*Channing's PoV*

Channing saw Selene overpower Diana while not hurting her. He wanted to step in and help Selene, but there was a reason he stood back. Channing wanted everyone to see how worthy Selene was. After all, she was an Alpha and a Warchild, just like him.

While the whole ruckus was going on, Channing's eyes were trained on Selene with all the adoration he carried for her. There was no reason he saw not to go after this girl, who was ready to protect him and stand by his side even if as the Beta, but Channing had seen the rejection in her eyes the very day he had lost his control and made advances on her. He knew she had secrets and goals bigger than his simple life, where he focused mainly on not losing control of his abilities like they had with his previous girlfriend.

Diana tore through Selene's fabric, and Channing's heart ached to see the wounds that Selene had received on her shoulder.

And then he saw the injuries between the groove at the base of her neck heal rapidly. There was a momentary panic that set in Channing, thinking of the healing as Selene's Blood Noesis and he wanted to go and hide it, stop the fight, so her rapid healing stayed hidden from the rest just as Selene wanted it. Channing almost ran ahead when his eyes fell on it and stopped him in his tracks.

The mark!

Mark of a mate on her shoulder. A full circle showing a full moon and that meant it was done by an Alpha.

"You are quite a liar, Selene. Look at that full moon on your shoulder. An Alpha has marked you and you say Channing isn't your mate," Diana said those words and everything inside Channing broke. He wanted to sort things with Selene. He had felt in his heart that Selene was better adaptable to his abilities that had hurt his previous girlfriend. Even though Selene had rejected him indirectly, he still wanted to try.

But how could he now!

Channing gulped with his eyes fixed on Selene's hand that covered the mark halfway. Although Diana had accused Selene and Channing of being soulmates, they weren't. He wished that it was true, but it was not, and now it seemed like Selene was someone else's mate.

Selene was quick to turn into her wolf and that hid the mark under her fur that Channing was intently trying to confirm that it looked like a full moon, or was it something else.

In the midst of all the chaos, Selene's mobile rang that had now fallen on the ground as she had turned, tearing her clothes and the belongings in her pocket, scattered everywhere. Coincidently, her mobile had slid near Channing's feet as he had stepped a little closer to them and he saw the name 'Fang Warchild' flash on it. Channing's grey eyes stared at the screen and he remembered that night when he himself had let Fang come into this village to meet Selene.

Back then Channing himself wanted to bring distance between him and Selene. It was better; he had thought that Fang could take better care of her. It was rare, even in Channing's eyes, for Fang to personally come for a girl and take her on a date.

Selene was busy with the fight, going ahead to attack Diana instead of defending this time, when the ring on her phone died by the time Channing picked up the device in shock.

Suddenly, he felt his mobile vibrate in his pocket before it started to ring, and Channing immediately pulled it out to see it was Fang. Fang had called Selene twice before he had decided to call Channing.

Channing picked up the call, "He-"

"Channing, where is Selene?" Fang's voice thundered on the other end. He was angrier than ever as he had gone through the agony of his mate going through pain. Fang knew Selene was in danger, and she was not picking up her call. His feet paced restlessly inside his tent as he felt helpless to go and save her right now. He could not come to Winterwells, but if Channing now refused to know where Selene was, Fang wouldn't care about anything before bolting here to protect his soulmate.

Channing saw the fight unfold in front of him and Selene had not taken even a minute longer to catch Diana in her hold, where Diana was rendered helpless to Selene's Alpha strength

Selene had won fair and square, and everyone in the members was grateful to see that. Sam and Suzan ran up ahead to help Selene hold Diana, who was almost dangling in the mouth of Selene's wolf. Diana was unconscious and Selene had been careful to not injure her more than necessary.

The mark was sealed with the help of Dandeline, but with Diana having injured right over it, the entire mark reformed as it was. This was more pain in the ass for Selene than she had thought it would be.

Selene's telecommunicated, "Call the police and make sure that Chief Jack is held away from this area and sent back if he arrives here."

Sam agreed to her and signalled Arina. She was quick to call the police as Selene let go of Diana's limp body and Sam, with help of Suzan, brought Diana to be kept in front of Oliver and Julianne. Julianne panicked, checking Diana's body for any severe injury, but Selene had done just one clean hit on Diana's neck with almost no blood being lost from Diana. It was only Selene who had bled today, and there were people who came for her aid as Selene's wolf sat down panting from the injuries.

