Ava’s POV
I looked around, expecting to see mourning faces, somber whispers, or at least a shred of acknowledgment for what I was going through. But instead… they were celebrating.
The maids bustled about in a hurry, their arms filled with flowers, fine linens, and trays of food. The servants were gathered near the grand hall, cooking lavish dishes, their laughter blending with the aroma of roasted meat and fresh bread.
Music blasted across the village, filling every corner with a festive melody.
And the grand hall, our sacred space for gatherings, was decorated in golden silks and flickering lanterns.
A celebration. A joyous, extravagant display.
But not for me. Not for anyone else.
This was for her.
Charlotte.
My hands curled into fists at my sides as I walked forward, my chest tightening with each step. They had discarded me and my daughter so easily, as if we had never mattered, as if our presence had been nothing more than an inconvenience.
My jaw clenched as I approached the grand hall doors. Just as I was about to enter, two guards stepped forward, blocking my path.
“You cannot go in there,” they barked, their voices firm.
I stiffened. Lucas must have told them to keep me out. Of course, he did.
But how dare he?
This was my home. My village. I was the Luna. The woman who had stood by his side through every battle, every hardship. And yet, from the moment Charlotte returned, with her daughter, everyone had turned their backs on me.
Like I never existed.
I pushed forward, shoving past the guards. They scrambled to stop me, but I was already inside, my gaze locked on the couple at the center of the room.
Lucas and Charlotte.
They danced together in the middle of the hall, their bodies moving in perfect harmony. The way he held her, his hands resting possessively on her waist, their fingers intertwined, it was intimate. Familiar. Painfully familiar.
And the way they laughed, eyes only for each other… It was like watching a nightmare come to life.
A sharp, bitter taste filled my mouth.
I couldn’t stop myself. My body moved on its own, fueled by the fire burning inside me.
“Charlotte!” I shouted, my voice cutting through the music.
The moment her gaze met mine, I raised my hand and slapped her, hard.
The crack of my palm against her cheek echoed in the hall.
Charlotte gasped as she stumbled back, falling to the floor. Tears welled up in her eyes as she clutched her face, her expression twisted in shock and pain.
Gasps rippled through the crowd.
“Oh my!” she cried.
Lucas’s head snapped toward me, his eyes blazing with fury. “Ava!” he roared.
But I didn’t back down.
I glared at Charlotte, watching as she sobbed dramatically, making a spectacle of herself. What an actress. She clutched her cheek, trembling, as if I had done something monstrous. As if she were the victim.
Manipulation!
I had seen this before. I knew exactly what she was doing!
“You hurt me! Why?!” Charlotte wailed, her voice shaking as if I had broken her.
A sharp pang of frustration stabbed through me.
“You took everything from me, and you dare play the victim?!”
“Mommy!” A small voice shrieked.
I froze.
Sophia rushed forward and threw herself at Charlotte.
Tears streamed down her tiny face as she clung to her mother. “Why did you hurt Mommy?” she sobbed.
I inhaled sharply, my body stiffening as I stared at her.
For a brief, painful second… I saw Mia.
Memories of my own daughter, my sweet, innocent Mia, flashed in my mind. Her laughter. Her warmth. Her small hands clutching my fingers, trusting, loving.
I could never hurt a child.
Never.
The fire inside me flickered, the rage in my veins turning cold.
I shut my eyes, forcing myself to breathe, to think. But before I could gather myself, a furious voice shattered the moment.
“Why did you hit her?!”
Lucas.
His voice was thunderous, filled with unrestrained anger.
And when I opened my eyes, his gaze was locked onto me.
Furious. Unforgiving.
Like I was the villain.
“Was it really that easy for you, Lucas?!” My voice shook, but not with fear.
But with fury.
I took a step forward, my hands trembling at my sides. My chest burned with an unbearable mix of grief and rage. “You’re celebrating!” I spat, my voice rising, “when our daughter just died!”
Gasps rippled through the crowd.
They needed to hear this.
