The Witch and Her Four Dangerous Alphas

Chapter 10: Chapter 10 : When Kindness Turns to Hate

Lucian’s POV

There was no warmth in her eyes. No guilt. Not even a flicker of shame. Just silence.

It wasn’t the silence of someone who had nothing to say. It was the silence of someone who didn’t need to say anything. Like she was watching a chicken being slaughtered and felt nothing.

Like she was watching me bleed.

I stared at her, and it was like a bad memory had clawed its way back into my life. One I thought I’d burned, buried, and left behind in the ruins of what used to be my pack.

But she stood here, alive and untouched. And all I could see was everything we’d lost.

There wasn’t just disgust in me anymore. That would’ve been easier. Cleaner.

No. What I felt now was worse. Colder. It had festered in my bones over the years, buried under every scar, every nightmare, every betrayal. I didn’t even recognize it at first. But now, standing here with her in front of me, it was impossible to ignore.

Hatred.

Not the blind rage kind—but the slow, calculated kind that came from knowing exactly who the enemy was.

I remembered the first time I saw her—four years ago. She was this quiet thing with eyes too wide for her face, voice too soft, posture too hesitant. I thought she was a bird too scared to fly, waiting for someone to show her how.

Back then, I thought I could be that person. Foolish, wasn’t it?

I gave her kindness. Encouragement. Protection.

And she used it all.

Looking back now, I felt like laughing at myself. Not the amused kind. The hollow, bitter kind that curdles in your gut.

She wasn’t a bird.

She was a snake. Coiled and patient. Watching.

She fooled us all.

Selene lowered her gaze when our eyes met, just like she always used to. Hands trembling at her sides, looking like she might break under a breeze. Still playing the role. Still pretending.

Pathetic.

she whispered. "I’ll finish

it was. That soft

a cold laugh. "You’re still good at acting innocent,

flinched. Not from fear. From being

I wanted her to

and mocking. "The sweet Selene Moonveil.

She

Good.

believed you were harmless. Graceful. Pure.

parted, but no words came out. Of course not. What

doing?" My voice lowered. "Even while hiding from your father’s shadow, I heard everything. The capital never stopped talking about you. Selene Moonveil, the capital’s darling. The perfect woman.

stepped even closer, staring

was just shy. Sweet. So easily hurt. But the girl in my memories didn’t match the one they

shook my

back then. You were pretending. You were

looking like she

true," she said, her voice

I wasn’t listening anymore. I couldn’t. Every word from her mouth felt

it always you? At every event. Every report. Earning praise from the royals, admiration from the council, and love from the people. Even after your father’s

breath, fighting the heat

protect you just by existing.

opened her mouth again. Nothing

"I didn’t mean to—"

"Stop acting like you didn’t know. Like you weren’t raised by the most manipulative bastard the North has ever seen. And you turned out

in on themselves like a scolded

But it didn’t matter.

your pack. Hoping to see you. Hoping to help you. And

I laughed—short and bitter.

Our people scattered.

shaky breath and

walked

wanted that to happen,"