Chapter 3

Valerie:

The morning light felt colder than the night before. My hands trembled around the coffee cup, but not from the temperature.

I was angry and I knew that anyone who looked at me would understand that.

Across from me, Maxine watched me with the sharp eyes of someone who’d seen too many women in rooms like this. She was younger than most lawyers I’d met, but her voice was calm, precise.

“So,” she said, flipping open her notebook. “What happened last night? I see that you never brought the paper. I can assume that it did not go as planned.”

I pressed my fingers to my temple. “I couldn’t manage, I tried but he wouldn't listen.” I murmured. “I gave him the papers, Maxine. He burned them in the fireplace right in front of me. He was even challenging me to proceed with filing another one.”

Her brows knit. “He burned them?”

“Yes.” My throat was tight. “Like it was a game. Like I was a child throwing a tantrum. He told me I wasn’t going anywhere. He told me that I was his mate. He challenged me to run, reminding me that he was an alcohol, enjoyed chasing his prey, a predator.”

Maxine exhaled slowly. “Valerie… I can file again, but you know as well as I do that this isn’t just about a signature. This is an Alpha. It is not going to be easy, especially if he does not want things to end. He might as well be stubborn enough and try to pull you into this. And it is just going to end up being bad for you.”

“I know,” I whispered. “But I can’t live like this anymore. I try to let it go, I try to ignore it, but it is not easy. I am a woman and I am his Luna. I'm not just a consort or a concubine and that is how he is treating me.”

“Then we need a strong reason,” Maxine said. “If you want the Council to even look at this, there has to be a violation beyond just… marital unhappiness. They're not going to listen if you're not simply happy. You chose this because you were lucky enough to think that you had your mate.”

“I thought the mistress would be enough, I thought that they would just look into it and yet no one seemed to bother.” I said bitterly. “He doesn’t even hide it. He called her while I was still in bed. He's bringing her to gatherings. He goes and speaks to her. He has no shame and no one speaks of it. No one cares.”

Maxine shook her head. “Valerie, in Alpha marriages, mistresses aren’t uncommon. It won’t move the Council. Not unless she’s physically harming you or undermining your place as Luna in a way that violates Pack Law. We need more. She can attend as she pleases if he invites her to, but if she does not cross any limits, no one is going to step in. And she is smart enough not to provoke you, at least not in front of anyone.”

I stared at her. “More? You can't be serious. What is more than her being in the same room as me? Him calling her while I am still in his bed?”

“I’m not saying this to scare you.” Maxine’s voice softened. “But if you want to walk away from him clean, you’ll need evidence. Real evidence. Not just him calling a mistress. Not just him being with a mistress, even sleeping with her is not going to do anything. He can have a bastard child and it is not going to affect anyone. You need something that proves you’re unsafe.”

I swallowed hard, twisting the cup between my hands. “And if there isn’t? If I cannot find anything. Am I going to be stuck in this?”

“Then I’ll help you find something,” she said firmly. “I won't have that on you. I will do my best to get you out of this marriage.”

For the first time since last night, a tremor ran through me. “Maxine… do you even know who he is?”

“Yes,” she said simply. “And I don’t care. He’s Alpha. If he’s breaking the law, we’ll prove it. There's a reason why you hired me as your lawyer, and I'm not going to leave you alone in this. I just need you to stay calm and you do not need to cross your limits with him. Do not give him something to hold against you and now that you have filed the forced divorce, they might provoke you. And if they do, it is going to turn against you. You cannot allow that.”

I closed my eyes for a moment, breathing in the bitter smell of coffee. I didn’t plan to leave, not really. I couldn’t, not without risking everything, not without risking my family. But I couldn’t stay like this either.

Maxine reached across the table and put her hand over mine. “You’re not alone in this. We’ll build a case. Quietly. Smartly. Please do not act on anger. Even if he requests you in his bed, give him that. Not for him, but for you for your own safety. For now, just wait for my call.”

I nodded, my throat tight. “Thank you. I'll be waiting for your call. Don't worry. I know how to act, Luna-like, even if I do not want to.”