2. MISCARRIAGE AND REJECTION

CELESTE 

“Is she going to be okay? Please… don’t tell her what happened.”

A familiar voice echoed in the distance. I opened my eyes slowly, adjusting to the light that almost had me blind, when a sharp pain shot through my veins. I dug my nails into the sheets, gasping.

“Celeste?” My father rushed over to my side, worry etched in every line of his face. 

Memories of last night came crawling on me and my breath hitched.

“Where is he?” My voice came out barely as a whisper. “Where is Declan?”

Father’s face stiffened, his mask wearing off for a second. “He… he just left.”

The lie was too smooth. I knew the truth. Declan wasn’t here. He was likely still wrapped in the arms of his secretary, forgetting I existed.

I reached for my phone, but a searing cramp ripped through my gut. It felt like a knife was twisting in my womb. I looked down, seeing the doctor’s grim face, and then I felt it—something warm and sticky between my legs.

“What’s happening?” I choked out.

They didn’t look at me. He looked at my father with an apologetic look. “I’m sorry,” he whispered. “We couldn’t save the baby.”

The word hit me like a physical blow. Baby. “What baby?” My throat burned as the first tears escaped. “I just passed out. I’m just tired, right doctor?”

“You were three months pregnant, Celeste,” he said carefully. “The emotional stress, the physical collapse… the trauma was too much for the fetus to sustain.”

I didn’t hear the rest of it. I had carried a life inside me—our baby—and I hadn’t even known. And while that life was flickering out in an ambulance, he was out there, having the best moment of his life.

I gasped for air, but the more I struggled, the harder it became.

“Celeste, look at me,” My father yelled.

I didn’t even get to know the gender…

“Give her the injection now!” My father’s voice was the last thing I heard before the darkness claimed me again.

……

“I want to go home.”

"Your body is still weak,” the doctor tried to reason with me, but I didn’t listen. Declan still hadn’t shown up. Two days had passed, and he didn’t care if I lived or died.

The only reason he treated me like this was that I was weak. Because my wolf was injured and I was no longer of use to him. If only I hadn’t gone into the woods that night, but the self-pity was over.

My body ached with each step I took and I knew the doctor was right. I should be in bed, resting, but some things cannot be delayed.  

“Get your lawyers,” I told my father as we reached his car. “Let them prepare the divorce papers. I’m done.”

My father glanced at me for a moment, but he kept whatever he was about to say to himself. He called his legal team and the rest of the ride was filled with silence.

I spent forty-eight hours in my father’s mansion, silently wishing Declan would come to his senses and make this right, but it turned out to be a complete waste of time. I applied makeup to hide the dark circles under my eyes, got dressed and headed out.

When I arrived at our… his house, I didn’t expect him to be there. I was just going to drop the papers and ask the maids to inform him about it, but when I got there, his car was in the driveway, and I could hear his voice coming from the study.

I didn’t knock. I slammed the door open.

“I thought I said no one should disturb me—” Declan’s head snapped up, his eyes flashing with the familiar Alpha rage he usually reserved for the maids, until he saw me. He ended his call, his gaze flickering with something unreadable before settling into a frown.

“Where have you been?”

I didn’t answer. I walked to his desk and threw the brown envelope onto his keyboard.

“What is this?” he tore it open, scoffing as he saw the legal headers. “Divorce? So this is about the anniversary? Listen, I didn’t show up because—”

“Because you were busy fucking your secretary,” I cut him off. My smile was humourless. “I saw you, Declan. I saw you at Noir 44. I heard you telling your friends you were just waiting for your father to die so you could be free of me.”

The room dropped silent.

“You cannot divorce me over a speculation,” he snapped, his jaw ticking.

“I am not as stupid as you think, Declan. If you hated this marriage that much, all you had to do was say it. Why waste both of our time?”

“I don’t know what you are talking about, but Avery is…”

“Avery.” I scoffed. “I didn’t even mention names.”

He bared his teeth in disbelief. “Is your father behind this? Is there a thing you can do without his help?”

“Seriously?” I stepped closer, my body shaking with a rage so pure it felt like a fever. “You left me for dead on our anniversary, and you’re questioning whom I go to for help?”

“You are the one who wanted this marriage so badly!” he roared, standing up. “You won, Celeste. You got your Harrington dream wedding. But I warned you this was a marriage of convenience. Don’t act surprised now.”

My lips parted, but I could barely make out any sound.

So this was all I was worth. One year… reduced to nothing.

A convenience.

“Sign the papers,” I said through gritted teeth.

“You'll regret this,” he muttered, grabbing a pen.

“Regret? What is there to regret about a man who murdered our baby due to negligence and didn’t even bat an eye?”

The pen stopped, Declan’s face drained of colour. “Murdered? What the hell are you talking about?”

“I was three months pregnant. I collapsed outside the club while you were busy messing around with your secretary!” My chest heaved heavily as the memories forced their way back into my mind.

He stepped back, the papers fluttering on the desk. “You… You were pregnant?”

“It’s a bit late for the ‘caring father’ act, isn’t it?” I blinked back the tears that spilled over my cheeks. “You were my best friend. We grew up together. I gave up everything for you, and I wasn’t even worth a phone call while I was losing our child.”

His eyes flickered with guilt, but it was a second too late.

“Just sign the papers,” I hissed. “You wanted freedom. I’m giving it to you.”

He looked at me, then at the papers. For a moment, the memory of the boy who used to protect me flashed in his eyes… the boy I’d loved since I was a child.

His eyes flickered with something cold as he stepped away from the papers. 

“You want to be free, Celeste?” He walked through the room until he was standing right in front of me. “You think a human lawyer can break what the Moon Goddess built?”

His Alpha scent became sharp and aggressive as he inched closer.

“You’re a defect, Celeste. I’ve spent a year dragging your dead weight behind me, and to think I almost bought that sob story,” he let out a dry chuckle.

He thought I made up the story about our baby? My hands curled tightly beside me.

“You want to leave? Fine. Let’s do it the proper way.”

My breath hitched. “Declan, what are you doing?”

He grabbed my wrist, his skin searing mine. His eyes flashed with pure malice, and for a moment, I didn’t recognise him.

“No. No…” I shook my head, struggling to release my hand from his grip, but it only tightened and for the first time… fear crept into my chest.

“I, Declan Bronte, Alpha of Crestville Pack, reject you, Celeste Harrington as my mate and Luna.”

A scream tore from my throat as he released my hand. It felt like a hot iron was being driven through my chest, hooking into my soul and ripping it out through my ribs.

My knees hit the floor as I fought to keep the mate bond. I clutched at my chest, gasping for air that wouldn’t come. My vision blurred as the room spun around.

“Declan… please…” I wheezed, my forehead pressed to the cold floor.

The door clicked open, soft clicking heels approached, while Declan stood there and watched me shriek in pain. I look up through my blurry vision to see Avery standing there with a smirk on her face.

This was the girl I treated like a sister. She didn’t offer a hand. She didn’t even bat an eye while I writhed in agony. Instead, she pressed her heels over my trembling hand as she walked over to Declan.

Tears streamed down my cheeks as I watched Avery wrap her hands around Declan’s neck.

“Is it done?” she whispered in a sultry voice.

Declan’s gaze met mine for a second. He pushed Avery flushed against him as he rumbled, “It’s done.”

And then, while the scent of my shredded bond filled the room, he leaned down and kissed her.