Selene
I WOULDN’T HAVE GOTTEN TANGLED in the stupid shower curtain if not for the persistent knocking on the door. But of all the things I expected, having Seth barge into my bathroom was not on the list.
And the gall he had to look offended about my not falling all over myself to have him rescue me from the big, evil shower curtain made me want to scream at him even more. It took me ten minutes after he left—and a nasty bump on the head—to escape from the bathroom.
Stupid jerk! Why did he have to break into my quarters? Who does he think he is?
I rub the tender spot on my skull where I knocked it into the towel rack, but honestly? I’m still smiling. Even Seth’s ridiculous intrusion can’t dampen my mood today.
The absence of that constant ache in my chest is like walking on air. I keep waiting for it to return—the pull toward Seth, the desperate longing that made me feel pathetic and small. But there’s nothing. Just blessed, wonderful emptiness where all that pain used to live.
I’m free.
I have three days off to recover from healing the injured man in the forest, and I plan to make the most of them. No dwelling on what happened with Seth or watching him from across rooms. Just me, enjoying the crisp, autumn air and the freedom from wanting someone who despises me.
The palace gardens are perfect this time of year. Golden leaves drift down from the trees, and the late morning sun feels warm despite the cool breeze. I find my favorite bench tucked between the herb garden and the rose bushes, a quiet spot where I can sit and simply exist without anyone expecting anything from me.
I close my eyes and tilt my face toward the sun, letting its warmth seep into my skin. Birds chirp in the branches above me, and somewhere in the distance, I can hear the fountain bubbling peacefully. This is exactly what I needed—solitude, quiet, and the simple pleasure of life.
“Well, if it isn’t the little healer who saved me.”
The voice is smooth, cultured, and completely unexpected. A shadow falls across my face, blocking the sunlight. I open my eyes and look up to find a man standing before me.
The moment our gazes meet, electricity shoots through my entire body. My wolf springs to life with a suddenness that steals my breath, recognition flooding through every cell.
Oh, crap. What is he doing here?
Dark, wavy hair. Chocolate brown eyes. Strong jaw and aristocratic features that belong on a painting rather than a person. He’s tall, broad-shouldered, dressed in luxurious clothes that mark him as nobility. But it’s not his looks that make my heart slam against my ribs—it’s the way my wolf is practically howling with joy at the sight of him.
“Y–you’ve got the wrong person,” I stammer, already starting to rise from the bench despite my wolf’s protests. “I think you’re confused.”
But the moment I stand up, the man’s hand closes gently around my arm. Not painfully, not restraining me exactly, but firm enough to keep me from fleeing.
“No,” he says, his voice carrying absolute certainty with a hint of amusement. “I know I’ve got the right person because my wolf happens to be getting a little too excited.”
I sink back down onto the bench, my legs suddenly too weak to support me. “Wha–What do you want?”
“Your name, for one,” he asks, taking a seat beside me, close enough that I can smell his cologne—something expensive and masculine that makes my wolf stir restlessly.
“Selene,” I whisper, the word barely audible.
“Selene.” He repeats it like he’s tasting something sweet. “I’m Zane. Zane Radrick.”
He’s handsome. Not like Seth, who has a rugged air to him. This man is good looking in a groomed yet rakish manner.
“I wanted to thank you,” he says simply. “For saving my life.”
His fingers have wrapped around a strand of my hair, and for the life of me, I can’t stop my heart from beating so hard that it feels like it’s about ready to burst out of my chest.
I shake my head, trying to collect myself. “I’m just glad you’re okay.”
When I move to leave again, he speaks in a low voice that stops me cold.
“I also wanted to get to know my fated mate.”
I stop halfway to my feet, then slowly turn to look at him over my shoulder. The expression in his dark eyes makes my breath hitch. There’s no disgust there, no anger, no resentment. Just gentle acceptance, as if being here with me is all he wants.
It’s so different from how Seth always looked at me—like I was a burden, a mistake, something to be endured rather than embraced.
“I’m no one remarkable,” I murmur, the words tumbling out before I can stop them.
His hand finds mine, warm and steady. “You’re my fated mate,” he says with a dazzling smile. “You’re the most remarkable woman in the world to me.”
The simple honesty in his voice makes me freeze completely. No one has ever said anything like that to me before.
He pats the spot beside him. “Would you like to sit with me?”
