After spending several hours at the café researching how a Luna could get a divorce, I let out a sigh.
Turns out I was right to worry. Getting a divorce form is not easy. I went online to search, and the only way to get the council to send a form was to contact one of their messengers. Which seems easy, but the messengers don’t bother with divorce forms. They know it’s a tireless thing, and getting one to reply is difficult.
I came home exhausted. Thankfully, Matthias wasn’t there — a relief for me. I lay down on the bed in the bedroom and started to think.
I’d need to know someone who can talk to one for me.
Normally, getting a divorce shouldn’t be hard. For humans, that is. As for us wolves, the council decides whether or not you get separated. You’d need to convince them. I think they make the whole process tiring, so you don’t go through with it.
Sighing, I zipped up my dress. Matthias’s mother should know someone. I’ll contact her after tonight. I won’t tell her it’s for a divorce, she might not agree to call her contact. The weird thing is, his parents love me. They actually love me. They think I’m wonderful and just the right person for their son.
If only he felt the same.
I can’t ponder what he feels anymore. He’s made it clear for three years, it’s about time I listened. My knees still ache from yesterday’s punishment, but I’ve taken some pain medicine. My only thought is getting divorced. I just need that form to kick start everything.
Mr and Mrs Crowe will be at the party tonight. This event is a full moon ball. One of the council members is making an appearance after being away for almost three years. Matthias has been ranting about him. Saying that I needed to get my act together, drop the lies, and focus on making him look good tonight.
If I can do that, he’ll be able to get in good with the council member. The werewolf council is made up of the strongest, most powerful wolves in the region. They rarely invite anyone to join them.
The alpha attending this party is one of the rare occasions. He’s been a member for years, and according to Matthias, he’s the only one the council members invited. They didn’t vote him in, they invited him. Which is high praise for any alpha. It means the werewolf council sees you, they value you, and they need you in their seat.
I don’t know the alpha’s name, but he’s a big dea-l. So much that Matthias seems nervous, and I’ve never seen him nervous. He even asked my parents not to attend. They said yes for whatever reason.
I let out another long, drawn sigh. I checked myself out in the long-standing mirror. There was no happiness, no light, nothing in my eyes. Just empty tiredness.
My bedroom door moves to the side, and from the mirror I can see Matthias. I swallowed hard. He’s too good-looking to be such a jer-k to me. His black hair was tightly pulled back, giving him a more elegant look. His fitted body was pressed into a navy blue suit that matched the color of my dress.
He had on a silver watch and black, clean shoes that reflected all around it.
“What’s taking you so long? We can’t be late.”
I didn’t say anything to him. That handsome face was the man I loved, but he never looked at me the same way. What’s the point of a one-sided love?
I expelled a breath and turned around. Grabbing my purse off the nearby surface, and made my way to him. I walked past him, only to have him grab onto my elbow.
“Take the bandage off,” his tone was low.
“Unless you want everyone to see the bruise on my wrist, I can’t do that.”
I didn’t look at him, my eyes were forward while he thought about whether to listen to me or not.
He eventually chose to let me keep the bandage on, and we exited the house together. In the car ride, the silence was suffocating. I tried my best not to remember that the father of my unborn child had made me knee-l for twelve hours. Facing the picture of his true love. It’s hard to keep that memory away. But I need to speak to his mother, and he needs to woo the council member, so I need to bite back the pain and sadness.
“When we arrive, stay close to me. This man prioritizes a good image, and he respects pack leaders who have their shiit together. If you even so much as say something silly, you’re going to find out real quick just how mean I can get.”
“Uh-huh,” I replied.
“I need a confirmation that you understand, don’t pi-ss me off.”
I exhaled. “I understand, Matthias. I won’t say anything to embarrass you.”
“Good.”
The car came to a slow stop, and I could hear live music coming from the building where the party was happening. This is the first time Matthias has held a full moon ball. He’s on edge. I could be understanding to people who deserve it, and right now, I’m heartbroken, and I don’t feel like understanding.
But I have to endure.
