Betrayed By One. Bound To Three-Chapter 47: Alpha she-wolf.

Selena was sitting by the window when the knock came.

She did not answer immediately. The anger from breakfast still rested quietly inside her chest like a small stubborn flame that refused to die.

The memory of Loretta’s smile replayed again and again in her mind. The careless sweetness in her voice had carried something sharp beneath it. A suggestion that had not been spoken openly, yet had been impossible to ignore.

And the scent.

Kael’s scent had been on Loretta.

That thought alone carried weight.

Another knock sounded, patient and respectful. It was the kind that waited for permission rather than demanding attention.

Selena inhaled slowly and straightened where she sat.

"Come in."

The door opened and Edris stepped in first. Ronan followed behind him, both men moving with the quiet control that always seemed natural to them.

Ronan closed the door gently after entering, as if he understood that whatever conversation was about to happen was not meant for the outside world.

Edris studied Selena for a moment before speaking.

"We came to explain something."

Selena did not stand. She remained seated, observing their expressions the way she had learned to do when she was younger. In those days she had often needed to read emotions rather than express her own.

"I am listening," she said.

Ronan stepped forward slightly. His voice carried careful restraint.

"Kael is innocent of what Loretta is accusing him of."

Selena’s fingers tightened against the fabric of her sleeve.

"And how do you know that?" she asked.

Edris answered this time.

"Loretta saw him leaving your room this morning."

Selena felt her wolf stir quietly inside her chest. It was not an explosive reaction. It felt more like a slow awareness rising beneath her ribs, like an animal sensing wind before a storm.

Edris continued.

"She stopped him in the hallway to ask why he had been in your room so early."

Selena’s gaze remained steady.

"And?"

Ronan exchanged a brief glance with Edris before speaking again.

"She provoked him."

Selena’s brow lowered slightly.

"How?"

"She implied that Kael has feelings for you," Ronan said. "She also told him that he did not stand a chance because he is a rogue."

The words settled heavily in the room.

Selena did not move, but her thoughts began to shift rapidly.

"And what did Kael say to that?" she asked.

"He warned her to stay away from him," Edris replied.

Ronan continued.

"She tried to turn the conversation in another direction after that. She suggested that she herself was available."

Selena’s chest tightened.

"And how did she end up smelling like him?"

Edris answered calmly.

"He pinned her to the wall."

For the first time Selena’s expression changed.

Her heart tightened, though not in anger. The emotion that followed felt far more complicated than that.

"Did he say something suggestive to her?" she asked carefully. "Or touch her in a way that was inappropriate?"

Ronan shook his head.

"No. He did not. He only wanted her to understand that he was not interested," Edris added.

Selena closed her eyes for a brief moment and released a slow breath.

A small measure of tension eased inside her chest. It did not erase the anger entirely, but it softened its edges.

If Kael had been careless it would have created problems. Not only for him, but for her as well. And the last thing they needed was more instability between the brothers.

Ronan spoke again after a moment of silence.

"We believe Loretta may try to turn this into a rumor."

Selena let out a quiet breath.

"She has already started it," she said.

The memory of breakfast sharpened inside her mind. Loretta’s voice had carried too much confidence. Too much certainty that the situation would unfold in her favor.

Selena felt the anger inside her chest grow more focused.

"We cannot stop her from talking," she said.

Edris tilted his head slightly.

"At least that is what she believes."

Selena looked at him.

"What do you mean?"

Edris folded his arms loosely.

"You mentioned earlier that Loretta is carrying Silas’s child."

Selena nodded slowly.

"Yes."

A faint glimmer of calculation appeared in Edris’s expression.

"That gives us leverage."

Selena studied him carefully.

"You want to threaten her?"

"Not directly," Edris said. "But if she believes that we know her secret, she will think twice before spreading rumors."

Selena considered that idea.

"And how would you convince her that you know?" she asked.

Edris shrugged lightly.

"She still believes you are wolfless. That means she assumes you cannot sense what she is hiding."

Selena watched him thoughtfully.

