The countdown to my departure had already begun.
In two weeks, I would leave this house.
Leave this marriage.
Leave the mate who had abandoned me long before I found the courage to abandon him.
And I wouldn’t look back.
Chapter 3 – The Final Straw
Two days later, the Stormclaw pack held a grand banquet celebrating a new trade alliance. As Luna, I had no choice but to attend. I dressed carefully, masking the sleepless nights and hollow ache behind rouge and a forced smile.
Nine months pregnant, I felt heavy—physically and emotionally—but tonight I needed to remind everyone I still held the Luna title.
Carson walked beside me, his hand lightly touching my back. To outsiders, it looked supportive. To me, it felt staged—empty.
His eyes scanned the hall before resting on her.
Alice stood in a shimmering gown, her rounded belly unmistakable. When she caught Carson watching her, she gifted him a shy smile. In return, his expression softened in a way it never did for me.
Throughout the banquet, his gaze kept drifting toward her. Wolves whispered behind goblets of wine, their pity slicing deeper than knives.
But the breaking point came unexpectedly.
A careless guest accidentally brushed past Alice while reaching for a drink. A minor bump—nothing more.
Yet Carson reacted like she’d been attacked.
“Careful!” he barked, storming across the room. His arm wrapped protectively around her shoulders, voice dripping with worry. “Are you alright? You shouldn’t stand this long. Come, sit down.”
Alice lowered her head delicately. “I’m fine… but thank you, Carson. You always take such good care of me.”
The hall fell into stunned silence.
Every wolf witnessed it—their Alpha abandoning his Luna to dote on another woman.
I felt my heart twist painfully, but not break. It had already broken long ago.
Without a word, I turned and walked away. No one tried to stop me. No one dared.
Outside, the cold night air slapped my skin. The pup kicked insistently, urging me onward.
Enough. This is enough.
Carson didn’t follow.
I doubted he even noticed.
I cupped my belly and whispered, “We deserve better. We leave this pack soon—forever.”
For the first time in months, something flickered in me.
Not despair.
But resolve.