Chapter 8

CHAPTER 8

SELENE’S POV

I stood in the center of my bedroom, my whole body shaking with pure rage. I could not keep my calm anymore. The moment the bedroom door was locked tight behind me, I completely lost my mind.

"How could he do this to me?!" I screamed at the top of my lungs, throwing a glass vase right at the wall.

It smashed into a hundred sharp pieces, shattering onto the floor, but it did not make me feel any better. I let out another loud scream and swept everything off my dressing table with one hard swing of my arm. Perfume bottles, expensive makeup, and hairbrushes crashed onto the cold floor.

How could Damien do this? How could he bring another woman into this pack house right under my nose? We were supposed to get married. I was supposed to become the Luna of this pack, and everyone was supposed to respect me. Bringing his ex-girlfriend here without my permission was a huge slap in my face. It was humiliating, and I was furious.

I paced back and forth across the room, my chest heaving up and down. I picked up my phone from the bed and turned on the screen. I tapped on the gallery and stared at the photo on the screen.

It was a picture of Ava.

I stared down at her face, my fingers pressing so hard against the glass that my knuckles turned white. It was an old picture I had managed to find long ago. I was so impatient to see how she looked right now in real life. She had been gone for years. She disappeared into thin air, and now, suddenly, she was back in my territory. 

"I need to see her with my own two eyes," I whispered to myself, my voice cold and bitter.

I set my phone down, fixed my hair in the mirror, and wiped the anger from my face. I opened my bedroom door and walked out into the long corridor, heading straight toward the Estate where Damien was keeping her. I was going to walk into that room and show that girl her place.

Just as I turned the corner near the private medical wing, I heard hushed voices speaking in the quiet hallway.

I froze instantly. I stepped back behind a large stone pillar, flattening my body against the wall so no one could see me. I peeked around the edge very carefully.

Marcus was standing in the hall. He was talking in a very low voice to the pack's private physician, Doctor Louis.

My heart began to beat fast against my ribs. I held my breath, keeping completely still as I listened closely to their hushed words.

"Make sure no one sees you take these to the lab," Marcus was whispering to Louis, handing him a small, clear plastic bag. "The Alpha wants this done as fast as possible. We need a full paternity test."

"I understand, Beta Marcus," Doctor Louis replied in a serious tone, taking the small bag. "I will run the DNA comparison myself. It will stay completely private."

"Good. Tell no one about this," Marcus said firmly.

Paternity test? My blood ran cold behind the pillar. What child were they talking about? Did Ava come back here with a child?

I stayed hidden, barely breathing, until I heard Marcus’s  footsteps fade away down the long corridor. The moment Marcus turned the corner and was completely out of sight, I stepped out from behind the stone pillar.

I did not waste a single second. I rushed over to Doctor Louis before he could step into his private medical room.

"Doctor Louis!" I called out, voice sharp and demanding.

Doctor Louis jumped, turning around quickly with a startled look on his face. He quickly tried to hide the small plastic bag behind his back, looking very nervous.

"Selene!" he said, clearing his throat awkwardly. "I... I did not hear you coming. What can I do for you?"

I walked right up to him, stepping directly into his personal space. I looked him dead in the eye and demanded, "What is going on here?  What were you and Marcus talking about?"

Doctor Louis swallowed hard, his eyes darting around the empty hallway. "I am sorry, Selene. You know I cannot discuss private medical matters with anyone. The Alpha gave me strict orders to keep this confidential."

His refusal to answer infuriated me instantly. Anger flared up inside my chest like a burning fire, but I forced a dark, mocking smile onto my lips.

I took a slow step closer to him, lowering my voice to a dangerous whisper.

"Listen to me very carefully, Louis," I said, my voice smooth as ice. "You need to think about where your loyalty truly stands in this pack. My family holds immense power here. Very soon, I am going to become the Luna of this entire pack. Think about what you stand to gain if you stay on my good side when I take the crown."

Doctor Louis looked at me, his face turning slightly pale, but he still hesitated.

"And think about what will happen if you cross me," I added, stepping even closer so my face was inches from his. "If you refuse to speak right now, I will personally make sure your life in this pack house becomes a living nightmare. I will turn every single worker, every guard, and every servant against you. You will lose your job, your respect, and your place here. Do you understand me?"

Doctor Louis stared at me, eyes giving his panic away. He knew I had the power to make good on my threats. His shoulders slumped down in defeat, and he let out a shaky breath.

Forced and terrified, Louis finally broke.

"Okay, okay! Please, just calm down," Louis whispered frantically, looking over his shoulder. "Alpha Damien's ex came back yesterday... and she did not come alone. She came with a little boy."

My eyes narrowed into sharp slits. "A child?"

"Yes," Louis confessed in a quiet, trembling voice. "The Alpha believes the child might be his. That is why Beta Marcus just gave me this. They want to get a paternity test done right away to prove the boy's bloodline."

Louis lifted his hand slowly and showed me the small, clear plastic bag. Inside it was a single strand of hair with the hair follicle still attached.

A wave of pure terror and rage rushed through my whole body. A child! If that boy was really Damien's son, Ava would be tied to Damien forever. 

I swore on my very life right then and there that I would never let that happen.

Before Doctor Louis could react, I reached out my hand quickly and snatched the clear plastic bag right out of his fingers.

"Hey! What are you doing?!" Louis gasped, his eyes going wide with panic. "Give that back, Selene! I need to test that sample!"

"You are not going to test anything," I warned him, my voice cold, hard, giving off what he fears most. "You are not going to run any paternity test, Louis. Do not dare touch this boy's DNA again."

Doctor Louis began to panic, wringing his hands together in pure terror. "Are you crazy?! What am I supposed to tell Damien when he asks for the results?! He is the Alpha! He will kill me if I don't give him an answer!"

I looked down at Doctor Louis, a dark, cold frown settling on my face.

"Well, you are the doctor," I said, turning around with the bag safely in my hand. "Think of something.”