Chapter 6: The Glares

Chapter 6

The dining hall was filled with the rich aroma of roasted meats and spiced wine, yet despite the lavish spread before them, the mood felt anything but inviting. Selene sat near the head of the long wooden table, her position beside Killian feeling more like a trap than a privilege.

The only sound breaking the silence was the scrape of utensils against plates, but beneath that noise lay a deeper tension—something unspoken. The atmosphere was thick with unease, an invisible weight pressing down on her, making the food in front of her seem less appealing.

She was acutely aware.

The way the pack looked at her—some with open resentment, others with wary indifference—served as a constant reminder that she was still an outsider. A rogue. An unwelcome presence thrust upon them by fate and obligation.

Across from her, Rayna's face was a mask of neutrality, though her rigid posture conveyed a lot. She hadn't acknowledged Selene even once since they sat down, not even a fleeting glance. Others were less discreet. There were sidelong glances, whispered conversations, and the occasional fork clattering a bit too forcefully against a plate whenever she spoke.

Selene held her chin high, determined not to shrink under their silent scrutiny.

And then there was Killian.

Sitting next to her, he had barely spoken a word since dinner began. His jaw was clenched, fingers mindlessly tracing patterns on the table as he stared at his untouched plate.

Brooding. Again.

Selene let out a sigh, fighting the urge to roll her eyes.

It was always the same with him—impenetrable walls and bottled-up anger. After their heated argument at the training grounds earlier, she had hoped he would at least say something. A sharp comment. A warning. Anything.

But instead, he was just... ignoring her.

Fine. If he wanted to sulk, she wasn't going to sit here in silence, suffocating under the weight of his mood.

She glanced around the table and caught Jax's eye a few seats down. His dark eyes sparkled with mischief, as if he was eager to see how she would handle the palpable tension.

When their gazes met, he broke into a grin.

"So," Jax said, leaning forward with a teasing glint in his eyes. "What's it like being mated to the infamous Alpha Killian? Must be a dream come true, right?"

Selene raised an eyebrow. "Oh, it's just wonderful," she replied with a hint of sarcasm. "The constant brooding? The glares? The occasional threats? Honestly, who wouldn't want this?"

Jax chuckled heartily. "You're braver than I thought."

"Or just reckless," Rayna chimed in, finally acknowledging Selene for the first time that evening. Her tone was sharp, and her grip on her wine goblet was tense.

Selene held her gaze. "Is there really a difference?"

Rayna's lips pressed into a thin line, but she chose to remain silent.

Jax smirked, clearly enjoying the tension in the air. "Honestly, I find it refreshing. A Luna who actually stands up for herself? That's a first." He raised his goblet in a mock toast. "You might just make it here after all."

Selene let out a small laugh, shaking her head. "That's the nicest thing anyone has said to me around here."

"That's because they're scared of you," Jax replied, too casually, too straightforward. "Or maybe they're worried about what might happen if you stick around."

His words hung in the air like a stone dropped into a still pond. Conversations faded. Even Killian's fingers tensed against the table, though he still avoided looking at her.

Selene felt the weight of every gaze, the unspoken resentment pressing against her like a heavy cloak.

She could shrink away from it. She could pretend it didn't bother her.

But she had never been one to back down.

"Let them be scared," she said simply, lifting her goblet and taking a slow sip of her wine.

Jax's grin widened. "Now that's the spirit."

Rayna scoffed and pushed her chair back. "I've lost my appetite."

She stormed out of the dining hall, leaving a heavy silence in her wake. Others exchanged glances but stayed quiet, returning to their meals with stiff, practiced movements.

Selene let out a slow breath.

And still, Killian said nothing.

He wouldn't even look her way.

She tightened her grip on the stem of her goblet, her heart racing a bit too fast.

Let him stew.

If he wanted to ignore her, she would make sure he regretted it.

Selene leaned in closer to Jax, her voice dropping to a whisper as she recounted a ridiculous story from her rogue days—something about stealing food from a particularly grumpy old Alpha who had nearly caught her.

