Chapter 1

Ashley's pov

“You don't have to worry about Cassie. my feelings for her are long dead and buried,” my husband and mate, Bryce Blackwood said as he packed the rest of his luggage for a 3 day business trip with his secretary, my cousin Cassie Brown.

Or as people like to refer to her–my mate's first love.

 It was no secret that Bryce had pinned helplessly after my nonchalant cousin for years just like how I had secretly crushed on him for years as well after he saved me from drowning when we were merely pups. 

  Eventually, I thought I would have to give up my feelings because it was clear to all and sundry that my cousin’s constant rejections only fueled his blazing desire for her rather than quench it. 

  But everything took a turn when my father passed away, he had raised me alone as a single parent–dotting, loving and kind. A huge cloud of darkness passed over my life when he left, a raging storm that seemed endless until Bryce did a complete 180 and proposed to me with a moon gem, one of the rarest diamonds in existence. 

   It was the most romantic evening of my life, I still remember it like a video that was constantly playing in my head. 

 He brought me back to the lake where he saved me, uttered heart shifting poetry before going down on one knee and presenting the ring I would wear for the rest of my life to signify I was his and his alone. 

 Five years since that moment and he was once again kneeling in front of me as I rubbed the glowing gem now with anxiety rather than excitement.

 “Why did she have to make her your secretary?” I asked with a pout, “ I could list about five other people from the top of my head who would do a better job than her,” 

  My mate squeezed my thigh reassuringly, “Honey, despite appearances your cousin is actually more clever than she lets her on,” 

 I frowned, wrapping my hands across each other.

 He sighed, releasing my thigh. “Jealousy doesn't look good on you, Ashley.” There was a tone of curtness in his voice as his demeanor flipped and took a sharp edge. 

“I've already told you that there is nothing going on between us, yet you still won't let this drop. Aren't you tired? Cause I sure as hell am!” 

  Shame washed over me like a cold shower, “I'm sorry, sweetheart.” I said slowly rising up from the bed and reaching for his cheek. 

 He turned away with a scoff and grabbed his bag, only done packing half of his essentials.

 “Sweetheart, you weren't done–” 

 I tried to grab his sleeve but he swung his arm almost slapping me in the face.

 “Enough, I'm done with your nagging for today so save it till I come back from the trip,” 

 My heart sank as he crossed our bedroom door and slammed it shut after him, the vibrations reaching me from where I stood.

  I sniffled as my legs nearly gave way under me, but I managed to wobble them to the bed before collapsing and pressing my face against a pillow. 

  After drenching the pillow with enough of my tears, a resolve to do something more proactive struck me and I picked up my phone sending several calls and messages. 

 “Sweetheart, I'm sorry.” 

 “Call me back, I want to hear your voice…”

 “Don't I have the right to be jealous? she was your first love for goddess sake!” 

“I hate you…”

 “I'm sorry, I didn't mean that I love you.” 

 I was sending that last text when I got an alert from a private account I'd created since he blocked me on my main account on the pack forum.

 I was drenched in disappointment when I noticed the alert was actually from Cassie's account but then curiosity pushed me to check and I saw a picture of her fingers and my husband’s entangled while his mate ring was painfully absent. 

 Under the picture was a caption that read; Going on a three day trip with my work husband, looking forward to more moments like this.

  The alarms in my head went off and I called with a new number. I always had one on standby in case he blocked me–which was more often than I was proud to admit.

  

  “Bryce–” my voice choked up thickly with emotion, I couldn't get another word out before he snapped at me. 

 “Ashley, how many times have I told you to stop calling me with this random numbers? What if I actually get an important call with an unknown number and I have to ignore it thinking it's you?” 

  His words pricked at my heart, “isn't my call important, Bryce? I wouldn't even have to do this if you didn't keep blocking my number,” 

 “I DIDN'T BLOCK YOUR NUMBER!” He roared through the phone, “I've told you to stop echoing that line over and over again yet you won't listen this is why being around you is such a headache and–”

 He suddenly paused when he heard my wimpers coming through the line, then took a deep breath. 

 “Why did you call me anyways?” He asked, his tone distant, like we were melly acquaintances that needed some sort of formal reason to contact each other.

 “Nothing,” I managed to say through the lump in my throat, “Enjoy your trip,” I cut the call before he could say anything and then tossed the phone away with shaky hands. 

  The phone rang once…twice, then it was followed by this deafening, crushing silence. Was that all my well-being worth to him? Two flimsy half hearted calls.

  I said with the ring in my finger, the delusion that kept me going for the past 5 years of marriage creeping into my mind.

  He puts this ring on your finger, no matter what happens he'll always come back to you–Isn’t that what matters?

  I told myself, then it all came crashing down at midnight when Cassie personally sent me a picture that made my jaw drop with horror and shock.

 That simple picture would mark the beginning of the end of my marriage to Bryce.