As Selena made her way to the vast kitchen, the smell of bacon and eggs hit her nose, and she heard her stomach growl. She walked around the corner to be met by a large group of people sitting around a dining table, all laughing and joking with each other. She had thought Annie and Maya would be there alone. She hadn't been expecting a crowd. She spotted the human girl, instantly knew she was Kylie, and introduced herself.
Kylie looked at the lovely woman.
"Hi, Selena Kylie here."
"You are Max's mate." Selena smiled. It wasn't a question; rather, it was a statement.
"Don't be jealous. Max is all yours. He is like a brother to me." Selena smiled, making Kylie wonder how she knew she was feeling jealous. Who was this woman?
Kylie looked around at all the smiling, proud faces in the room that had suddenly grown silent.
Selena had been dreading this moment for days. She knew she had messed up, and now she had to face the consequences. She had gotten Annie and Maya into trouble, and she felt terrible about it. She never intended to hurt them, but this time, she had gone too far.
Annie's expression had turned cold. Selena's heart sank as she saw the disappointment in her friend's eyes.
"Hey, guys," Selena said, her voice shaking. "I'm sorry I got you both in trouble. I know I messed up, and I feel terrible about it."
Annie looked at her, her eyes still cold. Maya looked sad, but she said nothing. Selena knew she had to do more to make things right.
"I know I can be a bit of a troublemaker, but I promise I'll be more careful from now on," Selena said, trying to sound sincere. "I don't want to get you guys in trouble again."
Annie sighed and looked away. Maya finally spoke up. "Selena, we're not angry with you. We're disappointed," she said. "You know, what you did was very dangerous. What if some rogue had gotten hold of you? Alpha Cayden was furious and worried."
"I know," Selena said, feeling ashamed. "I'm really sorry. I shouldn't have done what I did."
Kylie's mind was spinning, wondering what Selena had done.
Annie finally looked back at Selena. "We forgive you," she said, her voice softening. "But you need to understand that if you need something, just talk to us. We will help you."
Selena nodded, feeling grateful for her friend's forgiveness. "I understand," she said. "And I promise I'll do better in the future."
Selena knew things would never be the same between them, but she was determined to make things right.
"Alright, I must leave."
As she got up to leave, Annie and Maya gave Selena a hug. "We're still your friends, so why don't you join us for breakfast and get to know Kylie? I can't believe Max landed such a pretty mate."
"Who would have thought that Max would find a human mate?" Annie said.
"Why? Is that uncommon?" Kylie asked.
"It happens, but it's rare; in fact, I don't remember anyone in this pack finding a human mate before. What about you, Selena? Did your previous packs have humans?"
Selena was silent for a few seconds. Actually, I have never met humans before."
"You have never met a human?" Kylie asked, aghast.
"I never left my pack," Selena whispered.
A sour feeling made its way to Kylie's stomach. Before she could ask another question, someone new walked into the kitchen. It was a girl around their age. She was dressed in a tight leather miniskirt and a bustier. She looked ageless and flawlessly beautiful, like all the women here. Kylie knew she wasn't unattractive, but these women were all supermodels. She stood out like a sore thumb.
"Natasha," Maya said. "This is Kylie, our new member."
The girl stopped and looked at Kylie, giving her a smirk.
"Welcome to the pack." The sarcasm was not hidden in her voice. "
"So, you are Max's mate; lucky you." Natasha flipped her hair behind her shoulder. It seemed like she was the leader of the pack.
"Lucky?" Kylie was confused.
"Being a wolf is an honour." Now that you are Max's mate, you must turn to live in the pack." Natasha showed no hint of sarcasm. "The moon goddess must have shined down on you. Welcome to the pack."
"Right!" Kylie said. She was feeling a little awkward.
"I will leave you girls now. Alpha needs me for something important." Natasha said this with a smug smile and gave a nasty look at Selena, who was sitting stoically.
"Bye, it was great meeting you." Kylie forced a smile. The other two women waved.
"Don't mind her; most members aren't like that," Maya said to Kylie.
"Who is she?"
"Natasha is a beta, just like Max, but she fancies herself to be the pack's Luna. She is so obnoxious." Maya continued to rant.
"Is she the Alpha's mate?" Kylie asked innocently. She knew enough about wolf packs to know that they had a hierarchy. Alpha and Luna were at the top.
"Hell no! She is not his mate. Thanks Luna for that." Annie said. "He hasn't found his mate yet."
Selena had gone completely silent. She shifted uncomfortably. What was hero status in the pack? Cayden's whore? A prisoner of war? The enemy's daughter?
"Actually, Alpha Cayden likes Selena." Millie blurted it.
Selena froze and looked away. Annie and Maya giggled.
"Oh yes, that is why Natasha hates her. She is jealous."
"It's not like that." Selena mumbled; her cheeks were getting warm. "We are not in a relationship. Don't forget who I am."
"You are the Alpha's prostitute!" A woman shouted at them. There were gasps at their table, shocked at the woman's outburst.
Maya stepped forwards and calmly replied, "Janet, you cannot use such derogatory language about Selena."
"And why not?" Janet said.
Selena vaguely remembered her. She'd never spoken to her, but she'd seen her around the gym. She belonged to the pack's hostile faction, which despised Selena.
"What is her status other than warming Alpha's bed? She even tried to run away."
"Shut up, Janet!" Maya shouted back.
Kylie's eyes had widened with surprise; she knew that some wolf packs were completely free with their sexual lives. It wasn't uncommon to have lovers, but why would anyone slander Selena?
"How can you forget she is Hawk's daughter? She has been sent here as a spy," Janet said, and a few wolves gathered around her nodded.
The hostile group saw Selena as a symbol of everything they had suffered.
"What is going on?" Cayden's voice boomed through the cafe. All eyes turned to him as he stormed forwards, his face red with anger.
"What is the meaning of this?" he roared. "Why are you all acting like this?"
The wolves backed off in terror. But one brave wolf stepped forwards, his fur bristling with fury.
"She is from the enemy pack, and we cannot trust her."
Cayden's eyes narrowed. "And who asked your opinion? It was my decision to keep her here. Are you defying me?"
"But Alpha, she is Hawk's daughter," the man said.
Cayden raised his hand. "I am aware of that."
"So, how can you trust her?"
Cayden looked at Selena, whose face had turned white. She knew what he was going to do.
"I trust her because she is my mate."
The audience gasped. And Millie squealed with delight, raising her fist in the air. 'I knew it.'
"She is your mate?" The man repeated.
"Yes, I didn't reveal it earlier because I wanted you people to get used to her. Anyone have any problems?" Cayden enquired.
For a moment, there was silence, and then the wolves bowed their heads in submission, one by one. Cayden's words had clearly dispelled their doubts for the time being. Cayden sighed and turned to face Selena, but she was nowhere to be found. She had slipped out of the cafeteria unnoticed.