Chapter 5

Selene

The moment my head rose above the surface, air hit my lungs. I gasped, pulling it in greedily, trembling as the cold bit into my skin. My wet hair clung to my face, strands sticking to my lips, but none of it mattered.

I was alive.

Oh gods, I was alive.

I was not only alive, but I remembered.

I remembered every scream, every life, every betrayal, every time I’d died. Even the moment I drove my own knife into my chest because of my mate and my sister. All of it flashed through my mind, but instead of breaking me, it made me smile.

A wild smile stretched across my face as I ran a trembling hand over my wet hair, pushing it back. My chest hurt from breathing, but I laughed like a madwoman.

I finally had a chance.

“Oh my god! Miss Selene!”

The voice cut through my laughter. My heart dropped at the familiar sound.

Impossible.

I turned to the shore, and there they were, faces I hadn’t seen in years. The servants, my brothers, Sienna. Kane was already crouched beside her, Cross holding her as she coughed while they fussed over her, but none of it mattered. All I could see was the woman staring at me.

Evelyn.

My personal maid. Her face was exactly as I remembered. She was crying harder now, her hands trembling as she called to me.

“Miss Selene, what are you still doing in the water? Come out before you get sick. Please, come out!”

I stared at her, my lips parting. “Evelyn…” I whispered. Her name felt strange in my mouth after all these years.

For a moment, I couldn’t move.

“Miss Selene, please come here.”

I snapped out of it before finally swimming toward the shore. The water was heavy, but my limbs moved. I pulled myself out, drenched and shivering.

Evelyn rushed to me immediately, wrapping a thick blanket around my shoulders. Her arms came around me in a desperate hug.

“Thank god you’re okay,” she breathed, voice trembling. “I was so worried about you. Are you okay, Miss?”

Her warmth made me smile. I wanted to hug her back. But before I could, she pulled away abruptly, her eyes lowering to the ground.

“I–I apologize for hugging you,” she whispered. “I didn’t mean to touch a Moonborn.”

She looked terrified, as if I might strike her.

My heart dropped when Evelyn stepped away from me. The blanket she had wrapped around me suddenly felt cold, as if her warmth had been snatched back with her retreat. I couldn’t even blame her. How could I? This was my fault.

In my past lives, I had never cherished the ones who truly cared. My sweet, loyal Evelyn, I pushed her aside, ignored her kindness, and clung to snakes like Sienna, mistaking that for love. And yet, despite everything I did, despite all the times I wounded her with my selfishness, Evelyn never abandoned me. She stayed, and loved me. And in every lifetime, she died for me.

Now, I remembered everything. I knew who my real enemies were. I swore I would never make the same mistake again. Evelyn deserved better. And I would make sure she got it.

“Moonborn?” A voice sneered from behind me, shattering the moment. “What is this bitch saying? How is a curse a Moonborn? Miss Sienna is the true Moonborn. She is the true descendant of the priestess.”

I slowly turned. The servants stood there, smug, their lips curled in disdain. They didn’t even bother to hide it.

“Look at her, staring at us. Every time I see that cursed hair, I feel sick. She should have drowned.”

I blinked. What was going on? How could I hear what they were saying when their mouths weren’t even moving? My eyes darted between them, my heart hammering.

This wasn’t mindlink. Only the Alpha and Luna had the right to grant that bond. These were just servants. Then how—

“Huh, why is she looking at me like she can hear what I’m thinking?” one woman muttered, smirking. “Imagine if she could read minds. Hah… that would be dangerous for everyone.”

I gasped before I could stop myself. “Is that it? Can I really read people’s minds?”

The maid’s face drained of color. She stumbled back, stammering, “H-how—?”

“You!” Her panic was cut short by Kane’s voice.

The servants instantly lowered their heads as he strode forward, but his gaze never left me. His eyes blazed with fury, and I found myself straightening instinctively under the weight of it.

Before I could speak, his hand lashed out. The crack echoed through the courtyard. My head snapped to the side, cheek burning hot.

Kane’s fist clenched in the fabric of my drenched dress, dragging me closer until his breath was hot against my face. His growl vibrated in my bones.

“How dare you harm Sienna?!”

The slap burned. He struck me with everything he had, never mind that I was young and dripping wet.

In my past life, he had done the same. My face had swollen so badly I spent a week in the hospital before it healed.

He wanted to break me, but I didn’t cry or even flinch.

Pain had been my tutor across lifetimes. Compared to what I’d endured, this was nothing more than a bruise I could swallow. I turned my head slowly and met his gaze as if nothing had happened.

“What do you think you’re doing?” I asked, my voice low.

Kane’s face went blank for a moment. He looked surprised at how calm I was.

‘What is this? Why is she so calm?’ he thought, his lips unmoving.

When my silence continued, he exploded. “What am I even doing? What are you, stupid? Are you blind? Can’t you see what you did to Sienna? You’re not even scared or ashamed. Why would you push her in the river? Are you jealous that she’s better than you? If anything happens to my sister, I will fucking kill you.”

He ranted while I watched with indifference. My eyes dropped to Sienna, who was still unconscious as Cross tried to wake her.

‘Ha. She deserved that slap. This will prove no one loves a cursed girl like her. I’ll stay unconscious long enough for big brother Kane to kill her. She should just die.’ Sienna’s thought echoed in my head.

I almost laughed. A smirk tugged at my lips. My sweet sister, playing the victim while scheming in silence.

Let’s see how long she can keep it up.