Chapter 5

Selene's POV

After resting for a while, I felt a little stronger. Dante walked in, stoic expression and all.

“Are you ready to meet my pack?”

“Meet your pack?” My stomach twisted in anxiety at the thought. “What are they going to think of me?”

“They’ll understand. Just be yourself,” he replied, giving me an encouraging nod.

“Don’t worry.”

I took a deep breath and allowed him to lead me out of the room. As we walked down the hallway, I felt nervous. What would they think? I had been through so much already, and now I was about to enter a world I didn’t fully understand.

When we arrived at a large common area, several members of his pack were gathered. They turned to look at us as we entered, and for a moment, it felt like all eyes were on me.

“Everyone, this is Selene,” Dante announced, his voice loud.

“She is carrying my child, and I expect you to treat her with respect.”

Murmurs flew through the crowd. Some looked curious, while others looked downright hostile. A tall woman stepped forward, her eyes narrowed. It was Anna, my sister. What the fuck was she doing here?!

“What is she doing here?” Anna demanded, her voice sharp. “You’ve been betrothed to me, Dante!”

“I don’t owe you anything anymore, Anna,” Dante replied, his tone firm. “Our engagement is off.” Engagement?! I felt the ground beneath me swim but I felt Dante's hand steadying me.

Anna’s face turned red with anger. “How can you say that? What about the future we planned together?”

“Plans change. Selene is having my child,” Dante said, standing tall, his gaze steady.

“That’s the future I want.” I felt the tension in the air as Anna took a step closer to me.

“You're nothing but a mistake! You think you can just waltz in here and take what’s mine?”

I looked at her, heart racing.

“I did not ask for any of this, Anna. Unlike you, I had no intention of sleeping around. We just decided on it minutes ago!”

“Then why are you here?” she spat, her fury spilling over. Dante stepped in front of me, his anger boiling.

“This isn’t about you anymore, Anna! You lied and cheated, and you need to take responsibility for that!”

“Don’t call me a liar!” Anna shouted, her face twisting in rage. “You were supposed to be with me!”

“Not anymore!” He thrust his finger toward her. “This is not about you! I’ve had enough of your games. Selene is carrying my child, and that’s the priority. My child will lead this pack to a strong future.”

“Ha! You think you can just decide our future without me?” Anna shouted, taking another step closer, her fists clenched.

“You’re making a huge mistake, Dante!” she warned, anger radiating off of her. “You’ll regret this. You have no idea what you're doing!”

“I know exactly what I'm doing,” he said calmly, eyes unyielding. Just then, Anna lunged forward, her hands reaching for me.

“You little witch! You think you can take everything from me? I’ll make you pay!”

But before she could lay a finger on me, Dante stepped in, grabbing her wrist with surprising strength.

“Back off from her! You can’t intimidate her anymore. You’ve lost your power over this family.” Anna struggled against his grip, but Dante held firm.

“Get your hands off me!” she screeched, anger spilling from her. “You’ll pay for this, both of you! Do you think I will let this slide?”

“I’m done with you, Anna,” Dante said, his voice steady. “This engagement has officially been dissolved.”

The impact of his words hung in the air as Anna’s face twisted in disbelief. “You’ll see what happens when I call my father! He won’t let you get away with this!”With that, Anna jerked away and stormed off, her anger radiating through the room.

I stood there, still reeling from the confrontation, my mind racing.

“Did you really mean that?” I asked, my voice small, looking up at Dante.

“Every word,” he replied, looking earnestly at me. “This is about you and the baby now. No one else matters.” For the first time, I genuinely smiled. “Thank you for standing up for me. It really means a lot.”

“We had a deal, Selene. I'll play my part and I trust you will play yours”

“Right,” I replied, trying to push aside the anxiety I felt from Anna's outburst. I looked around the room at the other pack members. Some still looked unsure, while others seemed to nod as if agreeing with Dante.

“I just wish it wasn’t like this,” I admitted, biting my lip. Dante paused. “I know it’s confusing, but pack politics can be messy. You’ll learn to navigate it with time.”

As we settled down in a quieter part of the room, I could hear the sounds of other pack members buzzing around us.

There were whispers and glances directed our way, but I felt a little less anxious.

“You’re going to be a great mother,” Dante said suddenly.

“Do you really think so?” I asked, “I’m so nervous.”

“Of course. I do not speak empty words.”

“Thanks, I’ll do my best. For the baby.”

“Good,” he said, smiling back.

But my thoughts turned back to Anna.

“What about her? Is she going to cause trouble?”

“Let her try,” Dante replied, a hint of defiance in his tone. “She has no power here anymore.”

“Really?” I asked, unsure.

“Really,” he affirmed, looking into my eyes.

“You’re my priority now. I won’t let her interfere.”

“I appreciate that,” I said, feeling comforted by his words. Just then, the door opened, and another pack member walked in, looking a bit anxious.

“Alpha, Miss Anna is gathering some of her friends. They’re not happy,” he said, nervousness in his tone.

“Let them come,” Dante replied, standing up straighter. “We can handle it.”

“Are you sure?” I asked, a little worried at the sudden turn of the atmosphere.

“Yes,” he insisted, his voice calm and steady.

“We’ve got this. We’ll face them together.”

“I don’t want to fight,” I said, more to myself than him. “I just want peace.”

Just then, I caught a glimpse of the tension in the door. My heart raced again as Anna strode back in, followed by a few of her friends. Her face was hard with rage, and I could see she had come to cause trouble.

“Selene!” Anna shouted, her voice echoing through the room. “You think you can just take everything from me?”

“Here we go,” I whispered, feeling my heart pound.

“Stay back, Anna,” Dante warned, moving to stand in front of me. “This is a space for Selene, and you are not welcome here.”

“You can’t protect her forever,” Anna snarled, her friends fanning out behind her.

“You are making a big mistake, Dante!”

“What I’m doing is choosing a future with Selene,” Dante said, his voice fierce.

“Future?” Anna laughed bitterly. “Ha! You don’t even know what you’re getting into! The bitch couldn't even keep her own husband!”

I felt my stomach drop. Anna had a point

“Enough!” Dante's voice thundered through the room. “You’re done here. You’ll no longer be able to access this pack. You are forbidden from ever coming here. Guards!”

Anna’s face twisted into an expression of pure rage.

“You will regret this, both of you!” she screamed as the guards took her out.