Chapter 17

Selena’s POV

I was sinking and I didn’t even have s way out.

Ever since the announcement, I haven’t said a word.

Not to Cassian.

Not to Sisi.

Not even to myself.

It was hard to come up with any

Especially when my body went into full shock from the announcement Cassian had made earlier.

Through at the rest of the ball, I was just physically present.

My soul? Well it had travelled completely.

I could still afford to smile when necessary and attend to sisi.

But my mind?

Gone.

Back to that moment. That damn moment.

“This is Selena. My mate.”

Tye words repeated loudly in my head and I felt myself going deep into my imaginations.

I hated how my heart reacted, hiw it drummed the minute he held my hands, like it had been waiting.

Drumming loud enough to drown out common sense.

Even now, as I sat at the back of this car

A car that I had barely even taken note of the name.

With sisi in between us like a wall.

I liked it.

In a way.

i tried to steal glances at Cassian who was sitted Bt tye opposite window with his arms folded.

The way his jaws were set, I could spot and trace around every muscle that he tightened together.

He looked unbothered.

Unconcerned.

Like he wasn’t the man who had lied to an entire hall packed with prominent wolves.

Sisi, however, was completely unaware of what was going on here, she was just here living in her own world.

“Mummy, did you see the cake? I ate two slices!” she said, grinning, still licking icing from her thumb.

“Three,” I corrected absently, brushing a chocolate smudge from her cheek. “You made the kitchen staff panic when you asked for more right before the last dance.”

Sisi giggled. “But it was so yummy! I liked the one with the strawberries the most.”

“You had that one twice,” Cassian added.

It was the first time I was seeing him this way

He looked calmer

Less alpha like

Wait was that even a word?

But he was an absolute different person whenever he was with sisi amd for some reason, I could not help but feel drawn to this side of him.

I didn’t miss the way sisi’s eyes widened in horror as she snapped in his direction, “You were watching me?”

“Hard not to,” he shrugged . “You were parading around like a cupcake bandit.”

“I didn’t steal!” she gasped. “I borrowed. There’s a difference.”

I bit vack my smile, because if I didn’t? He would nitice it.

Wasn’t it weird?

Weird hiw someone could be slipping away and still alive with the things going on around her?

“And I danced!” Sisi shrieked, almost piercing my ear drums.

“ Did you see me, Mummy? I did the twirly thing!”

“I did,” I assured softly. “You looked like a little princess.”

“A real one?”

“The realest,”

I had already opened my lips to respond to her.

To give that same response

But he beat me to it

Now I was left here, with my mouth slightly open, before I turned to my side of the window.

It didn’t stop sisi from talking though.

She went on and on about everything that had happened at the ball.

But this time?

My mind had gone way to deep that I couldn’t even make out her words anymore.

For some odd reason, my mind kept flashing back to Cassian’s voice at the ball.

To the way his palm was resting on my waist.

I hated the way butterflies fluttered in my chest because the moment I felt his hand on my waist.

The proud look the councilmen had when they heard the word mate frkm his lips,

It had been days since I transferred the money to the hospital for Aunt Mara’s final surgery.

Days since Eleanor had replied to my text with only

“Thank you. Are you okay?”

And I told her not to ask more questions. That I’d explain everything in person.

But what could I even say?

“Hi Eleanor. Surprise! I’m playing pretend Luna in a cold palace with a hotter-than-sin Alpha who barely tolerates me but makes my heart behave like a drunk teenager. Anyway, how’s campus?”

Yeah. No.

Sisi’s adjusted and leaned on my breasts.

“Are we going home now?” she mumbled, rubbing her eyes.

“Yes,” I whispered.

“To the palace?”

“…Yes.”

She perked up instantly, completely startling me.

“Yay! I wanna show Adeline how I twirled in my dress!”

Cassian chuckled, but I felt the rumble in my chest.. “Don’t forget to tell her about the ‘borrowed’ cupcake.”

Sisi huffed and crossed her arms. “It was a test! I was testing if the cupcakes were safe for everyone.”

“You’re very considerate,” I nodded, feeling amused by her utterances .

She beamed proudly. “I know!”

Then Cassian spoke again. This time, directed at me.

“You were quiet back there.”

I didn’t answer.

“Selena,” he said, more firmly now.

Still no response.

“I thought you’d have a barrel load of things to say.”

I finally turned, met his eyes. “What do you want me to say?”

“That you understand why I had to do it.”

“I don’t.”

