Chapter 25 Betrayal

• THE UNEXPECTED protection Waldemar offered during the rogue skirmish—that raw, unthinking instinct to shield her—had sown a new seed in Selene’s heart: a fragile, tentative trust. It was a dangerous feeling, utterly at odds with her desire for freedom, and it complicated the already volatile mix of fear, resentment, and reluctant fascination she felt for the Alpha. The Moonbind, which had pulsed with his protective surge, now settled into a deeper, more intertwined hum, a resonance that whispered of a connection beyond mere claim.
• However, the uneasy truce between Selene and Waldemar was about to be shattered—not by an external threat, but from within the very heart of the Nightshade Pack.
• Days later, the tension within the estate was palpable. Whispers, like dry leaves skittering across stone, followed Selene wherever she went. She could feel the resentment, the fear, and the burgeoning doubt radiating from various pack members through the bond—a collective unease that clawed at her. Waldemar’s stern commands, while outwardly obeyed, did little to quell the rising tide of discontent. His focus remained almost entirely on Selene's "training," on preparing her for the Blood Moon ritual, seemingly oblivious to the simmering rebellion beneath his very nose.