Hope Is Not Optional — Manuel Flores 88
881 Alpha Tristan, do your best to entertain me
88| Alpha Tristan, do your best to entertain me
Selene
“Oh my goddess, did you see that?” someone whispered, their voice loud despite how hard they tried to keep it low. “He asked her? He asked Lady Selene? Lady Sienna’s sister?”
Another voice followed immediately, breathless with disbelief. “I saw it. gods, this is shocking. Everyone thought he would ask Lady Sienna instead. I can’t imagine how stunned she must be right now.”
“I know, right? I still can’t believe it.”
Someone else chimed in, hesitating before speaking, as if afraid of being judged. “Well… no offense, but even if nobody wants to say it out loud, it’s obvious, isn’t it?” She said, “Lady Selene is the prettier twin. Just look at her. Lady Sienna’s dress is beautiful, yes, but Lady Selene’s is different, unique, and elegant. I wanted to ask where she got it, but I was too shy.”
Another woman agreed quickly, her eyes fixed on me. “You’re not the only one. I wanted to ask too. I’ve never seen a dress like that before. And her skin, gods, it’s flawless. I wonder what she uses.”
Their whispers overlapped and echoed through the hall. I could feel the attention shifting, the weight of countless gazes pressing in from every direction. And many women were blushing openly as they stared at the man standing before me, their admiration barely concealed. But my gaze was different.
I felt nothing toward Alpha Tristan, there was no flutter, excitement, or foolish fascination. I liked beautiful men, yes, but I had never been obsessed with them. Desire was fleeting. None of that mattered to me now.
What did matter was standing just beside me.
I turned my eyes slightly and looked at Sienna.
Her expression was dark. Her hands were clenched so tightly at her sides that her knuckles had gone white, her breathing uneven as she stared at the scene unfolding in front of her. The whispers didn’t help. Every word spoken around us, every stolen glance in my direction, carved deeper into her pride.
She might not care about anything, or why Alpha Tristan had asked me instead of her, but there was one thing Sienna Bloodrose had always cared about more than anything else in this world.
Attention.
And right now, it wasn’t hers.
If I wanted to, I could erase her existence easily. I could make her death look like an accident so perfect that no one would ever question it. I was good at that. I had carried out many assassinations that looked like accidents for Adrian in my last lives. But what would that accomplish? Letting her take her last breath so quickly would be mercy, and mercy was something she did not deserve.
I had suffered ten times.
Nine times, I was killed by a demon. The tenth time, I killed myself. And every single path that led to those endings had been paved by my mate and my twin sister, hand in hand, smiling as they destroyed me piece by piece.
To kill them outright would be letting them go too easily.
No, I would take everything they loved instead. Strip it away slowly. Make them feel helpless, insignificant, and forgotten. And since Sienna adored the spotlight more than life itself, since she thrived on being admired and
chosen and desired.
I would take that too.
I turned toward Alpha Tristan, his gaze still fixed on me as if the rest of the hall had faded into nothing. Calmly, I placed my wine glass on the table beside me, the faint clink barely audible beneath the murmur of shocked whispers around us. Then I set my hand into his, feeling the firmness of his gloved fingers close around mine. I smiled.
Successfully unlocked!
1/2
88 Alpha Tristan, do your best to entertain me
“Of course, Alpha Tristan.”
Every gaze in the hall snapped toward us, disbelief written plainly on their faces. They hadn’t expected me to agree, not after all the years I had spent orbiting Adrian like a foolish moth drawn to a single flame. In their eyes, I was still that Selene, the one who never looked at another man, who existed only for her mate.
They could stare all they wanted. That Selene was gone, buried along with the girl who had once begged for scraps of affection.
Tristan’s lips curved upward, clearly pleased, and he took a step forward. I was about to follow when a presence leaned in close, breath warm against my ear.
“I would advise you not to dance with other men, little wolf,” Lucas murmured, his voice low and dangerous.” You know werewolf men get possessive of what belongs to them.”
A shiver ran down my spine despite myself. I raised an eyebrow slightly, my thoughts racing.
Werewolf men? What exactly was he implying? That Adrian would be jealous? Or someone else? I wanted to turn and asked for an explanation, but before I could, Tristan’s grip tightened and he gently but firmly pulled
me away.
I glanced back once, just in time to see Lucas leaning against the table, a drink in his hand, golden eyes sharp and watchful. There was something unsettling in his expression, as though he already knew this night would spiral into something far more interesting than a simple banquet.
Tristan led me toward the center of the hall. The music hadn’t stopped, but the dancers had, clearing space as all attention shifted to us. He ignored them completely, his focus unwavering as he turned to face me. A flash of white fangs accompanied his smile as he leaned down slightly, his tall frame casting a shadow over mine.
“Lady Selene,” he said, his tone deceptively polite, “am I permitted to touch you? It is a slow dance, after all. I wouldn’t want to be rude to someone so important.”
Rude?
Coming from the same man who had once chased me relentlessly in another life, the word almost made me laugh.
Instead, I looked past him briefly, my eyes finding Sienna. Her face had gone pale, her expression tight, as though the walls themselves were pressing in on her.
The sight was satisfying.
I didn’t answer Tristan with words.
I stepped closer instead and took his hands, guiding them to my waist.
That made him pause, genuine surprise flickering across his features before interest replaced it. I looked up at him, meeting his gaze without flinching, his blond hair falling across his lashes as he stared down at me.
Then I lifted one finger, tapping it lightly against his chin as if I were inspecting a finely crafted weapon rather than an alpha who thrived on war.
“Alpha Tristan,” I said softly, my voice meant for him alone, “do your best to entertain me.”
2/2
Subscribe
14 Likes
Join Our WhatsApp Channel For Fast Update Or More Novels: 
Join Our WhatsApp Channel For Fast Update Or More Novels: