Selene
“I’m done masking who I truly am. It’s time I reclaim what was always mine,” I uttered into the communicator rune, cutting the connection before the person on the other end could respond.
My throat tightened as I stood there, staring into the open wardrobe carved from black ironwood—the very same place where the evidence of my mate’s betrayal stared back at me like a snarling beast. My lips quivered, and heat pooled behind my eyes, refusing to spill even though my chest trembled with each breath.
A humorless, wounded laugh escaped me as I reached for Gideon’s Alpha jacket—the one scented with cedar and moonfire—hoping I wouldn’t find what I feared. My fingers searched the interior pockets, bracing for more scraps of feminine clothing, but apart from the scarlet scrap already on the floor, nothing else surfaced.
I had only intended to gather his garments for weekly washing. Gideon never remembered to empty his pockets; there were usually forgotten gold tokens or stray notes tucked inside. But today, instead of money, my hand closed around something soft, silky, and distinctly intimate—a red lace thong that unmistakably did not belong to me. The scent clinging to it was not mine either; wolves know these things instinctively.
The moment I inhaled, my mind jumped straight to Brielle—his beloved assistant—whose perfume lingered in every corridor of the packhouse offices. I didn’t need the Moon Goddess to confirm what my instincts screamed. That scrap of fabric was hers.
“Five years…” I whispered, my voice breaking as tears finally slipped down my cheeks and landed on the jacket in my hands.
Five years ago, I had chosen Gideon as my fated future, running away from my birth pack when my parents forbade me from bonding with him. With the influence and alliances I concealed from my family, I helped Gideon rise from an ambitious Gamma-born wolf to a powerful Alpha who ruled over a prosperous trade pack.
And for a while, I thought I had made the right decision.
Then, two years into our union, Brielle appeared. The daughter of a wealthy Alpha from the Northern Territories, she requested a position as Gideon’s assistant. She slipped into the pack as though she had been carved for it. With her elite ties and honeyed tongue, she drew in strong allies and wealthy patrons, swelling Gideon’s businesses with millions in revenue.
That was all it took for Gideon’s loyalties to shift.
Slowly. Quietly. Cruelly.
He didn’t announce the affair outright, but his behavior made denial impossible—late nights at the office, hushed conversations he wouldn’t take near me, his scent constantly mixed with hers, and now… her underwear hidden in his jacket like some kind of twisted trophy.
I had already decided to leave him for good. But first, I needed to face him. To face them.
Gideon hadn’t returned home since last night anyway; he’d chosen not to.
After showering and dressing, I ordered a pack-runner carriage to take me straight to the Lunar Crest Headquarters—the massive tower Gideon and I built together from nothing but dreams, determination, and my secret resources.
Not once had he offered me a place within its leadership. He claimed he loved that I stayed home, that I kept our den warm and comfortable. I believed him. I swallowed his excuses. I didn’t see the poison creeping in until Brielle arrived and he began praising her every sunrise.
Stopping in front of the towering glass structure, I felt a mixture of pride and grief. My efforts had shaped this empire, yet my name was nowhere on it.
I entered the lift rune and ascended to the top floor. As I stepped out, the receptionist—an Omega wolf with a soft smile—looked up and bowed her head respectfully.
“Good morning, Luna. Alpha Gideon hasn’t returned yet,” she informed me.
I inclined my head. “It’s fine. I’ll wait for him.”
Walking past her, I pushed open the door to Gideon’s office—and froze.
Brielle lounged in Gideon’s chair like she owned the place, her long leg draped across his desk, tapping playfully against his stack of documents. The moment she caught sight of me, she flinched, scrambling upright. Her false sweetness rushed over her like a mask she practiced in the mirror.
“L-Luna Selene,” she stammered, bowing her head. “My apologies. I was only waiting for Alpha Gideon.”
I let out a cold, humorless breath. “Drop the act, Brielle. I see your game clearly enough.”
Her head lifted slowly, and something shifted in her eyes.
The fear vanished.
The trembling stopped.
What remained was pure defiance.
“I was trying to be courteous, Selene,” she replied, her tone chillingly polite—polished, sharp, venomous.
The sudden change sent a flicker of shock through me, but I quickly swallowed it down. “So the mask finally cracks,” I said flatly.
Her lips twitched. “State your business. Your mate isn’t here.”
I pulled the small bag from my pocket and tossed it onto the table. “You seemed to have misplaced something.”
She opened the bag, and when she saw what lay inside, a slow, triumphant smile curled on her lips.
“Next time, don’t leave your underwear behind,” I told her, voice low and laced with fury.
Brielle chuckled—a soft, poisonous sound. “Oh, I didn’t forget it. He wanted something that reminded him of me… while he was stuck with you.”
My hand moved before my mind even caught up. The slap cracked through the office like a whip. Her head snapped to the side, and a thin line of blood appeared at the corner of her lip. She pressed her fingers against the swelling cheek, then smiled—a deranged, satisfied smile.
“I don’t care what idiocy exists between you and Gideon,” I growled, every inch of me vibrating with wrath. “But you will never address your Luna with disrespect.”
Her grin widened. “And I warned you from the start, Selene… everything that happens now? You brought it on yourself.”
My eyes narrowed. “What are you talking about?”
Suddenly, Brielle lunged forward and grabbed my arm with a grip surprisingly strong for someone pretending to be delicate. Then—she screamed.
“Luna Selene, please! Please don’t hurt me! I’m sorry!” she wailed loudly, voice trembling in a deliberately dramatic display.
“Let me go,” I muttered, trying to pull my arm free, stunned by her theatrics.
She released me abruptly, staggered back three steps, then threw herself to the side—crashing against the sharp corner of Gideon’s desk.
The sound of her skull hitting wood echoed like a thunderclap.
I screamed as she collapsed to the floor, motionless. Blood seeped rapidly into the thick carpet, spreading like a dark, blooming stain around her.
And there she lay—Brielle, the she-wolf who ruined everything—lifeless at my feet.
