Chapter 263 - 0263

Lorelei POV

"How did you and Alpha Aldric meet?"

Selene froze mid-sip, her teacup hovering just inches from her lips as a soft blush spread across her cheeks.

I was just as curious as Emily, especially after seeing how Alpha Aldric practically worshipped the ground she walked on back at the banquet.

But this was our first time sitting down together like this, and I didn’t want to make her uncomfortable by prying into her personal life.

I was just about to change the subject when Selene gently set her teacup down.

"I was just an Omega," she said quietly, her eyes softening as she looked between Emily and me. "An Omega working at the pack’s main estate."

My brows furrowed in surprise.

"An Omega?"

I honestly hadn’t expected that.

I’d imagined all kinds of romantic stories, maybe a noble union between two high-ranking families or a chance meeting at some inter-pack gala.

But an Omega maid working at an Alpha’s estate was something I never would have guessed.

I mean, even I was a Beta’s daughter. And regardless of how badly I had been treated, that was something no one could take away from me.

Selene gave a gentle nod, her fingers lightly tracing the rim of her teacup.

"My parents were really poor. My father suffered from a chronic illness that left him completely bedridden, so my mother had to work twice as hard just to keep a roof over our heads."

She paused, her expression turning a little more solemn.

"Then she got into a terrible accident that permanently damaged her left leg, making it almost impossible for her to continue doing physical labor."

I listened quietly, my heart aching for her.

"My younger sister was still just a child, and with debt collectors pounding on our door every single week, I knew I couldn’t just sit back and watch my family struggle like that."

Selene lowered her eyes briefly before looking back at us.

"So, I volunteered to work at the Alpha’s estate as a maid."

I listened quietly, my heart aching as I tried to imagine what she must have gone through.

Selene had always seemed so elegant and composed, especially around Alpha Aldric.

It was hard to imagine her having to worry about something as basic as keeping a roof over her family’s heads, let alone taking on that kind of responsibility while she was still so young.

"You see," Selene continued, offering a bittersweet smile, "when Aldric and I first crossed paths, he was already engaged."

At that, Emily gasped, her mouth still stuffed with a croissant, her eyes widening as she stared at Selene.

Selene let out a soft laugh at her reaction before continuing. "It was a formal arranged marriage between two powerful packs. Their families had set it up before either of them was even born."

She paused, her smile fading a little.

"And to make matters worse, I was actually seeing someone else at the time."

But then her expression darkened, and for the first time, a shadow crossed her gentle eyes.

"Not that I’d even call it a real relationship looking back. He was very toxic, extremely controlling, and sometimes physical when he lost his temper."

My stomach turned.

"But he was helping my family financially, so I felt trapped. I stayed with him because I didn’t have any other choice."

A cold fury rose in my chest as I took in her words.

Selene was so soft-spoken and sweet, and the thought of a man raising his hand against her only made my blood boil.

But I kept quiet, letting her tell her story in her own time.

"I was serving drinks at the main dining table when the mate bond between Aldric and me suddenly snapped into place," she said softly, a genuine warmth returning to her gaze. "It felt so electrifying, like time itself had completely stopped."

I knew that feeling all too well.

I remembered the exact moment the bond had sparked between Jaxen and me years ago, on my birthday, while I was serving drinks, too.

The way my pulse had hammered against my ribs, how the world seemed to tilt around me, and how foolishly I’d looked at him and believed he was my ultimate savior.

"It was such an awkward moment," Selene admitted, a deeper blush spreading across her pale cheeks. "It was a formal family dinner. His parents, his twin younger sisters, his fiancée, and her entire family were all sitting around the table, finalizing the date for the upcoming wedding."

She let out a small, embarrassed laugh.

"The moment the bond hit us, I panicked. All I wanted to do was drop the tray and run away forever."

I could only imagine how terrifying that must have been for her.

"Because I was just an Omega maid in a stained apron. There was no way I could stand beside a future Alpha. In fact..." She lowered her gaze, her fingers curling around her teacup. "I fully expected him to reject me on the spot."

"But instead," Selene continued, "he suddenly pushed his chair back so hard that it screeched loudly. Before I could even figure out what was happening, he stood up and looked me straight in the eye with the brightest, most beautiful smile I’d ever seen on a man."

She paused, her cheeks warming as she remembered it.

"And then, right in front of everyone, he declared, ’You are my mate.’"

"Aww!" Emily sighed, finally swallowing her mouthful of food and pressing both hands against her cheeks. "That is so romantic!"

Selene let out an embarrassed laugh, shaking her head at Emily’s reaction. "Romantic? I was so mortified! I honestly wished the floor would open up and swallow me whole. I tried to play dumb because I had no idea what else to do, but Aldric didn’t even give me a chance. He took my hand and pulled me away from the table, completely ignoring his parents yelling at him and his fiancée’s family growling in protest."

She glanced down at her teacup, a shy smile returning to her face.

"He took me straight upstairs to a private room."

I couldn’t help smiling as I listened, but there was something bittersweet about the whole story that I couldn’t quite shake.

The more Selene spoke, the more I found myself thinking about Jaxen and how different things could have been if he’d just had the courage to stand up for me.

That could have been us.

If Jaxen had publicly claimed me instead of hiding our relationship from his ruthless father, maybe things would have turned out differently.

But then I thought about where I was now, sitting in a beautiful garden with Emily and Selene, and the man who had become my entire world.

If Jaxen had actually fought for me back then, I might have never left the pack. I would have never stepped foot into this empire, and I certainly would have never met Kaelen.

And honestly, I couldn’t imagine my life without him anymore.

Kaelen was everything I’d ever wanted in a man, even things I hadn’t realized I needed.

He was gentle and patient with me, loved me unconditionally despite the curse I carried, and never made me feel like I had to hide any part of myself while always standing up for me every chance he got.

Sure, it was a rough start, but now I no longer felt like I had to beg someone to choose me or prove that I was worth loving.

Maybe the Moon Goddess really did know what she was doing after all.

As much as everything I’d been through had hurt, maybe it was all just to lead me here, to the man who made me feel loved in ways I’d never thought possible.

"Did you two make out?" Emily blurted out, wiggling her eyebrows teasingly at Selene.

But the moment the question left her mouth, she seemed to remember exactly who she was talking to. Her eyes widened, and she quickly lowered her head, looking mortified.

"I’m so sorry, Luna Selene! I didn’t mean to be disrespectful. I just got carried away."

But Selene only burst into a soft, melodious laugh, waving her hand.

"It’s fine, really. And to answer your question, no, we didn’t make out. In fact, I turned him down right there."

I blinked, completely caught off guard. "Wait, you rejected him?"

Selene nodded, a little smile tugging at her lips as she remembered it.

"I actually begged him to reject me instead. I told him an Omega like me would only ruin his reputation and bring shame to his bloodline. I couldn’t understand why he would want to be with someone like me when he was supposed to marry into another powerful pack."

She paused, her eyes drifting away from us as though she could still see that dinner table in front of her.

"But Aldric just looked at me like I’d completely lost my mind. He took my face in his hands and said, ’Why would I ever do that? You are the woman the Moon Goddess has destined for me. If I reject you, I’d be going against her will and the universe itself. I don’t care what anyone thinks. You are mine.’"