Nyx's POV
I lingered outside Alpha Darius’s office, my heart hammering so hard it drowned out the rational part of my mind. I had lost track of how many times I had attempted to speak with him, only for him to shut me out, his cold indifference to a wall I could never seem to break through.
Summoning what little courage I had left, I inhaled deeply, pushed the door open, and stepped inside. He was seated at his desk, paperwork scattered in a haphazard mess. His dark gaze lifted to me for a fleeting second before dropping back to whatever pack business demanded his attention.
"Alpha," I spoke gently, shutting the door behind me. "We need to talk."
"Not now, Nyx." His voice was clipped, dismissive—the same tone I had been met with for weeks now.
A surge of frustration welled up inside me, but I refused to let it overpower me. "I’m not leaving until you listen."
My wolf stirred restlessly, bristling at the way he barely acknowledged my presence. I wasn’t just another pack member—I was his intended Luna. I had every right to demand his attention.
Finally, he leaned back in his chair, exhaling sharply as his gaze met mine with obvious impatience. "What is it?"
I hesitated, trying to find the right words. Where did I even begin? "We’re drifting apart, Darius," I said, my voice shaking slightly. "I can feel it. Things between us haven’t been the same."
He dragged a hand down his face, exasperation clear in his posture. "Is this about Thalia again? Nyx, she’s always been in my life. You knew that."
"Not like this." I stepped forward, my frustration bubbling to the surface. "You spend more time with her than you do with me. Whenever I see you, she’s right there, always in between us."
His jaw tensed, his expression hardening. "Thalia and I are friends. You need to accept that. You’re overreacting."
Overreacting? My wolf let out a low growl inside me, but I forced my voice to remain steady. "Overreacting? Darius, she’s wearing my clothes, inserting herself into moments that belong to us. You haven’t been by my side in weeks!"
He stood abruptly, his imposing frame towering over me, his Alpha presence suffocating. "She’s family, Nyx. You’re going to have to deal with it. This conversation is over."
His words struck me like a physical blow. Deal with it? My throat tightened as I struggled to hold back the storm of emotions threatening to overtake me. I had come here hoping to fix what was broken, but it was as if I was talking to a stranger.
"Darius, I’m trying…" My voice wavered. "I’m trying to understand, but this isn’t how mates should treat each other. We’re supposed to trust one another. Instead, it feels like you’ve already replaced me with her."
"Don’t be ridiculous, Nyx." He waved a dismissive hand. "Thalia isn’t replacing anyone. She’s just… helping."
Helping? I wanted to scream. "Helping with what? By pushing me aside? By taking my place before I’ve even had the chance to be your Luna? How can you do this to me, royal?"
His expression darkened. "Enough, Nyx. You’re being insecure, and that’s beneath you."
"Insecure?" A bitter laugh escaped me. "Maybe if you treated me like I mattered, I wouldn’t feel this way!"
The silence that followed was suffocating. Darius’s gaze was cold, unreadable, as if I was the one at fault—as if I was unreasonable for feeling this way. But how could I not, when Thalia was everywhere? When she lingered in every room, in every conversation, in every stolen glance between us?
"Go to bed, Nyx," he said at last, his tone laced with finality. "I’m done talking about this."
Maybe I should have walked away the moment I saw them embrace on the day he proposed to me.
---
That night, I sat in the darkness of my room, staring blankly ahead, my thoughts tangled in an endless loop of doubt and pain. Elara’s voice echoed in my mind—her warning still fresh, still sharp. She had been the only friend I’d made in the Ashenfang Pack.
"Nyx, she’s not as innocent as she seems," Elara had told me just days before. "Thalia knows exactly what she’s doing. She wants the Alpha, and she’ll use every trick in the book to get him."
A knock at my door jolted me from my thoughts. For a moment, a flicker of hope flared in my chest—maybe it was Darius, finally coming to his senses, finally seeing what I had been trying to tell him all along.
But when I opened the door, it was Elara. She slipped inside without a word, her expression grave.
"How did it go?" she asked, though she already knew the answer.
"Exactly how you’d expect," I muttered, sinking onto the edge of the bed. "He doesn’t see it, Elara. He doesn’t care. He thinks I’m just being paranoid."
Elara exhaled, sitting beside me. "Darius is blind, but that doesn’t mean you’re powerless, Nyx. You don’t have to just sit back and let this happen."
I turned to her, helplessness washing over me. "What else can I do? I’ve tried everything."
"You’re his future Luna," she reminded me. "You’re stronger than this. Don’t let Thalia push you out of what’s rightfully yours. And if you don’t love Alpha Darius anymore, leave him before it’s too late."
She was right. I wasn’t powerless.