Everyone saw the grim expression on Channing's face. No one went to disturb him between his call and the members were no babies to not be able to take care of themselves in absence of the Alpha.

Channing walked away from everyone's earshot to stand facing his back to them. "Selene is in front of me right now," Channing replied to Fang in a low voice.

Fang sighed on the other end and asked in a calmer way this time, "What happened there, Channing?"

Channing glanced to check everyone was still how he had last seen them. The only difference was Elaine was now healing Selene. Channing turned back to talk with Fang, "Selene was announced as the Beta and we found all the culprits who were involved with John Walter." Channing was going to continue when he stopped. The restless feeling in his heart had not gone away and now there was a conclusion he abruptly reached, that Fang was Selene's mate. He was an Alpha, after all.

There was silence for a few seconds, and Fang was the one to break it. "Did they hurt Selene?" Fang demanded.

Channing felt a squeeze in his heart upon hearing the question. If Fang knew Selene was hurt, then he surely was the one who had marked her. Because only marked couples could feel the agony of each other, no matter how far away they were. Channing cleared his throat before replying, "She is fine and healing now. John's mate, Diana, did not take the rejection of position well and Selene simply fulfilled the duties of a Beta by stopping Diana from going overboard."

"Channing," Fang grunted his name. For Fang, Channing was a thorn in his path, as Fang knew how Selene had unresolved feelings in her heart for Channing. "I know you are only aware of the reasons why Selene is there in Winterwells. But she is way important than the likes of any Omega in your village and for that matter even you. I am not saying important to just me, but to this kingdom. So be good and protect her instead of letting her protect you."

It was the first time Fang wasn't being straightforward with Channing, and it did not go unnoticed by Channing. This time Channing was the one to not beat around the bush, "Did you mark her, Fang?"

Channing tried not to sound hurt, but there was enough pain in his voice for Fang to understand. Fang knew better than anyone what Channing felt right now, but Selene was one thing that Fang held higher than everyone else and he would go against all his close relations to make her his. Fang smirked, "Yes, I did mark her. Channing, I know your growing feelings towards her, but it would be better for you to kill them now than when it is too late, and it breaks your heart because I am not letting anyone take Selene away from me."

Channing could not reply to anything about the was Fang was being possessive about Selene. It confirmed for Channing that Selene meant too much to Fang as Fang had never talked this way about a woman before. Never had he used such language or openly accepted any woman as his belonging, not even in fromt of Channing.

Fang was just like a brother to Channing, and he did not want to lose that. But the every growing feeling in his heart for Selene wanted something else, something very selfish.

"Is that clear, Channing?" Fang's voice dictated through the mobile. Fang was not going to take silence for an answer.

Fang needed assuring answers, which can be held against Channing if he went against his own words. Fang could still feel the pain that Selene was facing and how he wished he could just go to Winterwells and lick the injuries away, but he could not as it would bring the mark in limelight and Fang did not want to make things tough for Selene. He wanted her to ease in slowly, but not too slow that Selene would forget about him. Fang needed for Selene to remember him and the mark was enough of hassle for his soulmate to not get Fang out of her head and he knew that. Selene was getting used to his personality at a slow pace and he was noticing it better than anyone how she was accepting him in her own physical space.

Channing let out a dry laugh, "Yes Fang, don't worry, I would protect her well." Channing glanced at Selene, who was almost healed now and was sitting in her wolf form, her eyes trained on the nine supporters of John. It hurt Channing to hear what Fang had said and a hurtful smile on his lips as he continued, "knowing she is yours; How can I let my brother's mate be unsafe in his absence."

Fang was happy to hear that, "Very well then, I will leave my trust with you." There was nothing more needed to say as prolonging the conversation would only make Channing ponder on his words so Fang cut the call leaving Channing hanging there in a pickle now.

For Channing, the decision was made and he turned to meet Selene's eyes and he gave her a friendly smile which was returned by a silent blink from Selene's wolf. In his heart the switch was turned off for her now. He walked ahead to complete the different matters that were left halfway a while back.