Chapter 4 Traitor’s Welcome

"Stop right there! Have you all lost your minds bringing this filthy Rogue through the main gate?"

The shrill voice immediately greeted Alpha Kael’s party just as the black SUV came to a halt in front of the marble steps of the Silver Moon Pack House. Selene stepped out of the car with her head held high. She cradled Leo, who was still fast asleep, wrapped in a thick blanket. Selene took a deep breath, inhaling the air of the Silver Moon territory that she had not breathed in five years. The scent of the forest and power that had once made her feel at home now felt suffocating.

Freya stood at the top of the stairs, surrounded by several high ranking women of the pack. Her beautiful face was covered in heavy makeup, but she could not hide the fear in her eyes when she saw that Selene was actually alive and appeared much stronger than before.

"Watch your tongue, Freya. Or I will personally order my warriors to rip out your tongue," Kael’s voice thundered as he stepped out of the car. His aura of rage instantly silenced all the pack members who had begun to gather in the courtyard out of curiosity.

Freya flinched in shock, her face turning deathly pale. "But Kael, she is a traitor! You were the one who exiled her five years ago! Why are you bringing her back to our home now? She is no longer one of us!"

"This is no longer just your home, Freya. And what I do is none of your business," Kael hissed in a cold tone. He stepped toward Selene, intending to take Leo from her arms because he felt Selene must be exhausted. However, Selene quickly took a step back.

"Don’t touch him," Selene whispered sharply. Her eyes met Kael’s with an icy glare, causing the Alpha to freeze in his tracks. There was a very thick barrier between them now, and Kael could feel it.

Selene then turned her gaze toward Freya. She walked slowly up the marble stairs, approaching the woman who had once slandered her until her life was ruined. Every one of Selene’s steps appeared calm and full of confidence. She was no longer the miserable girl who had once been cast out while crying and begging on the cold marble floor.

"Long time no see, Freya," Selene said. Her voice was flat yet sounded extremely threatening. "You look very anxious. Are you afraid because the person you thought was dead has returned to seek revenge?"

"Y-you, you are just a lowly Rogue with nothing to your name!" Freya tried to shout to cover her fear, but her voice trembled violently. "Kael only feels pity for you because you brought that bastard child here!"

PLAK!

The sound of a sharp slap echoed clearly across the Pack House courtyard. Everyone present fell silent in shock. Freya fell to the floor, clutching her cheek as it began to redden and swell.

"Dare to call my son a bastard one more time, and I will make sure you can never speak again for the rest of your life," Selene hissed. Her hand was still raised, and a slight vibration of golden energy emanated from her palm. The power made everyone watching feel a chill of terror.

Kael simply watched in silence. He had no intention of defending Freya. Instead, he looked at Selene with an unreadable expression, a hint of admiration appearing there. His Luna, who had once been so soft and quick to tears, had now transformed into a woman who was incredibly tough and brave.

"Take them to the master bedroom," Kael ordered the head housemaid standing near the door.

"The master bedroom?" one of the pack elders present protested loudly. "Alpha, that is the room reserved for the Luna! This woman is no longer our Luna! She was discarded!"

"From this day forward, anyone who insults Selene or her son is insulting me directly," Kael stared sharply at the crowd of his pack members. "And you all know the consequences if anyone dares to challenge me."

Selene ignored the debate. She stepped inside the grand Pack House. All the luxury she had once possessed now felt foreign and unpleasant. She passed through long corridors where photos of previous pack leaders were displayed. She ignored the malicious whispers of the servants and warriors who watched her from a distance.

When she reached the master bedroom, Selene immediately laid Leo down on the large, soft bed. She tucked her son in carefully, ensuring Leo felt safe and comfortable before she turned to face Kael, who had followed her into the room.

"Get out," Selene said shortly. She did not want to be alone with the man.

Kael did not move. Instead, he closed the heavy bedroom door and locked it from the inside. "We need to talk, Selene. About Leo. And about what actually happened five years ago."

"There is nothing left to talk about," Selene stood with her back to the window, letting the moonlight illuminate her silhouette. "Back then, you chose to believe those fake photos. You threw me away without even bothering to investigate. You already killed your own wife who once loved you so much, Kael. Now, the man standing in front of me is only dealing with the mother of his child. Nothing more."

Kael stepped closer. His gaze now appeared softer, filled with a very deep sense of regret. "I have already punished everyone who helped Freya slander you. I began looking for that evidence after I realized your scent never left this room, after I felt my life was completely empty without you."

"Keep your apologies to yourself, Kael. I don't need them," Selene walked past Kael toward the door, but the man quickly gripped her arm.

"Give me a chance to fix everything," Kael whispered in a hoarse voice. He pulled Selene into his embrace, trying to breathe in the scent of her body that had haunted his dreams for five years.

Selene did not resist physically, but her body felt incredibly stiff and cold, like a statue. She did not return the embrace at all. "You want to fix everything? Then find out who tried to kill Leo in the city this morning. Find out which traitor worked with the Blood Crest Pack to kidnap your son."

Kael released his hold and looked at Selene seriously. "What do you mean? Someone is targeting him?"

"Do you think the Blood Crest Pack found out about Leo’s existence by accident?" Selene smiled cynically. "There is a traitor within your own pack, Kael. Someone who desperately wants me and my child to vanish so that their position here remains safe and unchallenged."

Right then, a commotion and shouting were heard from outside the bedroom door. A guard shouted in a panicked tone.

"Alpha! Alpha Kael! Something happened in the basement! The prisoner from the Blood Crest we just captured, he committed suicide after naming a name!"

Kael immediately threw the bedroom door open roughly. "Whose name did he mention?"

The guard glanced at Selene with a fearful look before whispering a name into Kael’s ear. That name made Kael’s body instantly freeze in place, while Selene clenched her fists tightly.