Selene's POV
Leo's breath of impatience tickled my skin, "Selene, stop making a fuss. This is serious, I have to go."
His sharp voice laced with annoyance cut through me like a thorn but I pressed on, refusing to give up. I didn't want him to go; he is my mate, he belongs to me alone.
Taking a few more steps closer to him, I tightened my grip on his hands and pressed on stubbornly. "You are an Alpha, and there are many subordinates in the pack that can handle the issues, are they all just sitting around? Does everything really need your personal attention? With just one call, they'd help you. What are your Gammas and Betas for?"
Before I could take a heave of breath, Leo yanked his hands free from my grip and growled slightly. "Selene," He called so coldly that I jolted a little in surprise, he had never called my name in such a manner.
"Are you losing your mind? This is an emergency and as the Alpha, I need to be there. What are you even whining about? Don't think you can act spoiled because you're pregnant."
He was rattled. So rattled he forgot to hide who he really was. He finally showed it to me.
I heard his footsteps retreat down the stairs in a hurry till I heard the sound of the engine start.
My heart clenched painfully in realization. I knew why Leo married me; I knew he didn't love me. But… but it still hurts, I had given him everything, I didn't deserve to be treated this way. I feel ashamed of the fact that I had no idea my whole three years as his Luna and mate was a joke, or should I say…a lie?
I didn't realize I was crying till I choked on my tears. Sniffling, I wiped my tears slowly and brought out my phone. Fumbling with the screen, I voiced out a particular name to call.
"Hello, Dr Philip? I want to inquire about termination procedure," I said, my heart thudding viciously in my chest as I spoke to the pack doctor.
We spoke for a few minutes and when the call ended, a lone tear rolled down my cheek.
If Leo was going to break it off, then it was better break it off clean for child. I wouldn't want my child to suffer the way I did. Never.
As expected, Leo didn't come home all night. I let out a lazy chuckle as the thought of him spending the night in the embrace of another woman, his true love filled my thoughts.
I pulled the duvet over my head. Forcing my eyes shut, I let the thoughts of how my life would be when I leave flood through me.
*******
The next morning, just as I freshened up and began dressing. A loud knock sounded on the door.
"Who's there?"
"My lady, the gamma requests your presence," a maid announced loudly.
I shook my head slightly. "Tell him I'll be with him shortly."
The only reason Silas would be here was to present a gift to me, like he always did. Sighing deeply, I located the living room with the aid of my cane.
"Good morning, Your highness. I hope your night was as radiant as ever," his erring voice resonated throughout the whole room, and I shrugged.
My night was truly radiant, with bitterness.
I began to make my way towards the sofa and Silas rushed towards me, assisting me to sit on the sofa.
"Why do you want to see me?" I questioned, feigning ignorance.
Without replying immediately, Silas placed a parcel in my hands.
I knew it, it was a gift as usual.
Trailing my fingers slowly to decipher what it was, I raised my brows in question. It looked like a small box.
"Luna, this is a gift from his highness, a pearl necklace in a velvet box," He described, his voice carrying a tinge of pride.
I gently opened the box and traced the smooth, lustrous pearls with my fingers. No doubt, these were of high quality and costly but not enough to heal my wounds.
Dropping the box nonchalantly on the table, I crossed my legs. "Hmmn," I hummed softly.
A surprised gasp from Silas filled the air. I couldn't blame him, it was not the reaction he had expected. I had always been thrilled or even ecstatic to receive his gifts anytime he came by, but now, it was different and would always be.
"Are you feeling unwell, Luna Selene?" Silas asked in a worried tone.
"No, I'm fine." I simply replied.
Now that I think of it, these gifts were always Silas's doing, not just this time. Every single gift in these past three years has been delivered by him or the driver or a courier.
Never for once had Ethan personally handed these gifts to me nor did he speak of it. He didn't care if I liked them or not but I was so gullible and stupid to think it always skipped his mind.
"Also," Silas cleared his throat, breaking my line of thought. "His Highness asked me to remind you not to forget tonight's Casper clan dinner. He'll come pick you up."
Oh yeah, how could I have forgotten? Tonight was the monthly full moon gathering of the Casper clan. My alleged Family members would be present, including Amelia.
For two years of our marriage, Leo had always cleared his 'tight' schedule for this event. He was always more eager to go than I, the adopted daughter.
I once joked that he acted more like a Casper clan member than I did. But now, I realized the truth, it was just an opportunity to see Amelia.
Do I really have to go to such a gathering where I'd get mocked for being cursed by the moon goddess? Some mutter the 'ward of evil' chant anytime I pass by them. It was very exhausting being close to people who saw me as dirt especially for someone who was once cherished by them.
I had no interest in enduring their resentment and disdain towards me, but there was just one person whom I loved so much; it was Granny.
Granny never treated me the way they did, she took care of me like her biological granddaughter, she loved me, and I felt it.
And tonight, I would bring the special herb to keep Granny's treatment going so she'd live longer to see me stronger.
I suddenly heard the impatient foot taps from Silas, distracting me from my thoughts.
"You seem to be zoning out a lot today your highness," he commented.
