<h4>Chapter 146: Chapter 146: The Banquet</h4>


    The forest grew quiet as Selene walked, her steps light over the damp earth. Behind her, the little ck wolf padded close, never straying too far. His paws made no sound, but his presence pressed, warming her cold heart.


    Selene did not tell him to follow, yet he did. Every time she nced to the side, he was there, his dark fur brushing against her.


    She stopped once, kneeling on the moss. Her hand reached down almost on its own, sinking into his soft fur. The wolf leaned into her touch, his body warm, pressing close to her. Selene’s lips curved faintly, though her eyes stayed tired, filled with pain as once again the past resurfaced in front of her eyes.


    Even though she had punished one of the men who was responsible for her mother’s death, she felt no joy—only endless sorrow and emptiness in her heart.


    Because she knew no matter how much she cried or made these men suffer, the one thing she yearned for would nevere back to her—her mother. She was already gone, and Selene was left alone in the world, with no one to call family or rely on.


    Her eyes misted, but she held her tears back and refused to let them fall.


    Even the wolf noticed the fluctuations in her emotions, because in the next second he started licking her hand.


    "You’re too stubborn," she whispered, her fingers stroking over his head. "I told you not to follow me."


    The wolf only pushed closer, rubbing his head against her arm as if to say he didn’t care.


    Selene sighed quietly, which felt almost like augh. For a moment, her hard heart softened. She patted him again, slower this time, as though each touch was afort she didn’t know she needed.


    The wolf’s eyes curved with happiness when she wasn’t looking. There was something odd in his expression. If Selene had seen it, she would have found that his expression really did not look like a normal animal with low intelligence.


    He watched her face when she turned away, his gaze heavy with quiet sorrow, as though he knew the weight she carried.


    But when Selene finally looked back at him, those eyes blinked, and the depth vanished. What remained was only a yful glint, a stupid little wolf’s light. He tilted his head, his tongue lolling out, pretending to be nothing more than what he seemed.


    Selene shook her head, a faint smile tugging her lips. "You silly thing," she murmured, brushing her hand once more over his fur.


    Then she rose, her skirt brushing against the leaves, and began to walk again. The little wolf bounded after her, tail flicking, as if he had never known sorrow at all.


    And so, side by side, girl and wolf slipped deeper into the forest, leaving behind the echoes of blood and screams.


    The path bent back toward the pack’snd. Selene’s steps slowed as the familiar weight of duty pressed on her chest.


    Currently she was not in any disguise; she was herself. She had removed the enchantment—maybe that’s why the little wolf was able to track her and even that man recognized her from the past.


    The little ck wolf padded close behind her, his paws silent, his head low but unyielding.


    Selene stopped and turned. "No," she realized she couldn’t take it with her to the pack. "You can’te with me," she whispered.


    The wolf only stared at her with his big eyes pitifully. His tail brushed the dirt, but he didn’t move away.


    Selene’s chest tightened. She knelt, reaching out to stroke his fur, her fingers curling gently into the warmth of his coat. "Listen," she said softly. "I have to go back. I can’t take you with me. Do you understand?"


    The wolf pressed closer, rubbing against her arm, refusing to leave her again. His body trembled, as though the thought of being left behind was unbearable. His eyes, full of stubborn fire, did not leave hers.


    Selene’s throat ached. She leaned in, pressing her lips to his head in a tender kiss. "Don’t be like this," she whispered. "You’ve followed me enough. You have to go back now."


    But he clung tighter, his nose nudging at her hands, his paws pressing into the ground like roots. For him, this was not just a whim. After countless nights of searching, after endless failure, he had finally found her. And now he refused to let go.


    Selene tried again, her voice breaking into a soft plea. "Please. I need to go." Her fingers brushed his ears, her lips pressed once more against his fur. "Be good. Let me go."


    The wolf froze, his breath shuddering out. Slowly, painfully, he sat back. His eyes—so pitiful, so heavy with sorrow—lifted to hers.


    Selene’s gaze softened. Her hand cupped his face as she kissed him once more, a gentle promise she couldn’t speak aloud. "Thank you," she murmured.


    She rose then, turning her back, forcing herself to walk. Her heart pulled tight with each step, but she did not look behind.


    The wolf stayed where he was, his small body trembling, his eyes following her every movement—pitiful, aching, but silent.


    Only when Selene’s figure began to fade into the distance did he lower his head. His gaze turned toward the dark path where Navien stilly unconscious. With slow steps, he began to walk that way, the same direction they hade from, his shadow long and lonely under the pale moonlight.


    ---


    The banquet hall was bright with silver lights. Long tables were filled with food, steaming and rich. Roasted meat gave off a strong scent, fruits shone like jewels, and wine in crystal cups waited untouched. Dark cloths covered the tables, and tall chairs stood neatly in rows.


    At the end of the hall, the alphas’ seats were higher and lined with fur, showing their ce above the rest. The emblem of the Silver Dawn pack hung on the walls, the lights beneath them flickering softly.


    Everything was set. Everything was ready. Yet no one touched the feast. The whole hall was silent, waiting.


    Lady Meriya stood in the middle of it all, draped in a gown that glittered with every shift of light. Her curves pressed against the fabric, her shoulders bared and her cleavage so deep it hid nothing, as though she had dressed not for a banquet but for a brothel. She posed with every breath, each movement an attempt to draw eyes, to remind others that she was still here.


    Selene saw it all from her corner. She sat quietly, her figure blending with the shadows, but her eyes missed nothing. She knew for whom all this disy was meant. She knew why Meriya painted her lips red and let herughter ring hollow in the empty room. It was not for guests. It was not for the feast. It was for them.


    The doors opened with a heavy sound.


    Luca entered first, his steps sharp, his eyes cold as steel. Behind him came Kael, his face unreadable, his posture proud. And then Aeron,st of them, tall and broad, his presence filling the hall like thunder rolling through the night.


    Selene’s chest tightened at the sight, though she forced her gaze to stay calm. She did not want to watch, yet her eyes betrayed her, following each of them as they entered, one after another.


    The doors had barely closed behind the alphas when Meriya rushed forward, her gown swaying, her painted smile wide.


    "My lords," she purred, her voice dripping like honey. "You finally came... I was waiting only for you."


    She leaned close to Luca first, brushing her arm against his as though it was by ident. Luca’s jaw tightened, his cold eyes sliding over her once before looking past her as though she did not exist.


    Undeterred, Meriya shifted toward Kael, tilting her body to  of her chest. "Kael," she whispered sweetly, "you’ve grown even stronger since thest time I saw you... truly, no manpares."


    Kael’s steps did not falter, but his re cut sideways, sharp as a de. The air itself seemed to chill. Meriya’s breath caught, her hand frozen in midair before she dared pull it back.


    Still, she giggled nervously and tried onest time, brushing her fingers toward Aeron’s sleeve. "And Aeron... surely you won’t ignore me too? Don’t you see how I—"


    His gaze snapped to her, hard and unfeeling, the weight of it enough to silence her voice at once.


    For a moment, the hall was so quiet that even her nervous breathing could be heard.


    Selene sat, watching the scene unfold. Her lips curved faintly, not into a smile but something close to bitter amusement. How long would this foolish dance continue? How long before either Meriya’s patience cracked, or one of the brothers finally decided enough was enough?


    <fn160f> Readplete version only at Find?Novel</fn160f>


    Kael’s voice broke the silence, low and sharp. "Enough, Meriya. Do not touch what is not yours."


    The warning rang clear, leaving no room for her false charms.


    As Kael’s words faded, his eyes swept over the hall. Slowly, his gaze found Selene.