Betrayed By One. Bound To Three-Chapter 53: Silas’s manipulation.

After several steps from where Silas had spoken with Edris, he paused for a moment, leaning against the wall, letting the torchlight flicker across his face.

His mind ran over every word, every hesitation from Edris. Nothing had been resolved—nothing had been secured.

And yet, he hoped the brothers would name their price soon. But before that time comes, he needed to see her. Selena.

The rogues could be clever, yes, but she... she was his. And if she had been leaning on them, trusting them... he would make sure she remembered who truly mattered.

He walked down the corridor, each step deliberate, his jaw tight with suppressed frustration.

By the time he reached her room, his decision had crystallized: he would speak with her, remind her, manipulate her... and ensure she knew exactly where her loyalty should lie.

Silas knocked once, deliberately slow, then stepped inside without waiting for her reply.

Selena was seated by the window, moonlight soft on her skin, her posture composed but alert. She looked up, meeting his gaze as if she had been expecting him.

Though he tried to radiate control, she sensed the tension behind his words, the edge of desperation he masked so poorly.

"I need to speak with you," Silas said, his voice low and sharp, a mix of control and suppressed hurt.

She tilted her head slightly, a faint, calm smile on her lips. "Is everything alright?"

He took a few steps closer, closing the space between them, eyes fixed on hers. There was an intensity that made her pulse quicken, but she did not flinch.

"Do you even care for me anymore?" he asked quietly, almost pleading, though the edges of his tone carried accusation.

Selena’s voice remained steady. "Of course I do. I always have."

He shook his head slowly, disbelief crossing his face. "Because it sure doesn’t feel like it. Since you returned from the woods... it’s like your concern lies with them—the rogues—not me. Not your future mate."

Her hands remained folded in her lap. "You can’t say that. I mean, I appreciate them deeply for what they did for me, but they are not you."

Silas’s lips pressed into a thin line, his voice lowering. "I really wish I could believe you. Have you seen the way they look at you? I know I’m not supposed to be jealous because they are rare rogues. I trust you to have better taste in men. But I can’t help the jealousy—everything I see, the way they look at you like you belong to them."

Selena’s wolf stirred alert beneath her calm.

Her jaw tightened slightly, but she remained calm. "I am sorry if you feel that way, but know that I love you."

His gaze sharpened. "Love? Love does not look like this. Love is supposed to mean I come first, not find you leaning on their loyalty, laughing with them, depending on them."

"You do come first. Always," she replied.

Silas’s eyes flickered with hurt. "I have risked everything for you. Right from that field where you were attacked years ago. I have stood by you when many did not. I have turned down so many proposals just to be with you. And now it feels like all my sacrifice means nothing because you put your trust in strangers you just met."

Silas was weaving guilt into his words, trying to make her doubt herself, but she recognized it for what it was—control disguised as love.

"I know that you care for me, Silas," she said softly. "I know that. I understand. But my trust in the brothers does not take away from my trust in you."

He stepped closer, voice low, deliberate. "Do you think I don’t notice? How you look at them, rely on them... yet hesitate with me. If I didn’t know better, I would think—"

"You would think what?" she asked calmly.

"That you... were with one of them. If not all of the brothers." His voice cracked slightly with fear and jealousy. "Do you think I would not notice if you turned your heart to a rogue?"

Her eyes met his, unwavering. She kept her composure, not wanting to give him a reason to doubt her loyalty. "They helped me, yes. They saved me. But they are not you. They never will be. My heart belongs to you. Always have. You must trust that."

Silas’s hands tightened at his sides. "And yet it feels like I am competing with them. Everywhere I go, I see them around you. And when I speak... it feels like my words no longer carry the same weights. Do you not see how that tortures me?"

Selena did not interrupt while he spoke. She gave him her full attention.

"I see it," she said measuredly. "And I am sorry for making you feel that way."

He ran a hand down his face. "I love you, Selena, and the thought of sharing you with them is killing me. You belong to me. I was broken when I thought you wouldn’t come back, but it feels like my emotions don’t matter to you."

She leaned back slightly, composed. "It mattered. It matters. You have no idea how much it meant to know you were trying, searching, fearing for me. That fear shows your love."

Her hands rested lightly on her knees. "They are only here because they helped me live. That is all. Nothing more. I love you, Silas. That will not change. All I need is a little time before the wedding. Time to fix everything, set the new date, and make sure nothing—and no one—interferes with what we have."

Silas’s posture softened slightly. He wrapped his arms around her in a possessive, desperate hug. He pressed his lips to hers, slow and demanding. She did her best to stay still, not cringe, not show discomfort.

Selena let him feel in control. Made him think he still owns her, but she is far from powerless.

When he pulled back, resting his forehead against hers, his voice trembled slightly. "You... you do care for me."

"I do," she whispered.

They remained silent for a few moments. He straightened, scanning her face for doubt or weakness.

"You cannot forget, Selena," he said sharply, layered with vulnerability. "You belong to me."

"My heart is not divided," she said firmly. "It is yours. Always yours. But sometimes, to protect what is ours, I must accept help from others. That does not make my love for you any less real."

He studied her, almost deciding whether to believe her. Exhaling, he brushed an invisible speck of dust from his sleeve.

"Do not make me doubt you again," he said quietly, a subtle threat behind affection.

She nodded calmly. "I will not. You have my word."

Silas lingered a moment longer, eyes sharp. Then, as if satisfied, he stepped toward the door.

"Remember," he said over his shoulder, "I love you so much, and together I believe we can make our pack greater than ever."

She waited until the door clicked shut behind him. Then, finally, she exhaled, releasing the tension.

She lifted a hand to her lips, wiping away the memory of his kiss.

Her wolf stirred beneath her skin—restless and angry.

Her hands fell into her lap, trembling slightly. He thought he had manipulated her.

But Selena saw every move.

She will bide her time, and when the moment is right, the pack will see him for who he truly is.