005: I WANT A DIVORCE

Sebastian

“I warned you not to marry that woman. You shouldn't have brought her to this pack. If only you had listened to me, this wouldn't have happened,” my mother fires at me. Since she woke up, she hasn't stopped talking about Valerie. I stand beside her bed, my hands lodged in the pockets of my trousers. Celeste is massaging her legs and trying her best to calm her down.

“She has killed my husband,” my mother continues. “That woman killed Caspian.”

“You need to take it easy, Lady Helen,” Celeste huffs, her tone as honeyed as always. “We just lost Lord Caspian. We can't lose you too.”

My mother leans back against the wooden board of the bed, regret clouding her expression as she looks at Celeste. “If Sebastian had married you, none of this would have happened,” she says. “Ever since Valerie came into the pack, things have been going downhill. She ruined my marriage and almost bewitched my son.”

She frames Celeste's hand with hers. “If you didn't return to this pack, Sebastian wouldn't have come back to his senses. He was once like his father, always defending and caring for that human.”

I reach for my collar and yank it away from my neck, a frown forming on my face. As much as I hate to admit it, the evidence against Valerie is too damning for me to ignore. But I know her. She has always preferred to heal rather than kill. Her compassion was what drew me to her years ago.

My mother's sob fills the room. She dabs her eyes with a napkin as her frame racks.

My chest is knotted in fury. I can feel the heat rising up my spine, my wolf prowling beneath my skin. My father is dead, stabbed by an unknown person, and I can't figure out who.

“This is all my fault,” Celeste mumbles beneath her breath. “I let myself get carried away by another man's lies. If only I stayed and married Sebastian as planned, all this would never have happened.”

“But that doesn't excuse what the Luna did,” she adds. “I am still trying to wrap my head around it. Lord Caspian adored her. Why did she kill him?”

I let out an exasperated breath, running my fingers through my hair in frustration.

“You don't think she's guilty?” My mother’s voice breaks into my thoughts. “Sebastian, I know you feel responsible for her, but you can't let that cloud your judgement.”

“Valerie hasn't admitted to the crime. I can't just make a judgment without hearing what she has to say.”

“Is that necessary? She's obviously going to lie.”

It's hard to believe that Valerie would do something this risky when she has just a few weeks to deliver our baby. She's supposed to be careful, especially because of the thousands of eyes always watching and waiting for her to make a mistake. How could she do something like this?

“Well, at least the elders are logical,” Celeste blurts, averting her gaze. “I heard Valerie has been exiled. I know how much you care about her, but it has to be done.”

The severity of the elders decision weighs on me. I press my lips into a thin line, my gaze trained to the floor. Exile. Even that's too heavy a sentence for her. The pack needs an heir. The elders have made that clear since the day Valerie conceived. Whether she remains Luna or not, the child is a symbol of stability, proof that my bloodline continues unbroken. Moreover, we have been married for three years. I can't just banish her because of a suspicion that's not even confirmed.

“She’s carrying my child,” I say at last. “That complicates things.”

My mother’s fingers tighten in the sheets. “So the baby matters more than justice?”

“That’s not what I said.”

But it isn’t entirely untrue either.

I glance back at them. My mother is watching me closely now, her brows knit together in disappointment.

“That woman killed your father, Sebastian. If you take her side on this, then you cease to be my son. She must be exiled, and that's final.”

I exhale and turn away from her, tongue tied. Something is wrong somewhere. I just have to get to the root of things, and I can make a better decision.

My phone buzzes in my pocket. I pull it out and scan the screen. Dread washes over me.

Please don’t let me lose our child.

Without another glance at Celeste and my mother, I dash out of the ward and out of the hospital, straight to my car. My house is ten minutes drive away. I don’t wait to stop the engine before rushing into the house, straight to Valerie’s room. The guards in front of it give me a quick bow. Nothing prepares me for the sight I see when I enter.

Valerie is on the floor, unconscious and tied to a chair. There’s a small pool of blood beside her, tracing all the way to a trail on her thigh. A guard stands above her, kicking her legs viciously.

“Is she dead?” he whispers mockingly. “Wake up, Luna. You can’t die yet.”

Something inside me snaps.

I bolt to the guard and wrap my hand around his neck, squeezing hard. As soon as he sees me, his eyes round in horror. “Al…Alpha Sebastian, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to.”

“What the hell did you do to her?”of

“What the hell have you done!” My roar bounces off the wall of the room. The guard claws at my wrist, choking. I throw him against the wall. He collapses against it with a dull thud.

“Valerie,” I whisper as I drop to my knees before her, untying the ropes. Her dress is soaked with her blood. “I’m so sorry. I’m so… so sorry.”

But she doesn’t hear me. She’s unconscious. I scoop her into my arms and dash to my car. Her head bobs against me. Her scent, usually calming, is faint and lacking now.

The journey back to the hospital is shorter than expected, thanks to my reckless driving. A medical team is on standby to receive her when I get there. She is taken into a ward and examined, and I spend the next hour pacing restlessly right in a corner of the room.

“She’s stable,” Corvin finally says after an eternity passes. “Her and the baby are safe. She had a scare, but that’s all.”

My knees buckle with relief. I don’t know what I'd have done if anything happened to her. I’m not ready to lose her. Not yet.

Valerie stirs awake, an IV connected to her hand. She scans the ceiling in confusion, then heaves softly, relaxing. I frame her hand with mine, raising it to my lips. Her gaze finds mine.

“You’re in the hospital,” I assure her. “Nothing happened to you or the baby.”

Her eyes harden. Inching away from me, she averts her gaze. Then the words leave her lips, shattering my world.

“Sebastian, I want a divorce.”