4 : Thief

Aaira

I watched as Ethan glared at me.

Rue's demeanor quickly changed, her eyes filling with pain and sadness. "Luna, you're being so rude to me for no reason."

I raised a brow as I watched her run to Ethan as if he were her savior. She clutched his arm and looked at him pitifully. "Alpha, the Luna was fighting with me over my necklace, claiming it was hers. She even threatened to throw me into the dungeons." She pressed her breasts against his arm while shedding a few more tears.

Ethan's eyes lingered on her chest before he looked at me again.

"Seriously, Aaira? Do you have no shame? First, you throw tantrums like a child, and now you've started attacking poor Rue over her necklace."

My jaw dropped. He was blaming everything on me as if I were the problem, not him.

"It was my special necklace, Ethan. The sapphire one I told you about!" I defended myself. "She invaded my home and stole my belongings. She's a thief, and she deserves to be punished."

He frowned. "Rue isn't a thief. I gifted this house to her."

His words flipped my world upside down.

I remembered the day Ethan had shown me this house, telling me it was my birthday present and a symbol of his love for me. For once, I had believed that if there was one place where he couldn't taint our happy memories, it was this house.

But now, a random woman he'd slept with owned it?

My nails dug into my palms, drawing blood as I struggled to control my emotions.

"How could you?" I asked through gritted teeth. "You initially gifted this place to me, and now you've handed it over to some random whore?!"

Rue whimpered. "Luna Aaira, you're disrespecting me."

Ethan growled at me, his eyes flashing silver. "Mind your language. Rue is the daughter of our respected Gamma Commander, so I gave her this apartment. I bought this place with my own money, and I can do whatever I want with it."

I fought back my tears and shouted, "Then you might as well have never given it to me! This used to be a place I cherished, but you've ruined it. Don't give me things you're only going to take away from me!"

I quickly wiped my tears, unwilling to let him see how deeply he'd hurt me. This was the only place where I thought I could find some peace, even if only for a little while. But thanks to Ethan, I didn't even have that anymore.

"Don't blame me for this. You should have asked me before entering the penthouse. Instead, you harassed poor Rue over a stupid necklace." He turned toward his mistress, his expression softening as he looked at her.

My blood boiled. "But the necklace was mine, and your whore destroyed it! I have every right to be upset with her for taking something that belonged to me."

"Get a grip, Aaira. I had no idea you could get this emotional over a cheap necklace." He scoffed and pointed at the cracked Blue Moon necklace in my hand. "I'll buy you another one, so stop being so mean over such a small thing."

Before I could respond, Rue chimed in.

"Could you buy me a beautiful necklace too, Alpha Ethan? I need one to match my ball gown."

My eyes widened at her words. "Ball gown?" I looked from Rue to Ethan. "You're letting her attend the Lunar Ball?"

"I need a woman to be my dance partner, and Rue is the perfect choice." He replied so bluntly, as if his decision weren't a devastating blow to me. He wasn't willing to take his own Luna to the Ball, but he had no problem bringing his mistress instead.

"Was banning me from the event not enough? Now you're going to take your mistress with you, too?" I asked, my voice shaking. "Do you have any idea how badly this will affect our pack's reputation?"

He looked annoyed. "At least it's better than letting Queen Isadora see that my pack is being led by a fat, psychotic omega. Rue has a powerful wolf, making her far more suitable to stand beside me."

I didn't know whether I wanted to laugh or cry. He might as well have stripped me of my Luna title and handed it to someone else. The worst part was that he didn't seem to feel the slightest bit of guilt about it.

Ethan released Rue's arm and walked over to me. He gently pulled me aside, his expression softening as he looked into my eyes. "Listen to me. It's best if you stay away from the packhouse until the Ball is over."

I stared at him in disbelief. "What? Why?" I narrowed my eyes at him. "Are you banning me from the packhouse now, too?"

"Absolutely not. You have every right to be there," he assured me. "But you've been acting crazy lately, and people have started talking. We need to maintain a good atmosphere until the event is over. You can stay here in the meantime. Since Rue owns this place now, all you have to do is apologize to her, and she'll let you stay."

My jaw dropped. Was he seriously suggesting that I could stay in the penthouse he had originally gifted me only if his mistress allowed it?

For a moment, I thought I had misheard him. But Ethan continued staring at me expectantly, waiting for me to agree. "I can't believe you, Ethan. Why are you taking her side?" I asked, glaring at him.

