Page 121 of Alpha's Forbidden Fate

I feel a pang of hurt as Selene’s words cut through me. “What do you mean I don’t trust you?” I protest. “Of course, I trust you, Selene. You’re my mate.”

She scoffs, shaking her head in disbelief. “You’re just using that as an excuse,” she accuses bitterly. “Do all mates trust each other? Because it doesn’t feel like you trust me.”

I feel a surge of anger rising within me, but I push it down, trying to keep my composure. “I do trust you, Selene,” I insist. “But there are things I couldn’t tell you earlier, things that are complicated.”

She raises an eyebrow. “Complicated how?”

I hesitate, unsure of how to explain without revealing too much. “It’s... it’s about my family,” I finally admit.

“Your family?”

“Yes, my family,” I confirm, my voice gaining strength. “There are... things you don’t know about them, things I couldn’t tell you until now.”

“What?”

“My mother is not really my mother.”

“What are you talking about? I was just at your house yesterday. I met your mother.”

“Jade is my stepmother. My biological mother was a wolf. She and my father’s relationship didn’t work out, and she abandoned me as a baby. Mariya was my nanny. She was the witch who raised me, and that woman you saw yesterday, Jade, the woman married to my father? She is my mother in every sense of the word.”

“Oh!”

“Yes. There is nothing “step” about the way she cares about me. She raised me as her own son my entire life. Even when my siblings came along, I was never treated differently. They were never my “half” anything. I love them fully. So, if my mother, a fairy, can marry and love a wolf, why is this so different?”

Selene’s expression softens. “I see,” she murmurs. “But why couldn’t you tell me earlier, Liam? What does that mean for us?”

I take a step closer to her, reaching out to gently brush a strand of hair away from her face. “It means that we have challenges to overcome, Selene. But I believe we can work through them… together.”

She shakes her head, a sad smile playing on her lips. “You don’t understand, Liam. We’re too different, you and I. For starters, my family will always blame you for our parents’ death. My father and your father were arch-enemies and never saw eye to eye. You are an alpha, Liam. You need to figure out how that works. How will I, your mortal enemy, be a part of your pack? It would never work. My coven would never allow it. Your pack wouldn’t either. Our families won’t allow it.”

A surge of frustration courses through me. “I don’t care what our families think, Selene. All that matters is how we feel about each other.”

But she shakes her head again. “It’s not that simple, Liam,” she murmurs, with a pained expression. “You don’t even trust me. How can we have a future together if there’s no trust between us?”

I feel my heart sink at her words. “I do trust you, Selene,” I say desperately. “I trust you more than anyone else in this world.”

“It doesn’t feel like it. We can’t build a relationship without a strong foundation. I won’t. I’m sorry.”

“Selene, please.”

But she just looks at me sadly. “I’m going home, Liam. Coming here was a mistake.” She turns and walks away, leaving me standing there.

I watch her go, unable to move or speak.

I may have just lost my mate, the woman destined for me.

I may have just lost my fate.

As I step back into the council room, my mother’s concerned gaze meets mine, and I give her a nod. “Selene left.”

Elara’s brow furrows. “What are we going to do about the vampire’s threat?” she demands.

Raskogr shakes his head grimly. “After what Levi’s father did, they can never sit at the council.”

The rest of the council members murmur in agreement. “We’ll need to meet again soon,” Alyssa says in a resigned tone.

I’m quiet for the entire trip home. My mind is consumed by thoughts of Selene, wondering where she is and if she’s safe. The emptiness I feel without her is overwhelming.

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