Chapter 12

Selena’s Pov The Sirius Pack house was screaming with joy. Everywhere I looked, there were white ribbons, crystal vases filled with roses, and servants rushing around with trays of silver. They were preparing for the wedding of the century. I stood in the center of the chaos, holding a single suitcase. After 3 years the only thing l was leaving with was a suitcase. I walked to Theo’s office for the last time. The door was open, Owen was there, and so was Theo. The air in the room was so cold that it made me shiver. On the desk were the divorce papers. Theo didn't look at me. He was staring out the window like a statue made of ice. "Everything is in order," Owen said, sliding the papers toward me. He also slid a check across the desk. Fifteen Million Dollars. I picked up the pen. My hand was shaking so badly that I had to use my other hand to steady it. Sign it, Selena, I told myself. Sign it for the baby. I pressed the pen to the paper and signed my name one last time, Selena Kensington. "It's done," I whispered. Theo turned around then. His eyes were dark, filled with a storm of emotions I couldn't read. He opened his mouth, stepping forward as if he wanted to stop me. "Selena—" "Goodbye, Theo," I interrupted quickly. I couldn't let him speak. If he were kind to me now, I would break. I could barely keep myself from crying, but I would never break in front of them. I grabbed the check and my suitcase, and I left, down the grand staircase, past the decorations for his new bride, and out the front door. I didn't look back. There was already a driver waiting for me, and I entered the car and looked ahead. I was trying to be strong, and the fact that I haven't cried means that I was succeeding. The driver dropped me off at the docks. I pulled my coat tighter around my stomach. "We’re almost safe, little one," I whispered. I walked toward the massive ship docked at the pier. The Poseidon. It looked like a floating city, glowing with lights against the grey sky. But as I walked toward the boarding ramp, the hair on the back of my neck stood up. I was being followed. I stopped and pretended to check my phone. I glanced over my shoulder. There, standing by a stack of cargo crates, was a man. He was dressed in black, trying to blend into the shadows. But his eyes never left me. Even though I didn't know him, I knew he was a guard Theo had sent to surveil me. Why? I already told him I'd set him free and leave the Sirius Pack forever. Did he have someone watch me because he thought I might ruin his engagement ceremony tomorrow? I couldn't let him find me. I looked around frantically. A man leaned against a streetlight several meters away, head bowed as he lit a cigarette with a lighter. Suddenly, he lifted his head and met my gaze. I made a split-second decision and rushed over to him. "Please," I gasped, grabbing his arm. "Help me. Someone is following me." The stranger turned. He was breathtaking. He was tall, well over six feet, with a lean, powerful build that his cheap clothes couldn't hide. He had sandy-blonde hair that fell messily over his forehead and amber eyes. But it was his face that struck me. He was handsome, but he looked tired. There was a deep sadness in his eyes, a shadow that matched the one in my own heart. He looked down at me, surprised. He dropped his cigarette and stepped on it. "Who is following you?" "That man in black," I whispered, hiding behind his broad back. "Please. I just need to get on the ship." The stranger looked at the guard, then back at me. A slow, crooked smile spread across his face. It didn't reach his eyes, but it was charming. "Trouble with an ex?" He guessed. "Something like that," I choked out. "Well, I hate bullies," he said. He offered me his arm. "Cover your face and come with me. If anyone asks, you’re with me." I looped my arm through his. He felt strong and solid. "I'm Noah," he said as we started walking. "I'm... Violet," I lied. "Violet Stone." We walked past the security checkpoint. I held my breath as we passed Theo’s guard. Noah held me tightly, burying my face against his chest. He blocked the guard who tried to pull me away and roared, "Don't touch my girlfriend!" “No,” the guard seemed to hesitate, making no attempt to pull me back. “Sorry, I mistook you for someone else.” Noah snorted coldly and said, “Get out of the way.” I could sense the guard walking away, and then Noah led me onward. “Don't look up. He's still watching us,” he whispered in my ear, making me tense up again. Soon, we arrived. As soon as we were on the deck of the ship, I let go of Noah’s arm. My knees were shaking. "Thank you," I breathed. "You saved me." "Nothing, it's all over. Let's leave it at that." Noah looked at me, his eyes scanning my face. "Goodbye." He turned and walked away towards the bar, looking like a man who wanted to drink until he forgot his name. "Bye," I found my cabin. It was a luxury suite on the upper deck, but I didn't care about the view. I locked the door and collapsed onto the bed. I was safe. The ship’s horn blasted, a deep, mournful sound that signaled our departure. I felt the floor vibrate as the massive engines turned on. We were moving. I was leaving the Sirius Pack. I was leaving Theo. Reality hit, and I sat up and opened my purse. I pulled out my wallet. Inside was my ID card: Selena Kensington. I looked at the photo. The girl in the picture looked so hopeful. She was smiling, thinking she was about to start a happy life with her husband. I hated her. She was weak. She was a victim. I took the ID card and a pair of scissors from my travel kit and cut the card in half. Then I cut it again, and again, until Selena Kensington was nothing but a pile of papers. Next, I took out my marriage license and ripped it into tiny shreds. I walked to the window and tossed the shards into the sea. I watched the water swirl, taking my name, my marriage, and my past down into the darkness. I didn't cry because I didn't have a reason to. Everything was gone, I'm alone now, and I have to look out for myself and my baby instead of dwelling on the past. "Selena is dead," I whispered, my hand on my belly. "Only Violet is left." That night, the sea turned angry. I was sleeping when the first wave hit. The ship lurched violently, throwing me out of bed. Thunder shook the walls of the cabin, and the ship tilted. I heard glass shattering and people screaming in the hallway. I scrambled to my feet, grabbing my life jacket. "What happened?" The ship tilted again, this time much further. The lights flickered and died, plunging the room into pitch blackness. I crawled towards the door, but the floor was slanted at a crazy angle. Only now do I understand what happened. The storm is coming. The Poseidon was capsizing. "No, my baby!" My legs trembled uncontrollably, but I fought to keep from falling. “I have to protect my child.” I managed to get the door open. The hallway was chaos, and water was rushing in from the end of the corridor. People were sliding, screaming, and panicking. "Help!" Someone yelled. I tried to grab something, but gravity shifted, and I fell. I fell hard, my body slamming against the metal wall, and my head cracked against a fire extinguisher box. A blinding white light exploded behind my eyes. Pain, sharp and hot, sliced through my skull. Then... nothing. The world went silent. The cold, black water rushed over me, pulling me down into the deep, dark sea. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't move. My last thought before the darkness took me completely was his name. Theo.