Filed To Story: Destined Bond with My Forbidden Alpha Novel (Alpha Alexander & Selene)
They both looked away from each other. Selene told her brother she would return the next day, and then she left the office.
As the door closed behind her, Selene took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Her entire body felt heavy and worn. She knew that she was tired, but this was something more. Why did her chest feel so heavy right now?
“Excuse me,” a soft voice called before her.
Selene swallowed and stood up straight with another deep breath. She cleared her mind of useless concerns and looked at the person before her. It was a young woman, not much older than Selene, but she didn’t recognize her.
“What?” Selene asked.
“Sorry, is this Alpha Axel’s office?” the woman asked, looking past Selene at the door behind her.
“It is,” Selene sighed.
Selene saw the smile spread over the woman’s lips. The woman straightened up and moved toward the door.
“But he is in with his mate right now,” Selene said. The woman paused before her hand reached the door. “Is there something that I can help you with?”
The woman looked at Selene. There was a question in her eyes, a concern.
Selene smiled.
“Are you, by chance, one of the southern wolves?” Selene asked.
The woman nodded.
“I see. Then you likely have no idea who I am,” Selene laughed as the young woman shook her head.
As large as the territories of Winter were, it was easy for the southern and northern wolves not to recognize each other. Even in the last year, when Axel had made more effort to bring all of Winter together, Selene had already gone to Summer. There was no reason for this woman to know who she was at a glance.
“I’m his sister, Selene,” she said.
The young woman suddenly got a look of relief and recognition.
“Oh, yes!” she smiled. “I remember seeing your picture before.”
“So,” Selene said, “is there something I can help you with while my brother is busy?”
“Yes, thank you,” the woman replied. She pulled an envelope from the canvas bag she wore across her body and held it out to Selene. “I was just delivering the scouting reports we received this afternoon.”
Selene swallowed as she took the envelope in her hands. She looked up at the young woman with a genuine smile.
“Thank you,” she whispered.
The young woman nodded and walked away to continue her deliveries.
Selene looked down at the envelope. This could contain the report that she had been waiting for. She needed to see it now. But looking back at the door to Axel’s office, she knew he wouldn’t care. He had his mate right in front of him. So why should he be in any rush to help her find hers?
Taking a deep breath, Selene walked away from the door. She could always give Axel the summary later. He was the one that was too busy to receive the report. For now, she would read it and then tell Myka, and with any luck, they would be ready to go the following day.
With renewed hope, Selene hurried back toward her temporary home. But she did not expect to run into someone along the way.
“Selene!” Bell called out with a bright smile, hurrying to catch up to her old friend. “I have been looking for you everywhere. I haven’t seen you in a few days… It seems almost like you’ve been avoiding me.”
Selene didn’t stop walking. She took a breath as Bell increased her pace to keep up.
“I’ve just been busy,” she said. “I still am, actually.”
She lifted the envelope in her hand.
“I need to read this. It’s important.”
“Okay,” Bell replied. The smile remained on her lips, but it had fallen away in her eyes.
Selene swallowed and turned her head as she put the envelope inside her jacket. She knew that she had been unfair to Bell. It was true; she was avoiding her. But it was also true that she had been busy trying to find a way to save Alexander.
“I just….” Bell began. “I was hoping we might be able to spend a little time together in the next couple of days.”
Selene felt a jolt in her heart. She stopped and turned to Bell.
“Why?” she asked.
“Why?” Bell scoffed with a gentle laugh. “We haven’t hung out in a long time, Selene. I miss you.”
She meant it. Of course she did. Selene never doubted Bell’s words or her sincerity. Still, something in the request left an uncomfortable feeling in Selene’s chest. That same heavy feeling she had outside of Axel’s office.
“Why the next couple of days?” Selene clarified.
“Oh,” Bell replied, and then she smiled.
It wasn’t just any smile. It was a warm smile. An affectionate smile. It was the smile that she used only when thinking of her family, of Galen and Ren. That was how Selene knew the reason for the sudden interest in hanging out before Bell said it.
