4: My husband's Luna

Lyra 

“I’m asking you.”

Caleb’s voice tightened as his hand reached into my bag.

I yanked it back.

“How did you even find me?” I asked, forcing the subject away from the booklet. “This place is on the outskirts. That must have taken effort.”

It worked.

He sighed and drew his hand back.

“Of course it did. I called in several favors to track you to that hotel, and then here.”

“Sorry I ruined your mood by making you come after me,” I snapped. “I know how much you were enjoying Owen’s little performance.”

Caleb’s expression changed slightly. The amusement disappeared, replaced by a trace of guilt.

“I’m sorry, Lyra. I really am.” His voice softened.

“Then why did you say nothing when they mocked me?” The words came out raw.

He opened his mouth, then closed it, before finally sighing and rubbing the back of his neck.

“You can’t take everything people say to heart, Lyra,” he said gently. “I’ll punish Owen and the others. And I won’t use my Alpha command on you again. I just don’t want you to misunderstand my relationship with Seraphina.”

He paused.

“She’s only a friend. She just came back, and she needs the pack’s help right now.”

I stared at him, unable to understand how he could see things this way.

Suddenly, I lost the will to explain myself or argue.

Because in the end, the problem had always been me.

“Let me make it up to you. I’ll drive us to the border shops. You can pick out that leather tote you were looking at last month. A new bag, some shoes, whatever you want.”

For a moment the world went still.

He really did not know me at all.

Three years of marriage, and he had never realized I didn’t care about designer bags or expensive shoes. I never wore the luxury things he bought me. I barely left the house. But he kept buying them anyway, a convenient, expensive substitute for actual effort.

A bitter smile touched my lips.

“No, Caleb.”

He blinked, clearly caught off guard.

“Let’s just go,” he said with a heavy sigh, already gesturing toward the car. “It’s hot out here.”

The ride in his SUV was suffocating.

The testing center sat on the edge of the neutral borders. He had driven nearly two hours to find me. The leather seats carried his scent, cedar and oak, but underneath it, clinging to his collar and the shoulder of his coat, was the sweet, cloying fragrance of night-blooming jasmine.

Seraphina’s scent.

I turned my face to the window and watched the borderland trees blur past. The silence in the cabin was heavy, but inside my chest something had gone completely quiet. The last thread tying me to Caleb, to the Silvermoon Pack, to the life I had tried so hard to build, snapped cleanly in two.

I did not belong to them anymore.

“Caleb.”

My voice was steady, stripped of heat.

He kept his eyes on the road. “What?”

“I want to end our bond.” I looked straight at his profile. “I want a divorce.”

The SUV swerved. He slammed the brake and pulled sharply onto the empty shoulder. 

He turned to me, genuine shock written across his face. Then his expression softened into something almost tender. 

His fingers were gentle as he wiped a single stray tear from the corner of my eye, a tear I hadn’t even realized had fallen.

“Hey..” he murmured, infuriatingly soft. “I know you’re upset. But don’t say things like that again.”

The touch stung worse than a slap. A brutal reminder that thoughtfulness could never substitute for love or respect.

“I am serious, Caleb.” I pulled back from his hand.

“Lyra.” He spoke with the patience of a man explaining something to a child. “Where would you even go?”

The words carried no malice, which made them ten times worse. He wasn’t trying to insult me. He genuinely believed it. To the rest of the world I was a broken, beautiful accessory that belonged to the Alpha of Silvermoon out of charity. And now I knew Caleb saw me the exact same way.

My resolve hardened into steel.

“I am dead serious. I want a divorce.”

“Do you have any idea what my morning has been like?” His voice rose, “I had a summit at seven. Two delegations from the Wolf Pride Pack. A trade agreement we’ve worked on for four months. I left everything and drove ninety miles to find you.”

“I didn’t ask you to.”

“I am your husband. Who else was going to come find you?”

Silence filled the car.

“Whatever you need, we can fix this,” he insisted. “But you’re not leaving, and you’re not divorcing me over a joke and one bad night.”