I slowly perch on the bench, maintaining a careful distance between us. My wolf is restless now, pacing in my mind with an energy I’m not sure I’m ready to feel.
“You seem troubled,” he observes, studying my face with gentle concern. “What’s wrong?”
Everything, I think. This whole situation is wrong. Fated mates are supposed to be rare, special, once-in-a-lifetime connections. You don’t get two of them. It’s impossible. It’s almost like my connection to Seth has been swapped with this one to Zane. Has that ever happened before? Wouldn’t Seth have said something about it? He should have felt it if our connection severed.
My confusion doesn’t bother my wolf. She’s practically purring at Zane’s proximity, responding to him with the same intensity she once felt for Seth. Maybe even more.
His presence washes over me like a warm blanket, erasing every worry that was spinning through my mind just moments ago. My confusion about having two fated mates, the impossibility of it all—none of that seems to matter when I’m looking into his chocolate brown eyes.
“I understand this may be overwhelming,” Zane says softly, his thumb brushing over my knuckles. “But I’d very much like to get to know you, if you’ll allow me to.”
The gentleness in his voice is such a stark contrast to Seth’s harsh words in the forest. No one has ever asked for my permission like this, never treated my feelings as something that mattered.
“I…” I start, then find myself nodding. “I’d like that, too.”
His smile is brilliant, transforming his already handsome features into something that makes my insides tingle. “Tell me about yourself. Your family?”
I settle more comfortably on the bench, still maintaining some distance but no longer poised to flee. “I come from a family of healers. My parents, my siblings—they’re all much more talented than I am.”
“I doubt that,” Zane says with conviction that surprises me. “You saved my life with your healing. That was no small feat.”
“I’m really not very skilled,” I protest, but he shakes his head.
“You’re being modest.” His fingers find another strand of my auburn hair and twirl it gently. The gesture should make me feel like he’s being presumptuous, but instead, it sends warmth spreading through my chest. “What else? What do you enjoy doing when you’re not healing people?”
“I like reading. Spending time in the gardens.” I find myself relaxing with his attention, the way he listens as if every word I say matters. “I’m not very interesting, I’m afraid.”
“Reading is a very attractive trait,” he replies, still playing with my hair. “Intelligence is beautiful.”
I can’t help but smile despite the heat creeping up my cheeks. “You’re very good with your words.”
“Only when I’m properly inspired,” he says with a grin that makes my wolf rumble with satisfaction.
The sound of footsteps makes me look up, and irritation flares through me instantly.
Seth is marching toward us across the garden, his face thunderous, green eyes blazing with fury. His jaw is set in that dangerous way that means someone’s about to get hurt, and every line of his body radiates barely controlled rage.
Of course he has to ruin this moment. Can’t I have one peaceful conversation without him showing up to make everything worse?
Zane looks at Seth, too, and there’s something almost predatory in the smile he gives him, despite its charm.
He takes my hand, his fingers intertwining with mine in a gesture that feels both protective and possessive. The contact sends heat shooting up my arm, and my wolf hums with contentment.
Seth reaches us with a low growl emanating from his chest. “What the hell are you doing?” he demands, his eyes fixed on me with an intensity that should make the mate bond flare to life.
But it doesn’t.
“Selene…” Seth grabs my wrist and yanks me to my feet, his grip tight enough to bruise.
Before I can even process what’s happening, Zane jumps up and pulls me back against his chest with one arm. I lean into his embrace, my heart hammering as I find myself caught between the two men.
“Commander Rowan,” Zane says, his voice pleasant but with an edge of displeasure. “What exactly do you want?”
“This is a private matter between me and Selene,” Seth snarls, his eyes never leaving my face.
Zane’s arm tightens around my waist, pulling me closer against his side. “There are no private matters between you and Selene, Commander.”
Seth’s eyes narrow dangerously. “And why is that?”
“I’m a jealous man, you see,” Zane says conversationally, though there’s steel beneath the polite words. “I don’t particularly like other men talking to my fated mate.”
Seth goes completely still, his expression shifting from anger to utter bewilderment. “What?” The word comes out strangled, like he can’t quite process what he’s hearing. “Your…what?”
“My fated mate,” Zane repeats calmly, as if he’s discussing the weather. “Selene.”