A wry smile spread across my lips. Clearing my throat lightly, I nodded my head. "Very well, I'd start getting ready soon."
"Then, I'll leave you to it, Luna," I sensed him take a bow before leaving.
At dusk, I heard a soft knock on my door and it immediately creaked open.
"Your highness, I brought your dress. It's an emerald green dress." She announced happily.
Another gift from Leo.
My eyes roamed the dress and a low growl escaped my lips. "I don't want to wear that dress., Anything else is fine," I muttered.
"But your highness…"
"What? Do you plan on forcing me to wear it?" I questioned angrily, feeling impatient.
"No, your highness, you'll look stunning no matter what you wear. I'll pick something beautiful for you," She replied, with confusion laced in her voice. She immediately made her way to the wardrobe to get me another dress.
I sat quietly on the sofa, awaiting Sara's arrival, when I heard a buzz from my phone.
A voice message popped up.
I immediately tapped on the screen to play the voice message and a familiar voice blared out from my phone.
"Babe, take a taxi over, I'll come there late."
Nonsense!
My fingers tightened around the phone as I fought the urge to throw it against the wall. First, he left the house in the middle of the night to meet Isabella and didn't come home, now he won't come to pick me up? A tradition we have upheld for years.
"Calm down Selene, you need to calm down," Nina whispered in my head, trying to soothe my anger. "Remember he's not worth it and we have our plan. Do not let him rile you up!"
I bobbed my head at her words while taking a deep breath and then I sent him back a voice message. "Got it," I replied, in the calmest voice I could feign.
In an hour, I was dressed and ready to go, the taxi had arrived too and Sarah assisted me out of the house.
As she saw me off to the cab, I could sense her worry. "Your highness, are you sure you want to go alone? And His highness… your condition makes it risky to travel by yourself," She voiced her displeasure.
"I'll be fine," I muttered and thankfully, she kept quiet.
I wasn't ready to speak about my life to anyone, at least not now.
I arrived at Casper Villa at exactly six. I knew for sure the view of the sunset would be breathtaking. By this time, while growing up, I used to sit outside, on the porch to watch the sunset burn the sky red in so much excitement. Too bad I couldn't see it anymore.
"Selene! Fancy meeting you here." A familiar voice rang out as I stepped out of the car.
It was Amelia but she wasn't alone. There were other footsteps and a familiar scent. I tried so hard to figure out who the familiar scent belonged to but for reasons I couldn't explain, I couldn't .
My ears became alert as I tried to trace the direction of the two approaching footsteps. Turning towards my right, I held my cane to the floor and clutched my purse tightly in my other arm.
Amelia finally came closer and linked her arms with mine, speaking in her unusual pretentious voice. "I overdid it with wine last night and my stomach got upset. Leo gave me a ride. We planned to pick you up too but the traffic was a nightmare. You're not mad, are you?"
My brows furrowed in confusion, so the other scent I couldn't figure out belonged to Leo? Why was his scent so different and masked? Was it cause he had been with Isabella all night?
Leo's scent lingered in my nose, and Nina whimpered in my head as she fought back the mate bond between us.
Just as I was about to reply to Isabella, Leo's voice cut in. "Claire isn't petty. Using a taxi isn't enough to make her mad."
Ridiculous. I couldn't believe my ears for a minute. He couldn't be bothered to pick up or care for his blind wife, but went all out for a human who is perfectly healthy and can tend for herself. How more obvious could he get?
Tightening my grip on my purse, I scoffed nonchalantly before yanking my arms free. Tapping my cane slowly on the floor, I began to make my way towards the house.
A familiar smell wafted through my nostrils, and I felt nostalgic. This was the sweet scent that reminded me of my childhood, and now?
I made my way to the living room and the moment I got there, a sharp voice snap at me. "Oh, it's you? I thought it was Amelia."
I didn't need a soothsayer to tell me it was Mrs Casper, the woman I had thought to be my mother.
"Oh my! Amelia!" She exclaimed just before I could reply to her and shoved past me in excitement. The impact made me stagger backwards but I caught myself before forcing out a bitter smile.
At the Casper family, I was the least wanted. Only Grandma had ever cared.
When Amelia was found and brought home years ago, the family had wanted to kick me out, but Grandma had stopped them, and because of her, I endured their hatred.
Suddenly, someone barreled down the stairs, shoving past me with a sneer.
"You, blind girl, stop blocking the hallway. You're an eyesore," Neil, Amelia's younger brother said in disgust.
"Finally! Mom's been nagging nonstop about you since morning. I swear, my ears are about to go numb!"
Amelia was the family's golden child. Everyone orbited around her, and she loved the attention.
Her favorite pastime was stealing things from me. Once, there had been a book I cherished, Amelia tried to snatch it, and in the struggle, the book tore, and she fell.
I remembered being locked up in the dark room for three days and three nights. By the time they remembered I was locked up, I had already passed out.
There were many similar incidents too, with Amelia threatening to steal everything I once had, and the Casper's always sided with her, never questioning, and I got punished harshly.
She did succeed in stealing everything from me, first the first mate the moon goddess ever blessed me with, then my eyes, and now the only person who I thought would be on my side forever.