Before I could answer, war horns and cheers echoed through the trees.

Caleb slowed the SUV as we approached a bustling town square between three major pack territories. Colorful banners fluttered above rows of stalls, and a packed arena stood at its center.

The annual Inter-Pack Warrior Showcase.

Caleb stiffened as recognition dawned. Four years ago, before I lost my wolf and injured my leg saving his life, this had been my stage. I had won the agility and sparring titles two years in a row.

“Let’s turn around,” he said quickly, not looking at me. “This place is too crowded. Not a good environment for you.”

“No.” My voice cut through his hesitation. “Park the car. I want to watch.”

He blinked, genuinely startled. “Listen. You don’t have to force yourself.”

“I’m not.” I unbuckled my seatbelt. “I want to go in.”

He hesitated for a long moment, then sighed and pulled into the VIP lot.

“Okay. I’ll come with you.”

I was surprised he was willing to appear in public with me, but I said nothing.

We stepped into the crowded square, where the air was filled with the scent of food, spiced cider, and the sharp pulse of werewolf auras. Vendors shouted as warriors and tourists moved through the streets.

Near the arena, young warriors in pack colors trained with confidence and ease.

A familiar ache tightened in my chest. My injured leg throbbed in response.

But beneath the pain, something else stirred.

Adrenaline.

Watching them analyze the terrain outside the gates, I immediately noticed their weaknesses.

I couldn’t wait for academy classes to begin.

Caleb stayed beside me, then he leaned down.

“Lyra. That Alpha by the blue banner, he’s the one I was supposed to be in session with this morning.” He straightened his collar. “I need to speak with him. Ten minutes. Will you wait here?”

I looked at him. He almost looked apologetic.

“Yes,” I said. “Go.”

He hesitated one more second, as if he wanted to say something else, then turned and cut through the crowd toward the banner.

I took a step back toward a quiet, silk-canopied booth to get out of the main walkway.

“Oh, my lady, it looks absolutely exquisite on you!” The vendor’s enthusiastic voice rose above the bustle of the market. “The silverwork complements your hair beautifully!”

“It does, doesn’t it?” a familiar voice replied brightly.

I turned my head, and my breath caught.

Three stalls away stood Seraphina.

She was admiring herself in a small standing mirror, delicately touching the crescent-moon pendant resting against her collarbone. Intricate silver filigree framed a rare, pale-blue starlight stone at its center.

My eyes widened. I knew that piece.

“Thank you,” Seraphina purred, her voice breathy with delight. “It’s very special to me.”

My hand flew to my throat.

Beneath my coat, the same necklace rested against my skin.

The custom anniversary gift Caleb had given me last year.

A wave of nausea churned through my stomach. The silver chain suddenly felt like a noose tightening around my neck. I slipped my fingers beneath my collar, seized the chain, and yanked hard.

“Seraphina?”

Caleb’s voice sounded from the edge of the pavilion. He had walked away from the Alpha he had been speaking to and was heading straight for the artisan stalls.

Seraphina’s face lit up. "Caleb! Over here!"

She glided toward him, caught his arm, and leaned her head against his shoulder right there in broad daylight. Caleb did not pull away. It looked natural. He smiled down at her, his posture easing completely.

I stepped back into the shadow between two stalls, watching them through the gap.

“Look at this ring, Caleb,” Seraphina cooed, pointing at a silver band set with a tiny blue stone in the display case. “It matches my pendant perfectly. Won’t you buy it for me?”

Caleb did not hesitate.

“Sure,” he said gently, pulling out his black card. “Whatever you want.”

The vendor beamed, taking his card with a wide, admiring smile.

“Ah, what a sweet bond between the Alpha and his Luna!” he exclaimed as he packed the ring into a velvet box. “May the Moon Goddess bless your Pack!”

Caleb took the box. He did not correct the vendor.

Seraphina said nothing.

Hidden in the dark between the stalls, I stood frozen.