Chapter Six

  POV Azalea

     Red-eyed and trembling, I sat on the sofa clutching divorce papers. Images of Thorne with his lover made my already broken heart shatter into a million pieces, each one jagged and cutting deeper into my soul.

"Thorne," I whispered, choking back a sob. "How could you?"

I could picture Thorne's plea for forgiveness, but our trust was broken. Walking away from our life was painful, but I needed to find my own path and heal alone. With determination, I wiped my tears and stood up. I refused to be defined by Thorne's mistakes or consumed by bitterness.

"Enough," I told myself, my voice firm despite my quivering chin. "I deserve better than this."

I pushed the whispers of doubt and fear away, envisioning a life where I could stand tall and strong, free from the chains of the past. A life where I reclaimed my identity, self-worth, and ability to trust.

"Thorne," I murmured again, my voice filled with resolve. "You may have betrayed me, but you will not break me."

As I stared at the divorce papers, a mix of sorrow and empowerment washed over me. Although the road ahead would be hard, I was strong enough to face it. Taking the first steps towards my new life, I promised myself to rise above heartache and come out even stronger.

Clutching the text message, I paced nervously as Thorne entered. His smile faded when he saw my angry eyes.    

"Thorne," I said, my voice breaking with emotion. "We need to talk."

He tensed, sensing the gravity of the situation. "What's wrong, Azalea?"

"Wrong? You have the audacity to ask me what's wrong?" I held up the phone, displaying the intimate message from Vanessa. "How could you do this to me?"

Thorne's face drained of color as he realized he'd been caught. He stammered, trying to find words that would somehow undo the damage, but it was too late.

My words were cut off by an engine outside. We looked out the window to see Axel Rivers in an expensive car, his eyes fixed on Thorne.

“ What the fuck is he doing here?” Thorne spat, gesturing toward Axel. Thorne's jaw clenched at the sight of his rival.

“ Hey there, Azalea.” He said, smiling wide. 

“ What are you doing here?” I asked. 

“ I’m sorry. Am I interrupting something?” Axel asked as he stared between us.

"Stay out of this, Axel," Thorne growled, his protective instincts kicking in.

"Leave him alone, Thorne!" I shot back. "This isn't about Axel or me; it's about you and Vanessa."

"Really?" Thorne snarled, his anger bubbling to the surface. "Because it seems to me like there's still something between you and Axel. I'm not the only one keeping secrets around here."

My eyes widened in disbelief. "How dare you try to change the subject! There's nothing going on between Axel and me, and you know it!"

"Is that so?" Thorne challenged, glaring at me." “You are my wife. You leave me to go running around with your ex. How am I to know if you’ve been faithful?” He said, cutting me off.

I glared at Thorne's attempt to deflect blame. "Don't turn this around on me," I said firmly. "You cheated. I had coffee.”

Thorne sighed, his voice barely above a whisper. "Is that what they’re calling it these days? Coffee? “ He gritted.

How dare he try to imply that I was the guilty one when there was nothing between Axel and I? I was dumbfounded by his response. Still I knew I had to stand my ground.

My eyes narrowed and I pointed my finger at him, poking him in the chest. He widened his eyes in shock as I stared him down, my eyes lit with fire from the storm raging inside.

“Axel and I are not the reason we’re having this conversation, Thorne. You and Vanessa are. How dare you try to turn this back on me when I have done nothing wrong.”

 "You've been spending time with Axel," he spat. "That's different," I replied, my heart racing.

“ Different? How is it different, my dearest wife?” He mocked as he walked closer.

“ Because we’re just friends.” I retorted.

Thorne snorted. "Friends, huh? And what were you doing last night?”

I bristled at the accusation. "We were just talking, Thorne. Is talking not allowed anymore?"

“That's a little hard to believe, Azalea. You two have a history together." He sneered.

"Just because we have a history doesn't mean we're romantically involved now.” I commented.

“ I don’t trust him, Azalea. W-Why is he here?” He asked and Axel stepped closer.

“I came to talk to you, Thorne.” His intense gaze melted me. He bit his lip and said, “I have a business proposition for you.”

Thorne’s eyes were filled with rage at the spectacle in front of him. He inched closer to me as if predatorial and glared at Axel.

“ Why the fuck would I be interested in any business proposition with you, Rivers?” He seethed.

Axel asked me to leave, and I obeyed. He smiled before departing, sending shivers down my spine. 

"Don't worry," he said. Thorne emerged shortly after, his expression unreadable. "What's going on?" I asked.

"Nothing," he said shortly, then walked away.

After Axel left, Thorne was furious. His eyes full of rage, he warned: "You are never to see him again. That is an order from your Alpha.”

Thorne stormed off to his car and I realized it wasn't the right time to bring up divorce. He drove away and I was left alone with my thoughts. I knew leaving this broken marriage was inevitable.

That night I called Elena, my friend from the Shadow Moon Pack. She had offered to help if I ever needed it.

"Elena, It's Azalea. I'm leaving Thorne.”

“ I’ll be there tonight.” she said sympathetically.

As I waited on Elena I began packing up my belongings.  It was heartbreaking that it had come to this.