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Selena
The house was too quiet.
I sat on the rug, my tiny fingers tracing circles on the cold marble floor. My doll the one with the missing eye and frayed dress lay forgotten beside me. Something felt wrong.
The door creaked open. A man stepped inside. He always visited my father, always with a smile. But today there was no smile. Just the heavy sound of his boots.
My heart thudded in my chest.
"Where's my father?" My voice was small, almost swallowed by the silence.
The man crouched, fingers brushing my hair. The touch was gentle, but it didn't ease the fear curling inside me.
"Selena..." His voice cracked.
I swallowed. "Where is he?"
His eyes darkened. "Your father is watching over you from above."
A chill ran down my spine.
I knew those words. My father had once told me the same when I asked about my mother. She's watching us from above, Selena. But no matter how hard I searched the skies, I never saw her. Not once.
Tears blurred my vision. "He's lying to me too?" The words slipped out, broken. My father always came back. He never broke his promises. He couldn't be gone.
Alpha Kingsley pulled me into his arms. "I promised your father I would protect you. No one will ever hurt you, Selena. Not while I'm here."
I clenched my fists. "When is my father coming back?"
Silence.
His arms only tightened.
I didn't want comfort. I wanted answers.
Finally, he pulled back, his gaze steady. "For now, you'll stay with me. You won't be alone. I have a son four years older than you. He'll be your playmate."
Playmate. The word twisted my stomach.
"I don't want to leave," I muttered. "This is my home."
His expression softened, but the decision had been made. "It isn't safe here. We'll visit every weekend. But you belong with me now."
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