Chapter 77
I looked up through the alcoholic haze to find Selene standing before me, concern etched into her perfect features. Her golden hair caught the dim lighting, creating a halo effect that made me want to laugh. There we nothing angelic about any of us.
“What happened?” She slid into the seat opposite me. “I’ve never seen you lose control like this.”
I narrowed my eyes, suspicion cutting through the fog. “How’d you find me? Varian tell you?”
“That doesn’t matter.” She reached across the table, fingers brushing my arm. “What matters is you’re
hurting yourself.”
I jerked away from her touch. “Don’t.”
Pain flashed across her face, quickly hidden behind practiced vulnerability. “Tristan, do you remember the day we first met? You said I was your destined salvation. I never understood why. But you said I saved your life, that your heart belonged to me.”
The words sparked something in my memory, but the alcohol made it hard to focus.
“I would do anything for your love,” she continued, voice dropping to that practiced whisper I once found endearing. “I even carried the blame for ruining your marriage.”
“What exactly are you trying to say?” I kept my voice flat.
She leaned closer, and I caught that citrus–vanilla scent she always wore.
“When are you going to officially mark me as your Luna?” Her hand crept toward mine again. “At least announce me as Luna of Silverblood so I can have real status.”
I stared at her, really seeing her for the first time in years. The girl who’d once been a nobody in the pack had learned to appreciate expensive alcohol, wear designer clothes, demand the position of Luna. When had that transformation happened?
My eyes dropped to her arm, to the scar she claimed was proof of our childhood bond. Something about it bothered me tonight, triggered an association I couldn’t quite grasp.
Selene misinterpreted my hesitation, leaning in to press her lips against mine. I turned my head, her kiss landing awkwardly on my jaw.
“Not tonight, Selene.” I stood, throwing cash on the table. “I need to be alone.”
“You don’t love me anymore,” she hissed, vulnerability vanishing like smoke. “It’s because she came back, isn’t it? Even though she has another Alpha, you’re still obsessed with her.”
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Chapter 77
I didn’t bother answering, just walked away. Her words followed me into the night, sharp as knives but nowhere near as painful as the truth.
Selene’s last words about my “obsession” with Lysandra haunted me all the way home. I fumbled with my keys outside the penthouse door, alcohol making even simple tasks challenging. Was she right? Was I still fixated on a woman who clearly wanted nothing to do with me? A woman who’d moved on
with someone else?
The bitter thought propelled me through the door. I’d show her just how little she meant to me. I’d
delete her number, erase every trace of her from my life. No more wondering, no more jealousy.
Without thinking, I pulled out my phone and dialed her number.
Straight to voicemail.
“Fuck.” I ended the call and immediately redialed. Same result.
I tried again. And again. And again.
On the sixth attempt, I nearly hurled the phone across the room. “You hate me so much you won’t even answer?” I muttered, slumping deeper into the couch. “I saved your fucking life. You owe me an explanation… you owe me a hell of a lot more than that…”
I dialed again, listening to the endless ringing. “Why were you so desperate to leave Silverblood?” I whispered to the empty room. “What was so important that you’d flee with your injuries barely
treated?”
My eighth call went straight to voicemail again. I let my head fall back, eyes closing as exhaustion washed over me. “I don’t understand… why I can’t stop thinking about you… why that damn mark
still affects me…”
I threw the phone onto the cushion beside me and buried my face in my hands. The room spun around me, alcohol and exhaustion taking their toll.
The phone’s sudden vibration made me jump. Lysandra’s name flashed on the screen.
“Finally decided to answer?” I growled into the receiver.
“Hello, handsome uncle!” A child’s voice–high–pitched and cheerful–replied.
I froze. “Who is this?”
“It’s me, Lyra! Mommy’s phone was ringing, but she’s taking a bath. I saw it was you calling, so I answered!”
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Chapter 77
I sat up straighter, trying to clear my head. “Lyra… does your mother know you’re using her phone?”
Her giggle was like tiny bells. “No! It’s our secret, okay? Orion says we shouldn’t talk to you, but I think you’re nice. You saved Mommy, right?”
My throat tightened. “Who told you that?”
“I heard the grown–ups talking,” she whispered conspiratorially, “Mommy got hurt, but you saved her. Like a hero from the stories!”
Despite everything, a smile tugged at my lips. “I’m no hero, Lyra.”
“Yes, you are!” Her conviction was absolute. “Heroes always say they’re not heroes. I drew a picture of you saving Mommy. You’re wearing a black cape, like Batman.”
A laugh escaped before I could stop it. “I wasn’t wearing a cape when I saved your mom.”
“Oh.” Disappointment colored her voice. “What were you wearing? Did you ride a dragon?”
“I was in a car,” I said softly.
“I know! You must have been in one of those super cool sports cars, like the spies in movies!*
In the background, I heard hurried footsteps and a boy’s voice: “Lyra! What are you doing? Put Mom’s phone down!”
“It’s Orion!” Lyra whispered frantically. “He’s gonna be mad. Gotta go, handsome uncle. Talk to you
later!”
The line went dead, leaving me staring at the phone in bewilderment.
I sank back into the couch, the tension draining from my body. Something about Lyra’s innocent imagination had cut through my anger like sunlight through fog. For a few moments, I wasn’t the cold–blooded Alpha of Silverblood Pack. I was a hero in a child’s drawing.
The irony wasn’t lost on me–that the daughter of the woman I claimed to hate had given me this strange moment of peace. I closed my eyes, trying to picture the drawing she’d described. Me in a cape. Rescuing Lysandra.
Like a hero from the stories.
