Chapter 2

Ceres's POV

The press saw some altercation between Richard and me.Then I turned around and started walking away. There was pin-drop silence in the hall. I could feel the weight of everyone’s judging gaze around my neck like a chain.

My claws ached to emerge, and my heart twisted with fury.

It has been three years since I married Richard, yet his son is already two years old. This means that all those times he claimed he was busy with pack business and didn't come home, he had only been with Anita and their son.

I let out a bitter laugh as my soul crushed with pain. He had told me he didn't like children; he said they didn't quite fit into his life. But now the truth has come to light, he just didn't want them with me.

These past few days, I have been keeping up the charade, thinking that if I tried hard enough, I could make him see me.

What a fool I have been.

I glancing back one last time, my heightened senses picking up on every judging gaze and whispers in the audience.

Anita, standing beside Richard, cradled her child gently in her arms, cooing to him with a smile.

Leaning close to Richard, she asked, “Richard, why did Ceres leave? Does she not like Lucky?”

His monstrous gaze swept over me, and he said in a frosty tone, “Ignore her.”

A growl rumbled low in my throat, and my wolf stirred within me, wanting to rise to the surface, but I controlled her.

His words felt like a slap to my face. To him, I was just someone who took advantage of him to become his Luna. He probably felt caged in our marriage due to my relentless effort to make him see me.

I have been betrayed, shattered, and humiliated, and I am not going to keep taking it lying down.

It is over!

Divorce is not a shameful thing, at least not for me. But staying, trying to protect Richard after learning the hard truth, yeah, that would be shameful. The thought alone made me sick to my stomach.

I returned to the mansion Richard and I shared after our marriage, the same one he hardly comes back to. Every corner of this place had been filled with my touch, in my small attempts to turn the house into a home. But now, each familiar piece of furniture, each delicate decoration, only served as a painful reminder of my wasted effort.

I went upstairs to my room and started packing my things, my hands trembling with rage and heartache. I was halfway through when a knock sounded at the door.

“Luna Ceres, Beta Martins is here,” the housekeeper said when I opened the door.

I paused and drew a deep breath before heading downstairs.

Martins, Richard's Beta, stood by the door. There was a suitcase beside him, indicating that he had just arrived. My eyes strayed to his hands, he held a jewelry box and a bouquet of roses.

“Luna Ceres,” he said with a warm smile as I approached, “Alpha Richard prepared these lovely gifts for you to celebrate the anniversary of your mating ceremony.”

I came to a halt and met his gaze.

Just then, as I watched him, the full reality of the situation sank in. I have had suspicions for years, but this felt like the final missing piece of the puzzle.

Martins has always been the one bringing my anniversary gifts over the years, acting as though they were from Richard and today, Richard is busy celebrating his illegitimate child, so it is impossible for him to have prepared these gifts.

It was all Martins’ doing!, it has always been his doing!

Searching his eyes, I asked softly,

“Martins, Richard doesn't even know today is our anniversary. You prepared these gifts yourself, didn't you?”

Martins’ smile faltered, and he looked at me with pity, “Luna Ceres... It’s... It’s not like that...”

His hesitation told me everything I needed to know. I released a slow breath; it felt as though a heavy weight had been lifted off my shoulders. I had let myself believe, let myself hope in the past that Richard actually cared because he never forgot our anniversary and always sent gifts through his beta. Now every shred of that hope is gone.

Without uttering another word, I turned around and ascended upstairs.

I took out my phone, tempted to call my family, but I stopped myself. Three years ago, I had married Richard against my family's wishes, leaving my pack to join his. Now look where that has gotten me. I smiled bitterly and tapped absentmindedly on my phone's screen.

The headlines that swarmed my feeds immediately caught my attention. I saw rumors about me flooding the internet. Each of them stung like salt on an open wound.

“Shocking! Luna Ceres used to be a mistress, had an abortion, and can’t bear children!”

“Why can’t the Alpha and his Luna have pups?”

“Alpha Richard is a victim; he is mated to a wolf who can’t bear him pups!”

“Alpha Richard and Anita: Fated mates reunited!”

“Luna Ceres's secrets exposed—the dark side of a she-wolf who married into wealth.”

