Filed To Story: Destined Bond with My Forbidden Alpha Novel (Alpha Alexander & Selene)
Bell had been cleaning up the tools used to treat Selene’s wounds. Then, at Selene’s question, she stopped what she was doing. She closed her eyes and swallowed.
Selene had asked a few days ago about the scout. She usually only asked once every few weeks, so Bell was surprised by the question.
At the time Selene had asked before, there had been no word. Now, unfortunately, there had been a change. One that Bell knew Selene would not receive well.
Selene sat up in her bed. She was zipping up the light jacket that she wore to cover the bandages that covered her midsection.
Bell sighed. She turned around to face Selene, crossing her arms over her chest.
“Axel and Galen have both called their search parties home,” she said.
Selene’s eyes widened momentarily as she clenched her jaw and quickly turned away.
“Did they find him?” she asked quietly.
Bell took a deep breath. She moved closer. She lowered her arms and held on to the bar at the end of the bed.
“Moonguard has only gotten worse since you were there,” she said. “Neither search party was able to get very far past the lake. No one made it to the village at all.”
Selene listened quietly.
“Those new creatures are all over the mountain,” Bell continued. “Luckily, the teams were already expecting them, so no serious injuries were reported. Still, they have tried for two weeks to break through without any luck.”
“Has he sent any message? Any signals?” Selene asked, looking back at Bell.
Bell shook her head.
“They have scouts watching from a distance for any signals throughout the territory, there haven’t been any, and it’s assumed that he lost his radio at some point,” she replied. “Honestly, Selene, there hasn’t even been smoke from a fire. So as far as anyone can tell, the only people in Moonguard are searching for him.”
Selene lowered her eyes. She took short breaths through her nose. Bell could see the way her jaw clenched reflexively. Finally, after a few silent moments, Selene took a deep breath and scoffed.
“Then it’s assumed he’s dead?” she sighed.
Bell pursed her lips between her teeth. She squeezed her hands around the bar at the foot of the bed.
“Selene…” she whispered.
Selene laid down, pulling the blankets up over her shoulder. Bell let out a sigh.
“I’m tired,” Selene said.
Bell swallowed, then she nodded and turned back to her task.
“I’ll finish cleaning these and let you get some rest,” she said.
Selene did not reply.
After cleaning the tools and putting them away, Bell looked back at Selene again. She then left the room, knowing there would be no point remaining.
A little while later, Galen lifted his head as the door to his office opened. He gave a gentle smile as Bell entered the room.
“Any luck?” he asked, sitting back in his chair as she walked around his desk.
Bell grabbed the arm of his chair and turned him away from the desk. She then sat down on his lap and laid her head against his shoulder with a sigh.
Galen wrapped his arms around her and kissed the top of her head.
“Guess not,” he whispered sadly.
“I don’t know how to help her,” Bell whispered, a tear falling from her eye. “I know she is hurting, and I don’t know how to help.”
“I know,” he said, rubbing her back.
Bell’s tears continued to fall, and then she let out an irritated scoff.
“I had to tell her about the search parties being called back,” she said. “It was not what she wanted to hear.”
Galen clenched his jaw. It had been a difficult decision. Neither he nor Axel wanted to leave a man missing, but the risk to the wolves searching for him had become too great.
They all knew the likelihood of the scout still being alive was almost non-existent. Ultimately, they had to make the best decision for the most people. A recovery team would be sent to Moonguard for his body when it was safe.
In this, Galen understood how Selene felt. She needed to know if he was alive or dead. It was the only way she would know if her decision had cost someone their life.
But stats and figures were not proof. Until his body was found, she couldn’t know the true cost of her lie. He suspected that not knowing one way or the other was causing her more pain than what had happened at the lake.
Galen sighed, knowing that Alexander would have had the same reaction. A wave of sorrow fell over him, and Galen hugged Bell closely.
After nearly another whole month, Selene’s treatments were almost done. There was no more debridement, no more shots or tissue samples being taken. All that was left was some lasering that would help reduce the scarring and some light physical therapy for the muscles that had been damaged.
She had been cleared to leave the hospital, but Selene didn’t want to return to their shared room or the treehouse. So, she stayed in the hospital room until she was done with all treatments.
