Chapter 3

Kelly

Whoever said women needed to be strong all the time; to face all of life’s troubles with a smile on her face was talking out of their ass.

Seeing the husband I loved so much with Tetra was so painful I couldn’t even describe it. Maybe the sheer shock had numbed me at first, because I hadn’t shed a tear—only made that cold promise to take back everything that was mine. But as soon as I walked out of that room, as soon as I left the sound of his groans and her moans behind, everything came crashing down.

The disturbing images of Bryan balls deep in Tetra replayed over and over in my mind like a grotesque horror film. I wanted to claw my own skull open and rip the pictures out, but they just got clearer, sharper, filthier. My chest seized, my breaths came in ragged gasps, and before I even realized it, I was sobbing so hard I couldn’t breathe.

What had I done to deserve this? Why me? Why was it always me who had to suffer like this?

It was purely by goddess Selene’s grace that I made it to Jessica’s house safely. I don’t even remember walking there, only stumbling through the streets half-blind with tears, body shaking with grief.

The minute Jessica opened her apartment door and saw me—hair tangled, eyes swollen, cheeks wet—she didn’t ask a single question. She just pulled me inside, wrapped her arms around me, and held me while I fell apart completely. I cried into her shoulder until I couldn’t anymore, until my body was wrung dry of tears and I was left trembling, hiccupping, sniffing like a broken thing.

Jessica didn’t let go. She pressed a glass of water into my hand, waited until I sipped, waited until I calmed down enough to string words together. Even if nothing else in my life had ever worked out, I would always be grateful for her. She was my anchor in a world determined to sink me.

Finally, with a voice hoarse from crying, I told her everything. Every sordid, disgusting detail.

Her face turned red with fury as she listened. 

“That bastard,” Jessica spat. Her whole face twisted with fury. “That spineless, two-timing, flea-ridden mutt! May the goddess strike his manhood useless—oh, wait, she already did, didn’t she? That dickless excuse for an Alpha! I swear to goddess, Kelly, he isn’t even worth the dirt under your shoes. Five years married to you, and this is what he does? Sneaking off with a rat like Tetra? Pathetic. Disgusting. A dog wouldn’t piss on him if he was on fire.”

I actually choked on a laugh, my tears mixing with a smile that felt impossible until that moment.

“Oh, I’m not finished,” she growled. “A walking disappointment dressed in human skin, that’s what he is. A slimy, backstabbing coward who couldn’t recognize a goddess if she was standing right in front of him—which, by the way, she has been, for five damn years! And don’t even get me started on that viper, Tetra. Honestly, they deserve each other as the two big toes they are. Bryan can roll in the mud with her all he wants, but it doesn’t change the fact that she’s nothing but a maggot wrapped in perfume.”

Another laugh slipped out, weak and broken, but real. For a moment, her insults carved a crack of light through my grief.

Jessica cupped my face, her eyes blazing. “You’re too pretty to be depressed, Kelly. Don’t you dare let a bridge troll like Bryan steal your smile. Not him. Not ever.”

But I shook my head, voice low. “He’s far from a troll, Jess.”

Because that was the truth, wasn’t it? Bryan Shamrock wasn’t ugly, not by physical definition, at least. He was handsome—too handsome actually. Back then, he’d been one of the most eligible bachelors in the Pack. Broad shoulders, sharp jaw, storm-grey eyes that seemed to see through everything. Women whispered about him like he was some prize, and the day he chose me, I thought I’d won the lottery. I thought I was lucky.

Jessica scoffed, rolling her eyes so hard I thought they’d get stuck. “So what? A handsome face doesn’t change a rotten heart. He could look like the goddess’s hand-carved statue, and I wouldn’t care. The man’s soul is black, Kelly. Black. You deserve better than that.”

Her tone softened then. “Kelly, listen to me. Pack your things. Come stay here with me. Leave that place before it swallows you whole.”

For a second, I was tempted. The warmth of her apartment, her arms, her unwavering loyalty; all of it was safety. But I shook my head. “I can’t. That would mean abandoning everything that’s truly mine. The palace, my title, my place as Luna… those belong to me. Running away would be admitting defeat. I won’t give Bryan and Tetra the luxury of living happily without me.”

Jessica studied me quietly. “Then what do you plan to do?”

My hands curled into fists in my lap. “Fight. I want a divorce.”

Her expression twisted with worry. “Kelly, you know it’s highly unlikely Bryan would agree. If you divorced, he’d risk losing the Alpha position. He’ll never willingly give that up.”

Silence settled between us, thick and heavy, until Jessica snapped her fingers. “Wait. I heard on the news this morning that the Alpha King is visiting our Pack today.”

I blinked at her. “The Alpha King?”

“Yes,” she replied quickly. “And you know what that means, don’t you? He has absolute authority over all Packs. If anyone can dissolve your marriage, it’s him.”

The idea struck me like a bolt of lightning. The Alpha King. He was my only chance. Still, doubt gnawed at me. “But what if he doesn’t listen? What if he refuses?”

“Then make him listen,” Jessica said fiercely. “You deserve justice, Kelly.”

She was right. I had no other option. “I’ll try,” I whispered, more to myself than to her. “I’ll do whatever it takes to make him annul it.”

Jessica hugged me tight, her voice soft against my hair. “Good. Then go prepare. And Kelly?”

I pulled back to meet her eyes.

“You’ve got this.”

Her faith gave me strength. I called a taxi and made my way back to the palace, determination burning hot in my chest.

At my bedroom door, I froze. My hand hovered over the handle, fear crawling up my spine. What if they were still in there, rutting like animals in my bed? But when I finally pushed the door open, the room was empty.

Still, the air was heavy and suffocating. Perfume lingered, thick and cloying, no doubt sprayed to mask the stench of their debauchery. The bedsheets had been changed too, crisp and clean, as if laundering could erase the desecration. My stomach turned. Bryan could have taken Tetra anywhere, but he chose our bed. Our marital bed. The place where we made love, where he took me apart over and over again as he whispered sweet lies into my ear.

Never again.

I stalked to my closet, yanking out everything Bryan had ever bought for me—with my family’s money, of course. Dresses, jewelry, trinkets. Even the ring he’d given me on our first anniversary, the one I had never once taken off, now burned against my skin like a brand. I ripped it off and threw it into the bag with the rest.

When I was done, I called a maid. She hurried in, eyes wide as she saw the pile.

“Sell everything,” I ordered flatly. “Donate the money to the orphanage. Every last penny. I’ll call them myself to make sure it reaches.”

The maid’s eyes widened further, but she nodded quickly. “Yes, Luna. I swear it.”

Satisfied, I turned back to my wardrobe, pulling out the finest gown I had. If I was going to beg the Alpha King to free me, I had to look presentable. Strong. Worthy of being heard.

I was halfway through selecting jewelry when I felt him. Bryan.

He walked into the room like he owned it, his scent crawling under my skin before he even touched me. He came up behind me, arms sliding around my waist, pulling me flush against him. I stiffened, bile rising in my throat. Even without a wolf, I could smell Tetra all over him.

“Where did you go? I’ve missed you,” he murmured, his voice soft, his hands already wandering. His palm slid over my hip, down my thigh, then lower.

Revulsion surged through me. When he squeezed my ass, I jerked away, spitting out, “I’m not in the mood.”

He didn’t listen. He never listened. He caught my wrist, dragging me back against his chest, his grip bruising. I opened my mouth to protest, but then his voice cut through the air, sharp and accusing.

“Where is your ring?”