At home, I picked up the CCTV footage on my phone and started going through the earlier recordings. I stared at the footage on the screen, my heart breaking with every passing second. Darius, my mate—the man destined by the Moon Goddess to be my other half—had betrayed me. The bond that tethered our souls now felt like a chain dragging me into the depths of despair.
Selene’s provocative voice echoed in my ears: “She didn’t give you that fluttering excitement tonight, did she?”
And Darius’s response, his pathetic attempt to justify his actions, cut deeper than I thought possible.
The pain of the betrayal wasn’t just emotional—it was physical. My wolf, Luna, paced furiously within me, her rage simmering. She howled to be let loose, to confront them both, to shred the illusion of love Darius had built on lies. But I held her back.
“Not yet,” I whispered, forcing my claws to retract. I needed proof—not just for myself but for the pack. They deserved to see the truth of their Alpha.
Scrolling through the timestamps, I forced myself to watch every sickening encounter. Each kiss, each touch, each betrayal replayed in vivid detail. Darius had desecrated not just our bond but the sanctity of the pack’s home.
Finally, the pain became too much. Slamming the laptop shut, I pressed a trembling hand to my chest. The mate bond throbbed faintly, a cruel reminder of the connection we shared.
“This ends now,” I murmured, the resolve in my voice steadying my wavering spirit.
---
The next morning, I walked into Darius’s study, the air thick with his scent. Beneath it lingered a faint trace of Selene’s perfume, a mockery of everything we once stood for.
I placed a small box on his desk. Inside were the remnants of a love I could no longer recognize—notes, small tokens, things that once held meaning but now served as painful reminders of his betrayal. On the lid, I scrawled a simple note:
“For the mate who didn’t deserve me. Happy anniversary.”
Taking a deep breath, I opened the drawer where Darius kept the letters I’d written him over the years. Each one was a testament to my love and devotion, words I now realized were wasted.
I gathered the letters, my movements deliberate, as though I were erasing every trace of the life we’d built.
The door creaked open behind me. Darius’s voice broke the silence. “Celeste?”
I didn’t turn around, focusing instead on the final letter. “What are you doing here?”
“Just cleaning up,” I replied coldly.
His footsteps drew closer, and I could feel his presence like a weight pressing on my back. “What is this?” he asked, his tone sharp.
I turned, meeting his gaze with unwavering determination. “Proof,” I said simply. “Proof that I don’t need you anymore.”
His eyes flicked to the box on his desk. “You don’t mean this,” he said, his voice tight. “You’re just upset—”
“Upset doesn’t even begin to cover it, Darius.” My wolf stirred, her growl low and menacing. “I gave you everything—my love, my trust, my loyalty—and you destroyed it.”
“You don’t understand—”
“I understand perfectly,” I cut him off, stepping closer. My claws extended as Luna surged forward, demanding justice. “You’re not the mate I thought you were. And now, I’m taking back what’s mine—my freedom.”
He reached for me, desperation flickering in his eyes. “Celeste, don’t do this. Think about the pack, the bond—”
“The bond?” I laughed bitterly. “You destroyed that bond the moment you brought her into our home. You don’t deserve the mate bond, and you certainly don’t deserve me.”
Taking a deep breath, I felt the surge of power within me as I stepped back. “This isn’t for you, Darius. It’s for me.”
With that, I turned and walked out of the study, my steps steady and sure. The Moon Goddess may have tied us together once, but his betrayal had untangled the threads.
This was my beginning.
