Chapter 11 Lila " As you know , only ten of you will be advancing to the next stage of the selection . " The steward's voice was smooth , almost theatrical , as if he enjoyed drawing out the suspense . " Nine names will be announced first . However , there is one final girl , the only one chosen from a northern pack . " A murmur rippled through the group . I felt eyes turning toward me , sharp and accusatory . " You've succeeded ! " one girl hissed under her breath her voice laced with resentment , I exhaled slowly , keeping my face neutral . I didn't want to be chosen . I had tried very hard not had already convinced themselves that I had schemed my way into this position . The steward began listing the names of the first nine selected women . " Vanessa Gray . " to be chosen . Yet somehow , they Vanessa gasped , then let out a triumphant little laugh , basking in the envious stares directed her way . More names followed - women from various regions , their faces shifting from fear to exhilaration as they realized they had made it one step closer to being the selected . I didn't pay attention to most of the names . My mind was already spinning , trying to anticipate the inevitable moment when the steward would say mine . Except … it never r came . " The last name is … " The steward paused dramatically . " Jane McCarthy . " A beat of silence . Then , like a shockwave , gasps and hushed whispers erupted through the hall . It wasn't me . For a moment , I stood completely still , my body unable to process what I had just heard . Then , slowly , I felt my shoulders relax . Relief washed over me , lightening the tension that had been gripping my chest like a vice . I was one step closer to home . The other girls whose names weren't called , didn't take it as well ; most stood there stunned in disbelief , their hands covering their mouths . And the five who were eliminated burst into tears on the spot , wailing as if they had just lost the greatest opportunity of their lives 1 swallowed hard , suddenly feeling a strange , hollow emptiness settle in my stomach +15 Bonus Fate must be toying with me . It was clear Damon didn't feel the same pull towards me that I did for him . He didn't recognize me as his mate . This was what I wanted . So why did I suddenly feel so … disappointed ? Slowly , we returned to our rooms , the atmosphere thick with mixed emotions . Some of the selected women strutted through the halls with their heads held high , enjoying their newfound status . Others , like Vanessa , were insufferable . She all but paraded past me , nose lifted arrogantly . " No matter how much you try and seduce him , " she sneered , " the Lycan King has no interest in you . " I barely spared her a glance . " Move , " I muttered , brushing past her . But Vanessa wasn't done . " Oh , what's wrong ? " she crooned , stepping in front of me again . " Disappointed ? Did you actually believe you had a chance ? Poor thing . You really should be nicer to me , you know , seeing as I'll soon be your Luna Queen . " I should have ignored her . I should have walked away . But something in her smugness , in the way she looked down on me as if I were the dirt beneath her shoes , made my blood boil with the memories . Vanessa bullied me almost as much as Elena did when we were kids . Locking me in a closet , making me scrub a toilet with my own toothbrush . It took every ounce of control I could muster to keep my hands to myself . Instead , I turned to her , my expression calm but my voice sharp as a blade . " Your pride is precisely what reveals your insecurity . Actually , the person who's most afraid of not being chosen here is you , Vanessa . " She faltered . It was only for a split second , but I saw it : the flicker of uncertainty in her eyes , the way her lips pressed into a thin line . I had hit a nerve . Without waiting for her to recover , I walked away , leaving her standing there , stunned . Later that night , my thoughts drifted to my mother . I had done everything for her . And now , for the first time , I wasn't there to make sure she was safe . Was Alpha Henry keeping his promise to get her the best medical care she needed ? I had to know . Slipping into my room and closing the door , I reached out through the mind link , searching for my mother's caretaker . Sasha , are you there ? I asked , my pulse quickening . A pause . Then , a familiar voice answered . Lila ? Are you okay ? I'm fine . How is she ? 2/4 The caretaker hesitated . Then , to my relief , she spoke softly , With the help of better doctors , her condition has improved . +15 Bonus I let out a shaky breath , overwhelmed with relief . Tears stung my eyes , and I wiped a few away . Mom was safe . She was healing . But the caretaker wasn't finished . Lila … I overheard something you should know . Alpha Henry was speaking with someone about your wolf's weakness . I stiffened . What do you mean ? He said there might be a reason for it . That you might not have been born this way . The compassion in her voice tore at my chest . It might have … been done on purpose . A chill crawled up my spine . Done on purpose ? That didn't make sense . My mother and I had always believed that our weakness came from our mixed blood , that the silver wolves in our family had simply grown weaker over the generations . But if someone had interfered , if my wolf's strength had been taken from me on purpose , then that meant …. I didn't even realize I had ended the mind link or wandered away from my room , until I found myself standing in the empty corridor , lost in thought Then , out of nowhere , a familiar presence hit me like a force of nature . I looked up , my breath catching in my throat . Damon was standing at the end of the corridor , his tall frame bathed in the dim glow of the lights lining the walls . His piercing eyes locked onto mine making my heart ache more than it already was . I wanted to look away , to turn and flee before I had to acknowledge the strange one - sided pull I felt toward him . But I couldn't . My feet remained rooted to the spot as he began walking towards me , each step slow and deliberate . His presence e was suffocating . Overwhelming . Every instinct in me screamed that I should go to him , while every rational thought pushed back that I shouldn't feel this way toward him . No. We're not mates ; he had made that clear . I clenched my fists , mentally begging the Moon Goddess to stop playing these cruel tricks on me . Damon stepped in front of me , his gaze sweeping over my face before settling on my eyes . His brows furrowed slightly , as if seeing something that unsettled him . " You've been crying , " he said . It wasn't a question . I blinked , caught off guard . Before I could stop myself , I let out a bitter chuckle . " What , are you going to punish me for that too ? " But instead of anger , his shoulder dropped slightly with guilt ? I stared at him , completely thrown off .. That wasn't possible . Why would the mighty Lycan King feel guilty that I was crying ?