And I wasn’t lying because i honestly didn’t understand why everything had to be rushed

It was barely a week and I was already fully involved

What did I expect after being paid upfront

he cleared his throat, pulling me out my thoughts . “You will.”

My throat tightened. I looked away again. “Let’s not do this in front of her.”

He exhaled and leaned back against the seat. “Fine.”

The rest of the ride was oddly uncomfortable.

You know the kind of silence that threatened to suffocate you?

Yeah that kind.

When we got to the palace, the guards opened the doors.

I wasn’t used to such treatment, so for a second there…. I was shocked.

I helped Sisi out first, her hand slipping comfortably into mine.

“Mummy,” she whispered, tugging at my fingers. “I have a surprise for you.”

“Oh?” I asked, raising a brow.

“Nope,” she grinned mischievously. “But you go first.”

I chuckled. “Actually… I have something for you.”

Her eyes lit up instantly. “Really?! What is it? Is it a pony? Or a dragon?”

“Guess again,” I said, nodding to the maid walking over with a small wrapped box.

Sisi gasped and snatched it with delight, tearing the paper with loud crinkles and excited squeals.

“A book!” she cried. “A new one!”

“Not just any book,” I told her. “It’s a special bedtime story. I had the maids look everywhere for it.”

Sisi hugged the book to her chest like it was made of gold. “Can we read it tonight? Together? Please?”

“I thought you’d never ask.”

“Yay! But…” She hesitated. “In dad’s ? I like his bed more.”

I paused. And she caught it.

“Please?” she asked again, her eyes wide and pleading. “Just tonight. I won’t even take all the pillows.”

I sighed. “Alright. Just tonight.”

But the second we reached the room, she was already up on the bed with the book opened to the first page.

“You promised!” she chirped. “Come on!”

I slid in beside her and started to read, her voice chiming in for the easy words.

“Thank you, Mummy,” she whispered partway through, snuggling into my side. “This is my favorite book ever.”

I kissed her forehead. “You say that about every new one.”

“But this one’s special. Like us.”

We reached the last page, and just as I was about to close the book, when I heard the sound of the door.

I was foolish to hope that it was a maid or something.

But there was still this hope

Maybe she was bringing hot chocolate.

Sisi’s head shot up like a spring.

“Daddy!”

Her words shattered every ounce of hope i had.

I didn’t even try to peek

Cassian stood in the doorway, shirt halfway undone, hair ruffled like he’d run his hands through it a thousand times.

“Did I miss storytime?” he asked softly and I could have sworn that I saw him wink.

Sisi bounced on her knees. “You’re coming to sleep with Mummy and me?”

Cassian blinked. “Am I?”

“Of course!” She scooted toward the edge, patting the mattress eagerly. “I can make space. Do you want the blanket or the soft pillow?”

I froze.

Cassian looked at me, like asking for silent permission.

I didn’t speak.

He stepped in anyway.

“I’ll take whatever you give me,” he said, voice quiet.

Sisi beamed. “You get the soft pillow. But only if you tell me your favorite animal.”

Cassian lifted an eyebrow. “Right now? Probably a wolf cub who eats three cupcakes and gets away with it.”

Sisi giggled. “That’s not an animal! That’s me!”

He sat on the edge, toeing off his shoes. His leg brushed mine as he adjusted into the bed beside us.

And my heart?

It drummed.

Loud.

Stupid.

Reckless.

I hated it.

I hated that it responded to him like this—like he hadn’t flipped my entire life upside down.

Sisi tugged my hand. “Mummy? You stopped reading.”

“I—sorry. I…”

“You’re doing that thing again,” she protested tugging at my gown.

“What thing?”

“Getting lost in your head. Like you went somewhere and left me and Daddy behind.”

I blinked.

Cassian was watching me again, silent but focused.

I cleared my throat and shut the book. “Okay, bedtime. No more talking.”

“Okay, okay,” Sisi murmured, wriggling under the blanket.

I turned off the lamp.

I was hyper alert, so alert that I could denote each person’s breathing patttern.

I felt Cassian move closer, and then his thigh barely touched mine.

And gods… there it went again.

My heart.

Drumming like a fool.

Like it didn’t know better. Like it had chosen him before I had the chance to protest.

I squeezed my eyes shut.

Just go to sleep, Selena. Just go to sleep.

But then Sisi whispered, “Mummy?”

“Hm?”

“Are you okay?”

I nodded. “Just thinking.”

She yawned. “You think too much.”

Yeah.

I did.

Because if I didn’t think, I’d feel.

And tonight…

Feeling might be the most dangerous thing of all.