Dandeline gulped with her chin still on my index finger as her head tilted up to look at me, "N-No Princess, I wouldn't dare. N-Never-"

I gave her a hard glare till she almost broke a sweat. It broke me down in a laugh as I let go of her chin and Dandeline did not understand what had just happened. "I was just messing around Dandie, look how much sweat you broke there. Go now, let's meet at the ground and make sure to call me by my name." I stood up straight again and moved my fingers in a challenging motion, "Come on, try calling me by my name now."

Dandeline shivered at the thought, "Can I not call you madam?"

It was no use. Even after asking her to call me madam, she had referred to me as Princess so many times it worried me that the slip up would surely happen.

I rolled my eyes and held her firmly by her shoulder, "Selene, say it." There was command in my voice that she could not deny.

Dandeline gulped, "P-Princess Selene." It made me smile instantly. That was some progress there, but I did not approve of it directly. I raised my eyebrows for her to continue and she finally stammered, "S-Selene, I AM SORRY-"

"Okay, that's it. Perfect. Just normalise it, girl," I ushered her outside, "Go now, just don't let people see you leaving here."

In an hour, everyone had gathered on the ground and I had found myself a sleeveless turtleneck, even in the hot summer, just to be safe from people discovering about the mark. I did not doubt Dandeline's abilities to hide the mark, but precaution is always better than cure.

My attention was taken by Suzan and Sam, chatting about how things went during the two days. Sam kept his hand over Suzan's shoulder to make her stop talking and Suzan pouted. He spoke in a low voice, "I hope you did not face any difficulty in Waterwoods. It is still surprising that you brought Diana back without the help of Channing."

I was about to reply when Suzan interrupted, "Did you actually do that, Selene! So amazing, she definitely has to be in debt to you about that."

"What are you saying Suzan," I was quick to stop her from talking and attracting attention. "It was my duty, wasn't it."

Suzan was over excited about the final selection, and it was showing in her body language. "Ya, but still. You are the best Selene," she hugged me as if she was the one whom I had rescued from Waterwoods. "I couldn't ask a better Beta than you."

Sam chuckled at the statement, "Though I agree, but say that after the selections at least."

It made me giggle at the two of them going on like a father and daughter. I was about to say something when someone bumped into me from the back.

I turned to see it was one of the girls from Oliver and his group. He crossed his hands over his chest, raising his face provokingly, "Watch your steps, losers should know their place." He scoffed, and I blinked at him twice before turning back to Suzan; not bothering about his foul play.

The girl who had bumped into me rolled her eyes and rested her elbow over Oliver's shoulder, "Ah, she contaminated the air around me now, some people really think they will get it all when they stand on the other end of the crown."

It made me snicker internally. Honestly, the metaphor was funnier because the position of Beta was not the crown and if someone was really on the other end of the crown, then it was everyone else but me. I was born to the crown.

"You bumped into her," Suzan hissed, ready to lunge ahead when I and Sam stopped her. She looked at me with a frown, "But Selene."

I shook my asking Suzan to stop. It was obvious Suzan would overreact, but this was not some childhood catfight. "Just ignore Suzan," Sam added, and she went back to her place.

My eyes turned back to Oliver and saw Diana, who nonchalantly stepped beside him. Her eyes met mine, and she disdainfully walked away as if I weighed nothing to her and she would win the position of Beta even after the blunders she had caused. She walked ahead of the people who claimed they were in support of her like she did not know them and was not a part of the foul play they had just done.

What kind of leader can she be if she wasn't even ready to take responsibility for her own people?

They blindly followed her because the previous, treacherous Beta had favoured her. There were doubts in my mind that all of them were involved in trying to make John the Alpha and helped him some way or the other. Diana would surely follow the same track. She was already acting like John.

Oliver stepped between my gaze that followed Diana, "Does the new Beta lustre so much that you can't take your eyes off her?"

I gave a solemn smile to Oliver, "She is not the Beta yet and irrespective of the fact that she becomes the Beta or not, I can still pin you down to the ground, squirming helplessly."

Oliver sneered, and the girl beside him lunged towards me, and Oliver stopped her. His eyes held the fury of how helpless he was when I had pinned him yesterday. "We will see how that pride of yours persists in front of Diana. You haven't fought her yet and I can bet tell you are no match to her experience and valour"

My eyes became serious as my body straightened to stand taller than him as my Alpha wolf spoke with all the pride, "Ask your master to challenge me anytime puppy, I will graciously accept it."

The girl behind him retorted at Oliver, "Why don't I show this girl her place."

"Not now Julianne," Oliver stopped the girl again, "Diana will take care of her once she becomes the Beta. Just a matter of few minutes."

"But Oliver-"

"Let's go," he said, turning the fuming girl around, "We will not be creating any fuss before the selection is completed."

Oliver and the other few members walked away, towards the front of the pack, and took a seat there. The girl kept glaring at me the entire way, as Oliver had dragged her by her elbow.

Suzan nudged me by the shoulder, "Wow, I already see you becoming the Beta. I love the puppy touch, it was so cool!"

Sam pulled Suzan by her collar, dragging her away, "Okay, we need to be seated now. Show your friendships after the selection."

Suzan retorted childishly, "But Selene-"

I giggled, looking at her, reaching out her hand in thin air calling for me as Sam dragged her away, "I am coming, wait." I said and joined them both.

This was going to be tough to handle group whether or not I became Beta. I had to take care of and change some things around here with Channing's consent. People took everything a till too lightly, and a pack divided within itself is sure to break by just a minor external force and an internal feud.

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Author's note: I wrote the chapter a little too long, so I split them into two today ^v^.

But I can't assure the same about other days as I am still struggling with electricity here :(