Chapter 58: Chapter 58 Seeds of Doubt
Author
The afternoon sun came through the windows as Selina met Zack for dinner again.
She’d spent an hour getting ready, picking the perfect dress that showed off her figure.
She could tell right away that his mind was somewhere else. He kept checking his phone and barely looked at her when she walked in.
Since yesterday, when he left their meal early and came back all weird and distant.
She didn’t dare ask if he’d gone to see Elara. Selina tried to act normal.
The mood between them felt heavy until Zack suddenly spoke up.
"Selina, do you know who Elara married?" His voice sounded casual but his eyes looked intense.
Selina’s heart dropped. The question proved what she was afraid of. Even though Elara had left their pack, Zack couldn’t stop thinking about her.
[What kind of hold does that girl have on him? I should be the only woman in his thoughts! ]
Selina forced her face to stay calm even though she wanted to scream.
"Well," She said slowly, watching his face for any reaction, "after Elara’s thing with the Sterling Pack didn’t work out, my parents stopped talking about it. They were pretty embarrassed about the whole mess, honestly. But I think she’s with someone now. Maybe even mated already and just waiting for the ceremony."
She leaned closer. Her voice got quieter like she was sharing a secret. "Honestly? I think her mate might be even worse than Damian Sterling. Maybe that’s why nobody’s talking about it."
Deep down, Selina hoped Elara had ended up with someone awful. Nothing would make her happier than seeing her stepsister stuck in a terrible relationship.
The thought of Elara crying and miserable made her feel better already.
Zack went quiet for a long moment. His face scrunched up as he thought hard about this. His fork sat untouched on his plate.
"Zack?" Selina’s voice got softer, more concerned. She reached across the table like she cared.
"Zack," Selina said carefully, "did you go see Elara yesterday?"
Zack’s whole body went rigid. His eyes snapped to hers, and for a second she saw panic there.
He got stiff for a second before saying no. "Don’t think too much about it. We’re together now, aren’t we?"
“ I ordered our mate rings, by the way. And for the ceremony photos, where do you want to take them?"
His voice got warmer when he talked about their rings.
Selina felt a little better. At least he still wanted to have their mating ceremony. She gave him her sweetest smile.
"The rings sound perfect, baby."
"Zack, the photos can wait. When do you think we could make it official?" Selina couldn’t wait anymore. Every day that passed felt dangerous. What if he changed his mind?
Zack clearly got tense when she mentioned making it official.
After thinking for a moment, he said,"Selina, there’s no rush to make it official. Once I finish up with work, I’ll have my mom pray to the Moon Goddess and pick a good day, okay?"
He reached across the table and touched her hand. "Besides, I haven’t asked your parents for permission yet."
Selina’s heart felt warm at his words. "Stop being such a tease, Zack."
"We should do these things properly, Selina," he said firmly. "As the Alpha, I’ll handle everything the traditional way. Just trust me, okay?"
"Of course," she said sweetly, looking down. "I’ll do whatever you want."
But even as he tried to comfort her, Zack’s mind seemed far away.
One question kept bothering him. Did he really want Selina as his mate forever?
--
Later that evening, Selina excitedly told her parents about Zack’s plans.
Alpha Enzo nodded with approval. "Selina, once you and Zack are mated, you need to control your temper. He’s a good catch."
"I know, Daddy!" Selina rolled her eyes playfully. Then she turned to her mother. "By the way, Mom, I heard my sister’s been causing trouble at the company again. She even fired that friend I asked you to help get hired."
"You mean Elara?" Nadia asked in shock.
"Yes. Didn’t Uncle Jack tell you about it?" Selina pushed.
Nadia’s face went cold. Her eyes got dark. "I see. I need to go put her in her place soon."
It was an empty threat.
Nadia couldn’t even get her daughter to answer her calls. The rejection clearly hurt her pride.
But Selina was happy with her troublemaking. She’d planted the seeds perfectly.
