Chapter Seventy Four — A Lie I Tell MyselfSelene’s POVI sat alone in the room, the lights dimmed low. The soft scent of lavender filled the air as I rubbed cream gently over my belly. My fingers moved slowly, tracing the slight curve that had started to show. It was early still, but I could feel the change—my body wasn’t only mine anymore.“I hope you’re okay in there,” I whispered. “I’m trying. I don’t know if I’m doing this right, but I’m trying.”A knock came. Light. Then the door opened without waiting for a reply.Evric.He stepped in slowly, as if he didn’t want to scare me. He wore a loose black shirt today, and his eyes carried that look he always had when he saw me—soft, but sharp beneath. I quickly pulled the edge of my night robe across my thighs, suddenly feeling exposed.“You’re awake,” he said, his voice calm. “I thought I’d find you asleep.”“I couldn’t sleep.”He nodded, then his gaze dropped to my belly. “You’re showing.”I didn’t reply. He walked over and sat besid
Chapter Seventy-Three: “Stay Hidden”POV: LucienI didn’t know how I managed to get Ronan out of that area without him causing a scene. His eyes had gone wild the moment he caught sight of Evric’s mansion. His body wanted to move. His heart was screaming for Selene. But I couldn’t let him go there. Not yet.Too many things had changed.Too many truths would crush him.And he wasn’t ready.I brought him deep into the woods, a place only I knew. A tiny cottage covered in moss and leaves, hidden far from the royal roads. It was the place I used to escape when the pressure of my duty was too much. No one ever came here. Not even guards.I opened the creaking wooden door. Dust hung in the air. Cobwebs in corners. But it was still safe. Safe enough.“Sit,” I told Ronan.He didn’t speak. His face was pale, his jaw clenched. He looked like a ghost who had come back from the dead.He sat on the edge of the bed, his shoulders shaking. “Where is she, Lucien?” His voice was broken. “Where is Sele
Chapter Seventy Two: The King Who Was ForgottenLucien’s POVThe weight of the box in my hand felt heavier than it should have.Simple wood. Smooth surface. No scent, no rune, no engraving—just a hollow container for Evric’s message. And yet, I hated touching it. Everything about him, even his errands, tasted like poison to me now.“Take it to Elder Nara,” he had said, voice calm as always. “You’ll find her in the eastern grove.”No please. No thank you. Just orders from a throne dressed in charm.I didn’t say a word as I bowed and turned, but he called out behind me like an afterthought. “Don’t lose it, Lucien. That box contains something worth more than your life.”And mine, I thought grimly.The sun was starting to lean westward, gilding the spires of the palace in gold. I moved through the courtyard in silence, ignoring the guards who bowed as I passed. My cloak fluttered at my heels as I descended the stone steps toward the outer forest.I didn’t glance back at the palace.Not at
Chapter Seventy One: Almost HisSelene’s POVIt had been a few days since I moved into the new room. The old one felt too small, too cold, and maybe that was why I agreed when Evric suggested I move. I told myself I didn’t want trouble. I told myself it was just for the baby’s comfort. But deep down, I knew I was tired of fighting.The room was warm, far more elegant than I was used to. Thick carpets covered the floor, golden curtains hung beside wide windows, and the bed… it was so large I could stretch without touching the edges. It felt like something meant for a queen. For a Luna.And that’s what they had started calling me.The guards. The maids. Even the elders. They all looked at me with strange eyes now—respect, some with jealousy, others with quiet pity. But no one saw me for who I was. They only saw the Luna. Evric’s Luna.I didn’t correct them anymore. I didn’t tell them the child wasn’t his. I didn’t argue. What was the use?Each day, Evric visited. Sometimes in the mornin
Chapter Seventy : A Room That Isn’t MineSelene’s POVThe celebration was over, but my heart was heavier than it had ever been.People cheered, danced, drank, and clapped like it was the happiest day in the kingdom. They called me Luna. They smiled at me. They looked at my stomach and smiled even more. But inside, I was wilting. I had smiled too — the kind of smile that a prisoner forces when her chains are wrapped in flowers.When I finally stepped into my room that evening, I shut the door quietly behind me. My hands rested on my belly as I exhaled, long and shaky. The silence was a relief. It was the only thing that didn’t pretend.I sat on the edge of the bed and looked around at the room that still carried faint pieces of Ronan. No one else could see it, but I did. I saw him in the corners, in the space between the curtains, in the blanket that still held a thread he once pulled. My fingers curled around the edge of the mattress.“I’m sorry,” I whispered, voice barely audible. “I
Chapter Sixty Nine: A Smile That Wasn’t MineSelene’s POVThe hall was bright.Too bright.Candles floated in the air, and golden cloth hung like ribbons from the high ceiling. People clapped and raised their glasses, smiling at us — at me. But I couldn’t smile back, not really. I could only pretend. And I did. Over and over again.I stood beside Evric, dressed in silver and red, the traditional colors of a Luna. My hands rested on my growing belly, and every time I looked down, my heart squeezed so hard I thought it would shatter.They thought this child was his.I could see it in their eyes — the way the maidens giggled, whispering about how powerful our bond must be. The way the warriors nodded respectfully to Evric, saying things like “You’ve done well, my Alpha,” or “She’s truly your Luna now.” I heard it all.They didn’t know.They didn’t know that I felt like a prisoner behind this gown. That every step I took beside Evric felt like walking further away from Ronan. That this ch