Jax, always the animated listener, smirked as he tried to suppress a laugh. "You're telling me you outran a fully shifted Alpha with just quick feet and sheer guts?"

Selene grinned. "More like he was too old to keep up."

Jax chuckled, shaking his head. "You're either the luckiest wolf around or the dumbest."

"Probably both."

Their conversation remained quiet, just between them, but the warmth of it cut through the tension that had lingered over the table all night.

Selene barely noticed how Killian had gone completely still beside her—until his chair scraped against the floor.

The sudden noise made her look up, just in time to see him push away from the table. His sharp, furious gaze flicked between her and Jax, his lips pressed into a tight line.

And then he stormed off.

Selene blinked, caught between amusement and disbelief.

Jax, next to her, let out a low whistle. "Well, that was quite the show."

She raised an eyebrow. "He's angry."

"Oh, very angry." Jax grinned. "You've got a real talent for getting under his skin."

Selene rolled her eyes but couldn't suppress the small thrill of satisfaction curling in her chest. She hadn't done anything wrong, yet Killian looked at her as if she had committed some terrible betrayal.

Fine. Let him sulk.

The dining hall was nearly empty now, with just a few lingering pack members finishing their meals in hushed tones. Selene turned back to Jax, studying him for a moment before finally asking the question that had been on her mind for days.

"What's his story?" she asked.

Jax's grin faded, his easy amusement dimming just a bit. He glanced around the room, ensuring they weren't being overheard, then leaned back in his chair.

"You mean the curse?"

Selene nodded in understanding.

Jax sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Killian lost his mother when he was just a child, too young to really remember her. She was his father's mate—his true mate. The curse took her away, just like it's meant to take you."

Selene tensed at his words.

Jax met her gaze seriously before he continued.

"After her death, his father changed completely. He ruled, yes, but he was hollow. Grieving. You can't imagine what it does to an Alpha to lose their mate like that. It's not just heartbreak—it's madness. It eats away at you, piece by piece. Killian grew up watching that. Seeing his father turn into a mere shadow of himself, all alone."

Selene swallowed hard, the image settling uncomfortably in her mind.

Jax tapped a finger against the table. "That's why he promised himself he would never love his mate. He convinced himself that if he never allowed himself to feel love, then the curse wouldn't take her. His children wouldn't have to suffer the same loss he did."

Selene's chest tightened at the realization.

So that was the reason.

It wasn't just that Killian was stubbornly resisting the bond. He was fighting it because he thought it was the only way to keep her safe.

A lump formed in her throat, but she pushed it down.

Jax observed her closely, waiting for her reaction.

Selene exhaled slowly. "That's... a terrible way to live."

Jax let out a humorless laugh. "Yeah. But Killian doesn't care about that—about love and the complicated emotions that trigger the curse. He's focused on survival. On keeping his people strong. And if it means being alone forever?" He shrugged. "That might just be the price he's willing to pay."

Selene's fingers curled into fists beneath the table.

She had spent so much time being angry at him—angry at how he pushed her away, how he resisted the bond between them. But now, for the first time, she saw the truth.

Killian wasn't just fighting her.

He was battling against fate itself.

*. *. *. *. 

The next morning, the air was crisp, carrying the scent of pine and damp earth, but the atmosphere within the pack felt anything but refreshing. It was stifling.

Selene could feel it in the lingering glances, the tension thick enough to choke. Even after proving herself, the pack's resentment lingered. If anything, it had grown stronger. They might have stopped calling her a rogue outright, but the weight of their judgment pressed down on her with every step she took across the training grounds.

Jax, however, seemed completely unfazed. He walked beside her, hands shoved into his pockets, grinning as if they weren't surrounded by wolves who wanted her gone.

"You always look like you're ready to rip someone's throat out," he joked.

Selene shot him a sideways glance. "Maybe I am."

Jax laughed, unbothered. "Chill out, Luna. If you keep glaring at everyone, they'll never warm up to you."

