Chapter 2

Karina POV

I wasn't home for five minutes before headlights swept across the garage below.

Edward.

The sight of his car made my stomach twist into a knot of dread and fury.

I was in our walk-in closet, taking off the diamond necklace he had given me last month. Another guilt gift, I realized now, when a wall of muscle pressed against my back.

His scent, cedar and cold air, used to be my comfort. Now it just made my skin crawl.

He pinned me in, bracing his hands on the glass cabinet on either side of me.

"Are you angry?" he murmured, his voice laced with that commanding alpha tone that used to make me melt.

I didn't even look at him. I just carefully, deliberately placed the necklace back in its box.

"Angry enough to kill someone," I said, my voice like ice. "You should probably watch your back."

He was quiet for a long moment. His wolf probably trying to figure out if I was serious.

"The Foster family is interested in the Nova Star project," he said finally, his tone measured. "The girl you saw—that's his sister."

I finally turned to face him, my gaze piercing.

"So what? You have to get cozy with the sister to close a business deal? Is that how the Blood Moon Pack operates now?"

"Karina, I'm trying to explain. Stop with the attitude."

His alpha voice slipped—a desperate attempt to control the situation.

"There's nothing to explain," I said, my voice flat, as I looked him dead in the eye. "Edward, if you're tired of me, if you want her to be your Luna, I'll step aside."

His face went dark.

"What did you just say?"

The gold of his wolf was already flashing in his eyes.

I sighed.

"I said, we can get a divorce."

I tried to walk past him, but he grabbed my arm, yanking me back. His fingers dug into my chin, forcing my head up.

"Don't you even think about it?" he growled.

I just stared at him, silent.

Too late.

I'd already done more than think about it.

I'd already set the wheels in motion.

I was done.

Edward was called away late that night.

I could clearly hear a soft, feminine voice on the other end whimpering.

The next morning, my lawyer and best friend Camille sent me a screenshot of his little girlfriend's latest social media update.

It was a picture of the sunrise from a mountain top, captioned: "Sunrise Hearts with My Soulmate."

Two hands, one large and one small, formed a heart against the sky.

I knew his hand instantly.

The bond might be broken, but I knew every inch of him, every callus, every scar.

I just sat there clutching my glass of water for God knows how long.

Edward didn't come home for the next several days.

The only times I saw him were at company meetings.

He'd sit at the head of the table, the Alpha, and I'd sit with the other executives.

We never made eye contact.

I didn't bother going to his office.

I spent my free time looking for a new apartment and getting rid of eight years of memories: anniversary presents, birthday gifts, Valentine's tokens, wedding gifts—all of it.

I even sold my wedding ring.

When you don't want the person anymore, why hang on to their garbage?

That evening, Elena, who owns the Onyx Lounge, invited me out.

It was almost 11, and I was tempted to say no, but I had to be practical.

After the divorce, I'd be leaving the Blood Moon Pack's company.

I needed to build my own network if I was going to start a business, so I went.

Elena met me at the door.

"Elena, you didn't have to come all the way down," I said, forcing a smile.

She just linked her arm with mine.

"I was worried you'd get lost, sweetie. First time here, right?"

She wasn't wrong.

She led me upstairs to a large private room, sectioned off by an ornate dark wood screen.

I could see a group of people on the other side, but Elena guided me to a quieter area where only one person was sitting.

I vaguely recognized her, the girlfriend of one of Edward's buddies.

She recognized me too, shifting awkwardly before managing a tight smile.

After I took off my coat and settled in, Elena slipped away.

I took a sip of my drink as the conversation from the other side of the screen grew louder, and then I realized they were talking about me.

"Speaking of which, has anyone seen Edward's human wife lately?" one of them sneered.

"Are you kidding? He's got Lila now, purebred alpha blood, young, gorgeous. He shows her off everywhere. Not like his human wife, who he has to hide."

"Took him long enough, eight years to figure out bloodline matters."

"A human's just a toy, no matter how pretty."

"Eight years is a long time to play with one thing."

"Besides, what's the point? You can't even mark them."

"And she's so clueless, totally kept in the dark, thinking she could actually be Luna."

"Useless, aside from having a pretty face and a nice body."

Someone laughed.

"Hey, I'm just saying. When he's finally tired of her, I wouldn't mind taking over. I've had my eye on that waist for a while."

"Careful, the human body can't handle a real wolf," another one snickered.

I was just out of their sight, my eyes cold as I listened.

I knew every one of those voices.

They were Edward's friends, the same guys who called me Luna with such fake sweetness to my face.

Now they were laughing at me like I was a joke.

The woman I was sitting with looked like she wanted to crawl under the table.

When I stood up, she probably thought I was about to run out of the room, humiliated.

Instead, I cleared my throat, picked up my drink, and strolled around the screen.

I leaned casually against the polished wood.

"Gentlemen," I said, my tone light and conversational. "I couldn't help but overhear, and I think you've got the story a little backward."

Their laughter died in their throats.

"See, when Edward and I first got together..."

I continued, tilting my head with a syrupy, sweet smile.

"He was pretty average, a lot of awkward fumbling, you know. It takes a woman to really teach a man what he's doing. Am I right?"

Absolute stunned silence.

Every single one of them was staring at me in horror.

And right then, two tall figures stepped into the room behind me.

I didn't have to turn around.

I didn't need to.

Their presence filled the space, and from the panicked looks on everyone's faces, the message was received loud and clear.

Damn!

The air behind me went ice cold, and I didn't have to turn around to know Edward was standing there, radiating pure rage.

My mate—or my soon-to-be ex-mate, I guessed—was watching the whole pathetic scene go down.

I turned back to the group, my eyes locking on the pixie-cut girl tucked into the corner of the sofa.

A few minutes ago, she'd been the picture of confidence, smugly twirling a strand of hair and crossing her legs like she owned the place.

Now her expression had curdled, and she was glaring at me like she wanted to rip my head off.

So this was their little spot.

From the way the other guys were talking, this wasn't their first time meeting up here.

All casual and out in the open, not even trying to hide it anymore.

Edward stepped forward, and his alpha presence instantly sucked all the air out of the room.

Suddenly, everyone lurched into motion like puppets on a string.

"Luna Karina, we're so sorry. We were just talking trash," one of them stammered, the title ringing hollow.

"There's nothing going on between Edward and Miss Foster," another added desperately. "Please don't read into any of this."

Edward's hands shot out and clamped around my wrist.

His grip firm as he tried to drag me toward the exit.

The partial bond between us sparked painfully at his touch—a cruel, static-filled reminder of what we used to be.

I whipped around and threw my drink right in his face.

The room went dead silent.

Everyone stared, their eyes wide with a mixture of shock and horror.

How dare a human, a mere human, publicly challenge an alpha?

If I had an ounce of wolf in me, every instinct would be screaming at me to submit, to drop to my knees and beg for forgiveness.

But I didn't.

I was just a woman who had finally hit her breaking point.

A sweet, brittle smile spread across my face.

"Go on," I said softly. "Keep partying with your little sweetheart. I won't crash your fun anymore."

I tried to pry his fingers off my wrist, but our bond just crackled with every failed attempt, sending another jolt of pain through me.

Edward's expression turned dangerous.

His wolf clearly clawing its way to the surface.

Without another word, he hoisted me up and threw me over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

The entire room just stared, stunned into silence.

In the hallway, I dangled over his shoulder, fighting like hell against his grip.

As if on cue, the elevator doors slid open.