Hope Is Not Optional — Manuel Flores 80
Chapter 80
Chapter 80
Selene
I straightened, forcing my scent to stay calm, and met both of their eyes with a flat, emotionless expression.
Kane had that same arrogant, insufferable look plastered across his face as he stared at me. I hadn’t seen him, or crossed paths with him, since the coming-of-age ceremony, but the memory of his expression that day was still clear. The shock. The disbelief. The way his jaw practically hit the ground when he realized I was the one with the white wolf, and not his precious Sienna.
Even now, I wanted to make him angry, but I couldn’t because I wasn’t in the mood to deal with either of them. My body was. already struggling to suppress the heat rising under my skin, and the last thing I needed was these two walking disasters breathing the same air as me. But of course, Sienna either didn’t notice my mood or didn’t care at all.
She rushed toward me with excitement and then, without warning, threw herself onto me. Her arms wrapped around me so suddenly that I barely had time to react. My hands hovered uselessly at my sides, stiff and unwilling to return the gesture.
Her irritating scent hit my nose immediately.
I raised an eyebrow. “What are you doing? Get off me.”
Instead of listening, Sienna hugged me tighter, squeezing me like she thought she could wring affection out of me through force.
“What do you mean, sister?” she chirped with that fake innocence she perfected long ago. “I’m hugging you because I’m so happy. I don’t know how to thank you for what you did. I’ll forever be grateful. I knew it, sister loves me the most out of everyone in the world!”
My other eyebrow joined the first.
“What? Me?”
She didn’t answer. She just kept clinging to me.
I slowly turned my gaze toward Kane. He was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, watching the whole scene. My glare sharpened. “Hey. Get this thing off me immediately before I do it myself. And I promise you, I won’t be gentle.”
Kane rolled his eyes with a sigh. “Don’t you know how to say something nice? You don’t have to be mean to her. She’s trying to thank you for what you did.”
What I did? What delusion were they living in?
I opened my mouth to ask, but Sienna finally released me and stepped back with a blinding smile, her eyes sparkling like she had just won a prize.
“Sister, I honestly can’t believe it. You are so nice. Thank you so much, sister.”
I let out a long exhale. This was getting annoying fast.
Without a second thought, I pushed her away from me. Sienna squeaked as she fell onto her ass. Kane rushed forward instantly, helping her up.
“Selene, what is wrong with you?!” he snapped, glaring at me as if I had committed a crime.
I shrugged. “You’re bothering me. If you don’t want to speak normal English, then do me a favor and get out.”
“You!” Kane started, anger flaring, but Sienna grabbed his arm quickly, shaking her head.
“It’s okay, brother. Please don’t shout at sister.” She said, then turned toward me again and grabbed my hand with both of hers, smiling like a saint.
“Sister, you
don’t need to hide it,” she said softly. “Father already told me everything. The alpha accepted your rejection. You’ll soon break things off with Prince Adrian.” Her smile widened. “One of the reasons you want to reject him is because of me, right? It’s because you want me and Adrian to be together.”
“…Huh?” I said flatly.
Kane coughed, straightening up with that arrogant air he always wore. “Well, even though you’re annoying, that’s pretty selfless of you. At least you still care about Sienna’s feelings.” He nodded at me, satisfied with himself. “You’re not so useless after all.”
I stared at the two of them for a long moment. And then I couldn’t hold it anymore.
I burst out laughing.
The sound exploded out of me, echoing around the room, far too loud for the situation. Tears pricked the corners of my eyes as I grabbed my stomach, laughing harder the more I looked at their faces.
Sienna froze like a startled deer.
Kane stared at me as if I had lost every last brain cell.
My laughter continued, shaking my shoulders. gods, it felt good. They were so stupid that I couldn’t help it.
Kane finally snapped. “What is wrong with you? Why are you laughing like we said something stupid?”
I wiped the small tear at the corner of my eye and slowly calmed myself. A soft chuckle escaped me.
“Because you did say something stupid.” I said, smirking. “No wonder you two were being a nuisance.”
Sienna blinked rapidly. “W-what are you saying, Selene?”
I leaned back against the pillow behind me, crossing my arms casually as I looked between them.
“Was that what Father said? Did he actually tell you I rejected Adrian because of you? Oh, don’t be delusional, Sienna. You were the last thing I was thinking about yesterday. Why would I reject my mate because of a manipulative person like you?”
The embarrassment hit her immediately, her cheeks turned red all the way to her ears. She faltered for a second, her real expression cracking, before she remembered to act pitiful again.
