Him, His Uncle And I!

Selena

Rebecca's pov

“So all of this is in preparation to let Ryan take over the pack?” Tyla asked after Mia finished her explanation. I was honestly relieved about the change in topic.

“Yeah, that’s what I heard. The current Alpha will hand over the pack to Ryan and retire as an elder or something like that,” Mia replied, shrugging, clearly not too interested herself.

“Oh, and so the new princess will be the Luna of the pack?” Fiona added.

Mia nodded.

The mention of someone else with Ryan still felt as sharp as ever, like a fresh wound being reopened. My carefully held façade was starting to slip; I needed some time alone.

As if sensing my discomfort, Kayla said, “Well, I’m hungry. Do we have leftovers, or do we need to make something from scratch?”

“I think we need to make something. The leftovers had gone bad, so I threw them out this afternoon,” Fiona said.

“Alright, let’s go then—I’m famished!” Kayla said, officially wrapping up the topic about Ryan and his chosen mate. The girls stood and headed for the door, but I stayed seated.

“Becks? Are you not joining us?” Kayla asked, noticing I hadn’t moved. I forced a small smile and shook my head. “I’m not hungry.”

She frowned. “You know, we’re still wolves. We need to eat. You haven’t had anything since two days ago!”

“I think I’m more exhausted than hungry right now. I’ll grab something after catching up on some sleep,” I lied.

Kayla looked unconvinced, but Tyla stepped in. “It’s fine. I’ll bring something back for you later, okay?”

I nodded, mumbling my thanks as they left the room, leaving me in a much-needed silence. Finally, some peace.

The quiet, however, did little to ease the ache I felt. How could I stomach food after everything Mia had said? I sat on my bed for a while, staring blankly at the wall, feeling hollow.

Eventually, I made my way to the bathroom to shower. It had been a long day and a half, and, to my embarrassment, I hadn’t even freshened up since taking Getty to the hospital.

Turning on the tap, I let the water run over me, the lavender-scented soap adding a small comfort as I washed. Still, my mind drifted back to the woods, to the last conversation I’d had with Ryan, and to the hurt that lingered. Was he feeling this same pain? Tears began to trickle down my face, quickly blending into the shower stream. In the back of my mind, the nagging “maybes” crept in, uninvited. Maybe if I’d tried harder, maybe if I hadn’t given up or gotten angry, maybe he would have reconsidered.

“Don’t be foolish,” a voice suddenly sounded in my mind, a presence both faint and powerful. Was I hallucinating?

“Who’s there?” I asked aloud.

“I’m here, in your mind,” the voice answered calmly.

“What?” I said, bewildered.

“I am your wolf, Rebecca. My name is Selena. We didn’t get to meet properly after… the incident.”

“Selena?” I echoed, still in shock, frozen under the warm spray of water.

“Yes, that’s my name, my dear.”

“You… can talk?” I asked.

“All wolves can. But we usually choose if and when we speak with our hosts. Many just take our strength without truly connecting with us.”

“Oh…” I managed, stunned.

“Yes. Now finish up in here, and I’ll be back once you’re done,” Selena said, her voice unexpectedly gentle, though tinged with strength.

"Wait! Are you not… mad at me?" My voice trembled, the question leaving my lips more fragile than I intended. I couldn’t shake the memory of Selena’s wail, her pain echoing in my mind the day I accepted Ryan’s rejection. She had disappeared without a word, and I feared that I might never hear from her again.

Silence stretched for a moment, and I held my breath, waiting.

“No,” Selena’s voice finally spoke, quieter now but still clear. “I’m not mad. At least, not anymore.”

I felt a wave of relief wash over me, but it wasn’t enough to erase the deep ache I still carried. “Really?” My words were barely above a whisper, and I couldn’t hold back the tears that formed again.

“Yes,” Selena replied, and in her voice, I could hear the weight of everything we had both been through. There was no judgment, no anger—just the pain of the rejection.

I let out a breath I didn’t realize I had been holding. “Thank you,” I said softly, my heart swelling with gratitude and more tears falling. It meant more to me than she would ever know.

“Alright, Rebecca,” she said, her tone now soothing. “Go ahead and finish your shower. We’ll talk after.”