Aurelia
“I’m finished pretending to be someone I’m not. It’s time I stepped out of the shadows and reclaimed my place,” I said quietly into the phone, ending the call before the other person could respond.
The moment the line went dead, my composure cracked. My lips quivered as I stood frozen before the open wardrobe, my eyes burning as they lingered on the silent evidence of my mate’s betrayal. The familiar scent that once brought me comfort now felt tainted—his wolf’s mark tangled with another she-wolf’s presence, sharp and humiliating.
A hollow, humorless laugh escaped my throat as I reached for his jacket. I told myself I was only gathering his clothes for washing, nothing more. Still, my hands moved on instinct, checking the pockets the way I always did. Caleb had a habit of stuffing loose bills or spare change into them after pack meetings or business deals.
I expected paper and metal.
Instead, my fingers brushed something soft.
I pulled it out slowly. Red lace. Delicate. Intimate.
My breath hitched as I stared at it lying in my palm. I knew every piece of clothing I owned, every scent that belonged to me. This wasn’t mine. The perfume clinging to it was unfamiliar—sweet, bold, and entirely чужд to me. One name surfaced instantly in my mind.
Bianca.
“Five years…” I whispered, my voice breaking as tears slid down my cheeks.
Five years ago, I had run away from my pack, defying my parents and the Alpha Council, just to be with Caleb. They had warned me—said he wasn’t strong enough, said he would never protect a Luna properly. I hadn’t listened. Using the connections I kept hidden from him, both human and supernatural, I helped him rise. I turned his small venture into an empire, ensuring his company—and his influence—grew powerful enough to stand alongside dominant packs and elite clans.
Then, two years into our mating bond, Bianca appeared.
She was the daughter of an influential tycoon with deep ties to both human elites and high-ranking werewolves. She applied to be Caleb’s assistant, smiling sweetly, bowing her head respectfully, playing the perfect subordinate. With her backing, doors opened effortlessly. Investors flocked in. Alliances formed. Within months, the company’s profits tripled, climbing into the millions.
And that was when Caleb began to change.
Bianca became indispensable—always by his side, always praised. Meanwhile, I faded into the background. He never openly claimed her as his lover, never dared to break our mate bond outright, but I wasn’t blind. The nights he didn’t come home. The calls he took in hushed voices. And now this—her underwear hidden in his jacket.
I had already decided to leave him.
But not like this.
I needed to see him. To confront him face-to-face.
After a long shower, I dressed carefully, smoothing my clothes as if appearances still mattered. The cab ride to his office passed in a blur. When I stepped out, I tilted my head up and stared at the towering building before me—the very company I had helped build from the ground up.
Not once had Caleb offered me a position there. He always said he loved that I stayed home, that a Luna’s place was by her mate’s side, tending to the household. Yet the moment Bianca arrived, she became his prized right hand. He praised her endlessly, and I—fool that I was—missed every warning sign.
I rode the elevator to the top floor. As I stepped out, the receptionist noticed me and offered a courteous smile.
“Good morning, ma’am. Mr. Montgomery isn’t in the office right now,” she said politely.
I nodded calmly. “That’s fine. I’ll wait.”
I walked into Caleb’s office—and stopped short.
Bianca was sitting behind his desk, lounging in his chair, one long leg draped casually across the table as if she owned the place. The moment she noticed me, her eyes widened. She jumped to her feet, bowing her head with a nervous smile.
“Mrs. Montgomery, I’m sorry. I was just waiting for Mr. Montgomery,” she said.
I let out a cold laugh. “Save it, Bianca. I’m not that stupid.”
She lifted her head, and the fearful mask vanished instantly. Defiance flashed in her eyes.
“I’m trying to be civil, Aurelia,” she replied coolly.
The sudden shift caught me off guard. “So you’re finally done pretending?” I mocked.
“What do you want?” she snapped. “Your husband isn’t here.”
I pulled the red lace from my bag and flung it at her. “You left something in his pocket.”
She picked it up, glanced inside, and then smiled—slow, smug, and utterly shameless.
“Next time,” I said through clenched teeth, “try not to forget your underwear.”
She laughed softly. “You really think I forgot it? Please. Your mate wanted something to remember me by—something to hold onto when he’s stuck playing house with you.”
The slap landed before I even realized my hand had moved.
Her head snapped to the side. She pressed her hand to her cheek, blood trickling from her split lip—yet she smiled, eyes gleaming.
“I don’t care what you and Caleb are doing,” I growled, my wolf stirring violently beneath my skin, “but you do not get to speak to me like that.”
“I tried being polite,” Bianca said lightly. “But remember this, Aurelia—everything that’s happening is your fault.”
“What are you talking about?” I demanded, confused.
Suddenly, she lunged forward, grabbing my arm and screaming at the top of her lungs.
“Mrs. Montgomery, please! I’m sorry! Please, don’t hurt me!”
“Let go of me!” I struggled, trying to wrench free.
She released me abruptly. I watched in shock as she staggered backward, taking several steps before crashing into the edge of the table. Her head struck the corner with a sickening thud.
I screamed.
Blood pooled rapidly across the carpet as Bianca lay motionless on the floor, her scent fading, the room swallowed by silence—and the distant echo of my own heartbeat pounding in my ears.