“You’re moving to Summer,” Selene said quietly. “In a few days?”
Bell looked up, the smile brightened, and she nodded.
“Galen will be here to pick us up in three days,” she said.
Selene’s hands tightened into fists so hard she felt the sting of her nails digging into the flesh of her palm. She swallowed and took a breath, releasing her hands. Mustering the energy to smile back at Bell.
“That’s good,” she said. “Really good.”
“Yea…” Bell said.
They stood quietly, awkwardly.
“Tomorrow night,” Selene said softly.
“What?” Bell asked.
“We can watch a movie,” Selene replied. “Like we used to.”
Bell felt a warm nostalgia in her chest. She thought of them and Renee in Selene’s living room during one of their all-night movie binges. They laughed and threw snacks at each other. Took turns pranking Axel, though Renee was too scared to go through with it most of the time.
“That would be nice,” Bell replied. Her voice shook a little as she was caught up in the emotions of her memories.
“Good,” Selene said, her smile falling away as she turned back in the direction she had been going. “I’ll see you tomorrow, then.”
“Yea,” Bell nodded. “I’ll see you then.”
Selene didn’t reply. She just walked away. Bell watched her for a short time. She was worried. She knew that Selene had to do things her own way. She had to process what had happened and find a way to grieve. But that didn’t stop Bell from worrying about her friend.
***
Entering the house, Selene quickly shut the door behind her and rushed into the kitchen. She turned on the faucet, gathering a handful of water, and splashing it on her face.
She saw the warm smile on Bell’s face. She heard the happiness in her voice at moving to Summer with Galen. Then she saw another look on Bell’s face. Heard different words from her lips.
Bloodshot eyes, an angry redness on her lids, and tear stains down her cheeks
‘It’s time for you to do your duty.’
That was what Bell had said before giving her blood to heal Selene. To send her to Summer to find Galen.
The feeling was crawling over Selene again. The heaviness. Her chest felt tight, restricted. It was difficult to breathe, as though she had been running for miles in the freezing winds of a blizzard. It wasn’t enough. No matter how deeply she inhaled, it wasn’t enough.
‘We should probably start thinking of some names.’
Axel’s voice echoed, the soft laughter between him and Alice as they talked sweetly about the family they were building.
‘Selene,’ Alexander’s pained voice whispered through her memory. ‘Do you not want to have a family together?’
She couldn’t breathe. It was too tight, too heavy. She was choking. She was dying.
Selene’s hands scratched at her throat and her jacket. She tore at the fabric, trying to rip it off her body. Finally, she pulled the buttons apart and quickly removed the coat.
She took another quick, deep breath. It was easing. The weight on her chest was beginning to subside.
Selene leaned heavily on the counter, taking several deeper breaths. Finally, her eyes fell on the yet unopened envelope. She took one more deep breath and then reached for it.
***
It was late in the night when an envelope was slipped under the door to Axel’s office. One that he would find and read the following day.
Because of this envelope, Axel would approve Selene and Myka’s request to go to Moonguard and explore the old village and the mound.
Then Myka would tell Peter it was safe, and he would decide it was an excellent opportunity for the children to use the techniques he had taught them about camping and living off the land.
Knowing it was safe, Peter would agree to let Sadie and Stefan join Myka on the trip while he stayed and prepared the house they would all share once they returned.
Because of this envelope, Selene, Myka, and a troop of six children would set out for Moonguard at the earliest opportunity. Their trip was planned to be for an entire week.
The children would camp, fish, and test their skills. While Selene would investigate the village for anything that might lead her to Alexander. And Myka would use his abilities to search for any indication that the ley line was still accessible from the mound or the village.
And it was because of this envelope, slipped late in the night under Axel’s office door, that Selene would be forced to learn a terrible and painful lesson.
That the consequences of her actions would not be suffered by her alone.
“Are you sure it was all right to leave today?” Myka asked as they drove down the road.
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