Seth’s mouth opens and closes several times, no sound coming out. His green eyes dart frantically between Zane and me, confusion and what appears to be alarm crossing his features. “That’s…that’s…”
“Quite fortunate for me, wouldn’t you say?” Zane continues with that same charming smile, seemingly oblivious to Seth’s obvious distress.
Seth’s jaw works silently for several seconds before he manages to speak again. “I need to interview Selene about the incident in the woods,” he says finally, his voice hoarse and uncertain.
“Then you can do so in front of me,” Zane replies smoothly.
Seth’s lips pull back in something that might be called a smile but is more like a grimace. “That’s not possible. This is official business, and I need to speak with her privately.”
Annoyance flares through me. I already told him everything that happened. What more could he possibly want to know? I suspect what he really wants is to understand this whole fated mate situation—why Zane thinks we’re bonded when Seth and I used to be. That’s going to be a fun conversation.
“Selene,” Seth says, his voice commanding despite the bafflement still written all over his face. “Come with me to my office.”
I don’t want to leave Zane, and I don’t want to deal with whatever interrogation Seth has planned. But the authority in his voice makes it clear this isn’t a request.
“I’ll see you later,” I whisper to Zane, reluctantly stepping away from his warmth.
His hand catches mine briefly, squeezing gently. “I’ll be here when you get back.”
The promise in his voice gives me just enough strength to turn away and follow Seth across the garden, already dreading the questions I know he’s going to throw at me.
THE WALK to Seth’s office feels like a death march. I can practically see the tension radiating off him as he strides ahead of me, his shoulders rigid with barely contained emotion. When we reach his door, he holds it open with exaggerated courtesy, but the moment we step inside, everything changes.
The door slams shut behind me with a bang that echoes through the room. Before I can even turn around, strong hands grab my shoulders and spin me back against the wood. Seth cages me there with his arms on either side of my head, his face inches from mine.
“What the hell is Zane talking about?” he demands, his voice low and dangerous.
But there’s something else in his green eyes that surprises me: panic. Real, honest-to-god panic, like his world has fallen off its axis. The sight of it sends a rush of satisfaction through me that I don’t bother to hide.
“He’s right,” I say simply, meeting Seth’s gaze without flinching.
His jaw clenches so hard, I can hear his teeth grinding. “You and I are fated mates, Selene.”
I push his hands away from the door frame, forcing him to step back. “Not anymore,” I tell him with a calm that seems to unnerve him. “I don’t feel the fated mate bond toward you anymore. I feel it toward Zane.”
His mouth opens and closes like a fish gasping for air. “How is that possible?”
I brush past him and settle into one of the visitors’ chairs, crossing my legs with deliberate casualness. The action clearly throws him off balance; I can see him struggling to process this new version of me, the one who isn’t shrinking away from his anger.
“Why do you care?” I ask, tilting my head with mock curiosity. “You wished I was gone. And now, I feel nothing for you. Isn’t that what you wanted?”
Seth stands frozen in the middle of his office, staring at me like I’ve grown a second head. “It’s not possible,” he says, his voice hoarse. “I still feel the bond toward you.”
A laugh bubbles up from my chest, sharp and bitter. “Stop lying, Seth.”
His face darkens with anger. “I’m not—”
“Ask whatever questions you have and let me go,” I interrupt him, examining my nails with exaggerated boredom. “I want to go back to Zane.”
There’s a dangerous glint in his eyes at the mention of Zane’s name. “You’re suddenly very interested in him,” he says scathingly. “Is it because he’s a nobleman?”
This time, I laugh outright, shaking my head. “You can be as nasty as you want, Seth. It doesn’t bother me because you don’t matter to me anymore.”
I can see my words hitting their mark, the way his face pales slightly before flushing with anger. Good. Let him feel a fraction of what he put me through.
“In the ten minutes I spent in Zane’s company, he treated me with more courtesy than you ever have,” I continue, my voice steady and calm. “So yes, I’m drawn to him. The fated mate bond also helps.”
I know I’m upsetting Seth. I can see it in the way his hands form fists at his sides, the way his breathing becomes shallow and quick. Part of me should feel guilty, but mostly I just feel satisfied. This is payback for months of humiliation and rejection.
“If you have any other questions for me, you should ask them now,” I say, checking an imaginary watch on my wrist. “I don’t have all day.”
“Zane is not your fated mate,” Seth says through gritted teeth. “I am.”
