Their Secret Obsession (A Reverse Harem) by Pippa Moon

Knox's POV

"But, like all of you, she has emerged stronger for it," Selene countered gently. "Every challenge she faces shapes her into who she must become."

"That's a convenient explanation." I shook my head. A surge of outrage coursed through me. How could she be so dismissive of Lottie's happiness and mental state? The woman I loved had been pushed to her limits, her spirit nearly broken, and yet Selene spoke as if it were all part of some grand design. It infuriated me that she could be so flippant about the torment Lottie had endured.

"You think I am lying?" she asked, her tone stretched.

"I think I am fed up with half-truths and how wolves seem to be the only ones able to give a direct answer."

"I see," she uttered, clearly listening in on my internal struggle. I was just glad Havoc was staying hidden because I could feel his rage bubbling under the surface, and SHE had already threatened to turn him into a frog once.

"Not quite. I said I could give him a green coat," she countered, trying to lighten the mood.

"Right." I nodded, feeling frustrated that she was okay with speaking her mind, but I was not offered the same.

"It's okay. Speak your truth," she encouraged, and I scoffed before deciding to go for it; if she could hear me think it, I might as well grow a pair and say it.

"Do you really not see the pain you have caused everyone? How much Lottie has lost? How much Kane and I have lost? Not just time together as new parents, but our brotherly bond is messed up all because some-"I bit back the insult forming on my tongue, trying to maintain some semblance of respect. "--because someone couldn't bend a few rules." I slapped my thigh, feeling my body tense with Havoc's presence. I eyed her, noticing her calm features; I decided to keep going.

"You asked her to pick between us and our children." I shook my head in hatred, trying to ground myself by watching the fish swim aimlessly. "You are meant to be a mother to us all, and you asked her to give up her children. Do you have any idea what it was like for her growing up? To have no family of her own," I raved angrily, feeling my blood pressure rising.

"She had Anthony," she corrected me, earning a loud snort from me.

"Yes, she did. And what good did that do her? He was not her blood, and he made her feel like dirt. Worse than that. Do you know I walked in on him scolding her over the way she had put food away when she was younger? Once he was finished, he made her repeat after him that she was..."

"Useless, a waste of space, and unlovable. I remember," the Moon Goddess admitted, at least having the decency to look remorseful.

"She never had that family-that bond-and I am ashamed to admit I did not help; Kane and I treated her the same as we did Lilly. We bullied her, made jokes about her, taunted and set her up to fail... but we still saw her as family. But it wasn't the same!" I ground out through gritted teeth, guilt eating at me as the memories of the way I bullied her flashed before my eyes.

"She had no one. Yet she never moaned, never sought vengeance; she smiled, thanked YOU for giving her the strength to get through it, and carried on like her life was not a steaming pile of misery," I growled. "You, who have asked her to give up the family she now has..."

"I did not ask her to give up all of her family; I told her there would be consequences and a price to pay to restore YOUR family, Knox Maddox, and protect you from the war that would have erupted had I left Sebastian to die."

"Horseshit!" I seethed. "You're full of it." I let out a bitter laugh, causing her to turn to face me fully, her eyes reflecting the depths of the universe.

"Knox Maddox, you are still a son of

mine, and like your mother, I am not opposed to washing your mouth out with soap if you keep being

disrespectful," she warned, her ne

words light-hearted, but her tone delivered a message: 'tread

carefully.

"Do you think I am indifferent to her suffering? That I take pleasure in it?" she asked, forcing my face up to look at hers with sheer willpower alone.

"I don't know what to think," I admitted. "But it feels like we're all pawns in some game."

"Not pawns," she corrected. "Participants. Each with a role to play."

"So what's my role?" I considered her words. "Besides failing to protectzmy mate, my children, and lead a pack." I laughed bitterly because, honestly, I felt like a damn disappointment without my girl at my side.

"You are her anchor, her strength. Just as she is yours," she smiled softly.

"Then help us. Stop these trials. Let her find peace." I felt a lump form in my throat.

"Peace is not achieved without sacrifice," she conveyed. "But know this: I am guiding her path, even when it seems darkest."

"More riddles, more half-truths. I just want a straightforward answer... Is there another way?" Her lips pursed, a crack forming in her perfect exterior.

"I said I would answer your question. Now it's your turn." I looked away, struggling with conflicting emotions, but nodded for her to ask away, knowing my question would not be answered. "How is Charlotte?" she nodded.

"She's resilient," I replied. "Worried about our pups, determined to set things right. She's... remarkable."

"She is indeed. And she will need you more than ever in the days to come," Selene's eyes softened.

"What do you mean?" A sense of foreboding settled over me.

"All in due time," she said, rising gracefully from the bench. "For now, focus on supporting her. Trust in your bond."

"Wait," I called out as she began to move away. "How do I get back to her?"

She glanced back with a mysterious smile. "You are already there, darling boy. And Knox, Havoc becomes you... he may be a hellhound from the pits of hell, but the strength he gives you is remarkable. I could not have wished for a better companion for you. Trust him... I do.

Before I could respond, the courtyard began to fade, the luminous trees and pond dissolving into mist. I blinked, and suddenly, I was gone.