He let out an exasperated sigh. "I'm not taking anyone's side. It's my duty as the Alpha to maintain peace among everyone. It's better if you maintain a good relationship with her. I don't want any unnecessary chaos right now."

"It's also your duty as my husband to be faithful to me, but you're not doing that either, Ethan!" I snapped. "You've destroyed our sacred marriage and bond!"

His jaw clenched. "No, Aaira. You're the one ruining our marriage by refusing to support me. I'm trying to take this pack to new heights, but you're dragging me down like deadweight."

I froze. His words struck me like a dagger plunging into my chest and twisting painfully.

I had stood by him when he needed support. I had been his pillar when everything around him threatened to crumble. I had believed in him when others doubted him and sacrificed so much to help him build the life he wanted. Yet, somehow, I was the one holding him back.

My heart ached at the realization that none of my sacrifices seemed to matter to him anymore. Still, I refused to give him the satisfaction of seeing me break down in front of him.

"You just have to apologize. Is that so hard?" he demanded, growing impatient. "Can't you put your ego aside for once and show a little humility?" Beside him, Rue stared at me with a smug smile, as if she had already won.

"It's not my ego, Ethan. It's my pride." I grabbed the handle of my suitcase and looked at him one last time, desperately searching for even a glimpse of the man who had once stood in this very place and told me that I was his entire world. But all I found was disappointment in his eyes.

"You've taken things too far, and I won't let you humiliate me any further. Your whore can keep this place for all I care." With that, I turned around and walked out of the building.

I heard Ethan call my name, but I didn't stop. I kept walking until I reached my car, got inside, and drove away without looking back. I drove through the streets until I found a hotel where I could stay with the money I had managed to save.

Most of my savings had gone to Ethan. I had willingly handed over my hard-earned money, hoping it would help his pack prosper. I had never asked him for anything in return. Yet, this was how he repaid me. He had betrayed me and treated me as though I were living at his mercy, as if everything I had done for him meant nothing.

When I entered the cold, cheap hotel room, the weight of everything finally caught up with me. I sank onto the carpeted floor and leaned my back against the bed, wrapping my arms around my knees. It was still difficult to comprehend how Ethan had managed to destroy everything we had built together for the sake of his selfish desires.

He hadn't considered what I wanted or how his actions would affect our relationship. He had simply made his decisions and expected me to accept them without complaint. Was this the price I had to pay for loving him and choosing him over everyone else?

I stared at my phone, contemplating whether I should finally call my mother and leave this pack for good. There was no point in staying here anymore.

She had warned me about Ethan countless times, telling me that a man like him would never truly value me. I had refused to listen, convinced that my love for him would prove her wrong. But once again, she had been right, and I had been wrong.

The thought made my chest tighten.

How could I possibly explain my failed marriage to her? I had gone against her wishes and chosen Ethan despite all her warnings. I had been so certain that I knew what was best for me. Now, what would she think when she saw me reduced to this broken state?

Would she be disappointed in me? Would she regret trusting me to make my own decisions? I didn't know if I could bear to see that disappointment in her eyes.

Just then, my phone screen lit up. Mom was calling. My heart leaped into my throat as I hurriedly accepted the call.

"Aaira, how are the preparations for the Lunar Ball going?" she asked. I swallowed the lump forming in my throat.

Just hearing her familiar voice was enough to shatter the fragile wall I had built around my emotions. She was the one person I had always been able to confide in, the one person who had loved me even when I made mistakes.

"Mom, I..."

"I heard from my friends that Alpha Ethan is quite capable and that the pack is doing well," she continued before I could finish. "Everyone is praising how the Wild Willows Pack has risen from the ashes and is making such remarkable progress." There was genuine happiness in her voice as she spoke. "Perhaps I underestimated your judgment after all. You were right to make your own choice, Aaira. I'm so proud of you."

I froze. For so long, I had wanted nothing more than to hear those words from her. I had wanted her to acknowledge my decision and believe that I had chosen the right man. And now that she had finally done so, I couldn't bring myself to accept her praise.

The words I desperately wanted to tell her remained trapped in my throat. A tear slipped down my cheek as I struggled to keep my voice steady.

I couldn't tell her the truth. I couldn't tell her that the man I had chosen didn't deserve me, that the marriage I had fought so hard to protect was falling apart, or that I had lost almost everything because of him. She would be devastated. 

So I swallowed my pain and forced the words out. "I'm looking forward to seeing you at the Ball, Mother."