I turned in a slow circle, making sure everyone saw me, saw the pain in my eyes. “That’s right,” I said, my voice raw. “Your Alpha, the man you follow so blindly, let our daughter die.”
The room fell into stunned silence.
I took a shaky breath, my nails digging into my palms. “Mia died because Lucas chose to save Charlotte’s daughter i-instead!” My voice cracked, but I refused to waver.
The weight of my words settled over the hall like a curse. People glanced at each other, whispers beginning to spread. Some looked away, as if ashamed. Others narrowed their eyes at Lucas, doubt creeping into their expressions.
And Lucas?
He was furious.
His fists clenched, his whole body stiff with anger. His jaw tightened so hard I thought his teeth might crack.
But the worst part?
Charlotte.
The ever-dramatic, ever-calculating Charlotte.
She sniffled, clutching her chest like she was about to faint. “Ava, just admit it!” she crooned, shaking her head. “Lucas loves me! He chose me! It’s time for you to move on!”
Then, beneath her pathetic act, I saw it.
A smirk.
She was enjoying this.
Before I could react, Lucas was already at her side, helping her up, holding her as if she were fragile glass. As if she hadn’t just destroyed my entire life.
And then, she wrapped her arms around him.
Sophia, too, ran into Lucas’s embrace.
Together, they looked like a perfect, happy family. Like I had never existed.
A sharp, soul-crushing pain ripped through me, leaving behind only raw, burning hatred.
No.
I wouldn’t accept this! Not when I was the one grieving! The one suffering!
Lucas turned to me, his expression dark and unyielding. “Enough, Ava!”
I barely had time to react before he shoved me back, hard.
I stumbled, my breath catching in my throat.
Then he said the words that shattered everything.
“I reject you as my Luna!”
My body went numb.
No.
No, he couldn’t….
He wouldn’t!
“You are no longer my mate.”
The room spun. My heart pounded violently against my ribs, my breath shallow and uneven.
What?
I stared at him, my mind refusing to process what he had just said.
“Y-You can’t possibly mean that!” I screamed, my voice breaking.
Lucas straightened, his eyes cold. “I can.”
Then his lips curled into something bitter. “You think I don’t know?”
I froze.
“Know what?”
His gaze bore into mine. “I know what you’ve been doing behind my back, Ava.” His voice was sharp as a blade. “You’ve been sleeping with another Alpha.”
No.
The room erupted into a mix of gasps and murmurs. My stomach twisted violently.
“That’s a lie!” I snapped. “I would never—”
“Don’t bother denying it,” Lucas interrupted. “Not just any Alpha.” His voice lowered, full of venom. “My enemy.”
I choked on air.
This was Charlotte.
I turned to her, and there it was. The satisfied gleam in her eyes. The knowing smirk.
She had done this.
She had orchestrated this whole thing, painted me as the villain while she played the innocent victim.
I turned back to Lucas, my heart hammering. “I would never betray you.” My voice wavered, but I meant every word.
For a fleeting second, doubt flickered in his eyes. But it vanished the moment I uttered her name.
“After Mia…” I whispered.
Lucas stiffened.
His expression faltered, just for a moment. But then, as if forcing himself to forget, he hardened again.
“Leave.”
His voice was final.
“Get out of my sight!”
Something inside me snapped.
My jaw clenched, my hands curled into fists. My body screamed at me to beg, to plead for him to believe me.
But I wouldn’t.
Not anymore.
I straightened, lifting my chin, forcing my shoulders back.
I met his gaze, unflinching.
“You will regret this, Lucas.” My voice was steady, cold. “I promise you.”
Lucas barely blinked. “Guards.”
His tone was emotionless. “Throw her out!”
Heavy footsteps rushed toward me, but I didn’t fight. I didn’t resist.
Charlotte turned away, Lucas’s arm wrapped protectively around her.
I stood there, letting the whispers of the crowd wash over me. Letting their judgment press against my skin.
They thought this was over.
They thought I was powerless.
They had no idea what I can do.