"If I approach her and suggest that I know she is hiding something important, the shock alone may be enough to make her cautious."

Selena frowned slightly.

"What if she demands to know how you found out?"

"I will tell her something convincing," Edris replied calmly.

Selena exhaled slowly.

"This could get messy."

"Not if we are careful," Edris said.

Ronan stepped forward slightly.

"There is something else you should know."

Selena looked at him.

"Kael would never do anything to hurt you."

The words carried quiet certainty.

Selena nodded once.

"I know. But his temper did. And that is still a problem."

"He is sorry," Ronan said.

Selena glanced between them.

"So where is he now?"

Edris answered.

"Outside. We thought it would be best for him to cool off."

Selena raised a brow slightly.

"So, he is still angry?"

"Yes," Ronan admitted.

Then Edris added calmly, "Not at you."

Selena absorbed that information quietly.

After a moment she asked, "Why did the two of you come instead of him?"

Ronan answered first.

"Because Kael is not calm enough to speak right now without saying something he may regret."

Selena could understand that very well.

Edris continued.

"We wanted you to hear the truth before the situation becomes something else entirely."

Selena felt the tension inside her chest ease slightly.

"Thank you," she said.

Ronan inclined his head in acknowledgment.

Edris continued to watch her closely.

"You are still angry," he said.

It was not a question.

Selena did not deny it.

"Yes."

The room fell quiet for a moment. The silence felt thoughtful rather than uncomfortable.

Then Edris spoke again.

"Kael did not flirt with Loretta. If anything, he was trying to make it clear that she was not welcome."

Selena’s lips tightened faintly.

Ronan added quietly, "He is worried that you might misunderstand him."

Her wolf stirred faintly at that, but Selena ignored it.

Selena turned her gaze toward the window. Sunlight stretched across the distant training grounds outside, where the sounds of movement drifted faintly through the air.

For several seconds she said nothing.

Then she spoke again.

"Tell him something for me."

Edris waited.

Selena’s voice remained calm.

"Tell him that if he can afford to make mistakes, he should be ready for the consequences that come with fixing them."

Ronan blinked.

Edris’s expression shifted toward restrained amusement.

Both brothers understood exactly what she meant.

Breakfast had not been subtle.

Selena rose slowly from her seat.

"Is there anything else?" she asked.

"No," Edris replied.

Then after a brief pause he added, "Kael may come to see you later."

Selena gave a small nod.

"That depends on whether I want to see him."

The brothers did not argue.

They turned and left the room quietly.

The door closed behind them with a soft click, leaving Selena alone with the silence.

For a moment she remained standing in the center of the room. Then she placed one hand lightly against her chest.

Her wolf stirred again.

You are jealous.

Selena frowned slightly.

"I am not."

Her wolf did not retreat.

You are angry because Loretta is trying to steal your mate. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

Selena walked slowly back toward the window, folding her arms as she looked outside.

The training grounds stretched across the distance, bright under the late morning sun.

"I do not belong to anyone," she said quietly.

Her wolf’s response came without hesitation.

That is not what I said.

Selena exhaled through her nose.

The truth was uncomfortable.

What she had felt at breakfast had not only been anger. It had been something sharper than that. She had been possessive.

The memory of Loretta leaning toward Kael returned to her mind.

The scent.

The suggestion.

The confidence in Loretta’s eyes when she spoke.

Selena’s fingers tightened slowly against her arms.

Her wolf spoke again, calm and certain.

You did not like seeing her near him.

Selena’s gaze hardened slightly.

"No," she admitted quietly.

The admission sat in the room like a stone dropping into still water.

Her wolf seemed satisfied.

Then you should stop pretending. You have every right to be angry.

Selena remained silent.

Outside, the sounds of distant training echoed faintly across the grounds.

After a long moment she spoke again, her voice quieter but far more certain.

"If Loretta thinks she can start something," Selena murmured, "then she is about to learn that I am not as harmless as she believes."

Her wolf stirred with approval.

And what about Kael?

Kael is about to learn what happens when you provoke an Alpha she-wolf.