Chapter Eight

POV Azalea

     After settling into my new home, I finally accepted that I needed to give Thorne the divorce papers. My packed schedule for the pack meeting only added to my dread. As Luna, I couldn't escape his watchful gaze. When he texted me asking to talk, I tried to decline but he insisted on a meeting in his office in five minutes. 

He left the meeting and I stayed seated, clutching my purse with divorce papers inside. I needed to serve him and move on, but something held me back. Maybe it was the way his muscles flexed or his hair falling over his forehead. Despite everything, I couldn't deny my lingering attraction to him.

“ Luna?” I heard my name being called and looked up to see my mother-in-law Lucille. She was standing with my brother-in-law Victor and they were both staring at me as if awaiting a response.

“ Yes, Lucille?” I said. Holding back any sign of discomfort.

“ Is it true that you have moved your belongings out of the main house? Is there trouble in paradise, my dear?”

She didn't care about me, just the gossip. I left without answering her question. Serving him in front of the pack wouldn’t be in our best interest. Lucille always twisted things, but I still cared about Thorne.

When I returned home, I found a mess - empty liquor bottles, spilled food, and furniture overturned. It was clear that Thorne was punishing himself for his infidelity. In the bedroom, I gathered my belongings while trying to hold back tears as I saw the destruction he caused in a fit of rage.

As I was folding my clothing I heard the door downstairs open and slam and then heard Thorne’s voice calling to me. He was upset because I refused to meet him in his office.

“ Where are you, Azalea?” He called out but I remained quiet. I continued to pack my things. He walked into the room and when he saw what I was doing his eyes turned dark.

“ So that’s it? You’re really leaving me.” He snapped.

“ Yes, Thorne. Now you will no longer have to worry about coming home because I won’t be here for you to come home to.”  I argued back.

“ Are you leaving me for him?” He asked and stared at me as if searching for a shred of guilt so he could turn this around on me.

“ For who?” I asked and he rolled his eyes.

“ For him, Axel Rivers!” He yelled and his voice thundered throughout the room. Was he serious? I stepped back and began to continue packing.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Thorne's voice echoed through the empty room, as he leaned against the doorframe, his arms crossed over his chest. His eyes were red-rimmed, betraying the sleepless nights spent reflecting on his actions.

I paused, my heart constricting painfully at the sound of his voice. I took a deep breath, fighting back tears as I continued to fold my clothes. "Yes," I whispered, my low voice barely audible. "I have no choice."

Thorne sighed heavily, his gaze shifting to the floor, unable to meet mine. "I never meant for any of this to happen, Azalea," he said, his voice cracking. "I wish I could take it all back."

"Me too," I replied, my voice laced with bitterness. "But we can't change the past." I zipped up my final suitcase, feeling the weight of our broken relationship pressing down upon me.

The tension in the room was palpable as we stared each other down, our trust for one another strained to its breaking point. 

I paced our bedroom, my heart struggling between love and betrayal. I wrung my hands, thoughts racing to make sense of it all. Thorne stood by the window, back stiff and jaw tight. The air crackled with unspoken emotions.

"Thorne," I began hesitantly, my voice wavering. "I don't know if I can do this anymore. Trust is so important in our relationship, and now... I just don't know."

He turned to face me, his eyes full of pain. "Azalea, please," he pleaded. "We can work through this. We're true mates. We're meant to be together."

"Are we?" I whispered, tears welling up in my eyes. "Because right now, it feels like we're drifting further and further apart."

"Give me a chance, Azalea," Thorne implored, taking a step toward me. "I want to make this right."

But I couldn't shake the image of him with Vanessa from my mind. My heart ached at the thought of our once-strong bond being irreparably damaged.

I nervously cleared my throat and mumbled, “Maybe we need some time apart. A divorce might give us the space we need to figure things out.”

"Divorce?!" Thorne exclaimed, shocked by my words.

Thorne's mouth hung open in shock as his gaze shifted between me and the divorce papers in my hand. “You can't be serious, Azalea? You would give up on us just like that?” he asked, his voice strained with hurt.

His question hung in the air, and I averted my eyes to the floor. I felt a lump rise in my throat, but I swallowed it back down and softly said, “Thorne, I don't know what else to do.”

In a fit of rage and heartache, Thorne snatched up the documents I was holding in my hand and ripped them in half. He glared at me and spat out, “Fine. If that's what you want then go. But don't expect this to be easy.” His words stung my ears like a million needles, freezing me in place until I couldn't take it anymore.

My heart pounding, I darted clear of the house with Thorne quickly on my heels, fast approaching and as I saw Axel’s car out front, I hopped in without even thinking twice. As the vehicle pulled away from the curb, I could feel Thorne's gaze boring into my back like a  fire.