I give him my sharpest smile, the one I’ve been practicing in mirrors since my release from the infirmary. “Why are you fighting this, Seth? I don’t know how it happened, but it did. I have a different fated mate now.”
His face goes through several emotions before settling on desperation. “Zane is dangerous, Selene. You don’t know what—”
Anger flares in my chest, hot and sudden. I spring to my feet, my chair scraping against the floor. “What is this?” I demand. “You don’t want me, so nobody else should, either?”
Seth opens his mouth to respond, but I’m done listening to his excuses.
“Get over yourself,” I snap, taking a step toward him. He actually backs up, which gives me another rush of satisfaction. “If it hadn’t been for the fated mate link between us, I wouldn’t have given you the time of day.” The words are pouring out of me now, things I’ve been holding back for months. “I may be weak, Seth, but I have standards. And you fall short of every single one of them.”
His face goes white, then red, various reactions clearly warring in his head. But I’m done with this conversation. I storm toward the door, and my hand is already on the handle when his voice stops me.
“Selene—”
I don’t turn around. “You obviously only brought me here to waste my time, Seth. You’ve gone out of your way to make me feel small and insignificant ever since we met. You could have rejected me and ended it all, but you just had to be an asshole over this whole thing. You were punishing me for being your fated mate.” I look over my shoulder at him, all the anger I’ve been feeling evident in my voice. “As far as I’m concerned, we’re done. Don’t bother me again.”
I yank the door open and step into the hallway, my heart pounding with a mixture of terror and pride. I can’t believe I just said all of that. I can’t believe I finally stood up to him.
My hands are shaking as I walk away, but my spine is straight, and my head is held high. For the first time in months, I can breathe. I feel like myself again. Not the weak, trembling girl who let Seth Rowan walk all over her, but someone with fire in her veins and steel in her backbone.
The sound of his office door slamming shut behind me echoes through the hallway, but I don’t look back. I have somewhere else to be. Someone else is waiting for me. Someone who actually wants my company.
A WEEK FLIES BY, and suddenly it’s time for my twice-monthly lunch with Astra and Daciana. I settle into the plush cushions of Astra’s private sitting room, the afternoon light filtering through her tall windows and casting everything in a warm, golden glow. This is so much better than the crowded dining hall—just the three of us, plates of sandwiches and fresh fruit spread across the low table, no one else around to overhear our conversation.
“You’re glowing,” Astra observes, curling up in her favorite armchair with a cup of tea balanced on her knee. “Why are you in such a good mood?”
I can’t help the smile that spreads across my face as I reach for a strawberry. “Can’t I just be happy?”
Daciana snorts from her spot on the window seat, already halfway through her sandwich. “She’s being courted, that’s why.”
“Courted?” Astra’s eyebrows shoot up with interest, and she leans forward like she’s ready for good gossip. “By whom?”
“Zane Radrick,” Daciana says with obvious satisfaction, like she’s delivering the juiciest news of the week. “And who wouldn’t be happy when someone like that is pursuing them?”
The surprise on Astra’s face is immediate and obvious. She sets down her teacup with a soft clink, staring at me with confusion written all over her features. “Zane Radrick? But I thought you and Seth had something going on between you.”
The denial bursts out of me with more force than I intend, sharp enough that both my friends flinch. “Absolutely not!”
They blink at the vehemence in my voice. Astra recovers first, speaking slowly, like she’s trying to work through a complicated puzzle. “I just assumed…I mean, Seth has been in such a gloomy mood this past week. I thought it was because of you.”
I wave a dismissive hand, focusing on arranging the fruit on my plate into neat, little piles. “I’m sure it’s because of one of his bedmates. You know how he is.”
“Could be. But he’s pretty down. I wonder what happened, then,” Astra murmurs.
Daciana leans forward from her perch by the window, her soldier’s instincts for gossip fully engaged. “I’ve heard that Seth hasn’t been with a woman in quite a few months.”
I look up sharply, my hand freezing over a grape. “That’s ridiculous.”
“It’s not,” Daciana insists, her voice carrying the certainty of someone who has access to all the best palace rumors. “I have it on good authority that Seth has been completely single. All the women who’ve approached him have been gently turned away.”
My stomach does something uncomfortable, like all the fruit I just ate is trying to stage a revolt. “Maybe you heard wrong. You know his reputation.”
