Chapter 356 – Destined Bond with My Forbidden Alpha Novel (Alpha Alexander & Selene)

Filed To Story: Destined Bond with My Forbidden Alpha Novel (Alpha Alexander & Selene)

“I met someone at my ceremony,” he said. “My mate, Alice.”

Alexander’s eyes widened, and he looked at his wife. Selene clenched her jaw and turned away from them.

“I found out that I had been treated with Bitter Night.”

Selene didn’t say anything, but she listened.

“Peter helped me recover my lost memories,” Axel continued. “I was ten. It was the first Blood Moon I had ever attended. While I was there, I met Alice for the first time.”

Selene furrowed her brows and looked back at her brother. He nodded sadly before continuing.

“She was eight, and we recognized our bond as a sweetness in the air,” Axel smiled. “We knew each other for only one day. And then I was given the Bitter Night to forget her.”

Selene swallowed and turned away.

“Shortly after, Roman found me. He said he wanted to play a game with me. It turned out that game involved him hunting and maiming me. Likely, killing me if Alice hadn’t come along and distracted him.”

Axel clenched his jaw and paused for a moment.

“She… got him away from me by becoming his target. She survived, of course, but not before he hurt her.”

Selene felt a swirling of emotion. A lead ball firmly settled into her stomach.

“So…” Alexander sighed, processing everything he had just heard. “Roman is Tomas’ son, Bell’s mate, and the person that scarred you. And Alice… is your mate….”

“Yes,” Axel replied.

Alexander sighed and closed his eyes.

“She was made to forget too, wasn’t she?” he asked.

Axel and Selene both looked at him with an expression that clearly demanded an explanation

He took a deep breath.

“When I met the Alpha of Burning Ember, I learned some things… about Alice,” he said.

Selene scoffed and turned away again. Alexander felt a painful grip on his stomach, knowing she was upset with him.

“I was told that Alice is known as the Spring Doll,” he continued. “She is never the same person, only who she has been programmed to be.”

“It’s been that way since she was eight years old,” Axel said softly. “Over and over, they have erased her and made her into something she’s not.”

Axel put his head in his hands, and Corrine came to offer him comfort. Rubbing his back gently.

Selene tried to wrestle with the idea that Alice could possibly have been a victim of something she had no control over her entire life. She might have no memory of the things she had done or been a part of.

The heavy feeling in her stomach was growing. She hesitated to speak, afraid of what she might say. Instead, she huddled further into herself.

“And you actually believe that?” Selene asked.

Surprised by her own voice, she touched her mouth.

“Selene…” Alexander whispered.

“You truly believe that she has been made to do these things? She is just a poor victim, waiting to be rescued by you?” Selene said, looking at Axel with disgust.

“Selene!” Corrine said, giving her a disapproving look.

‘I didn’t say that!’ Selene cried out, but her lips didn’t move.

“I know it sounds hard to believe, Selene, but I have also met her. I have seen the change. She is not faking this,” Wyatt said.

“It is clear that Alice and Roman have worked together to orchestrate the events of this afternoon,” Selene said. “Probably even what happened when you were children.”

“Alice was the one that warned us about Roman in the first place!” Axel growled, lifting his head to look at his sister.

Selene turned to look at him, and Axel drew back as he saw the slightest hint of moonlight at the edges of her eyes. He shook his head, but when he looked again, it was gone.

“If that were true, if she were truly concerned about the threat Roman posed, why did she not warn you that he was coming?” Selene demanded. “She told you that he was a threat, to make herself seem as though she were concerned, to say she has your interest at heart. But when the real threat came around, she was silent. Likely, she assumed that Roman would get the better of us all.”

“Selene!” Corrine scolded. “We don’t know if she can even send a message. When your father saw her, she could barely speak to him. And from what Axel said, it is very likely she would have been even more restricted simply for speaking with Wyatt.”

“Convenient,” Selene scoffed.

‘Stop!’ Selene shouted.

“Selene,” Alexander whispered, grabbing her elbow and turning her to face him. “I know you don’t trust her, and I understand. But don’t you think you’re being a bit aggressive right now?”

Selene pulled away.

“The Alpha of Winter is allowing himself to be fooled by a woman that is a well-known liar,” Selene replied. “A woman who is clearly carrying on a relationship with the monster that destroyed one of our own.”

