Selene's POV
A soft knock on the door distracted Leo from unleashing the lustful beast in him. His hot breath flared on my neck as he grazed them softly with his teeth.
The knock became persistent and a rather anxious voice rang out behind the door.
"Alpha Leo, Beta Wilson is here. He said you weren't picking up your phone."
I recalled Leo's phone vibrating earlier but he was too angry to care about any distractions.
After a long pause, Leo leaned down and kissed me gently on the forehead, like the devoted husband he pretended to be.
"Your birthday's coming up soon. Think about what you want for a gift. I have to step out for a bit."
With that, he put on his clothes and left. Immediately, I heard the door close, and I breathed in relief; my once tense body became relaxed.
I had almost forgotten about my birthday; it was just around the corner, roughly a week from now, and once it passed, it would be time for me to leave, to leave my past behind and move on.
The thought of me leaving made Nina, my wolf scared. I knew the fear she had, the fear of failure, the fear of what if, the fear of things not going our way but I wasn't, I knew anything and anywhere was better than being with Leo.
Staring blankly into the distance, I whispered to myself. "I'll make sure he never forgets this day."
A cruel smirk tugged on my lips as the plan I had sketched played gruesomely in my mind.
Climbing down from the bed, I twitched my lips in annoyance, realizing my cane was left behind on the balcony.
Slowly and gently, I instinctively walked to the balcony and searched for my cane with my frail hands.
"Finally," I sighed in relief as my fingers found the hard, wooden object on the floor.
At that moment, my stomach grumbled impatiently in hunger, and I bit my lips; I hadn't eaten since yesterday and it felt like my intestines were about to be ripped out from me.
With that, I walked out of the bedroom, heading straight to the dining area to grab some lunch when Sarah bumped into me in a rush.
"Oh my goodness! I'm so sorry Luna, forgive my clumsiness," She cried out in fear and I shook my head, trying to calm her.
"There is no need to be so dramatic, I'm fine. Besides, you just brushed my shoulders," I muttered softly.
Sarah let out a groan of disagreement. "No, your highness, I deserve to be punished. I… you're carrying our young alpha and I was being stupid by not looking where I was going."
"By the way, where were you rushing to?" I questioned, curiosity taking its toll on me.
"Beta Wilson and the Alpha are discussing in the study so he ordered me to bring in fruits," she said, gesturing toward the fruits in her hands.
My brows furrowed in curiosity as I wondered what they could be discussing.
"You know what… Let me take it to them, I was on my way to get them fruits too," I mumbled, and Sarah hesitated, unsure if she was to obey me.
"But your High…
"Why? Just because I'm blind you think I can't serve my husband fruits?" I questioned, feigning irritation.
"No…no your highness, it's not what you think. I just wanted to be sure you'd be okay. I do not want you to get hurt," Sarah mumbled solemnly and I chuckled inwardly.
There was no baby in me so it won't matter if I get hurt. I wanted to say these words to her but I couldn't, it wasn't time yet.
"Fine," I sighed, "You can walk me to the study, then go back," I mumbled and she agreed immediately.
When we got to the door, I collected the tray from her and dismissed her.
I sauntered closer toward the door and pressed my ear against it to fully grasp and understand the faint whispers I was hearing.
"Your highness, we've got news. Moss Edwards will arrive in Crimson's pack next Monday," Wilson started.
Moss Edwards? The famous master painter across all packs whom everyone dreamt of learning from. My hands became sweaty and my grip on the tray intensified as I tried to get more information.
"No matter what happens, I need you to have a meeting with Moss," Leo replied gruffly.
"Understood."
"Your highness," Wilson hesitated before asking, "Will Miss Amelia Casper need to attend?"
"We'll see, depends on how Amelia's recovery goes."
Anger surged through me at his words. It was clear Leo was rushing to arrange a meeting with Moss to pave the way for his lover, Amelia . Too bad Amelia wouldn't be the one to get that chance anymore.
"I will give Amelia a gift she'd never forget in her life," A bitter smile spread across my lips as I thought to myself.
Satisfied with the information I had gotten, I knocked on the door, interrupting their conversation.
"Greetings, my lady," Leo greeted. "I'll take my leave now, Alpha."
Immediately Wilson left, Leo grunted and turned his sharp gaze to me. "Why are you delivering fruit? Didn't I tell Sarah to bring it?"
My grip on the tray tightened as I protested, " I wanted to bring it myself. So I told Sarah not to worry."
As the door shut close, Leo cleared his throat noisily. "You're way too soft. I've never met a lady of the house who's this easy to persuade."
The fake warmth was suffocating.
For a moment, I almost believed the past few days' betrayals had been a nightmare.
But the ache in my chest was real.
Each wound, Leo's betrayal, Amelia's ruthless provocations, cut deep, stabbing me even in the dead of night with fear.
Their wounds were not just physical, but deeply spiritual.
I let out a bitter laugh, my voice dripping with sarcasm but trembling slightly. "So, compared to Amelia, does that make me the cruel, vicious one?"