"Funny. I thought you were the only one who didn't mind me."

"Guess that makes me special." He nudged her shoulder lightly. It was a casual, fleeting touch—meaningless to him.

To Killian, however, it carried a different weight.

Selene felt the shift in the atmosphere before she even turned to look.

At the edge of the training grounds, Killian stood watching, arms crossed over his broad chest. His silver eyes darkened, fixed on her and Jax with an unsettling intensity. The moment Jax made contact, a muscle in Killian's jaw twitched.

Selene barely had a moment to process it before—

"Again." Killian's growl sliced through the air, sharp and commanding.

The warriors sparring in front of him barely had time to react before he barked, "Harder. Faster."

He wasn't focused on them. His attention was elsewhere.

Jax either didn't notice or didn't care. He continued talking as if Killian wasn't right there, simmering.

"So, tell me," Jax mused, "what's it like being tied to our dear Alpha? Is he as charming behind closed doors as he is in front of us?"

Selene smirked. "Oh, definitely. I practically swoon every time he gives me that glare."

Jax laughed, his head thrown back. "I knew there was a sense of humor hiding beneath all that brooding."

A growl cut through the air, sharp and menacing.

Killian appeared before Selene even registered his movement. One moment he was across the field, and the next he loomed over them, radiating barely contained rage.

"You're wasting time," he said, his voice deceptively calm, though his silver eyes blazed with intensity.

Jax's easy grin remained intact. "Relax, Alpha. We were just—"

"Do I look like I care what you were doing, Jax?" Killian snapped, his gaze darting between Jax's relaxed demeanor and Selene's unbothered expression.

Jax raised his hands in mock surrender. "Alright, alright. No need to get all territorial."

Killian's fingers twitched at his sides. "Get back to training. Now."

Jax shot Selene a wink before sauntering off, but the tension left in his wake was suffocating.

Killian turned to Selene, stepping closer, his voice dropping to a quieter but far more dangerous tone. "Tell me, is defying me some sort of game for you?"

Selene met his gaze, unwavering. "You think I'm defying you just by having a conversation?"

"You think I don't notice the way he looks at you?" His voice stayed even, but the heat simmering beneath was unmistakable. "The way he touches you?"

Selene raised an eyebrow. "And why does that bother you, Killian?"

His breathing deepened, nostrils flaring. For a brief moment, something raw flickered in his eyes. But just as quickly, he shut it down, his jaw tightening.

"It doesn't," he replied flatly.

Liar.

His body betrayed him—the sharp inhale, the tension in his stance, the way his hands curled into fists as if battling the urge to act.

Selene tilted her head, amusement dancing on her lips. "Then walk away."

Killian remained still. 

Her pulse raced, but she refused to let him see it. Instead, she stepped closer, issuing a silent challenge. His muscles tensed.

"That's what I thought."

His hand shot out, fingers wrapping around her wrist—not hard, but firm enough to make a point. "You forget yourself," he murmured. "You're still bound to me, Selene. That hasn't changed."

Her skin burned where his thumb brushed against her, but she refused to give him the satisfaction of showing it. Instead, she leaned in, close enough that his grip instinctively tightened.

"Neither has the fact that you don't own me," she whispered.

For a single, breathless moment, his eyes darkened with something more dangerous than anger. But then, with a sharp inhale, he released her wrist and stepped back, his face cold once more.

"Get back to training," he ordered, his voice clipped, before turning on his heel and striding away.

Selene let out a slow breath, steadying herself.

Jax reappeared at her side almost immediately, watching Killian's retreating form with a smirk. "I think you just pissed off the big, bad Alpha even more."

Selene exhaled through her nose. "Good."

Jax chuckled. "You really like playing with fire, don't you?"

Selene glanced toward Killian—taking in the tension in his shoulders, the way his hands clenched at his sides as he barked orders at the warriors.

She wasn't sure if it was fire she was playing with.

Maybe it was something far more dangerous.