“R-really, sister?” she whispered, voice wavering just enough to seem delicate. “I thought… you did it because you knew I liked Prince Adrian. I didn’t mean to make it a big deal, I was just so happy…”
I rolled my eyes so hard it almost hurt. There she went again acting innocent. Only a fool would fall for that performance.
And Kane naturally fell for it within a second.
“Selene! There you go again, acting mean to Sienna. She’s always nice to you. Even if you didn’t do it for her, you don’t have to be so cruel. You could at least lie to make her feel better.”
I stuck a finger in my ear as if cleaning it, not even looking at him.
That, of course, made him even angrier.
“Ugh!” he hissed.
I sighed lazily. “You know the door. I don’t want to see your faces, so leave.”
Kane scoffed. “You know what? It doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter what her reason was. At the end of the day, she already decided to reject the prince.” He turned to Sienna with a proud smile. “That means Adrian will be yours, Sienna. You” be the next Luna of the pack. You deserve it.”
Sienna blushed deeply and then turned back toward me with a soft smile.
“Yes, sister,” she said. “Thank you so much. Even though you’re Prince Adrian’s mate, I hope you can give him to me since we already have some chemistry. You won’t be angry, right?”
My eyebrow twitched.
“The Luna and even the Alpha like me,” she continued, smiling wider. “I’ll make sure when you’re ready to have a mate, I’ll find someone perfect for you.”
Kane nodded eagerly, putling out his chest. “Yes. I’ll make one of my friends court you,” he said as if he was offering me the greatest favor in the world. “You’re pretty, and the moonborn. At least one of them might want you.”
They wanted to annoy me, but I just stared at them flatly. They could talk all they wanted. Sienna could have Adrian. I didn’t want him anymore.
Behind me, I could feel Evelyn fuming. Her anger radiated off her. I could practically sense her preparing to leap forward and tear both of them apart with her bare hands. I was about to shut them up, but there was a knock on the door.
Sienna and Kane paused and turned to me, as if waiting for an explanation. I raised an eyebrow.
Why were they looking at me like I was expecting someone? I wasn’t. Why on earth did people keep coming today of all days?
Another knock followed.
“Lady Selene,” a voice called through the door. “I am the eunuch from the palace. I have been sent by the alpha.”
Sienna gasped. “The alpha? What does the alpha want?” She turned toward me, blinking innocently. “Selene?”
I shrugged. Even I was confused.
Kane, of course, spoke before using a single brain cell. “Maybe the alpha wanted to invite you to the palace but made a mistake coming here.”
Honestly, the explanation sounded reasonable. I found myself almost nodding.
Sienna’s eyes sparkled. “Oh my, then let’s go, brother! We mustn’t keep him waiting!” She hurried out of the room. Kane shot me one last dark, self-satisfied look before following her.
The moment the door closed behind them, I exhaled deeply and closed my eyes. I wanted to lie down, but Evelyn grabbed my hand.
I snapped my eyes open. “What are you doing?”
“Lady Selene,” she said urgently, “let’s go too.”
“Why?” I deadpanned. “You heard him. They came for Sienna.”
Evelyn shook her head fiercely. “We can’t be sure. If they came for Sienna, they wouldn’t come to your room. And the eunuch has already been to your room before, he wouldn’t make that kind of mistake.”
Of course I already knew that. But I was too tired to care, and I did not want to deal with anyone from the palace in this condition. Still, Evelyn wasn’t having it. She tugged harder, dragging me toward the door before I could protest.
When we stepped into the hallway, Sienna immediately caught my eye, her hand pressed dramatically against her cheek as she gasped. Beside her, Kane wore that triumphant smirk, as if the world had finally acknowledged his sister.
The eunuch stood respectfully at the side, bowing slightly. My doorstep was buried under a mountain of perfectly wrapped boxes, baskets, chests, and bundles of rare cloth. Servants lined the edges, heads bowed, waiting silently behind the offerings.
I stared at everything and raised an eyebrow.
Huh? What is going on?
Before I could open my mouth, the eunuch straightened and smiled warmly at me. It looked like he was about to speak, but Sienna lunged forward first.
“Oh my goddess, are all these for me? I can’t believe it, they’re beautiful!”
The eunuch’s smile froze. He blinked, confused.
Sienna took his silence as encouragement. “I accept them. I’m so grateful to the alpha. This is too much!” She stepped forward, already reaching toward a box wrapped in gold silk.
Before her fingers even grazed it, the eunuch smoothly stepped into her path and blocked her with a stiff, polite bow. He turned, completely ignoring her, and faced me.
His expression instantly softened again as he smiled.
“Lady Selene, I was ordered by Alpha Rhydian to deliver all these gifts to you.”
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