Too Late To Love Me, Alpha Theon

Selene's POV

Cold water dripped from the hem of my dress, gathering beneath my feet in tiny puddles as I staggered into the hall.

With every step, every muscle in my body screamed in protest, my eyes burned from exhaustion and the back of my head throbbed with every heartbeat. But none of it compared to the confusion twisting inside of me.

The fall had happened so fast. One moment, Cora and I were standing at the edge of the cliff, arguing. The next...we were both falling.

I still couldn't understand it. Had she lost her footing? Or... Had I?

My thoughts dissolved as murmurs rippled through the hall. It took me a moment to realize that the whispers were about me.

The hate in their eyes were palpable, it came from every corner of the room, following me as I stumbled farther inside.

If looks could kill, I was certain I would already have been buried six feet underground.

Without even knowing my side of the story, they seemed to have concluded I was guilty.

A shaky breath escaped my lips when Warren, the pack's physician, and his assistants hurried into the hall. For a moment, the accusing stares turned away from me.

They rushed past me as though I didn't exist, surrounding the bed where Cora lay unconscious.

Alpha Theon was already there. His hands trembled as he brushed the damp strands of hair from Cora's face.

"Warren," he ordered, his voice strained with urgency. "Do whatever you must."

"Yes, Alpha "

The medical team immediately got to work. Cora's weak sobs echoed through the room as she pleaded for them to save her baby first.

With every cry, I saw the fear in Theon's eyes deepen. He held Cora's hand tightly, murmuring quiet words of comfort as though she were the only person in the room. His eyes didn't leave her for one second, not even to acknowledge me, his mate.

A sharp ache pierced my chest, my wolf kicking in protest. I knew this wasn't the time to be jealous, but I had fallen from that cliff too.

The cuts on my arms were still bleeding. My knees burned, my ankle throbbed, and my entire body was trembling from the cold.

Yet no one spared me a second glance. Or perhaps, they simply didn't care.

I sank into the nearest chair before my trembling legs would give out beneath me. Cold seeped through my veins, but I couldn't tear my eyes away from Cora.

My teeth chattered as I mouthed a prayer.

Please...let her survive.

No matter what had happened between us, I didn't want her, or her baby to die. Because if they did, no one would ever believe I was innocent.

After what felt like an eternity, Warren finally stepped away from the bed.

The entire hall fell silent as he approached Theon.

"Speak, Warren," Theon demanded, barely concealing his impatience. "How is she?"

Warren hesitated. "Lady Cora will recover. Her injuries are not life-threatening."

A collective sigh of relief swept through the hall. Mine included.

But before anyone could celebrate, Warren dropped to his knees and lowered his head.

My heart lurched and I sprung to my feet.

"Warren?" Theon's voice sharpened. "What is it?"

"I'm sorry, Alpha." His voice trembled. "We couldn't save the child."

For one devastating second, the hall fell into complete silence. Then Cora's anguished cry shattered it.

"My baby!" She clutched her stomach, tears already streaming down her cheeks. "No... not my child..." She shook her head over and over, as though refusing to believe what she had just heard.

"It was all I had left of Eren. My mate is gone, and now my baby is gone too. Why? Why is this happening to me?"

She cried as though her heart had been ripped apart from her chest.

"Why don't I just die now? What am I living for?"

Theon immediately drew closer to her, and her handmaidens hurried to her side. Everyone else just lowered their head in pity, unable to watch her suffer.

Me? I remained frozen in my track.

I never wished this upon her. Regardless of our differences, no mother deserved to experience such a heartbreak.

Without realizing it, I found myself walking toward the bed. Each step sent pain shooting through my bruised ankles but I ignored it.

It was nothing compared to what Cora must be feeling.

"Cora..." My voice came out softer than I intended. "I'm..."

The words caught in my throat.

I had no idea what to say. Cora and I had never shared a moment like this before. We had never been close enough to comfort each other.

But despite everything between us, I couldn't bring myself to step back. Not while she had just lost her child. Cora needed as much comfort as she could get, she needed to know she wasn't alone even though her mate— and now, her child— were gone.

I had barely reached the bedside when Cora's head snapped up to me. For a heartbeat, she stared at me as though she didn't know where she was.

Then her pupils dilated and fear flooded her face

"No..." She scrambled backwards, clutching Theon's arm with trembling fingers.

"No! Stay away from me!" Her scream tore through the hall.

I froze, speechless, my jaw dropping in confusion.

Cora buried herself against Theon's chest, shaking uncontrollably.

"Please... Don't let her touch me. Don't let her hurt me again."

The words stopped me cold in my tracks and a weird tension formed in the air.

"Lady Cora..." Theon's voice softened as he held her closer. "You're safe now. No one is going to hurt you."

Cora shook her head violently, sobbing loudly.

"My lady," her handmaiden whispered, stroking her back. "The Luna only wants to comfort you."

At the mention of me, Cora visibly stiffened.

Then she lifted her tear-filled eyes to mine again and it darkened with terror.

"Please…" she whispered, shaking her head. "My baby is already gone…"

She clutched the blankets over her stomach as another sob escaped her. "Please don't kill me too."

My heart skipped a beat.

"Cora…" I took an instinctive step forward. "What are you talking about?"

She flinched as though I had struck her.

"Don't come any closer!" she cried, shrinking farther into Theon's arms.

"I won't stand in your way anymore… I swear it." Fresh tears streamed down her cheeks.

"My son is gone. There is no one to threaten your position anymore."

My blood ran cold. Almost instantly, murmurs rippled through the crowd.

What was Cora implying?

"No…" I whispered, shaking my head. "That's not what happened."

But my words could barely reach the accusatory whispers reaching me from different angles.

Yes, everyone in IronClaw knew Cora was carrying Eren's son. The pack’s physician, Warren, had confirmed it.

As the late Alpha's only heir, that child would have one day inherited the pack from Theon. And until he was old enough to find his mate, Cora would have reclaimed her position as Luna.

But that thought had never crossed my mind. Not once. I would never hurt an innocent child just to secure my place as Luna.

Never.

However, listening to Cora's heart-wrenching sob, doubt crept into my mind.

Everything happened too fast. Had I somehow pushed her without realizing it?

I squeezed my eyes shut, desperately forcing myself to remember.

The whispers around me gradually faded until all I could hear was the frantic pounding of my own heart.

And just then... the memory surfaced in clear scattered fragments.

The sharp wind against my face.

Cora standing before me with tears spilling down her cheeks as we argued.

I had seen her fake-cry like that before. It wasn't unusual.

Then I remembered her hands reaching out and her fingers suddenly closing around my wrist.

She pulled me toward the edge of the cliff with her.

I remembered stumbling forward, trying to tear myself free.

"What are you doing?" I had screamed against the wind.

But then...she had smiled.

It wasn't the frightened smile of someone about to fall. It wasn't panic.

It was calm, chilling and...almost victorious.

The next instant she leaned backward, her grip around my wrist tightened. And she dragged me over the edge with her.

My eyes flew open. "No..."

The memory was impossible. My heart refused to believe it.

Cora couldn't have done that. She couldn't have sacrificed her own child just to frame me.

Slowly, I looked back up. Cora was still sobbing in Theon's arms. She looked exactly like a grieving mother.

Then, as if sensing my gaze, she looked up at me. For the briefest moment, the fear vanished from her eyes.

The corner of her curved ever so slightly. It was a smile. The same tiny, almost imperceptible one she had given me before dragging me over the cliff with her.

Then it was gone and she buried her face against Theon's chest once more, crying even harder than before.

A chill crawled down my spine. Cora hadn't slipped at all, she had fallen on purpose!