Chapter 138: That Was Final

SELENE’S POV

He said I was going to marry him, and that was final.

There were no more arguments after that. I had already settled things with Lucian. Now, the wedding had to happen in Icefang, which meant I had to go to Icefang for the very first time in my life. It was going to be a fairly long drive, even though we were still within the same Morvaine district.

William’s guards opened the car door for me, and I stepped inside.

"For you, my queen," the guard who opened the door said.

I looked at him strangely and got in without a word.

I allowed myself one last look back as we pulled away from the scene. William was already in another car ahead. We moved out together. That had been my last day in Winterwood for now, and I had made sure the authorities approved everything and started operating my machines to relieve people of pain before I left.

William was such a crazy person. He had already printed invitation cards and sent them across all of Winterwood and even to Bloodmoon. Which meant my sister had seen it. My parents too.

I was getting married to the remnant of Icefang. Life had truly taken a U-turn on me.

I sat back and let the memories wash over me ... everything I had been through, from Bloodmoon to Winterwood, and now to Icefang. Maybe this was supposed to be my redemption. Maybe.

We drove for a long while, passing through so many bushes and winding corners, until we broke out into something I hadn’t expected.

A beautiful scenery opened up before us.

"Is this Icefang?" I asked the driver.

"Yes, this is Icefang, queen," he said.

Icefang was beautiful. Far more beautiful than Bloodmoon and Winterwood combined, and I wasn’t even exaggerating.

Everywhere I looked, there were coloured trees. The sky held a different shade entirely, like it belonged to another world. The grass was greener than anything I had ever seen, and the air ... the air carried a kind of peace I couldn’t explain.

I couldn’t believe this place had been under construction and hidden from the world for months. Even through all of that, it had stayed breathtaking. I found myself wondering ... why would anyone ever want to destroy a territory like this? Why?

I stepped out of the vehicle and immediately felt the fresh air hit me. It was generous. All-giving. And the people ... there were actually people here. They were all smiling as I arrived, including William Steelborn himself, who came out of his own vehicle wearing that same easy smile like he hadn’t bombed anything in his recent past.

My driver told me that people had been living here in hiding for a long time, and that William came and liberated them.

The king’s private chambers were stunning. They had already decorated the entire place as though we were arriving as newlyweds. I wasn’t exactly happy about that, but the scenery was doing something to my heart ... softening it just a little, against my will.

I checked my phone before I went inside and it was already everywhere. Selene is about to become a Luna. All of that.

I couldn’t escape it.

I was shown to a seat in the main hall and I sat there for about thirteen minutes before William finally appeared.

"I hope you like what you’re seeing. Anything you need, you can call any of the people around and they’ll come to your aid. You’re a queen to be," William said.

I smiled slightly. Just slightly. I had been chatting with Valerie while waiting, and that was the only thing keeping me grounded.

A female wolf came to escort me to my room.

"Please follow me, queen," she said.

I’m not married to your king yet, for heaven’s sake, I thought, but I followed her without saying a word.

The room was enormous and beautiful. I hadn’t even asked for anything yet, and somehow I already had all of this.

According to William, the wedding was happening tomorrow. Everyone was coming.

It was going to be the official inauguration of the territory and its Alpha ... and then the marriage to his Luna.

"I want you to know that I’m the luckiest wolf alive to have you as my Luna. I don’t take it for granted, Selene. I’ll always cherish you, I promise," he said.

I said nothing back.

This looked like a contract to me, nothing more. There were no feelings attached ... at least not on my side. I wasn’t attracted to him in any way, and honestly, that was expected. I had watched this man bomb a territory. There was nothing attractive about that, no matter how many coloured trees he surrounded himself with.

My biggest pain through all of this was the thought that the goddess was watching. She had ghosted me when I needed her the most, and then shown up to announce in front of everyone that I wasn’t Lucian’s mate ... right after I got pregnant for him. The nerve.

My phone rang. It was someone from the manufacturing industry in Winterwood.

"Hello, Mrs. Selene. We want to thank you for your invention. It has been of great help to us here in Winterwood and Bloodmoon. They are all singing your praises," he said.

"You’re welcome. I’m glad I could be of help," I said.

I knew full well that Icefang was the only place my machines hadn’t reached yet ... ironically the very territory I was now going to call home. At least my invention was doing something real. It was going to obliterate hunger across two territories. And I wasn’t like my sister. She would have found a way to use all of this to destroy people without thinking twice about it.

"The reason I called," the man continued, "is to put an offer to you."

I listened.

"This invention is too valuable to be kept in limited circulation. We want to pay you and put it on the market ... make it accessible to those with purchasing power," he said.

The way he framed it, like he was doing me a favour. I wasn’t too proud to hear him out, so I answered him calmly.

"I don’t want to sell my invention just to make money, especially not when I’m living among people who need it most," I told him.

"It will still serve the less privileged. But your invention has potential beyond that, Mrs. Selene. We want to make you a millionaire ... a billionaire, even. We’ll handle everything. All you have to do is say yes," he said.

My hard work had paid off. All those long hours of reading. All the great mentors I had been privileged to learn from.

"I’ll think about it," I said. "In the meantime, don’t miss my wedding."

He laughed and said he wouldn’t dare.

Me. Selene. About to become both a Luna and a business powerhouse.

I sat there for a moment, letting myself fantasise about what that would all look like.