“The soldiers in the army are betting that he has someone he likes,” Daciana continues, warming to her topic with obvious relish. “Someone he’s keeping secret. From what I’ve heard, it started around the same time we arrived here.”
The grape I’m holding slips from my fingers and rolls across my plate. My mind reels, trying to process what she’s saying. “That’s—That can’t be right.”
But even as I say it, something clicks into place with horrible clarity. The timeline Daciana mentioned makes sense. I first felt the fated mate bond toward Seth right after she and I were brought here. Has he really not been with anyone since then?
No. I shake my head internally, trying to dislodge the thought. He hates me. He has made that crystal clear.
But if he truly does have someone else, someone he actually wants, then maybe that explains his hostility toward me. Maybe he is angry about being bound to me when his heart belongs elsewhere. If that’s the case, though, why not just reject me properly? Why drag it out for months, making me suffer through his cold indifference and cruel words?
“Selene?” Astra’s concerned voice cuts through my spiraling thoughts. “You look like you’re a million miles away.”
I blink, focusing on the worried faces staring at me from across the cozy room. “I’m fine. Just thinking.”
The lie tastes bitter in my mouth, but I can’t exactly explain that I’m processing the possibility that my former fated mate might have been rejecting every other woman because of me. It doesn’t make sense. Nothing about Seth’s behavior makes sense, and I’m tired of trying to figure him out.
Daciana mercifully shifts the conversation, resting back against the window cushions with a satisfied expression. “Well, regardless of Seth’s mysterious love life, Zane Radrick is a catch. Handsome, wealthy, powerful—you could do a lot worse.”
“He’s been wonderful,” I admit, warmth spreading through my chest at the thought of him. The way he looks at me like I’m precious, the gentle way he touches my hair, how he actually listens when I speak. “Very attentive.”
“Zane Radrick,” Astra muses, a small smile playing at her lips. “The maids are always talking about him. They think he’s incredibly handsome and charming.”
My jaw tightens. “Don’t tell me has a reputation, too.”
Astra laughs. “No. Actually, Zane is known for avoiding romantic relationships. He’s the youngest head of a family, so he’s too busy to deal with women, from what I’ve heard. I do know that he has had many proposals sent to him.” She chuckles. “According to the maids, he has turned down every single one of them.”
Daciana turns to look at me, her eyes dancing with laughter. “He must have fallen for you when we were at his estate.”
“What?” I blink. “I’ve met him before?”
“You don’t remember?” Daciana’s eyebrows rise. “We went to his estate about five months ago to deliver some medicinal herbs. I escorted you because royal healers aren’t allowed to visit nobility alone.”
I frown, searching my memory. Nothing comes up. “I don’t remember that at all.”
“We met him in his gardens,” Daciana continues, her voice taking on that patient tone she uses when she thinks I’m being forgetful. “He was so polite to us. Thanked you personally for the delivery before we handed the herbs to his servant.”
My stomach twists into knots as I try desperately to recall any memory of Zane before I found him in the forest. But there’s nothing—just a blank space where that encounter should be. How could I forget meeting someone like him?
“He seemed really taken with you,” Daciana adds cheerfully. “I remember thinking he was devastatingly handsome but completely focused on you.”
The unease crawling up my spine intensifies. Five months ago would have been just after I started feeling the mate bond toward Seth. If I’d met Zane—my new supposed fated mate—back then, wouldn’t I remember? Wouldn’t there have been some recognition, some pull?
“I honestly don’t remember,” I admit, my voice sounding small.
Astra reaches over and pats my hand. “You were probably distracted. You’d just started working here; everything was so new and most likely overwhelming.”
I nod, grasping at the explanation even though it doesn’t feel right. My mind is foggy when I try to think about that time period, like there’s something important just out of reach.
“Maybe that’s why he waited so long to approach you properly,” Astra suggests gently. “He wanted to give you time to settle in.”
“Don’t overthink it,” Daciana says firmly, reaching for another sandwich. “You’re happy now. That’s what matters.”
I force myself to smile and nod, but the questions won’t stop churning in my mind. The cold knot in my chest tightens as I realize how many gaps there seem to be in my memory, how little sense any of this makes. But my friends are looking at me expectantly, waiting for me to join back in the conversation, so I push the doubts aside and reach for my tea with hands that aren’t quite steady.