Hope Is Not Optional — Manuel Flores 52
Chapter 52
Chapter 52
Selene
The courtyard fell into a silence so heavy that even the wind sounded deafening. All eyes were on me, and Adrian.
His words lingered in the air. Faces around us shifted in disbelief, shock, and outrage as the murmur spread through the crowd. But the most revealing was Sienna’s. She looked as though she’d been poisoned, eyes wide, lips parted, all color drained from her face. The flawless composure she always clung to had finally cracked.
Normally, I might have felt a flicker of satisfaction seeing her unravel like that. But right now, all I felt was boredom. I wasn’t here to compete with Sienna over Adrian. She could have him if she wanted. I wasn’t playing that game again.
“Impossible…” my stepmother gasped, clutching her chest.
Sienna’s entire body trembled. Her lips quivered before she finally broke, her voice rising with desperation. “T-that’s not possible!” she cried, eyes shaking her head. “You can’t be her mate! You’re supposed to be mine, Adrian, you’re mine!”
The crowd looked at her in surprise. No one had ever seen the composed, and graceful Sienna lose control like this.
Adrian’s cold gaze flicked toward her, his arm still firm around me. “Are you saying I made a mistake?” His deep voice cut through the air, laced with authority that made the ground feel smaller beneath our feet. Even I could feel the weight of it. “Who do you think you are to lay a claim on me?”
The change in Sienna was immediate. Her defiance vanished. She bowed her head so fast. “I-I apologize, Prince Adrian. It was stupid of me to say that. I was just… surprised.”
He didn’t even acknowledge her apology. His focus returned to me, eyes scanning my face as if he were waiting for something, joy, tears, excitement. Anything to show that I was happy with the news But I had none of that to give.
Inside, I felt nothing. No excitement, or the fluttering warmth that should come with a mate bond. Just a dull ache buried deep in my chest. He had no idea how many lifetimes I’d already lived with that same gaze on me, how many times I’d believed it meant something.
The Alpha finally broke the silence with a booming laugh. “Well, that’s unexpected!” he said, grinning. “Who would’ve thought? Selene, would be prince Adrian mate. Tell me, child, how do you feel? Are you happy?”
Before I could even answer, someone in the crowd scoffed loudly.
“Is that really a question?” a woman muttered. “Why wouldn’t she be happy? Being the Prince’s mate has been her dream for years. I bet she’s ecstatic inside, she is just pretending to be shy.”
Another voice chimed in. “I can’t believe it’s her. When they said the Prince’s mate was a Moonborn, I thought it would be Sienna, not Selene. Why her of all people? Sienna would’ve made a far better Luna.”
I didn’t react to their whispers. I turned to Adrian instead, meeting his piercing green eyes. His arm was tight around my waist, holding me as if he owned me. I placed my hand against his chest.
“Let me go,” I said quietly.
He didn’t move. His arm remained firm, his
gaze unwavering.
“Your Highness,” I added, sharper this time, trying to push him away. But his chest was like a wall of solid stone.
For a brief moment, his grip tightened slightly, but enough for me to feel the strength in it. As if the very idea of letting me go didn’t sit right with him. His gaze bored into mine, before the corner of his lips curved into something between amusement and curiosity.
Chapter 52
He leaned in slowly, the heat of his breath brushing against my skin. Most people would have shied away, maybe even flushed under that intensity, but I didn’t move. I met his gaze head-on, as if he didn’t have the power to shake me any.nore.
“You really are a different person, Selene,” he said finally, voice low, almost thoughtful.
“Thank you,” I replied, tone flat.
“It wasn’t a compliment,” he muttered, his green eyes glinting.
“I know.”
We just stared at each other, locked in tension. His presence was overwhelming, his scent dangerous. He stepped back. Only then did I realize I’d been holding my breath. I exhaled, the air rushing out of me like I’d been drowning. Even though I wanted nothing to do with him, my body betrayed me, my skin still tingled where his fingers had touched.
Damn this mate bond.
I rubbed at my arms, trying to erase his touch, then forced a smile and turned to the Alpha. The smile didn’t reach my eyes.
“Alpha,” I said loud enough for everyone to hear, “you promised to grant me whatever I wanted after I won the contest with my sister, didn’t you?”
The Alpha
brows furrowed. The question caught him and everyone else off guard.
“I did,” he said, leaning forward slightly. “But wasn’t your wish to be with Adrian?”
A humorless laugh almost escaped my lips. “No, Alpha,” I said, shaking my head slowly.
The murmurs started again. Whispers rippled through the courtyard. Only Adrian remained silent, his gaze fixed on me, as if he was trying to read my soul.
The Alpha tilted his head, intrigued. “Is that so? Then what is your wish, Selene?”
Behind him, my step mother hissed under her breath, her voice sharp with warning. “Selene! What do you think you’re doing? You will embarrass our family again. Your father haven’t told you what to say yet!”
I didn’t even spare her a glance. She wasn’t relevant
anymore.
“I wonder what she’ll ask for,” someone from the crowd whispered.
“I know, right?” another voice answered. “Prince Adrian is already her mate Maybe she’ll wish for his loyalty, she probably feels insecure about Lady Sienna.”
I smiled at their words and bowed my head slightly toward the Alpha.
“My wish,” I said clearly, “is rejection.”
Silence.
It felt as if the entire courtyard stopped breathing. Even the wind/died down. The Alpha blinked, genuinely unsure if he’d heard me correctly.
“…What?” he managed.
The air shifted instantly. I could feel Adrian’s gaze darken, burning into me like fire. He took a slow step forward, voice low and dangerous. “What did you just say?”
I lifted my head, meeting his eyes. My lips curved into a calm smile that felt almost cruel. “I said,” I repeated. “I want to reject you, Prince Adrian of the Mooncrest Pack.”.
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