Alex's Pov

ALPHA ALEX – POINT OF VIEW

“You have mistaken guilt for duty.”

My mother’s voice cuts through the silence like a blade.

I look at her, tapping my fingers impatiently on the table. I should have known this was why she came.

“I am busy, Mother.”

“Busy?” She glances around, irritated. “Busy doing what? All you do is look at that woman, while your wife handles the business of the Pack. Zara does everything. The Moon Goddess blessed her with skills unlike any other, and she chose to help us. She heals, she mends, she settles disputes. She’s patient, she’s kind—but she is not a fool.”

“I don’t want to talk about this.”

“You will listen.” Her glare could flatten mountains. “We all understand what you sacrificed for the Pack. Yes, you loved Selene. But Zara is divine intervention—not just for you, but for all of us. The Moon Goddess chose her. It is your duty to honor this bond.”

“I have honored it.” My shoulders tighten. “I married Zara. Traditional wedding. Consummated marriage. I do my duty as her husband.”

“While humiliating her in public?” My mother steps closer. “A good Alpha knows when to stop. Stop punishing that innocent girl for a crime she didn’t commit. Stop letting an outsider trample your fated mate.”

Her voice drops. “You are going against the Moon Goddess’s ordinance. There are consequences.”

My mother takes one final step toward me.

“Do not mistake Zara’s patience for weakness. You are pushing her too far, Alex. One day she will stop enduring you, and when that happens, you will finally understand exactly what you destroyed.”

Then she leaves.

And for several long seconds, I cannot move.

Hours later, I return home.

The house is quiet.

Too quiet.

I enter the bedroom carefully, already expecting Zara to be asleep.

She lies on her side facing away from me, moonlight spilling softly across her hair. Her breathing is slow and even, but after three years of sharing a bed, I know the difference between her real sleep and the stillness she hides inside when she does not want to speak to me.

Tonight, she is awake.

I should apologize.

The thought comes suddenly and unwelcome.

But the words refuse to come.

So I lie down beside her in silence and stare into the darkness instead.

Because the truth is—

I do see Zara.

That is the problem.

I see the way the Pack looks at her now, the way soldiers straighten when she enters a room, the way mothers press gifts into her hands during festivals because she delivered their children safely.

I see how hard she works.

How relentlessly she gives.

Even when the elders doubted her. Even when wolves whispered that an unknown girl had no right standing beside their Alpha.

She endured all of it quietly and won them over anyway.

Not through power.

Not through fear.

Just by being exactly what they needed.

And I hate how much I respect her for it.

Because if I accept Zara—truly accept her—then what was Selene’s suffering for?

Selene left because of me.

I remember it like a wound that won’t scar.

Her voice trembling. Tears soaking my shirt. “I can’t stay, Alex. She’s your mate, chosen by the Goddess. I have to go. You have to let me go.”

I was furious. Ready to defy tradition. Ready to marry her anyway.

But Selene begged me. “We cannot risk the wrath of the Goddess. If I stay, you’ll suffer. The Pack will suffer.”

I told her she was worth it. That fate couldn’t be so cruel.

She left anyway.

Now Selene is back. She’s the same woman I once loved.

Selene’s return was sudden.

I didn’t plan it. Didn’t expect it. One day, a guard knocked on my door: “Selene has returned, Alpha.”

I felt… surprise. Relief, maybe. But also something else. Something I couldn’t name.

She won’t tell me what happened while she was gone. Where she went. What she endured. Every time I ask, she smiles sadly and changes the subject.

“I’m just glad to be home, Alex. Let’s not dwell on the past.”

I tell myself I’ll investigate. Slowly. Carefully. Find out what really happened to her.

But part of me wonders if I’m stalling. Because I’m not sure I want to know.

And then there’s Zara.

She used to be so… predictable. Professional. Composed.

She never raised her voice. Never pushed back. She took my coldness and swallowed it without complaint. She was the perfect Luna—efficient, capable, unwavering.

I respected her for it.

But I didn’t see her.

Now?

Now she snaps at me. Glares at me. Tells me I’m wrong to my face.

She used to be a perfectly styled Barbie doll—flawless hair, flawless dress, flawless smile. But lately… it’s like her hair is slightly unbrushed. A thread loose on her sleeve. A crack in the porcelain.

And I can’t stop looking.

I find myself wanting to push her further. Just to see what happens. Will she cry? Will she scream? Will she finally break that perfect mask and show me something real?

I’d made everything clear to her in the beginning. I told her she wasn’t my heart's choice. I’d been clear and cruel. I’d secretly hoped she would leave.

Even now, I know that if Zara had left, the issues would be resolved, but....

Zara is perfect. She’s a good Luna to the Pack, and a good wife to me, but Selene made the ultimate sacrifice.

I will always choose Selene, no matter how beautiful and perfect Zara is.

Zara will be fine. She’s strong. She doesn’t even seem to care about me on a deeper level. It’s her duty for her, while what I feel for Selene is love. I love Selene. I do not love Zara.