Page 36 of The Alpha's Lunar Crown

She nods, her lips parting as though she is about to say more, but the loud pinging of her phone interrupts. "Sorry," she says, an apologetic smile on her face as she unlocks the device, the warmth of her smile radiating from her as she types furiously.

"New admirer?" I ask, placing the now empty glass on the nightstand and settling back. She almost doesn't hear me.

The smile on her face suddenly drops, and she flips off her phone, her features taut and withdrawn. "It's just a friend, no one important," she says as she tucks the phone into her pocket.

"Your face says something different, though," I counter with a slight raise of my brows.

Her cheeks flush red, and she avoids my gaze, busying herself with the mug of coffee that was just on the nightstand, "Well," she begins, taking a pause too long before continuing, "like I said, just a friend."

I pull myself into a more comfortable position. "You know you can tell me anything, right?" I say, refusing to drop the issue. Usually, I'd let it go after the first time I asked, but something tells me it's no ordinary conversation. Selene is hardly ever secretive. There's a part of me that strongly wants to discover something. Maybe it's the guilt about Aurora. If I discover Selene is seeing someone, as strange as it might be, I'll be relieved.After seconds of fiddling with her thumb, she finally lifts her eyes to meet mine. "I found my fated mate."

"Oh."

She doesn't give me a chance before horridly adding, "It's nothing, though. I was just carried away by the novelty of actually meeting him after all these years. But it's nothing you need to concern yourself with. I know my duties, and I know where my priorities lie."

"Selene."

"I know I should've told him and cut communications with him, but I just couldn't bring myself to. I've never felt something so intense," her voice dips with a slight tremble.

A smile tugs at my lips. I'm all so familiar with the things she just said: the pull, the connection, the inability to stay away. The first time I saw Rora and the way her face glowed from the reflection of the lights at the ball replayed in my mind like flashes from a vintage movie. Everything about her was so perfect, and I felt tingles spread through me, my fingers itching to swatch away the strand of hair that kept me from seeing her eyes. She was ethereal. If only I didn't have to lose her to realize how much she means to me.

My mind returns to the present and all Selene said. She's sorry. If only she knew the thoughts in my head, if only she knew what I've been up to the past few days, the reason I go to work every day, and the reason I can't bear to touch her.Despite my guilt, a flicker of hope licks at my inside. What are the chances that she would find her mate now of all times if it's not the hands of fate? The Goddess must be really giving me a second chance."Say something, Luc," she urges, her lips trembling like a kid caught with their hand in the cookie jar. I struggle to find the best way to deal with the situation. Would it be weird if I showed no sign of jealousy? Any husband would be upset about finding out his wife is entertaining another man, but we're not just any couple.

"I'm happy for you, Selene. Not many people are lucky enough to find what you just received."

She blinks twice, confusion etched to her features. "You're not upset?"

I let out a soft smile. "It does sting a bit, but then we're not exactly the regular couple, are we?"

My admission must've relieved her emotions as she sucks in a deep breath, releasing a shaky laugh with it. "I guess there's that."A brief silence settles between us, and I let it linger for a while before asking. "Do you love him?"

She stalls for a moment, probably debating the answer. "I don't know. I guess?""Is he good to you?"

A fond smile plays on her lips, and I find myself smiling with her. "He's really kind and gentle. Not something I expected from a warrior alpha."

My brows shoot up at the information while her eyes widen. "A warrior alpha, huh?"

"I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to. This is the first time I'm getting to talk about him, and I don't know—"

"Selene, breathe."

"You're being so calm about this, and it's unsettling me."

I let out a chuckle, toying with the idea of sharing my story with her. "I once found my mate, you know."

"You had a mate?" Her expression was a mix of shock and disbelief, and I don't blame her. Rora and I did a great job of sneaking around."Aurora Belmont."I don't know how it's possible, but her eyes widened further. "Rora is your mate?"

"Was," I corrected, feeling a tug at my chest at the admission. "I lost her."Selene pauses. Her brows furrow as she struggles to make sense of things. Suddenly, they jumped to her forehead like she just discovered the cure to world hunger. "Was that why she left? Our marriage?"

Now that the question was in front of me, I couldn't come up with a clear answer. Did she leave because of my marriage to Selene, or was it my words? If I handled things better, would she have stayed? "Honestly, I can't say. But I do know the way I handled things played a key role in the turn of events."

Selene nods in understanding with no questions asked, and I appreciate it. I'm not sure I want to recount the events of that day.

"I found my person, and I lost her. I paid dearly for it. The pain of it remains fresh and haunts me every minute. It's not something I would wish on anyone. It leaves you hollow, empty, and without a purpose. Once you find your person, everything becomes centered around them, and if you're ever foolish enough to lose them, nothing will ever make sense."

Selene studies my face, her eyes searching me frantically. "What are you saying?" Her voice is low and almost breathless. She knows what I'm saying, but she needs confirmation.

"I don't know, Selene. What does it sound like to you?"

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