Hope Is Not Optional — Manuel Flores 92
92) What an arrogant man
92| What an arrogant man
Selene
I looked down at Adrian’s hand clenching around my wrist with nothing indifference, allowing hirm to drag me along as if I weighed nothing. The gravel path beneath our feet blurred past as he walked with long, furious strides, his grip firm, but I didn’t struggle.
There was no point. His anger wasn’t something I cared enough to resist, and the pain, if it could even be called that, was insignificant compared to everything I had already endured in my past lives.
When we reached the garden, far enough from the music, and the prying eyes of the banquet hall, he finally stopped. But he didn’t release me. Instead, his grip tightened, and before I could even shift my footing, he pushed me back against the stone wall. It wasn’t rough, but it was forceful enough to make his intention clear. His second hand slammed against the wall beside my head, caging me in completely, his body close enough that I could feel the heat radiating off him.
I sighed softly and lifted my gaze to meet his.
Adrian was furious. His chest rose and fell rapidly, his breathing uneven as his green eyes flashed with barely restrained rage. He looked at me as if he was trying to tear something out of me, an emotion, a reaction, anything. But I gave him nothing. My face remained empty.
And it wasn’t an act.
I truly didn’t care.
His reaction was strange, almost laughable, when I thought about it. In my past lives, this was the same man who had once considered rejecting me because I wasn’t good enough to stand beside him as Luna, because I was seen as a curse, a burden to the pack. And now, here he was, furious that I was the one rejecting him first. There was no way someone like Adrian suddenly cared about me. He never had. He never would.
If anything, he was angry because he had lost control.
Because for once, the choice wasn’t his.
Whatever his reasons were, pride, wounded ego, or sheer disbelief, they didn’t matter. As long as I got what I wanted tonight, he could drown in his anger for all I cared.
“Selene Bloodrose,” he said sharply, his voice low, “how bold of you to trick my father into rejecting me. Do you have a death wish? Are you trying to mess with the royal family?”
I met his gaze and smiled politely, the same soft, foolish smile I had worn so many times in my past life. The one everyone mistook for weakness.
“Prince Adrian,” I replied gently, my voice respectful, “I don’t understand what you mean. Why would an eighteen-year-old girl trick an alpha? And why would I ever mess with the royal family? I think you’re mistaken about something. I would never do anything like that.”
His eyes darkened.
Even though my tone was submissive, he could hear it. There was nothing submissive in my words.
“If you’re not trying to mess with me,” he said, leaning closer, “then why do you keep trying to reject me? Do you think this is
a game? Or do you think doing this will make me more interested in you?” His grip tightened slightly. “Are you trying to make me chase you?”
I looked at him, and a flicker of amusement crossed my eyes.
What an arrogant man.
Did he really believe the world revolved around him? That every woman’s actions existed solely for his attention?
I could feel a laugh threatening to escape, but instead, I simply tilted my head.
I would rather die than want your attention, Prince Adrian.
I wanted to put him in his place right then and there, to strip him of that arrogance he wore so naturally, but I swallowed the words before they could leave my mouth. Causing a bigger scene wouldn’t help me, and I needed him calm enough to do exactly what I wanted.
I shook my head slowly and met his gaze again.
“That’s not it, Prince Adrian, I would never go to
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ur attention.”
My words were polite, it was the kind of sentence he couldn’t openly rage at without looking foolish, but I could see it in the way his jaw tightened that he didn’t like it at all.
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92) What an arrogant man
I continued before he could interrupt me. “I’ve already told Alpha Rhydian my reasons for wanting the rejection. The Moon Goddess wishes for me to devote myself to her. Even though I…” I paused, lowering my gaze slightly, playing the part perfectly. “Even though you’re so perfect and every woman in the pack wants to be with a man like you, I can’t accept this mate bond. The Moon Goddess’ will must always come first.”
He scoffed, the sound low and disbelieving, but I ignored it and pressed on, my voice steady.
“Besides, I don’t think it’s such a great loss for you. As you know, I’m considered a curse because of my white and black hair. I’m not a perfect Moonborn. You should be with Sienna instead. She’s more suitable, more perfect. I’m sure the two of you would make an ideal couple. I only want what’s best for you and the pack.”
Every word was crafted to please him, to push him toward the decision I needed, but instead of easing his temper, it ignited
His hand slammed against the wall beside my head with a sharp crack, the stone vibrating beneath the impact as he leaned in closer, his presence suddenly overwhelming.
“Enough with the bullshit, Selene,” he growled. “Who do you think you are to tell me what’s best for me?”
I wanted to say something when, all of a sudden, my heart skipped violently. A shiver raced down my spine before I could
stop it. Heat rushed to my face, my skin flushing as I instinctively brought a hand to my chest, right over my pounding heart. My breathing hitched, turning uneven, and a thin sheen of sweat broke out across my forehead.
Oh my goddess.
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