EPISODE 5
I stood at the sink, splashing cold water on my face, hoping it would calm the tight knot in my chest. The humiliation I had felt at the dinner table still clung to me. I kept hearing the words, the stares, the silence that followed every cruel remark.”
But something else had started growing inside me, something worse.”
It began as a dull ache in my lower stomach, but it kept getting sharper. I gripped the edge of the sink just to stay upright. At first, I thought it was just stress or maybe something I had eaten, but the pain kept building. My skin burned, my hands trembled, and something inside me felt wrong.N
I turned to leave, thinking I needed to lie down, but when I grabbed the doorknob, it didn’t move. I tried again, harder this time, but it still wouldn’t budge. That’s when I realized that it had been locked from the outside.
A second later, I heard her voice.
“Well, well. Look who’s stuck,” Lilith said, her tone fake and sweet, like she was savoring the moment. “Poor Selene. Locked away like the pathetic little stray you are.”N
Each word was soaked in smugness. My skin crawled. I slammed my hand against the door. “Lilith, open the door. Now.”
She laughed, not loud or forced, just amused, like this was all a joke to her.”
“Why would I do that?” she said. “So, you can go crawling back to my mate? Oh, right… he’s your husband now. I keep forgetting.“” Pain twisted in my stomach again, sharper than before. I leaned against the wall, pressing a hand to my abdomen.”
She kept going. “You really thought he stayed with you out of love? No, sweetie. He stayed because I left. You were convenient. Quiet. Harmless. Easy to forget.“N
I sank to the floor. My body was giving up.
“He never chose you. Not really,” she added. “You were the safe option when I wasn’t around. A placeholder. A backup plan. A warm body for cold nights.”
I curled in on myself, my forehead against the tile. The pain was blinding now.”
“You’re not his mate, Selene. You never were. You were just a pause while he waited for me to come back.“}
I wanted to yell at her, scream something, anything but my mouth was dry, and my lungs barely worked. Then I heard something being dragged across the floor outside. A loud scrape. A heavy thump.
the jo
“Restricted Area. Do Not Enter,” she read aloud. I could hear the smile in her voice. “Perfect. Just in case someone gets the idea to
come looking for you.”
Her heels clicked as she walked away, each step fading until silence returned.}
I stayed there, curled up on the cold floor. The pain came in waves, worse each time. I didn’t know how much time had passed. Minutes. Hours. My mind drifted. My body shook. At some point, I felt something wet between my legs, and my dress clung to my
skin.”
Then I heard footsteps. The lock clicked and the door creaked open Light flooded into the room as a tall figure stepped inside. He wore a black suit and moved with a certain elegance and power. The air shifted the moment he entered.”
I smelled pine, leather, and something distinctly wolf. Familiar, but I couldn’t place it.”
His eyes locked onto mine the second he saw me. And unlike everyone else, he didn’t look shocked. He looked furious. He dropped to one knee beside me. His movements were sharp but controlled, like he was holding something back.
“Selene,” he said. His voice was calm, but there was a dangerous edge to it.”
I tried to lift my head to see him clearly, but my vision swam, and my lips barely moved.”
“Who…?”
He leaned closer and brushed my damp hair from my forehead. His touch was rough, but careful.”
“You shouldn’t have been left alone,” he murmured, mostly to himself. There was weight in his voice that made my chest tighten. “I should’ve come sooner.”
His gaze dropped to the blood staining my dress. Under the harsh light, his eyes glowed faintly gold, unnatural and full of fury.”
He stood and lifted me into his arms. His movements were efficient and steady, making me feel weightless and fragile all at once. My head rested against his chest as he turned toward the door.”
And just before the light swallowed us, I heard him speak again and this time, with quiet finality.
“I warned him. I told him what would happen if he ever failed to protect you.”}
