaning lady appeared, startling me from my brooding silence.

“That big doll — should I move it somewhere else?” she asked innocently.

“Please, just leave me be for a while,” I murmured, forcing a weak smile.

Once alone, the flood of emotions overwhelmed me. I grabbed the large porcelain doll that sat on my desk — a strange, lifelike thing — and hurled it across the room. It crashed against the wall with a hollow thud.

From its built-in voice box, a familiar phrase echoed softly, chilling me to the bone.

“I love you, Isolde,” whispered Lucian’s voice — a cruel reminder of what I had lost and the tangled web of love, betrayal, and fate that bound us all.