Suddenly, Leo's demeanor changed and a wave of chill hit me softly.
"Selene," he warned coldly, "Even tantrums have limits. Know when to stop."
With that, he spun on his heel and left the office.
Turning slowly to face the door, I scrunched my nose in disgust. Limits?
The only limit was Amelia .
In a more clearer terms, I could throw a fit all I wanted—just so long as I never touched Amelia.
Because Amelia was his line in the sand.
Untouchable.
Taking a shaky breath, I closed my eyes, causing a tear to slip down my lashes.
I couldn't help but feel I was getting punished for my existence, I shouldn't have been born in the first place.
Fluttering my eyes open, I threw the entire fruit tray into the trash, walked out of the study, and made my way toward my room.
The next few days went by in a blur and the matter of Amelia's hospitalization quietly died down. At least, Leo never brought it up again. The pack house became quiet like it had always been, because Leo was hardly around, he frequently spent his days at the company and then other days at the pack office.
Suddenly, my phone blared bringing me out of my thoughts. I picked up the call and Amelia's voice filled my ears.
"Selene, I found you a cornea donor. The surgery's set for a week from now. How are things on your end?"
At the mention of a donor, I froze for a moment, then an overwhelming wave of joy flooded my chest. It felt like a huge barrier had been lifted from my body and I felt light.
Three years of blindness, of endless darkness. Finally, a chance to see again. No one could truly understand how much this meant.
My voice sounded hoarse as I tried to reply to Serena. It took five minutes for me to steady myself before finally replying, " Serena… Thank you. Thank you so much."
Serena's voice cracked, "Girl, you're gonna make me ugly-cry here."
Changing the subject, Serena said, "Oh, and I heard from Chris you put that little bitch Amelia in the pack clinic? That's my girl!"
Chuckling softly, I recalled my little exhibition at the Casper's mansion. "Talk shit, get hit."
"Damn right," Serena agreed, pride dripping from her words. "I've hated that little bitch, always scheming against you. If you hadn't felt guilty for taking her place all these years, I'd have knocked her teeth out ages ago."
Yes, I had carried this guilt for eighteen years, the burden of having taken Amelia's place. That's why I'd endured every humiliation, every vicious scheme. No more. Enough was enough.
Amelia framed me, and Leo forced me to kneel in apology.
The bitch played the victim; the bastard played the hero.
So why hold back?
If Amelia wanted to paint me as evil, then I would give her a performance to remember. She went for the jugular, knowing Leo would explode, knowing he would call the Gammas, no doubt about it. But I wasn't worried, Chris was my ace in the hole.
With him in my corner, I knew I would always walk free.
And Leo?
I knew he would never let me rot in jail. The arrest would just be his petty revenge. He might worship Amelia, but he still thinks I'm pregnant. Even if Chris bailed me out, Leo wouldn't risk pushing further.
Immediately I hung up the call with Serena, I placed a call to the Pack clerk.
"Luna, are you certain about wiping all your records clean?" the pack clerk asked before I could exchange pleasantries.
"Absolutely."
Thanks to Chris's connections, the paperwork sailed through. Five days, and I'd cease to exist officially.
I dropped the call, making my way toward the window. For the first time in what felt like forever, the chains had fallen off.
A cold wind brushed my face and excitement rushed through me, making me giddy.
It is almost over now. Soon I'd have my life back.
********
My birthday came sooner than expected, maybe it was because of my pregnancy but this year, Leo pulled out all the stops for a lavish celebration. Something he'd never done in all our years together.
I remembered my last birthdays at the Casper villa, I had always shared my day with Amelia since we were born on the same day. Even at that, I was constantly pushed to the shadows.
Amelia wore the birthday crown, cut the cake, and blew out the candles. Even the guests only had eyes for one birthday girl—Amelia.
Those so-called parties were just emotional torture for me. My face always comes out puffy in every birthday picture I took due to the amount of tears I had shed.
Eventually, I gave up on birthdays completely. The brighter Amelia shines, the deeper my humiliation burns.
Like clockwork, the same painful routine repeated every year.
"Ahem," Philip grunted, drifting me out of my thoughts. "His highness prepared something special, a big surprise for you tonight."
Interesting.
Once upon a time, such thoughtfulness from Leo would've brought me to my knees but now? I was completely unmoved.
Philip placed down a velvet-lined case. "This custom gown was made just for you. You'll steal the show tonight."
Feigning gratitude, I replied, "Thank you, Philip ."
"My pleasure," Philip mumbled. " I shall now take my leave."
I waited silently in my room until he left before prying the box open.
I fondled with the luxurious fabric beneath my fingertips and scoffed, "What a gift. "
An idea suddenly crossed my mind and a sinister smile crept to my lips. Yelling at the top of my lungs, I called out to Sarah.
Sarah rushed to my room in less than a minute and waited patiently for my command.
"Here I am, Luna. What can I do for you?"
"Bring me a scissors."