CHAPTER 40: CHAPTER 40: THE MOMENT BEFORE THE STORM

I had to look away for a moment, just to breathe.

It was suffocating any rational thought. But still I couldn’t tear my eyes from her completely; the sight of her, so broken and silent in his lap, twisted something deep in my chest I couldn’t name.

Lucian knew it too. That’s why he kept talking. That’s why he smirked like he was winning something.

And maybe he was.

He was pushing my limit, testing how far I would go before I would snap at his face.

He wanted me to lose control. To lash out. To prove that Selene still held power over me. Because if I did... if I so much as looked like I cared, Lucian would turn it on her. That was the kind of man he was. A snake who didn’t bite until he knew where your weakness lived.

And Selene? She was mine.

Or at least, she had been. Before all this.

I inhaled slowly and forced my jaw to unclench. My fingers had curled into fists behind my back. I released them one by one, letting my voice smooth into the cold courtesy I’d mastered over the years at court.

"My apologies for the interruption," I said, my tone even, perfectly measured. "I merely came to ensure everything was progressing well before the coronation. It seems I’ve intruded on a... personal moment."

Lucian’s grin widened like a man who thought he’d won a game.

"Not at all, Your Highness. You’re welcome any time. Selene doesn’t mind sharing the spotlight."

I didn’t rise to the bait.

Instead, I stepped back with careful grace and gave a shallow nod toward the door.

"Please let the others know I’ll be returning to the main estate. I suddenly remembered an urgent matter I must attend to before tomorrow’s event."

Lucian raised a brow, amused. "So soon?"

I met his gaze directly. "Yes. I think I’ve seen enough for now."

His eyes glittered. But I didn’t stay long enough to hear his reply.

I turned and walked out with steady steps, refusing to look back. My footsteps echoed down the hall like drumbeats against the stone, every one of them carrying the weight of the storm inside me.

I didn’t stop until I was well out of the wing—out of that cursed chamber with its suffocating air. Only then did I let the breath out. It came like fire through my lungs.

I had to leave. Not for my sake.

For hers.

Because if I stayed a moment longer, I might have done something reckless. And he would have made her pay for it.

Lucian wanted me to snap. He wanted an excuse to tear into her in ways worse than what he’d already done. And if I gave him one... if I lost control...

Selene would suffer.

And I couldn’t protect her. Not when they have full control over her life.

But soon I would.

I clenched my hands again, nails biting into my palms.

~~~

Selene’s POV~

As soon as the prince walked away, something in me snapped.

I couldn’t hold it in anymore.

The silence I had kept so tightly shattered. My body twisted hard in Lucian’s lap, trying to get free. I didn’t care if it hurt. I didn’t care if I fell. I just needed to get away.

Tears poured down my face, hot and fast. My arms pushed against his chest, and my legs kicked against the couch. My heart felt like it had been torn in half. I couldn’t believe he had done this to me.

He humiliated me in front of the only person left who still remembered me. The only person who might have helped me. The only person I still wanted to believe in.

And Lucian had destroyed even that.

I sobbed harder, my chest heaving. I hated him. I hated him so much it burned.

"Get off me!" I cried, but my voice was weak and shaking.

Lucian didn’t move. He didn’t say a word at first. He just stared at me like he couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

Then suddenly, he snapped.

"What are you crying for?!" he shouted, his voice thundering in the room.

I flinched, but he didn’t stop.

"Feeling bad that your lover saw you like this? Is that it?! Feeling disgusted that he got to watch another man touch you?! Is that what’s tearing you up?!"

His voice was filled with fury. Each word hit me like a slap.

"Do you hate it that much?" he growled. "That you’re crying like your heart is breaking? You didn’t even cry like this when your father died!"

I froze, choking on a sob.

Lucian stared at me, breathing hard, and for a moment... his eyes changed. Like something inside him cracked too.

His voice lowered, but the anger didn’t fade. "You think this hurts? You think this is the real pain?"

He moved back and stood over me, his chest rising with rage. His eyes burned as he looked down at me—still crying, still shaking, still curled like a broken thing on the floor.

"You want to cry now? You want to act like a pitiful doll?" he said, stepping closer. "Where were these tears when my entire pack was slaughtered like pigs? Huh? Where was your pain then?!"

I could barely breathe. My throat was tight. The tears wouldn’t stop.

He dropped down again, suddenly grabbing me—his hands rough, his hold harsh.

With one motion, he shoved me hard on the floor, trapping me beneath him.

His weight pressed down on me, and I couldn’t move. My hair spilled across the cold floor, and I stared up at him, terrified and confused.

He hovered over me, and I could see it—how much he hated me in that moment. Or maybe he hated himself. I didn’t know.

"Look at you," he muttered, eyes scanning my tear-streaked face. "A pitiful mess. Does it feel good now? Now that you get to feel what it’s like to be ruined in front of the one you love?"

His hand gripped my chin hard, forcing my face to look up. I whimpered, recoiling at his touch.

That only made him angrier.

"Do you detest me that much?" he asked, voice breaking slightly. "Then why, Selene? Why did you give me that letter back then? Why give me hope?!"

Letter? What letter?

I couldn’t even think straight. His hand on my chin hurt. His body above mine felt like a prison. My lips moved, but I couldn’t speak. I didn’t understand. I didn’t know what he was talking about.

I just wanted him to stop.

"Please..." I whispered, but it came out like a breath.

But Lucian didn’t stop.

He shoved his thigh between my legs, forcing them apart. My torn dress rode up to my thighs. I panicked and reached to cover myself, my arms shaking.

But that made him furious.

"Why do you reject me like this?!" he shouted. "Is it because you don’t remember?! Is that it?! Or do you just enjoy pretending you’re some untouchable goddess while playing with several hearts at the same time?"

His hands grabbed my chin again. He leaned down until our faces were inches apart. His breath hit my lips. I could barely see through the tears.

My body shook under him. I felt like I would break into a thousand pieces. I couldn’t fight anymore. I couldn’t understand his rage or his words. All I knew was that every touch felt like fire. Every look felt like a dagger.

I turned my face to the side, muffling another sob.