Tangled Hearts - The Alpha's Baby Mama-Chapter 277: He won’t hurt me...

Selene POV

She patted my back, her hand resting gently on my shoulder.

"We didn’t want you to know, Selene. We wanted you to live your life without that burden, without the knowledge of the sacrifice that brought you here."

I wiped at my face, trying to stem the flow of tears. "But why now? Why tell me this now? Is this why you wanted to come to Moon Whisper?"

"Yes," she nodded "Because the past has a way of catching up with us. The Fates are still watching, still searching for the imbalance in the world. And you, Selene... you are that imbalance. Your very existence defies the natural order, and that’s why the prophecy exists. That’s why Kragen is so dangerous to you."

I stared at her, the realization sinking in. "I’m the reason for the prophecy. I’m the one they’re after."

Helena’s grip on my shoulder tightened. "Yes. And that’s why you need to be careful. The Fates won’t stop until they restore the balance, and Kragen—whether he means to or not—will be the one to fulfil that prophecy."

I shook my head, trying to make sense of it all. "But Kragen has saved me, Aunt Helena. He’s protected me. He’s not a threat."

"Not yet," she said ominously. "But the prophecy is clear, Selene. When the time comes, he won’t have a choice."

"So, both I and Kragen are threats to this world. I can stop him and save the world from the darkness that is inside him but I’ll still need to die for the balance to be restored?"

She nodded her head.

I smiled sadly. "That explains, the numerous death experiences I’ve had and the way I mysteriously survived all of them. How about Xavier? Is he not supposed to be going through the same thing as me?"

"No!" she shook her head. "You’re the source, Selene. Xavier is just the root that taps from the source. By right, he’s supposed to be the only one born on that day according to the law of the universe."

"So, having two people born on the day of the Dark Moon is bad?"

"That’s why a lot of them never live until your age. Xavier will survive in any case and your children will be fine."

I stood up on shaky legs. "There must be a way around this, Aunt Helena."

"There is no way, Selene... there is no way... unless you want to be caught in an endless loop, it is time to ..."

She stopped mid-sentence, her words interrupted by the sound of footsteps approaching. I turned just in time to see Kragen standing by a tall tree his dark eyes scanning the forest before landing on me. There was something intense in his gaze, something that made my heart skip a beat.

"We have to go," Kragen said, his voice a low rumble. "Now. I’ve spotted who we’re looking for."

Aunt Helena tensed beside me. I could feel her disapproval radiating off her in waves. She crossed her arms, her lips pursing into a tight line as her eyes flicked toward Kragen with barely concealed suspicion.

"Selene, you can’t trust him," Aunt Helena said, stepping closer to me, her voice urgent. "You don’t know what he’s capable of. He could harm you, or worse, lead you straight into a trap. You can’t just go with him."

I glanced between them, the room suddenly feeling like a battleground of opposing wills. Aunt Helena had always been protective of me, but I knew Kragen. He had no reason to hurt me. He was my friend, someone who had been by my side through this tangled mess of danger and prophecy. Aunt Helena was just worried, I told myself. She couldn’t see what I did.

"Kragen won’t hurt me," I said, trying to sound more confident than I felt. "He has no reason to. He’s helped me before, and he’s never given me any reason to doubt him."

Aunt Helena’s eyes narrowed. "You’re too trusting, Selene. You have no idea what kind of danger you’re walking into."

Before I could respond, Kragen moved toward Aunt Helena, his steps slow and deliberate. He stopped just a foot away from her, his expression calm but serious. "I would never harm Selene," he said softly, though his voice carried the weight of a promise. "I won’t let anyone harm her. You have my word."

Aunt Helena stiffened, her gaze never leaving his. For a moment, the tension between them was palpable, a silent standoff of wills. I held my breath, waiting for her to say something—anything—but instead, she just sighed deeply, turning her gaze away from both of us. I knew what that sigh meant. She didn’t trust him, but she wasn’t going to stop me.

"Be careful," Aunt Helena finally said, her voice barely above a whisper. "Please." frёewebnoѵel.ƈo๓

"I will," I promised, casting one last look at her before I followed Kragen out of the room.

The air outside was cool, and the sky overhead was a dull shade of grey, the kind that promised rain. We walked in silence for a while, the only sound the crunch of our footsteps against the forest floor. The tension from the conversation with Aunt Helena still clung to me, but I pushed it aside. I had made my choice.

After a short while, Kragen suddenly veered off the path, leading us into a dense thicket of trees. I hesitated for a moment, glancing around as we left the familiar trail behind, but Kragen moved with purpose as if he had done this many times before. I hurried to catch up, my mind racing with a million unanswered questions.

"Where are we going?" I asked, my voice breaking the silence that had settled between us.

"There’s a place," Kragen said, his voice steady. "A cave. It’s... a doorway, in a sense. You’ll understand when we get there."

We continued walking, the trees growing denser and the light from the overcast sky dimming as the forest seemed to close in around us. Finally, we reached a small opening on the side of a hill, half-hidden by moss and vines. The entrance to the cave was narrow, just large enough for one person to slip through at a time.

Kragen stepped forward and extended his hand toward me. I hesitated, but when I reached out to take it, the moment our hands touched, a jolt of electricity shot through me, sharp and sudden. I gasped, instinctively pulling my hand back.

Kragen’s eyes flicked to mine, his brow furrowing slightly. He didn’t say anything, but the moment hung between us, heavy with unspoken meaning. I shook it off, pretending it hadn’t happened, and followed him inside the cave.

The air inside was cool and damp, the walls lined with smooth, glistening stone. We walked for what felt like an eternity, the darkness pressing in around us. Finally, a faint light appeared ahead, and as we reached the end of the tunnel, I stepped into the most breathtaking place I had ever seen.

The cave opened up into a hidden garden, bathed in soft, golden light. Lush, vibrant greenery covered every inch of the ground, and delicate, colourful flowers bloomed in perfect rows. A waterfall trickled gently into a crystal-clear pool, its surface reflecting the dappled sunlight that streamed in from an unseen source. The air was fragrant with the scent of jasmine and lavender, and the entire place felt almost unreal, like stepping into a dream.

I stood there for a moment, stunned into silence by the beauty of it all.

"How is this possible?" I whispered, more to myself than to Kragen.

Before he could answer, I heard the sound of movement. I turned and saw a man squatting near a bed of flowers, his hands carefully tending to the plants. He hadn’t noticed us at first, but as our footsteps drew closer, he looked up, his eyes locking onto mine.

My breath caught in my throat. As my eyes widened, my gaze swivelled between Kragne and the stranger.

The man... he looked just like Kragen. The same dark hair, the same piercing eyes, the same chiselled features. The resemblance was so striking, it was as if I was staring at two versions of the same person.

"Kragen?" I asked, glancing between them, confusion flooding my mind.

Kragen stepped forward, his gaze softening as he approached the man. "Father," he said quietly, his voice filled with reverence and something else—something I couldn’t quite place.

The man stood slowly, his eyes shifting from me to Kragen. A slow smile spread across his face, and he nodded, though his expression remained guarded.

"Kragen," he said, his voice deep and steady, "it’s been a long time."

My mind raced, trying to piece together what was happening, but I remained silent. There were too many questions, too many things I didn’t understand. But one thing was clear: whatever was about to happen, it was far bigger than anything I could have imagined.