Tangled Hearts - The Alpha's Baby Mama-Chapter 289: Old ways and prophecy...

Selene POV

The room was suffocating with tension. My heart pounded so loudly in my chest that it drowned out the baby’s soft cries and the murmur of the wind outside the nursery window. Noah and Kragen stood like two wolves ready to rip each other apart, both fueled by their own reasons, their own justifications. And I was in the middle, torn between loyalty and confusion, love and duty.

"Kragen," I started, my voice steady, though my heart was anything but. "Whatever it is, it can wait."

He didn’t even flinch. His eyes, stormy and urgent, were locked on mine, and for a brief moment, I could feel the depth of his emotions. He was scared — something was terribly wrong, and I could sense it. But I couldn’t ignore Noah’s palpable anger, the way his hands flexed into fists at his sides, or the low growl building in his throat. They were both alphas in their own right, and the air between them buzzed with unspoken challenges.

"No," Kragen’s voice cut through the room like a blade. "It can’t wait, Selene."

My breath caught in my throat. He was rarely this forceful, and that alone set off alarms in my mind. What could be so urgent that he’d risk challenging Noah in our home, in front of our newborn son?

I swallowed hard, looking between the two men. I needed to defuse this, to find a way to calm them both before things escalated any further. "Noah," I whispered, reaching out to him, my fingers brushing his arm. "Let me hear him out."

Noah’s dark eyes flicked down to where I touched him, and for a moment, I saw the hurt there — not just anger, but betrayal, too. The unspoken question lingered between us: Why are you defending him?

I could feel the bond between us strain, like a thread stretched too thin, on the verge of snapping. I didn’t want to choose between them. I shouldn’t have to. But Noah’s distrust of Kragen, his jealousy, was poisoning our bond. I could feel it creeping in, making him suspicious, turning him against the man who had been a constant presence in my life long before Noah was.

"I’ll stay right here," Noah said, his voice rough but controlled. His stance remained tense, but he stepped back slightly, giving me space. "Whatever he has to say, I’ll hear it too."

I glanced at Kragen, whose jaw clenched at Noah’s refusal to leave, but he nodded, accepting the compromise.

"Fine," Kragen said, his voice taut. "But this stays between us."

I exhaled, nodding, and moved toward the bassinet. Our son’s soft cries had quieted, but his tiny face was scrunched in discomfort. Gently, I rocked him, trying to calm my nerves as much as I was trying to soothe him.

"What’s going on?" I asked, my eyes not leaving my son. It was easier to focus on him than to look into Kragen’s stormy gaze or the hurt in Noah’s eyes.

Kragen’s voice was low, urgent. "There’s something you need to know about the High Council."

The High Council. My heart skipped a beat. Of course, it was them. The constant shadow looming over our pack, over our entire way of life. The council held sway over everything — they set the rules, dictated our traditions, and enforced laws with a harshness that could be brutal. I had known for a while that things were changing, that they were becoming more ruthless, more political. But I hadn’t anticipated this.

"What about them?" I asked, my voice carefully neutral, though my mind was racing with possibilities. I could feel Noah stiffen beside me at the mention of the council. He had his own issues with their increasing control over the packs. But something told me this was deeper than political unrest.

Kragen hesitated, his eyes flicking briefly to Noah before settling back on me. "They’re planning something," he said, his voice grim. "Something big. They’re moving against you, Selene."

I blinked, my heart suddenly racing for an entirely different reason. Against me?

Noah let out a low growl. "What the hell do you mean they’re moving against her?"

Kragen’s gaze didn’t waver from mine. "The council has been watching you ever since the prophecy was revealed. They know you’re important, Selene. More important than any Luna has ever been. They fear what you could become."

I could feel the colour drain from my face. The prophecy. The one that had been whispered among the pack elders, spoken of only in hushed tones. A Luna born under the dark moon, destined to divide the packs and bring an end to the old ways. When the prophecy had first been revealed, I had dismissed it as nothing more than an old legend, a story meant to inspire fear or hope, depending on which side of the council you stood. But now, hearing it from Kragen, I wasn’t so sure.

"They’re afraid of me?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

"No, they’re afraid of what you’ll do," Kragen corrected, stepping closer, his voice lowering. "They’re afraid of the change you represent. They want to maintain control, to keep the packs divided and weak. You threaten that."

I shook my head, my thoughts spinning. "But I haven’t done anything—"

"Yet," Kragen interrupted, his eyes flashing with intensity. "You haven’t done anything yet. But they see the potential in you. And they’ll do whatever it takes to stop you before you can fulfil the prophecy."

A cold shiver ran down my spine. I had never asked for any of this. I had never wanted to be a part of some ancient prophecy. All I had ever wanted was to protect my family, to raise my children in peace. But it seemed that peace was no longer an option.

Noah stepped forward, his voice deadly calm. "If they come for her, I’ll kill them all."

His words sent a chill through me, but I knew he meant it. Noah was fiercely protective, especially of me and our children. The council had already pushed him too far in the past. This would only solidify his defiance against them.

Kragen shook his head. "It’s not that simple, Noah. They’re not coming for her outright. They’re too smart for that. They’re working in the shadows, manipulating the packs, turning people against her. They’ll make it look like a rebellion. Like a justified move to maintain order."

I felt sick. The council wouldn’t need to attack me directly if they could turn the packs against me. I had seen it before — the way fear and distrust could spread like wildfire, dividing even the most loyal pack members.

"What do we do?" I asked, my voice trembling with the weight of the situation.

Kragen took a deep breath, his gaze softening slightly. "We need to gather our allies. Some support you, Selene. Those who believe in the prophecy. But we need to act fast before the council turns them against us."

Noah’s eyes narrowed. "And what’s your part in all this, Kragen? Why are you so invested in helping Selene?"

I could see the suspicion in Noah’s eyes, the way he watched Kragen like a hawk ready to strike. He didn’t trust him, and I knew this wasn’t just about politics or the council. It was about me — about the unspoken tension between the two of them. Noah had never liked the bond Kragen and I shared, and now, with everything at stake, that tension was reaching a breaking point.

Kragen met Noah’s gaze head-on, his expression unreadable. "I’ve always protected her," he said simply. "And I always will."

Noah’s growl deepened, and I could feel his anger building. I stepped between them, placing a hand on Noah’s chest. "Stop," I whispered, my voice barely holding steady. "We can’t fight each other right now. Not with everything that’s coming."

For a moment, Noah didn’t move, his body rigid with anger. But then he let out a slow breath, his muscles relaxing under my touch. "Fine," he muttered, though I could still see the distrust in his eyes.

I turned to Kragen. "What’s our next move?"

Kragen hesitated, his eyes flicking briefly to the door as if expecting someone to burst in at any moment. "We need to leave," he said, his voice low. "Tonight."

I stared at him, my heart pounding. "Leave? Where?"

"There’s a safe house, far from the council’s reach. We’ll be able to regroup, to plan our next steps. But we can’t stay here. They’ll be watching the pack, waiting for any sign of movement."

I glanced at Noah, who was already shaking his head. "We’re not running," he said firmly. "This is our home. Our pack. I won’t abandon them."

"And if you stay," Kragen countered, "you’re putting everyone here at risk. The council doesn’t care about collateral damage, Noah. They’ll burn this place to the ground if it means getting to Selene."

A heavy silence settled over the room. I could feel the weight of the decision pressing down on me. If we stayed, we risked the lives of everyone in the pack. But if we left, we’d be abandoning them to face the council’s wrath alone.

"I can’t run," I whispered, more to myself than to anyone else. "I can’t leave them."