Chapter 48 

Bastien‘s POV 

“You‘re doing this,” Selene accuses wretchedly, “Your wolf is doing this.” 

What is she talking about? I demand of Axel. 

She‘s near her mate. Her instinct is to change. It has to happen eventually – her wolf has never been free. 

I swear under my breath. I know he‘s right, but the timing is terrible. I remember my first shift vividly – all wolves do. It‘s a horrible process, requiring almost every bone in the body to break and reform, slow and agonizing. Thankfully shifting gets easier and easier until it‘s effortless, but there‘s no way to make the first few any easier. You just have to suffer through. 

“It isn‘t like that sweetheart. It‘s just your time.” I explain apologetically. I gather up Selene and deposit her on the sofa, moaning and writhing, before moving toward the bed to retrieve Lila. 

Aiden! I call through our mental link. 

He appears almost instantly, and I carry Lila to him, “Selene is about to shift, I need you to take the pup until it‘s over.” 

“What are you doing?“ Selene snarls, trying to rise from the couch and crumpling, “you‘re not taking her anywhere!” 

Handing off Lila, I return to my mate, pulling her up and speaking softly and urgently in her ear, “Easy Selene, he‘ll take care of her.” 

“No!” She insists, a mother wolf in full defense mode, “you can‘t have her, she‘s mine!” 

“Do you really want her to see this?” I demand sternly, “She‘ll be terrified.” 

Selene‘s brow furrows, and I can see the gears in her head spinning with confusion, emotion warring with instinct. “Don‘t take her from me.” She finally begs, tears spilling from her eyelashes. 

“No one is taking her from you, baby.” I vow, “You have my word, they‘re just going to get her someplace safe while you shift. I‘ll take you straight to her in the morning.” 

“Let me hug her goodbye,” Selene requests pitifully. 

Inod to Aiden, and he returns Lila to her mother‘s arms for a tearful cuddle before removing her again and leaving Selene and I alone in the safehouse. 

and forth and clamping her eyes

away. “Everyone is different. If you‘re lucky it will be an hour or so. If

long transformation. I don‘t have the

helpless as I do now. Sitting by and doing nothing goes against the very core of my being,

to comfort her.

me to touch her. I

she wants right now, she hurts, make her feel better. He orders, a note of strain in his normally steady

my grasp. She tries to fight me, but every time she lashes out,

I promise, “I‘m here. I‘m not going to leave you.”

this?” She asks deliriously.

any happiness to have her back in my arms. Yes, under any other circumstances I would be thrilled, but having her writhe

here?” Selene clarifies, a bit more firmly

my mate, and you need me” I answer

air, and Selene‘s back bows as she howls with

for this.” She informs me when she can breathe again. If you‘d stayed in Elysium where

wolf, Selene ” I chastise, without venom. “Do you really think it would be fair to keep her trapped

keens

hair. “If you don‘t know what shifting is like, how will you be able

logical when I‘m trying to

to go through and I wish I could protect you from it

her eyes clenched shut and face

“Why?” I question 

without my wolf. She cries, seemingly out of nowhere. “I know you only want

to study her face, unsure whether or not she‘s serious Is this delirium talking? Are you out

shakes her head,

her pain, I grab Selene by the shoulders, giving her a gentle

and violet eyes are glazed with pain, her pupils pinpricks despite the low light She looks at me hopelessly, and I wish there was a way to steal these thoughts from her brain.

“But Arabella–” 

the one I core for out

Selene tries

I scold fiercely. “I‘m speaking as your husband, your mate, and your Alpha now I love

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