Selene looked up at the girl opposite her Her face was pale, her hair dark, her eyes wide and transfixed on the doors.

“Have a drink.” she pushed a cup toward her.

She grabbed it and gulped it down, then nodded in thanks.

“You’re from the Water village?” Selene asked, and she nodded again.

“Are you excited for the picking ceremony tomorrow?” Selene tried to distract her. It worked, her eyes lighting up at that.

“I have my dress picked out, and my mom bought some flowers from your village to put in my hair. I can’t wait. My dad visited me a fortnight ago and said he had arranged a suitor for me. He’s so handsome,” she rambled, and I tried to stay interested.

Selene wasn’t though. The idea that she was going to stand there and get judged by boys from the village she wasn’t allowed to visit just so she could bear children to them made me sick.

she had never met them before, and she was supposed to give them her life? Didn’t sound like a perk to her. Luckily for her, I was winter born. No one was going to want her.

“What does he do? What’s his name?” Selene asked, keeping her talking.

“Oh, well, I don’t know the details, but my father was quite certain he was suitable.

All the girls wanted to have him, but he’s choosing me. He likes my body.”

She grinned as if that was something to be proud of. Maybe it was, maybe I was just broken, but maybe they could stop marrying off their kids based on their physical attributes.

Admittedly, the girl was stunning. Her body was thin but full in all the right places. Her nails were manicured, and her face had a small nose, rosy lips, wide, innocent eyes.

She was a natural beauty that would have her pick of husbands, if shehad to guess.

Selene wondered what happened to the girls who were less desirable...like a winter born.

What if they weren’t picked?

“Then focus on tomorrow. It’ll help.” Selene ended the conversation, going back to her own thoughts.

What if nobody picked her? she had no idea what that meant. Nobody had ever had that happen.

her mom reassured Her she’d be fine, that having her figure and her father’s coloring of skin and hair meant she was bound to be chosen.

Selene had t*ts, she had an *ss, men liked that, but what they didn’t like? Curses. Winter borns. Rumors. And she came with all of that.

Her brother was meant to choose a wife tomorrow too. Luckily for him, a girl can’t say no. Otherwise he would be in the same boat as her,with no one.

She was excited for him to find a wife though. It meant he was moving back to the hut with her and Mother.

Until they had kids, of course. If it was a boy, they’d move back to the men’s village at puberty. If it was a girl, they’d stay. she hoped for that.

Her attention was snapped back into place as the alphas came back out. The girls they’d just f*ck*d were nowhere to be seen as they came and took their next offering.

Her mouth ran dry at the sight. All three of them, sweating, flushed, shirtless. It was distracting and hot. Yeah, the whole winter born thing had really f*ck*d her up if she was lusting after wolves.

They disappeared again, and the noises started again. Selene huffed and emptied my glass. This whole offering thing was such b*llsh*t.

A whole bunch of virgins giving themselves over for protection? Like we needed it.

The vamps hadn’t been on werewolf territory in years, and if they did, they’d handle it them . they had an army, and her father ran it.

The men’s village was full of soldiers for her dad’s army. He collaborated with the wolves, the only one from our village who was allowed access to them.

That’s why he and her mother weren’t cast out as cursed for bearing winter born children. Because the army was his, and he had the respect of the alphas.

Selene suppose that should make her grateful, but she wasn’t feeling very grateful yet, so she grabbed Ethan’s cup and drained the last of his wine too.

The alphas came and went, in and out of those rooms, the numbers at the table dwindling as the hours dragged on.

Dessert had been served, but Selene wasn’t hungry anymore. It didn’t look like the others were either, most of them making their way over to the couches by the fireplace.

They sat there, waiting for their turns, talking, whispering, listening to the moans of pleasure coming from the other girls.

Selene sat on the edge of one of the couches, being ignored like usual, when the cold hit me. she swallowed and turned, looking over my shoulder.

It felt like She was being watched, Her skin crawling, the hairs on the back of my neck rising. she stood up, stepping away from the others. They didn’t notice.

Selene could feel the red eyes. she just had to find them.

she looked in every corner of the room, behind the pillars. she couldn’t see them. But she wanted to. They terrified her, the coldness, the heaviness made her feel numb, but they also gave her a rush. One she wanted to feel again.

she pressed into the door from the oath room we had come from and looked inside, the room bathed in the red moonlight.

“Where are you?” she breathed as a strong arm wrapped around my waist, yanking me back. The door slammed as Ethan’s body blocked it, his eyes narrowed, but the fear he felt broke through her.

Cole held her back, his arms tight and warm on face as Zach grabbed the sides of her face.

“What are you doing?” he demanded.

Selene blinked a few times, the coldness leaving her, but she was sure she heard a chuckle whisper in my ear. she shook it away.

“The shadows, can I see them?” Selene asked

Ethan frowned as Cole tensed around me.

“They don’t manifest. They’re a part of you,” zach said slowly.

Selene nodded and pushed away from him.

“Right. Sorry,” she said, and went back to the table, sinking into her chair so they wouldn’t see how weak she was after the cold and heaviness left.

Selene had no idea what it was or why it left her like that, but she didn’t want them to know. Or anyone else for that matter.

They already thought she was cursed. Seeing red eyes that came with whispers and numbness was not going to convince them otherwise.

She ignored the stares and reached her shaky hand out for another drink. Ethan’s hand landed on mine.

“I said no more,” he snapped.

Selene scowled, then leaned back in her seat. “Whatever. Carry on.”

She shooed him away, and he growled under his breath, stalking away and grabbing another offering, half dragging her through to the room. Selene let out a shaky breath and closed Her eyes. Why does she have to be the broken one?

She was still being watched though. she opened one eye and Cole was watching me.

“What’d you see?” he asked, looking up at Ethan, who pointed to his watch. Cole gave him a nod, then looked back at Selene for an answer.

“I...I don’t know,” she said, telling the truth because she really had no f*ck*ng clue.

She had never seen the eyes before. she has never felt them on her or the voices. she was pretty sure the channeling thing had always been a part of her though.

Her parents said she was intuitive, but they meant cursed. And she was starting to believe them.

zach narrowed his eyes. “Don’t leave this room. Even if something makes you feel like you should,” he said knowingly, and left with his next offering.

It took two more hours most of which, Selene napped through before she was the last offering.

Ethan seemed to take a little longer with his girls. Selene don’t know whether that was a good or bad thing, but she was about to find out because the door opened and his eyes went to hers.

It was her turn.