Chapter 7 Reborn After Divorce

Angel’s POV

Dana was already waiting outside the Packhouse gate when I stepped out with my suitcase.

She stood with her arms folded, sweater sleeves pulled over her wrists. Her gaze swept over my bandaged leg, the swelling along my calf, and the exhaustion that was apparent on my face.

Without a word, she took the suitcase from my hand.

“Come on,” she murmured.

Shadow was still at the vet across the hospital, recovering after nearly working himself to death to save me. The moment we pushed open the clinic door, he struggled upright, tail thumping against the metal table despite the IV line attached to him. 

“There’s my good boy…” I whispered, stroking his muzzle.

He whined softly, leaning his weight into my palm.

Dana signed the release forms and helped settle him in the backseat of her car. I buckled myself in with slow movements, each stretch tugging making me wince in pain.

When I looked up, Dana’s eyes were fixed on mine through the rear-view mirror.

 “Why did you leave the hospital without my permission? Are you even fully capable of operating the vehicle?” I asked.

“My illness is cured,” she insisted before I could argue. “The silver poisoning cleared a long time ago; I just stayed in the hospital to avoid people.”

That eased something in me. I had worried endlessly about her since she lost her wolf because of me. My guilt had clawed at me every day.

She tapped the steering wheel thoughtfully. “Angel, you are really serious about the divorce?”

I nodded.

Her jaw tightened. “And Finn? What about him? Will you contest his custody?”

I let out a small laugh.

“Custody? I don’t think there’s anything to fight for. He barely looks at me anymore. And… I don’t think he would choose to stay with me anyway.”

“Don’t say that,” she protested.

I shrugged. “It’s the truth. Finn and Bastien… They're father and son. They even share the same taste in women.”

A beat of silence stretched between us before she asked, “Does Bastien know you’re leaving?”

“No.” I turned my gaze to the passing trees. “He’s probably still with Lilian.”

The words tasted bitter, but not for the reason they once would have. What hurt was the fact that I had waited all night on a mountain, freezing, and he never came back for me. I mean that showed how little he thought of me.

We dropped Shadow off at a pet boarding facility next to a rehabilitation center. He would receive proper care there while I got my life together.

Once we reached Dana’s neighborhood, my exhaustion fully washed over me. The buildings were old, a stark contrast to the Packhouse’s grand and expensive look.

But here… at least no one bowed to Lilian.

“Dana,” I said hesitantly as she unlocked her apartment. “I… Is it okay if I stay for a few days? Until I find a job.”

She stared at me as if I had insulted her.

“Angel. You’re my sister. You can stay as long as you want.”

Still, I noticed her expression when she stepped inside, because she knew what waited behind that door. Her mate. And she wasn’t wrong.

Before we even walked in, a voice echoed from the living room. “Why are you home late?” 

I tensed.

Dana’s partner was sitting on the couch, legs spread wide, scrolling through his phone. His eyes were trained on the screen. 

Dana stiffened. “Don’t start, Elias.”

“I’m just asking,” he said lazily, though irritation crackled in his voice. “I hope it was because of work”

 “Sorry,” she whispered to me.

“It’s fine,” I murmured. 

She quickly led me to the small guest room. The bed was narrow, barely 1.5 meters wide,but she made it up with fresh sheets. The curtains were thin, so thin, its whole purpose was lost. And I understood why. After being demoted to an omega, Dana was struggling.

I sat on the bed and pressed a hand to my eyes, overwhelmed.

Dana left me to rest. But even lying down, sleep wouldn’t come. The walls were too thin.

I could hear everything.

“Why is the Luna of Mystic Pack here?” Elias was grumbling in the living room. 

Dana’s voice tightened. “She’s my sister. She needs help.”

“She’s an extra expense,” he snapped. “And you wonder why you became an Omega? Always dragging problems to yourself.”

My heart ached.

I heard a crash, Dana setting dishes down too hard. Then silence.Not long after, I was invited to dinner.

Elias waited until we sat, then leaned forward, ever so politely.

“So… I hear you’re connected to Bastien’s company,” he said. “I’ve been… struggling at work. My boss is a nightmare. We have recently had a salary cut, I’m constantly being harrassed… you know how it is. Maybe you could talk to Bastien for me?”

I placed my fork down slowly.

“I divorced him.”

Silence.Then:

“Divorced?” His eyes widened. “So… did you get half? Half his property?”

His tone was almost desperate.

I took a breath, and exhaled a deep sigh. Eventually, I would claim my shares, but right now I wasn't intending on asking for money. 

“No, not yet.” I replied

The moment the words left my mouth, everything changed. His face twisted.

He slammed the table so hard the plates clattered.

“That’s just perfect!” he roared. “What use is she then? Dragging her problems into my house.”

“Elias!” Dana shouted, standing up.

He ignored her. “You made yourself a burden, and now you bring her here to burden me too!”

My stomach twisted as he pointed at me like I was trash.

“Get out,” he spat. “just go!”

Then he stormed out, slamming the door so violently the clock fell off the wall.

Dana stood frozen for three seconds before she rushed to pick it up. Her shoulders shook. She looked so small, so tired.

“Dana…” My voice cracked.

She turned to me with a single tear sliding down her cheek.

“He used to be warm,” she whispered, as she put a broken shard back on the main component. She came and sat right beside me.

“I remember when Bastien once spent fifty million on your birthday… Those were the days.” She said

“But things have changed. For both of us.” She set the clock gently on the table.

I looked around her small home, the cracked tiles, the dim lamp. I thought of the chandelier-lit halls of the Packhouse, the grand staircase and the regal nature of the life I had grown accustomed to.

Now? All we had was this.

Previously, we had been living like royals. Dana, a very talented, highly valued warrior. And I, Bastien’s Luna. But now, we had been reduced to the lowest points of our lives.

To say the least, our current situation could be better described as poverty strucken. 

“Dana,” I said, “I’m going to start job hunting this afternoon.”

“Angel, you need to rest. A divorce can't be easy.”

“No.” I said. “I’ve cried enough in three years of marriage, I don’t even have tears now.”