I clutched my phone, my fingers trembling. Tears prickled at my eyes, falling down my cheeks. It was as though the dam that held them had finally collapsed.

With my heart twisting in pain, I snarled bitterly, “After everything I have done for you, Richard, this is how you repay me? Fine! Thank you for clearing out the lingering feelings I still had for you!”

My wolf, Elsa, rose to the surface, whimpering in my head, “I hate our mate! I hate him so much!”

“I know, I hate him too, and he is no longer our mate!”

I wiped my tears and steeled myself. I resumed packing my bags, taking only my belongings, leaving behind everything that belonged to the Winstons' family.

By tomorrow, I will sever the last of my ties with Richard.

*****

The night dragged on, my exhaustion finally overtaking my anger. I fell into a drowsy, troubled sleep.

When I heard heavy footsteps outside the door, my muscles tensed, and my eyes flew open.

Suddenly, the door swung open, and that familiar scent of rain in the woods wafted in, hitting my senses.

It was him. It was Richard.

I clenched my fist in anger and remained on my side of the bed, not moving. What was he doing here? Isn't he supposed to be with his lover and supposed heir?

Suddenly, the bed dipped beside me, and his cold hand brushed against my skin. Now that he was near, I could smell alcohol on him. He was drunk.

I instinctively recoiled, shifting away from his touch. My wolf snarled from within, and I clutched my stomach protectively. Anger simmered in me like a storm, waiting to break out.

In the next moment, Richard flicked on the lamp beside the bed, illuminating the room.

His tall frame loomed over me, his expression stone-cold as his angry gaze pierced through me.

“Haven't you caused enough trouble?” he growled.

Caused trouble? Did he really think I had made that scene earlier just to stir drama? My chest tightened with pain and hurt at hus words, but I forced myself to stay calm.

Glancing up at him, I said, “I am serious about getting a divorce.”

His face hardened, and his jaw clenched. His eyes changed from ocean blue to flaming red, and his gaze remained fixed on me. It appeared as though he was trying to hold back his anger.

“You've gone nuts, Ceres!” he snarled. “You are afraid of the child, afraid he would threaten your position in this pack. That’s why you’ve asked for a divorce in a pathetic attempt to get my attention, right?”

Color drained from my face, and my eyes widened in shock at his words. Searching my face, he smirked, as though convinced he had seen through my ploy.

He sneered dismissively, “Let me warn you—”

But before he could finish, I swiftly rose from the bed, my movement fluid and fast as I strode to the closet. I grabbed my coat and my already-packed suitcase. Then, I turned to face him one last time before leaving.

A look of shock etched on his face, and he narrowed his gaze as he watched me. I stared back at him with eyes that held nothing but calculated fury.

“Richard, I will meet you at the courthouse tomorrow at 10 a.m. to finalize our divorce. If you do not show up, I will make sure every pack in this territory hears of the dirty secrets you and your family have been hiding!”

As I expected, his face instantly turned cold, and his gaze remained as frosty and dangerous as ever. The air around us thickened with tension.

Having known Richard for years, I have come to learn that there is nothing he hates more than his family's reputation being tarnished, which is why I resorted to this tactic.

Even though my heart was still filled with sorrow, I knew everything would be all right eventually, as time goes on.

I gave my all to this relationship, loved Richard with every fiber of my being, but right now, everything has changed.

Ignoring the slight ache in my heart, I turned on my heel and pushed my suitcase toward the door.

Just as I was about to leave, Richard’s hand shot out and grabbed my wrist. “Ceres!” His voice was cold, and his eyes were gloomy. “Don't regret this!”

“Regret?” I scoffed, glaring at him furiously, my wolf stirring angrily within me. “The only regret I have is not leaving you long ago.” I saw an unreadable emotion flash across his eyes.

With a final tug, I freed my hand from his grip, turned around, and left without looking back.

The night outside was inky black, and the chill of early autumn sank into my skin.

As I stepped out of the large wrought iron gate of the mansion, emotions I had buried deep within me began to rise to the surface. Tears welled up in my eyes and cascaded down my face.

I took my cell phone from my bag and decided to reach out to someone I had let down years ago when I made the decision to become Richard's Luna.

I dialed the person's number and it startef ringing. My heart pounded against my chest as I prayed they would answer.