2.How Dare You Ask For Divorce?!

Eira’s POV

The silence that followed my words felt suffocating, as though the air itself had been sucked out of the room. Every pair of eyes was fixed on me, and I could feel their judgment, their pity, their shock. But none of it mattered. I had made my decision.

Kieran, still frozen in disbelief, took a step closer to me. His hand shot out, grabbing my arm with a force that made me gasp. His grip tightened, his nails digging into my skin, and I winced at the pain. The look in his eyes was one of disbelief and anger.

“Why?” he demanded, his voice low, dangerous. “Why would you ask for a divorce, Eira? After everything I’ve done for you… after everything I’ve given you?”

I didn’t flinch, even as he twisted my arm slightly, forcing me to meet his gaze. My eyes, cold and unwavering, locked onto his, and I fought to keep the tremor in my voice under control.

“Let go of me,” I whispered, though the words carried a weight of command. His grip didn’t loosen. Instead, his fingers dug deeper into my flesh.

“I said, let go,” I repeated, stronger this time.

He looked at me, almost as if seeing me for the first time, his eyes flickering with something I couldn’t quite decipher. “You’re asking for a divorce because of her?” he spat, jerking his head toward Vanessa, who stood there, her arms folded and a smug smile playing on her lips.

“You think I’m just going to stand by and let you humiliate me like this?” I said, my voice trembling with restrained fury. “You think I’ll just let you parade your mistress in front of me and still beg for your affection?”

His expression faltered for a split second. “You love me, Eira,” he said, his voice softer now, almost pleading. “You’ve always loved me.”

I barked a bitter laugh, my gaze never leaving his face. “Love? Do you think I still love you? I used to,” I said, my voice cold, the words slicing through the air like a knife. “But now? You’re nothing but a pretentious idiot, Kieran. A man who doesn’t deserve anything but contempt.”

His face darkened, and before I could react, his hand flew across my face with a force that took my breath away. The slap left a sharp sting on my cheek, and my vision blurred for a moment. I felt the heat of the blow radiate through my skin, the sound of it echoing in the silent room.

“You have no right to talk to me like that!” Kieran shouted, his face twisted in rage. “You have no right to demand a divorce! You owe everything to me, Eira. If it weren’t for me, you’d still be nothing.”

I staggered slightly from the force of his words, but I didn’t let him see me falter. “I don’t owe you anything,” I said firmly, my voice steady despite the whirlwind of emotions inside me. “And as for the divorce, I have every right. If it weren’t for my father, you wouldn’t be here right now.”

His face paled at the mention of my father’s name. His grip on my arm loosened slightly, but his anger only grew.

“Don’t bring him into this,” Kieran warned, his eyes narrowing. “This is between us.”

“It’s always been between us, hasn’t it?” I retorted, meeting his gaze head-on. “But now I see you for what you really are—an arrogant, selfish man who doesn’t care about anyone but himself.”

Kieran stared at me for a long, tense moment. I could see the battle in his eyes, the pride, the anger, and the hurt. But I wasn’t backing down. Not this time.

“You’ve made your choice,” I said, my voice cold and final. “Now I’m making mine.”

His jaw clenched, his hands balled into fists at his sides. “You think you can just walk away from me?” he hissed, taking a step toward me. “You think you’re the one who has control here?”

“I don’t need control, Kieran,” I said softly, my eyes never leaving his. “I just need my freedom.”

With that, I turned away from him, the finality of my decision settling over me like a heavy cloak. I could feel his eyes on me, the weight of his gaze burning into my back, but I didn’t look back.

I didn’t need him anymore. And I wouldn’t let him drag me down.

Vanessa’s smug expression faltered slightly as I walked past her, but I didn’t acknowledge her. I didn’t need to.

I was done.

As soon as I turned away from them, I tried my very best not to cry. I wasn’t going to break down in front of them. That was never going to happen. He had brought home his pregnant mistress and also went as far as calling me barren.

Footstep echoed behind me and before I could react, someone grabbed my arm.

It was Kieran.

Kieran’s grip on my arm tightened again, his fingers like iron bands. I was still reeling from his words—barren? He was going to use that to hurt me? My heart hammered in my chest, but I couldn’t let it show. Not now. Not when everything was coming apart.

Vanessa clung to his arm, her voice filled with false sweetness as she apologized. "I didn’t mean for this to happen, Kieran. I’ll leave the pack. I’ll go far away. Just... please, let’s not let this ruin everything."

Her words cut through me like a knife. She was apologizing, but it was the kind of apology someone makes when they want to avoid consequences, not take responsibility. And Kieran? He didn’t care. He just wanted to maintain his power, his control, over everything.

His eyes flicked back to me, cold and full of contempt. "You think you can just walk away from me, Eira? You think you have the right to make demands? You’re nothing without me. Without this pack."

A laugh escaped me, bitter and sharp. "You really believe that? You think I need you, Kieran? You’ve always thought you could control me, but you never could."

He took a step toward me, his face a storm of rage. "You should be grateful, Eira. Grateful for everything I’ve done for you, for what I gave you."

I looked at him then, truly looked at him, and for the first time, I didn’t see the man I had married. I saw a stranger—someone twisted, broken, and full of bitterness.

“Now that we are all here. I will have to teach you some manners in the bedroom!” He snapped. 

My eyes rounded in shock. 

Before I could respond, he was pulling both Vanessa and me toward the bedroom. My protest was weak, my voice barely a whisper, as I tried to free myself from his grasp. "Let go of me, Kieran! I don’t want to go in there. I’m done!"

But he didn’t listen. The brute strength he used to drag me was terrifying, and there was no way to break free. Vanessa, who had been whispering apologies into his ear, looked past me with a look of satisfaction in her eyes, as though she were watching a spectacle unfold. Her lips curled into a grin that made me sick.

When we reached the room, Kieran shoved me inside without hesitation. The force of it sent me stumbling, my feet catching on the hem of my long dress. I tried to steady myself, but the momentum was too much, and I crashed into the bed stand. Pain exploded in my skull, and before I could even grasp what had happened, everything went black.

The last thing I heard was Kieran’s voice, distant and muffled, as if from the farthest reaches of my mind. "You’ll learn your place, Eira."

And then, nothing.