CHAPTER 2

ASHINA’S POV

I stood face to face with Farkas, my heart hammering violently against my ribcage as a storm of emotions coursed through me.

The blazing heat of rage and the caustic burn of betrayal wrapped around my chest squeezing the air from my lungs. My voice quavered, about to break, but I fought at it and pulled myself up. No matter how much pain pounded in my chest, I wouldn’t let it show—I wouldn’t allow my feelings to make me weak in his presence.

"What about the vows, Farkas?" I demanded.

Farkas did not seem to care or perhaps he had forgotten about the vows?

"The vows you made in front of my mother, before the Moon Goddess? You swore to love me and only me forever. What do those words mean to you now?"

Farkas exhaled sharply, rubbing his temples as if this conversation was nothing more than a mild inconvenience. I believed that the vows he had made now seemed like a burden pressing down on him.

"I made those vows before I met my fated mate," he said, his tone devoid of remorse. "They don't count anymore. You know that. Fated mates always come first."

I stared at him, disbelief tightening my throat. Did I hear properly? Was it the Farkas I knew who was giving me lame excuses? How did he retract?

"They don't count? Is that all our bond ever was to you? A placeholder?" My voice cracked, but I pushed forward.

The more I talked, I was convinced that he would spill the beans. Something wasn’t right.

"You looked me in the eyes and promised me a future. How can you stand there and act like it meant nothing?"

Before Farkas could reply, his parents stepped forward. His mother, Lady Lysara, sneered as she folded her arms across her heavy chest.

"You should be grateful we allowed this farce of a union to last as long as it did. You're an Omega with no wolf. You were never meant to stand beside Farkas."

My fists clenched. "I was his wife! I stood beside him, supported him! And now you're telling me that none of it matters?"

How could she speak like this to me? The title and respect they had gotten were thanks to me and Farkas’ rank.

Lord Gregor scoffed. "Esther is a warrior—a true leader. She just suppressed a group of bandits, restored peace, and was named Chief Gamma by King Dragor himself. She is everything you are not. Farkas' future will be bright with her by his side. You stand no chance!"

I swallowed thickly, a bitter taste coating my tongue as bile threatened to rise in my throat. My chest tightened with disbelief and fury, my voice laced with pain as I forced out the words.

“So this is it? He casts me aside like I was nothing—just because Esther holds a higher title? Because she’s a warrior and I’m not?”

Lady Lysara smirked and nodded, "Because she is his true mate. And because their union will elevate him. The son they bear will be the pride of the wolf tribe, just like Boris…Unlike you, who has nothing to offer."

The comparison made my inside churn. I wasn’t envious, but I was deeply hurt. How dare they utter Boris' name in the same breath as Farkas? How dare they even attempt to compare the two? It was laughable—insulting, even.

Boris was a warrior in every sense of the word, a legend whose strength and honour were unmatched. He had carved his place in history with blood, sweat, and determination.

Farkas, on the other hand, was nothing but a desperate man grasping at whatever fate handed him, a puppet willingly controlled by the strings of destiny. He lacked the will to carve his own path, choosing instead to let the universe decide his worth.

I steadied myself and lifted my chin.

"I want to see her," I said firmly. "I want to look into the eyes of the woman who has destroyed my life."

Farkas' expression darkened. "You can't."

I arched a brow. "Can't? Or you don’t want me to?"

"She holds a noble status," he said, his voice laced with irritation. "An Omega like you doesn’t have the right to see her whenever you please."

His words hit me with the force of a physical blow, knocking the breath from my lungs. This was the same man who had once vowed to stand by my side, to shield me from harm, to cherish and protect me. Yet now, he looked at me as if I were insignificant—someone unworthy of even basic respect. The weight of his betrayal pressed down on me, suffocating, relentless, and impossible to ignore.

I sighed.

"So, this is who you truly are? A man who throws away loyalty for status?" I shook my head, my lips curling in disgust.

Farkas’ cold attitude was like a blow to my face.

"I pity you, Farkas. You're nothing without your title. Without Esther, you would still be the same man who needed me by his side."

Farkas’ jaw tightened. "Watch your tongue!"

"Or what?" I laughed bitterly. "You’ll cast me out? You’ve already done that."

I turned to his parents, eyes fixated on them.

"Enjoy your precious Esther. I hope she’s everything you dreamed of."

My voice dropped, sharp as a blade.

"But don’t think for a second that I’ll disappear quietly."

I stepped back, ignoring the smug look on Lady Lysara’s face. Farkas had made his choice. But he would regret it.

I would make sure of that.

A heavy silence settled between us, thick with unspoken words and unbearable tension. It enveloped around us like a suffocating fog, pressing down on my chest with an almost heavy thud.

My heartbeat resonated in my ears as I took a slow, deliberate step back, my gaze never leaving Farkas. I searched his face, desperate for even the smallest crack in his demeanour—a flicker of doubt, a shadow of hesitation, anything that might tell me he wasn’t as indifferent as he pretended to be.

However his expression remained cold, impenetrable, as if I were nothing more than a distant memory already fading from his mind.

Unfortunately, there was nothing. No regret, no second thoughts—just indifference.

Right then, Lady Lysara let out an exaggerated sigh, breaking the silence.

"Really, girl, you should be thanking us. You were never meant to be our equal. You were never strong enough for this role."

I clenched my fists so hard my nails dug into my palms.

"I was strong enough to love him when he was nothing," I shot back.

"I was strong enough to stand by him when he doubted himself. I was strong enough to believe in him before you ever did."

The disabled Lord Gregor chuckled. "Yet, none of that matters now."

I turned my eyes to Farkas, my chest tightening. "Is that how you see it too? Everything we shared—nothing but a mistake?"

For the briefest moment, Farkas faltered. It was subtle—so quick that anyone else might have missed it—but I didn’t.

His composure slipped, just for a fraction of a second, revealing a crack in the carefully constructed mask of indifference he wore.

It wasn’t much, but it was enough. That tiny hesitation, that fleeting moment of doubt, told me more than any of his cruel words ever could.

"I see what truly matters now," he finally said, his voice quieter this time. "And it isn't you."

A sharp pain cut through my chest, but I refused to let it show. If he wanted to pretend I meant nothing, then I would do the same.

"Then I won’t waste another moment on you," I said.