“Stop!” Axel growled.

‘I didn’t mean that! I didn’t!’ Selene cried out, her voice never escaping her lips.

“Should I just stand back and let this happen? Let him destroy all that we built?” Selene growled, turning away from them all as she moved to leave the room. “I won’t do that.”

The return to Summer had been put on hold after Roman’s unexpected visit to Winter.

Alexander called Fiona, updated her, and told her that he and Selene needed to stay for at least a few more days. He wanted to get the defense system up and running and ensure that Galen and Bell were safe and secure.

But he also knew that Selene was struggling with Axel’s announcement and hoped that she would take the time to work things out with her brother.

“Mom says that everything is running on schedule,” Alexander said as he stepped back into their room.

He and Selene were staying with Bell and Galen. Her parents had offered to host them, but he had felt more at ease staying with his brother.

“Training has increased, and the production of weapons and armor is better than expected.”

Alexander awaited her response, but Selene remained silent, staring out the window.

“Selene?” he called to her.

She didn’t respond.

Alexander was worried. Even before they had come to Winter, something was off about his wife. Their bond, though strong and still open, felt… restricted. He wasn’t sure exactly what that meant, only that he felt as though he wasn’t getting the whole picture from her.

“Selene,” he called again, this time reaching out to her.

When his fingertips brushed her shoulder, she jumped, eyes widening and a look of complete surprise on her face.

“Alexander…?” she asked as though she wasn’t sure..

“Are you alright?” he asked, kneeling before her and taking her hands in his while looking up into her eyes.

Selene took a deep breath and then looked away.

“Yea, I’m fine,” she said, pulling away from him.

Alexander stared at her. He wanted to give her space and allow her time to deal with whatever it was that was keeping her from opening up to him.

But there was something different about this time. It wasn’t like when she rejected their bond or her fear of losing control. Something else was going on, and it was changing her.

“I thought we agreed,” he said gently, reaching for her hand again. “To be honest with each with each other… not to keep secrets anymore.”

Selene turned back to him. She furrowed her brows and looked at him with uncertainty.

“What do you mean…?” Selene said. “What secrets?”

Alexander looked into her eyes for any indication that she was trying to block him, to keep him from figuring out what she was hiding. But all he could see; all he could feel was honest confusion.

“Selene, come on,” he said. “It’s obvious that you’re hiding something. I want to give you the space you need to deal with it and tell me on your own, but I’m concerned. The way you’ve been acting… it’s not like you.”

Her expression shifted, her face relaxed, and she leaned back in her chair, pulling her hand away from him and turning her eyes to the window once more.

“I am fine,” she said. Her tone was even and calm. “There is nothing for you to be concerned about.”

“Selene…” Alexander called to her, reaching for her hand.

She moved her hand to rest on the arm of the chair away from him.

“Should you really be questioning me on keeping secrets, anyway?” she asked.

Alexander stood and crossed his arms as he looked at her. Her entire demeanor had changed. She felt cold and distant. He knew she was still upset with him about the information he had shared regarding Alice, but this reaction seemed a bit too much.

“What is going on with you?” Alexander asked. “Why can’t I get a sense of how you’re feeling right now?”

‘Alexander…’ she whispered from deep inside.

Selene stood from her chair and looked up at him. There was a strength in her eyes, a fierceness. She was a warrior, and he knew that better than most, but she had never looked at him that way.

“You do not own me. You are not entitled to my every thought, feeling, or action,” Selene said in a low tone. “I am more than you will ever realize, and I will not bow to you.”

Alexander was shocked and confused by her words. He didn’t understand at all where this was coming from or why she would think this way about him.

“Selene, that wasn’t what I meant at all!” he quickly said.

He reached for her, and she moved again. Then, finally, she took a step away from him and turned her back on him entirely. She got to the door before he called out to her.

“Where are you going?” he asked. “We’re supposed to go see Galen and Bell soon.”

‘Alexander…!’ she cried out silently.

“I am not going,” she said. “I have other things to attend to.”

“Selene, please just talk to me!” Alexander called after her, but she didn’t give him the chance to say anything more as she left the room.

***

It was dark.

There were flickers of light in the distance, one or two, then nothing but dark emptiness.

She was floating. Somewhere between being awake and asleep, her thoughts were almost entirely silent.

Everything was silent.

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