chapter 5

SELENE'S POV

I should have known something was wrong when Kade Voss walked toward me after classes.

He had never walked toward me like that before.

Usually, whenever Kade saw me at school, he would give me a casual smile, maybe ruffle my hair if Ethan was standing nearby, and ask how my classes were going before turning his attention back to his teammates or whichever beautiful girl happened to be hanging around him that day.

Today was different.

He was alone, and he was walking directly toward me.

I immediately looked around, wondering if perhaps there was someone standing behind me that I had somehow failed to notice.

There wasn't.

My heart began beating faster.

Kade stopped in front of me and studied my face for a moment.

"Can I talk to you?"

I tightened my grip around the books against my chest.

"About what?"

"It's private."

That did absolutely nothing to calm my nerves.

I glanced at the students passing through the hallway before reluctantly following him toward the quieter end.

"What do you want?"

Kade hesitated.

"I need a favor."

I almost laughed. "A favor?"

"Yes."

"You know, that's not exactly reassuring coming from you."

His lips twitched.

"I'm serious, Selene."

"So am I. What is it?"

He took a breath.

"I need you to pretend to be my girlfriend."

For several seconds, I simply stared at him.

Then I laughed.

It wasn't a small laugh either. It escaped before I could stop it.

Kade's expression remained completely serious.

I slowly covered my mouth.

"I'm sorry. You want me to pretend to be your girlfriend?"

"Yes."

"Me?"

"Yes, you."

I looked behind me again as if another Selene might suddenly appear.

"Why?"

"My father is trying to force me into an arranged marriage."

My laughter disappeared.

"What?"

"To Princess Aurora. He's already decided we're getting married, and apparently my opinion isn't part of the discussion."

I shook my head slowly.

"But why me? There are hundreds of girls who would agree to pretend to date you without thinking twice. Half the girls at Mooncrest would probably fight each other for the opportunity."

"Because you're different."

My heart gave an embarrassing little flutter.

Kade continued before I could read too much into his words.

"You're not interested in being seen with me. You don't chase me around school. You don't flirt with me every time I walk into a room, and you don't have some hidden agenda."

If only he knew.

I had spent years having the biggest hidden agenda of all.

I had wanted him for so long that sometimes I wondered whether my obsession with him had become a permanent part of my personality.

"What exactly would I have to do?"

"We act like we're dating. We spend time together, go out together, show up at school together and make it convincing enough that my father and Aurora believe I'm serious about you."

"And then?"

"When Aurora realizes I'm not going to marry her, she'll end the engagement herself."

I stared at him.

It sounded ridiculous.

It also sounded strangely logical.

"What happens when she finds out it's fake?"

"She won't."

"And what happens when Ethan finds out?"

His expression shifted.

"We'll be careful."

I lowered my gaze.

There it was.

The problem neither of us could ignore.

My brother would kill him if he found out about this.

"Please, Selene. Don't say no. I don't have another option."

I looked at him again.

"You have plenty of options, Kade."

"Not one that I trust."

Those words made something inside me ache.

Still, I couldn't do it.

I stepped around him.

"Selene, wait."

I kept walking.

"I'm sorry, but I can't do this."

"Why?"

I stopped.

Because you could never actually want me.

Because I'm not one of those women.

Because if I let myself believe you, even for a second, I would probably spend the rest of my life regretting it.

Instead, I turned around.

"Because this doesn't make sense."

"It makes perfect sense."

"No, it doesn't." I shook my head. "You could choose anyone. Anyone, Kade. So why would you choose me?"

"Because I chose you."

"That's not an answer."

"It is."

I swallowed hard.

"I'm not your type."

His expression changed.

"How do you know what my type is?"

"Everyone knows."

I looked down at myself before I could stop myself.

"I'm plus-sized, Kade. I'm not one of the slim, gorgeous girls you date. I'm not the girl people expect to see standing beside you."

His jaw tightened.

"Selene…”

"And I am also wolfless, so please tell me, how does it sound that the Alpha of this pack is dating a wolfless girl?”

I hated how vulnerable my voice sounded.

"So if this is some kind of joke, please just stop."

"It's not a joke."

"Then why does it feel like one?"

I turned away again.

I barely made it two steps before his fingers closed gently around my wrist.

I gasped and looked back.

"Let me go."

"You're not listening to me."

"I heard you perfectly and I'm not going to let you make me look like an idiot!”

I tried pulling my hand free.

His grip loosened immediately, but before he could release me completely, I stumbled backward.

Kade instinctively pulled me toward him.

I collided with his chest and my hands landed against his shirt.

For one breathless second, neither of us moved.

I looked up and he was staring down at me.

His hands rested lightly at my waist, steadying me, while my fingers remained curled into his shirt.

My heart hammered against my ribs.

Kade's face was close enough that I could see the faint flecks of silver in his blue-gray eyes.

Every fantasy I'd ever had about being close to him suddenly seemed harmless compared to reality.

"Selene," he said quietly.

The sound of my name in his voice snapped me back to myself.

I immediately stepped away.

"I'm fine."

He released me.

For a moment, neither of us spoke.

Then Kade said, "I wasn't trying to embarrass you, please selene, I genuinely need your help”

Something about the sincerity in his voice made it difficult to look away.

I took a slow breath.

"If I agree, there are rules."

Kade's eyebrows lifted.

"Rules?"

"Lots of them."

A smile slowly appeared on his face.

"I'm listening."

I don't want you confusing me about what this is. We're pretending to be together, and that's all it is. So no mixed signals, no making me think this is something real when it isn't. The moment Aurora backs off, we end it.”

"Agreed."

I stared at him for another moment, my heart pounding.

This was insane and probably the worst idea I had ever had.

But maybe it was also exactly what I needed.

I tightened my grip on my books and finally gave him the answer that would change everything.

"Fine, I'll do it, I'll be your fake girlfriend”