7. Chosen
Seff stared at the ribbon as if it was the gallows’ rope. Then to Kiran Cyrus, the gold executioner.
He bent to her eye level and lifted her chin with a finger. “Seff Bastan.” He said her name with plenty of promise. A moment later, his hands slid around her neck, the ribbon chafing, and came around to tie a neat bow. “You are now a part of—”
Selene rammed her shoulder into the Alpha’s, shoving him out of Seff’s immediate view. Before she could process, the Luna was tying a blue ribbon just above the gold one. “I clam you, Seff Bastan, for the harem of the Moon pack.”
Allium seemed to get past her own shock to grab Seff’s arm and whisper, “No. No, this means—”
“Seff!” It was Hawthorn’s voice that shouted from the crowd. Members of all three packs had to hold him back from climbing the stage.
Both Alphas whirled at the sudden outbreak of voices. Chosen by both Alphas? Seff, chosen by both Alphas? An orphan wolf from the Leftovers? What was so special about her?
Her brothers seemed most angered. Seff’s eyes snapped to them at the edge of the stage. She didn’t think they would show up. The eldest son of Linden and Arum yelled, “She’s not worthy of your harems, Alphas!” The younger son warned, “She’s bad luck! Don’t breed with her!”
Whether they believed her brothers or not, the Alphas crouched in tandem in front of the Bastan brothers, much to their sudden horror, all bravado gone in a flash. “That’s not very nice to say of your sister,” scolded Selene darkly. “You’re Betas,” noticed Kiran. “You wouldn’t understand the worth of an Omega.”
Hawthorn managed to claw his way—without actual claws—to the edge of the stage as well, gasping Seff’s name. The Alphas intercepted him. “Who are you? Is this wolf so important to other males?” asked Kiran.
“I’m in love with her”—
Allium whipped her head to Seff, jaw dropping.
—“and you don’t deserve her.”
This time Selene smiled alongside Kiran, a slow upward curve of her lips more feline than lupine. “Don’t we now? Our word is the law and trumps the useless notion of love.”
“But you get to see us fight over her,” Kiran said with amusement in his voice. “Selene, we get a minute to resolve this. I claimed her first—”
“I choose Kiran.”
Seff felt the entire world’s gaze upon her, carrying the weight of thousands. The biggest choice she ever made or will make. All to save her friends. Maybe herself, but keeping her friends from harm was far more important.
“I can handle myself,” Allium hissed—not unkindly, but in equal fear for signing Seff to a fate worse than she would ever want.
Heartbreak scrawled over Hawthorn’s face and Seff felt punched in the chest. They already knew they would be separated. Perhaps the reality of it was more painful than the concept. There was nothing more he could say to her; the Sun pack pulled him back, and he let them. Seff watched him disappear into the crowd and suddenly wished for his hands to be gripping her hips as he had only an hour ago. No more Frisk parties with his mouth exploring the landscape of her body.
Her body now belonged to the Sun pack’s harem.
Selene’s jaw worked, her face nothing short of murderous, ignoring Kiran’s triumphant grin. He won and he would rub it in his rival’s nose forever. “Are you sure, Seff Bastan? You want to join this narcissist’s prison of gold?”
I don’t want to join either of your prisons, she wanted to say. But she nodded. “Yes.”
Her features started to shift toward a wolf’s. She lashed out and ripped her blue ribbon from Seff’s throat and moved onto the next Omega in line. Kiran slipped into her place, tugging on a piece of Seff’s hair with a smarmy smile. “See you at the ball, my dear.” Then he too moved on to the next.
Log in with Google Account
Chapters
Favorite
Settings
