I walked away. I told myself I wouldn’t look back, wouldn’t let my legs hesitate, wouldn’t let my heart betray me. But the moment I stepped past the grand doors of the ballroom, the murmurs followed me.
Not just murmurs. Judgment.
“The Luna has been replaced.”
“She couldn’t even give him an heir.”
“This is what’s best for the pack.”
Each whispered word felt like a blade slicing into my skin, peeling away the last of my dignity. My fingers clenched around the fabric of my dress, but I kept walking. I wouldn’t let them see me break. Not here. Not now.
The night air was sharp against my skin as I stepped outside, but it did nothing to cool the fire burning in my chest. My breaths came in short, uneven bursts. I wasn’t sure if it was from anger or heartbreak. Maybe both.
The weight of everything crashed down on me at once.
I had spent years loving Kade. Years by his side, standing in his shadow, believing that I was meant to be his mate, his Luna. I had trained for this. I had sacrificed for this.
And with just a few words, I had been erased.
A sharp laugh bubbled up in my throat, but it came out hollow. The pack was quick to turn its back on me. I shouldn’t be surprised. A Luna who couldn’t bear an heir held no worth to them. They worshiped power, bloodlines, legacy. And now, Kade’s mistress carried what I never could.
The future Alpha.
I bit down hard on my lip, willing myself to feel something other than pain. I wanted to feel anger, hatred—something strong enough to drown out the ache spreading through my chest like poison.
But then I heard footsteps. Heavy, purposeful.
I knew who it was before he even spoke.
“Raven.”
Kade’s voice was raw, strained, filled with something I didn’t have the strength to decipher. I didn’t stop walking.
“Raven, wait.”
My body betrayed me. I slowed, just enough for him to reach me. His hand wrapped around my wrist, his grip firm but hesitant, as if he was afraid I would break.
As if he hadn’t already shattered me.
I turned slowly, my eyes locking onto his. His expression was unreadable, but his jaw was tight, and something flickered in his gaze—something close to regret.
Regret? No. He didn’t get to feel that.
“What do you want, Alpha?” I asked, my voice sharp, cutting. The way he flinched told me he caught the way I said his title like a curse.
He let out a breath, his grip tightening slightly. “I never wanted it to happen this way.”
I laughed. A real one this time. It was bitter, sharp, filled with all the things I couldn’t say. “No? Then how exactly did you want it to happen, Kade? Did you want me to smile and nod while you impregnated another woman?”
His expression darkened. “It’s not like that.”
“Then what is it like?” I snapped. “Because from where I’m standing, it looks exactly like that.”
Silence stretched between us. The bond between us, the one I had once cherished, now felt like a cruel joke. My wolf whimpered inside me, but I pushed her down.
I couldn’t afford to be weak.
“The pack expects me to do what’s right,” he said finally, his voice quieter now.
I stiffened. “And what about what’s right for me?”
His throat worked as he swallowed, his grip loosening. For a moment, I thought I saw something crack in him, but then it was gone, replaced by the unreadable mask he always wore.
“I can’t undo what happened.”
Of course, he couldn’t. I pulled my wrist from his grasp, stepping back. My chest ached, but I forced myself to stay standing.
“You don’t have to choose, Kade.”
His entire body went rigid. “Raven—”
“I’m giving you to her.”
The words left my lips, and for the first time, I saw panic flicker across his face.
His hands clenched at his sides, his breathing uneven. “You don’t mean that.”
I lifted my chin, forcing myself to meet his eyes without wavering. “I do.”
His eyes searched mine, looking for something—hope, hesitation, anything he could hold onto. But I had nothing left to give.
For years, I had given him everything. And he had given me nothing but heartache.
I turned away, each step feeling heavier than the last.
“Raven.” His voice was lower now, almost desperate. “Don’t do this.”
A sharp pain twisted inside me. If he didn’t want me to do this, then why had he?
I exhaled, steadying my voice. “You already did.”
Silence.
Then, finally, his voice—hoarse, broken. “I never wanted to hurt you.”
I stopped walking, my hands curling into fists.
“Then why did you?”
The wind howled through the trees, filling the emptiness between us when he didn’t answer. He had no excuse.
