THE INVITATION

Ava's POV

Morning came too quickly.

I woke up alone, which was becoming a pattern. Adrian's side of the bed looked like it hadn't been slept in at all.

After getting ready, I headed downstairs for breakfast. The dining room was already full. Adrian's parents, his younger sister Maya, and, of course, Sophia. The only person who looked genuinely happy to see me was Adrian's aunt Catherine, who patted the empty chair beside her.

"There you are, dear. I was beginning to think you'd sleep the whole day away."

I slid into the seat, acutely aware of how Sophia had positioned herself in my usual spot next to Adrian. His mother, Luna Elizabeth, was beaming at the girl like she'd won the lottery.

"Sophia was just telling us about her pack," Elizabeth said. "Her father is Alpha of Grey Moon. Such a prestigious lineage."

Unlike me, the unspoken words hung in the air. My parents had been ordinary pack members who died in a rogue attack when I was sixteen. Adrian's family had taken me in out of obligation, never expecting their son would fall for the charity case.

"That's wonderful," I said flatly, reaching for the coffee pot.

"Ava, right?" Sophia turned those big doe eyes on me. "Adrian's told me so much about you."

"Has he?" I glanced at Adrian, who was suddenly very interested in his scrambled eggs.

"Oh yes. He said you've been such a good friend to him over the years." Friend. The word was a slap in the face. "How sweet of you to help him pass the time until he found me."

Catherine's hand found mine under the table and squeezed. The older woman didn’t like Sophia, I could tell from the way her lips pressed into a thin line.

"I'm sure Adrian values all his relationships," Catherine said pointedly.

The rest of breakfast was torture. I pushed food around my plate while everyone fawned over Sophia. She was perfect, beautiful, graceful, from the right family. Everything a Luna should be.

Everything I wasn't.

"I'm not feeling well," I announced, pushing back my chair. "Excuse me."

I made it halfway up the stairs before Adrian caught up with me.

"Ava, wait."

"What?" I didn't turn around.

"I need to talk to you about something."

Something in his tone made my stomach drop. I slowly faced him.

"There's a gala next week," he said carefully. "It's being hosted by the Alpha King. Every Alpha in the region will be there with their Lunas."

I knew where this was going. "You're taking her."

"I only have two tickets, and protocol demands I bring my fated mate to official functions." He reached for my hand, but I pulled away. "I'm sorry. I know I promised to take you, but…"

"Don't." My voice shook. "Don't apologize when we both know you're not sorry. You want to take her. Probably been looking for an excuse to parade her around since the moment you met."

"That's not fair."

"None of this is fair, Adrian!" I was yelling now, and I didn't care who heard. "You promised me nothing would change. You promised I'd still be your Luna. But you've already replaced me. She's sleeping in our home, sitting in my chair, and now she's taking my place at the most important event of the year!"

"Ava,"

"I'm done." The words came out before I could stop them. "I'm done pretending this isn't killing me. I'm done being the understanding girlfriend while you fall in love with someone else. I'm leaving."

His face went pale. "You don't mean that."

"I do. After the gala, I'm moving out. You can have your perfect life with your perfect mate."

I turned to go but he grabbed my arm, spinning me back around. His grey eyes were intense, almost desperate.

"You promised you'd never leave me. You stood in front of the pack and promised."

"You promised too," I whispered. "But promises don't mean much anymore, do they?"

Before he could respond, Sophia's voice rang out from downstairs. "Adrian? Are you coming? Your mother wants to show me the pack's training grounds."

The muscle in his jaw ticked. He looked torn between staying with me and going to her.

"Go," I said quietly. "She needs you."

"We're not done talking about this." But he was already heading down the stairs.

I locked myself in our bedroom and cried until there were no tears left. Then I started packing.

Catherine found me hours later, surrounded by half-filled boxes.

"Oh, honey." She sat on the bed, surveying the damage. "Are you sure about this?"

"I can't stay here and watch him fall in love with her. It's too painful."

"I understand. But where will you go?"

"I'll figure something out. Maybe get an apartment in the city, find a job outside the pack." I'd been working as Adrian's assistant, helping manage pack affairs. But I couldn't do that anymore.

Catherine was quiet for a moment. Then she reached into her purse and pulled out an envelope.

"What's this?"

"An invitation to the Alpha King's gala. I was supposed to attend with my husband, but he's being sent overseas for pack business. Come with me instead."

I shook my head. "I can't. Adrian will be there with Sophia."

"Exactly. Let him see what he's losing. Besides, the Alpha King's son will be there. He's unmated, powerful, and from what I hear, quite handsome. Maybe it's time you reminded yourself that Adrian isn't the only man in the world."

The idea of going to the gala, of watching Adrian with Sophia, made me feel sick. But the alternative was sitting at home alone, which seemed worse.

"I don't know..."

"Think about it. You have a week to decide." She stood and headed for the door, then paused. "For what it's worth, I think Adrian is making the biggest mistake of his life. And I hope he realizes it before he loses you forever."