She sat on the side of the bed. Unzipping her jacket, she looked down at the binder she wore. There were no more bandages, and the wounds were virtually healed. The binder was to help support the core muscles.
Moving back onto the bed, she leaned against the wall and opened the binder. She swallowed as she looked down at her stomach. The wounds were gone, but the scarring left behind was significant.
She swallowed and gingerly touched the scar with her fingertip.
“I’ll have to explain it one day…” she whispered sadly, thinking of Alexander’s smile. “I’ll have to tell him where this came from.”
As her eyes scanned the thick scar, she remembered the pain from the attack and the treatment. And then she heard Sadie’s and Stefan’s screams.
She closed her eyes and clenched her jaw. Then, swallowed the lump in her throat and pushed back the weight in her chest. Quickly she closed the binder tight and zipped up her jacket. She raised her hand and wiped away the tear that dared to fall from her eye.
A knock at the door brought a gasp to her lips.
Selene wiped her face and pulled the blankets over her body as the door opened.
Bell stepped in with a gentle smile.
“Hey, Selene,” she called sweetly.
Selene turned away, trying to hide the fact that she had cried.
Bell saw the movement and assumed she was trying to avoid her again. She sighed but pushed forward.
“Listen,” she began, “you have been cleared to leave the hospital, and the only treatments you have left are not daily. So, I think it would be good for you to get out of the hospital, at least for a few days.”
Selene turned but didn’t look up at Bell. Her heart began to pump harder. Was she trying to make her go to the treehouse or their room? Trying to force her to face the absence of Alexander?
“And the timing is perfect,” Bell continued, stepping closer to the bed. “The twins are due any day now.”
Selene furrowed her brows; she looked up at Bell in disbelief.
“You want me to go to Winter?” she asked.
Bell licked her lips nervously.
“Not alone,” she said quickly. “Galen and I are going, just for a few days. I think it would be great if we could all go together to celebrate with Axel and Alice.”
The weight in her chest was back, and the lump in her throat felt thick enough to choke her. She breathed through her nose and clenched her jaw as she turned away.
She was quiet for a long time, and Bell waited patiently, hoping that Selene would finally take a step forward.
“It’s not a good idea,” Selene whispered.
Bell bit the inside of her bottom lip between her teeth until she tasted a trickle of blood. She took a shaky breath through her nose and swallowed.
She stared down at the floor as her fingernails dug into the palms of her hands with how hard she squeezed them.
“Selene…” Bell said, her voice coming out as a soft and shaky whisper. “You can’t keep avoiding life.”
Selene closed her eyes.
“You have to face what happened,” Bell continued. Her voice got stronger as she spoke. “I know it’s hard, and I can’t possibly understand what you are feeling… but… he’s gone.”
Selene clenched her teeth together as her jaw shook and her eyes burned with unshed tears. The weight in her chest was hot and thick.
Bell took a breath. She sighed and softened her tone.
“We all miss him, not just you,” Bell said, tears slipping down her cheek. “But he is gone, and we’re still here, Selene. We’re here… waiting for you to come back to us.”
Bell lowered her gaze. She took a shaky breath as the feelings she had held back for months were finally acknowledged. She swallowed and waited for whatever Selene would say.
“I know,” Selene said softly with a gentle nod.
Bell lifted her head, surprised by Selene’s reply.
“But I can’t,” Selene continued with her head down. Her voice was a pained whisper. “I can’t be here with you.”
“Selene…” Bell whispered, regretting confronting her as she heard the pain in her voice.
Selene lifted her head. Bell saw the tears streaming down her face and the anguish in her eyes.
“I want to be happy for you,” Selene whispered. “For you and Galen, for Axel and Alice… Myka and Peter… I want so much to smile with you and congratulate you on the lives you are building, the families you’re raising.”
Selene took a shaky breath and furrowed her brows as her jaw shook. The thick heaviness in her chest was burning now.
“But I can’t,” she said with a bitter laugh. “Because all I feel when I see you all so happy… is angry.”
New Book: Veiled Desires of the Alpha King Novel
Dayson was the alpha of the largest pack in North America. Powerful figures from other packs sought to offer gorgeous girls as potential mates for Dayson. He steadfastly rejected these advances, he was not a pawn to be manipulated. But eventually there came a mysterious girl he could hardly say No. Who was she?