The sun rose on the Black Wings Pack, its golden light casting long shadows across the courtyard. Although it was supposed to be a beautiful morning, my heart felt heavy. I hadn’t slept at all after what I had seen the night before.
Nicholas and Selena. The memory of them together burned like fire in my mind. My mind and heart felt like a mess.
‘I need to get out of this place,’ I thought to myself.
I stood at the window of my chambers, staring out at the snow-dusted grounds. My decision was clear. There was no way that I couldn’t stay here. Not anymore.
For three years, I had tried to make this marriage work. Despite how that man treated me, I already worked hard to be the Luna the pack deserved. But Nicholas had destroyed everything by cheating on me with Selena.
'I agree,' Allegra said in my mind, her voice firm.
I nodded to myself. What my wolf said was right. Staying here would only break me further. Not to mention, I had to think about the twins. I placed a hand on my stomach, feeling the faint stir of life.
‘They deserved better than this,’ I thought to myself.
My mind wandered for hours, thinking about where I would go. Unfortunately, my parents had passed with the White Rose Pack being ruled by my cruel brother, James Albright, who supported Selena. In the end, I had no one. So, could I still even go there?
Just when I was deep in my thoughts, a knock came at the door. My heart jumped. Was it Nicholas? Had he come to apologize, to beg for forgiveness?
"Come in," I said, my voice steady despite the ache in my chest.
The door opened, but it wasn’t his smell. Still, I was surprised. After all, it turned out to be Alpha Owen Hargreaves, my father-in-law.
"Good morning, Luna Gwen," he greeted me respectfully with his deep voice, a kind but firm voice.
The old man stepped inside before he closed the door behind him.
"Alpha Owen," I greeted him back.
I asked the retired Alpha, "What brings you here?"
Alpha Owen studied me for a moment, and his eyes seemingly saw right through me.
"I heard what happened last night," he said.
My breath caught as I responded to him by asking, "You did?"
He nodded.
"Well, you made quite a ruckus, weren’t you? And I won’t lie to you. I’m furious. Furious with my son, and furious with myself for letting this go on as long as it has," he said.
Tears stung my eyes, but I refused to cry.
"It’s not your fault, Alpha Owen. You can’t control Nicholas’ choices, just like I couldn’t control my shameless sister," I told him, trying to comfort the person whom I considered as my own father.
"No," he said, his jaw tightening.
The old man angrily continued, “How could he do that to you … when you saved his life!”
When I heard my father-in-law, I went quiet. Indeed, I … really loved Nicholas. The man was my betrothed, but he was more than that. So, I wouldn’t mind sacrificing half of my life for him when he was injured by a rogue when he patrolled his area.
After all, we would exchange letters when we were betrothed. Like an idiot, I believed we were star-crossed lovers. Yet, my husband became different when I met him to marry him as soon as he recovered.
I would never know what happened, but it hurt me. Deeply. Lots of questions were in my mind, but I never dared to question it.
Not once did the young Alpha ever thank me for saving him. Even worse, he dared to cheat on me with my own sister while I was pregnant with his children. Life felt like a joke.
Yet, what my father-in-law would say next truly shocked me.
"But I can hold him accountable for them. And I will," Alpha Owen said.
His words sent a flicker of hope through me. The retired Alpha had always been a fair and just leader. It seemed he wasn’t about to let Nicholas and Selena’s betrayal go unchecked.
"I’ve come to tell you that you have my full support, Gwen. The pack stands with you. They see the kind of Luna you are and the sacrifices you’ve made. You’re stronger than Nicholas will ever be," he explained.
His words were a balm to my wounded heart, but they also made my decision even harder.
"Thank you," I said.
Again, I continued to speak, "But I can’t stay here, Alpha Owen. Not after this."
He frowned at what I said.
The old man held my hand as he said, "You don’t have to make that decision now, Gwen. Take your time. And if you do leave, know that you’ll always have a place here. The pack will mourn your absence."
Before I could respond, a commotion erupted outside. Shouts echoed through the halls, and I rushed to the window. What I saw made my stomach turn.
Nicholas and Selena were in the courtyard, laughing and holding hands. They were parading their affair in front of the entire pack despite what happened last night. How disgusting!
Gasps and murmurs rose from the gathered crowd. I could see the anger and disappointment on their faces. Nicholas might be their Alpha, but even loyalty had its limits.
Alpha Owen’s expression darkened.
"That fool," he muttered.
Without another word, he strode to the door. I followed him, my heart pounding. This was it. The moment everything would change.
When we reached the courtyard, Alpha Owen’s voice boomed.
"Nicholas Hargreaves! Selena Albright! What is the meaning of this?"
Nicholas turned, his smug smile fading as he saw his father.
"Father," he said.
The young Alpha weakly muttered, "I didn’t realize you were awake."
Alpha Owen’s face was red and fury while he was berating his son, "How dare you disgrace this pack, your Luna, and our family in such a way!"
Selena stepped forward arrogantly as she said, "With all due respect, Alpha Owen, Gwen is no longer fit to be a Luna. She’s weak, and she doesn’t make Nicholas happy. I do."
For a while, the old Alpha went quiet. It seemed that he was thinking about something. However, I was shocked about what I was about to see next.
To everyone’s surprise including mine, Alpha Owen slapped Selena until she fell. My cunning sister groaned in pain as blood started to fall from her lips. The woman who betrayed me with my husband looked at my husband in disbelief as the young Alpha did nothing to help her.
‘Serves that bitch right!’ Allegra shouted happily.
The crowd erupted into shocked whispers. I felt my wolf growling in my mind excitedly, but I kept my composure. After all, we were wondering what would happen.
Not long after that, Alpha Owen raised a hand to silence the crowd.
"Enough!" he roared.
My father-in-law angrily said, "Selena Albright, you are a guest in this pack. You have no right to speak of its leadership. And Nicholas, you are a disgrace. You are unworthy of your title, and you are unworthy of Gwen."
The pack murmured in agreement. For the first time, I saw their anger and disappointment directed at Nicholas publicly. Frankly, this felt very … relieving.
As soon as my husband realized how his pack members reacted, the man clenched his fists. His face darkened with rage. Obviously, he couldn’t take it.
"You always take her side," he spat.
The young Alpha angrily shouted, "You’ve never believed in me!"
"Because you’ve given me no reason to believe in you," Alpha Owen said.
His voice was cold, but there was a hint of sadness in it. After all, Nicholas was still his own son. I could understand him. After that, the old man led me to go inside the castle.
On the other hand, Selena leaned close to Nicholas quietly. She whispered something in his ear. The young Alpha nodded, his expression hardening.
‘I had a bad feeling about this,’ I thought to myself.
That evening, I sat alone in my chambers, lost in thought. Alpha Owen’s support gave me hope, but the hatred in Nicholas’ eyes haunted me. He wasn’t going to let this go. I knew him too well.
Allegra’s voice echoed in my mind, 'Something is wrong, Gwen. I can feel it. He’s not done.'
‘What do you mean?’ I whispered, fear creeping into my voice.
'I don’t know yet,' she said.
'But whatever it is, it’s dangerous. Be careful.'
As the moon rose high in the sky, I heard footsteps outside my door. My heart raced as I waited, but no one came inside. Instead, the footsteps faded into silence, leaving me with an uneasy feeling that something terrible was coming.
