Lyra's POV
Alpha Corvin’s message seared through my mind like fire spreading through dry grass: “I’m coming for you.” His voice lingered long after, heavy with promise and something dangerously close to hope. The thought of abandoning Thorne—of leaving behind the life I had once devoted myself to—brought both fear and strange relief. My decision was made. I would leave the Moonveil Pack. Not immediately, but soon.
I thought I could endure the waiting. I was wrong.
When I returned home, the first thing that struck me was the scent—familiar yet tainted. My own fragrance buried beneath the overpowering musk of another woman. Lilith. The realization curdled in my stomach as I edged the door open.
And there they were.
Lilith sprawled lazily on Thorne’s bed, draped in the fabric of my missing dress. My favorite one—the one I’d searched for weeks—now clung to her body like a cruel parody. She was letting out soft, breathy sounds that made my blood boil. Thorne’s hands moved along her skin, his mouth pressed to hers with hunger that once belonged to me.
For a moment, I stood frozen. Maybe they hadn’t noticed me. But then Lilith’s gaze flicked toward the door, and her lips curved into that wicked smirk. She kissed him harder, as if to challenge me—come fight for what’s already lost.
Rage consumed me. I stormed inside, trembling with fury. Thorne’s head jerked up, panic flashing across his face as he scrambled for his clothes.
“Lyra…” he started, his voice weak and unconvincing.
I didn’t let him finish.
My hand met his cheek with a sharp crack. “I’m still your Luna,” I snarled, my voice shaking with fury. “And you—you're a disgrace to the title of Alpha. How dare you betray the mate you vowed to cherish?”
Lilith’s smile turned venomous. “You sound pathetic,” she mocked.
“Shut your filthy mouth,” I spat. “You’re nothing but a snake in heat. Even the Moon Goddess would turn away from you in disgust.”
The air thickened with tension. Thorne’s jaw tightened. “Enough. Don’t talk to her like that,” he barked. “Apologize.”
A laugh tore out of me—bitter and hollow. “I won’t. You both deserve each other.”
Lilith’s demeanor suddenly shifted; her eyes glistened as she trembled on cue. “She’s cruel to me, Alpha,” she whimpered. “I’m carrying your child.”
The room tilted. My heart plummeted.
Thorne’s expression was unreadable—shock, guilt, maybe pride. It didn’t matter. All I saw was betrayal. How many times had he chosen her over me? How many nights had they shared the bed that once belonged to us?
My fists clenched. “You’re nothing but a homewrecker,” I snapped at Lilith. “And you—both of you—make me sick.”
Lilith broke into tears, throwing herself into Thorne’s arms as though she were the victim. The sight made something inside me snap. I struck her across the face, sending her reeling. “Stop pretending you’re innocent,” I hissed. “You ruined everything!”
Thorne’s patience snapped. His hand lashed out, slamming against my cheek so hard my vision burst into stars.
The pain was searing, but the humiliation burned hotter. My knees gave out. Lilith’s triumphant gaze hovered above me like a dagger. Without a word, they left me there—alone amid the wreckage of my marriage.
I sank to the floor, my heart hammering in my chest. But before I could move, heavy footsteps echoed down the hall. Two wolves appeared in the doorway, their faces grim.
“Luna,” one said coldly, “the Alpha commands your punishment.”
I didn’t need to ask what that meant.
The dungeon.
Cold. Damp. Endless. Thorne’s chosen retribution for daring to confront his mistress. Days blurred together, my body weak, my spirit breaking under the weight of betrayal.
And then came Lilith.
She visited often, her voice dripping with cruelty as she showed me clips of her with Thorne—her laughter, her moans, her swollen belly she flaunted like a trophy.
“You should be grateful, Luna,” she mocked. “You’ve been replaced. This child is the new heir.”
Each taunt cut deeper than claws ever could. The heartbreak was gone now—replaced by something far more dangerous. Disgust.
On the fourth day, dizziness overtook me. The walls spun, and everything went black.
When I woke, I was no longer in the dungeon but in my Luna quarters. My vision was hazy, but I recognized the silhouette seated beside my bed.
Thorne.
He looked down at me, eyes filled with restrained anger. “Don’t make me punish you again,” he said, voice flat, void of remorse.
I stayed silent.
He turned to leave. “We have guests—the Alpha of Nightshade Pack.”
The name made my heart skip. Alpha Corvin.
It was time.
I looked at the ring on my finger—the symbol of a bond long shattered—and slipped it off. It landed by the window with a soft clink. My chest ached, but my mind was clear.
Gathering what little strength I had left, I packed everything that marked the end of my time here: the annulment papers, my resignation as Luna, and a diary full of the years I had wasted on love.
I placed the house key on the table and left behind nothing but silence—erasing myself from Thorne’s life forever.
