The days following the encounter with Austin had been anything but easy. Seline tried to convince herself that she was fine, that she could move past everything, but there was a constant, gnawing ache deep within her. It wasn’t just the rejection—it was the weight of everything she had lost and was still losing.
At first, she’d thrown herself into her work, focusing on her responsibilities at the bar, trying to push through the mounting exhaustion and stress. But as the days dragged on, something was beginning to feel off.
Seline’s skin started to feel different—too tight, almost prickly. Her senses were heightened, but not in the way they should have been. Her body was changing, and she couldn’t figure out why.
Every time she brushed against something, she felt an almost electric charge running through her. The sensation was jarring and uncomfortable, as though her skin had become hypersensitive to the air around her. She couldn’t stop scratching, couldn’t stop rubbing her arms, her neck, trying to soothe the discomfort.
It wasn’t just her skin, either. There were moments when she felt her heart racing for no apparent reason, her breath shallow, her thoughts scattered. And a strange, uncontrollable urge to shift kept tugging at her—the primal side of her, the wolf inside her, stirring more than it ever had before.
She had tried to ignore it, to push it down, telling herself that it was just the aftermath of everything that had happened. But as the days passed, the strange sensations only grew worse.
One evening, after her shift at the bar, she decided to take a walk to clear her head. The night air was cool, and the silence of the small town was soothing, for a moment at least. She needed space, distance, from everything.
But her quiet walk quickly turned into something else.
Seline had just rounded the corner near her house when she felt it—a shift in the air, a presence lurking behind her. The hair on the back of her neck stood on end, her senses flaring. She turned just in time to see two female figures emerging from the shadows, blocking her path.
Seline stopped dead in her tracks, her heart pounding as she sized them up. She didn’t recognize them, but the predatory gleam in their eyes was unmistakable.
“You’ve been following Austin around lately,” one of them sneered, her voice dripping with disdain. “Don’t you know your place, hybrid?”
Seline’s blood ran cold at the word, her pulse quickening with a mix of anger and fear. She wasn’t sure if they had figured out the truth or if they were just playing a game, but the insinuation was clear. They had found out that she was Austin’s fated mate.
She straightened her back, refusing to let them see her unease. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said coolly, though her voice wavered slightly.
The second female laughed, a harsh, mocking sound that sent a chill through Seline. “Oh, you know exactly what we’re talking about. Austin’s mate. The one who thinks she can just waltz into his life and claim him as her own.”
Seline’s eyes narrowed. She could feel the heat of her temper rising, but she kept her expression neutral. The last thing she wanted was to give them the satisfaction of seeing her react to their taunts.
“We’ve been watching you,” the first female said, her tone venomous. “You think you’re special, don’t you? That just because you have a bond with him, you deserve his attention. But you’re nothing. You’re a hybrid. You’re not even a real wolf.”
Seline clenched her fists, the words stinging more than she cared to admit. She had heard it before, countless times—the reminder that she wasn’t fully wolf, that she was a hybrid, that she was somehow lesser. But hearing it from them, hearing the venom in their voices, was different.
“Maybe you should just stop trying,” the second female said, stepping closer. “Austin doesn’t want someone like you. He’s got better options. And trust us, he doesn’t even see you. You’re nothing to him.”
That was it. The final straw.
Seline’s anger flared, and she could feel her wolf stirring within her, pushing against the surface of her skin. She had never felt the shift more powerfully, more urgently than she did in that moment. But she didn’t let it take over. Not yet.
She took a deep breath, her chest tightening with emotion, and with more confidence than she felt, she stared them both down.
“You think I care what you think?” she asked, her voice calm but laced with fury. “You think I need Austin’s attention? You think I need to follow after him like some desperate little girl?”
The females exchanged a quick glance, clearly thrown off by her sudden shift in tone.
“I don’t need Austin,” Seline continued, each word sharper than the last. “I could do better than him. I could do better than any of you. And if you’re so desperate for his attention, you can have him. He’s all yours.”
The words tasted bitter in her mouth, but for the first time in days, she felt a sense of control. She felt empowered, even if it was just for a moment.
“And if it wasn’t for the bond,” she added, her eyes flashing with defiance, “I wouldn’t even give him a second look. Not for a second.”
The moment she said it, she knew it wasn’t true. She knew she would always care for Austin, that part of her would always be drawn to him. But saying it made her feel strong—strong enough to stand up to them, strong enough to push back against the humiliation they were trying to heap upon her.
The two females stared at her, their expressions shifting from amusement to fury. The first one lunged at her, claws outstretched, but Seline was ready. She sidestepped the attack, her reflexes sharper than she had expected.
“You little bitch,” the second female hissed, her voice low and dangerous.
Before they could make another move, a cold voice interrupted them.
“That’s enough.”
The voice was unmistakable. Austin.
Seline’s heart skipped a beat, and for a split second, she thought she might be imagining it. But when she turned her head, there he was—tall, imposing, standing in the shadows, his amber eyes glowing with barely-contained fury.
The females froze, their eyes widening as they realized Austin was there. They quickly stepped back, their earlier confidence evaporating in an instant.
“Get out of here,” Austin said, his voice icy and commanding. “Now.”
The two females exchanged a quick, fearful glance, and without another word, they turned and fled, disappearing into the night.
Austin remained still for a moment, his gaze flickering over Seline, but he said nothing.
Seline stood there, her heart still pounding, her body trembling with the aftermath of the confrontation. The anger inside her hadn’t fully subsided, but seeing Austin there, his presence so dominant, had somehow rooted her to the spot.
She expected him to say something, to offer some kind of explanation or even an apology, but he just looked at her, his expression unreadable.
“Are you satisfied now?” he asked coldly, his voice sharp. “Now that you’ve made yourself clear?”
Seline’s chest tightened, the weight of his words settling heavily on her. “You think I’m damaged goods, don’t you?” she asked, her voice barely a whisper, but it carried the full weight of her pain. “You think I’m easy to discard, something that’s not worth your time.”
Austin didn’t respond immediately, but his eyes flickered to her with something—regret? No, it wasn’t that. Something darker. Something that made her want to turn and run, but she held her ground.
“You don’t get it, do you?” she continued, her voice gaining strength with each word. “You think I need you. You think I need your approval. But I don’t. Someone out there will treat me like I’m worth something. Someone will see me for who I am, not just as a bond or a hybrid. And it’s not going to be you.”
She swallowed the lump in her throat, feeling the finality of the words she had just spoken. It was the first time she had truly acknowledged it. That her mate—her fated mate—didn’t want her.
Austin’s jaw clenched, and for a moment, she thought he might say something, might apologize. But instead, he turned on his heel and walked away, his back straight, his steps deliberate.
Seline stood there, the sting of his rejection once again washing over her like a tidal wave.
But this time, she didn’t let it break her.
This time, she was stronger.
And she wouldn’t let anyone, not even him, make her believe otherwise.