We stepped out together and were immediately hit with flashing lights. Matthias smiled and waved. I put up my best smile, waving my hands back and forth. To the media, to those who don’t know, we’re the perfect couple. They make comments about how much we love each other.
Matthias kisses my cheek and watches as the paparazzi go wild. Taking more and more pictures. We walked into the main hall and had a small moment of peace before encountering the people at the ball.
As the alpha leader of the Moonveil pack and the one hosting tonight’s events, Matthias had to go around exchanging pleasantries with everyone. I said nothing, only smiling and shaking hands when it called for it.
He kept looking around, he didn’t even stop to say hello to his parents. Though I did. My feet were tired in these heels, but then Matthias started pulling me in a certain direction.
At first, my heart skyrocketed. I didn’t do anything wrong this time. But I quickly calmed myself down, only to panic once more when we came face to face with-
“Alpha Cassiel Aldric, I’m so glad you could make it.”
Sharp golden eyes, with black hues in the middle. Golden brown hair, a chiseled jaw line, and an empty expression that did nothing to hinder his good looks. The alpha from the council was a sight to behold.
His eyes darkened as they locked with mine. Something akin to recognition flickered through them. Which is odd. I’ve never seen this man before. I think I would remember such a handsome face.
He turns slightly to Matthias. “Hello, I’m glad to be here. Who are you?”
The question seemed to throw Matthias off, and I lingered in the back, watching a man who seemed like the alpha of alphas as he addressed my husband.
Aurielle DuVall I had the best sleep of my entire life. My body feels rested in a way it never has before, like every muscle finally decided to unclench. I guess the cure to sadness is kissing an amazing man and then falling asleep in his arms. Maybe that is a little dramatic, but I cannot deny that being held by Cassiel all night was something close to perfect. His warmth surrounded me, steady and grounding, and the rhythm of his breathing lulled me into the deepest, dreamless sleep. I dread the thought of having to sleep separately after this. Once you taste something that good, the idea of going back feels unbearable.How did I stay in a loveless marriage? I've been given so much attention over the past few months that I can't understand how I went three years only getting scraps. Morning came quicker than I wanted. Cassiel was already awake, his voice calm as he told me we would be heading back to his pack today. The weight of responsibility tapped me on the shoulder immediatel
Cassiel Aldric It took a long moment before I dared to open my eyes. My wolf still thrashed inside me, hungry, demanding, clawing at the last threads of control I had left. The beast wanted more than a kiss. He wanted to claim her, to leave no doubt in her mind or her body that she belonged to us. My jaw clenched as I held myself back, fighting the primal tide with everything I had. My arm remained locked around her waist, firm and unyielding. Every muscle in me screamed to move it lower, to pull her even closer, to feel every inch of her pressed against me. But I forced myself still. Restraint was the only gift I could give her right now, and I respected her too much to let my desire trample over her readiness. Love burned in me, deep and untamed, and the bond that tied us together magnified it until it consumed every corner of me. The fated pull doubled every ounce of feeling until I could hardly breathe under the weight of it. Years of discipline, all the patience I had drill
Aurielle DuVall I tried to step back from Cassiel, but he did not move. His hands slid from my face down to my waist, holding me firmly, pulling me until there was no space left between us. My chest pressed against his, and the sudden closeness stole the air from my lungs. The sound that escaped me was half gasp, half broken breath. “Thalia,” Cassiel said without turning his head, his voice low and cutting. “Why are you here?” His eyes went from my eyes down to my mouth, and I watched as he swallowed with barely contained desire. It felt like he had been holding back, but now that I made the first move... his restraint was broken. Thalia blinked, startled by the coldness in his tone. “I came to check on Miss DuVall.” Cassiel’s grip on me never faltered. His eyes did not leave mine. “If you had done your job properly the first time, you would not need to check on her at all. Did I not give you instructions to escort those men back to our pack?” His words were sharp, clipped,
Aurielle DuVall I darted my eyes away from him before he could make a move. Not because I didn't want to kiss him.But because deep down I doubted he ever would. Cassiel was too much of a gentleman to kiss me while I was vulnerable. Though I don't think it would make him any less of a gentleman if he did decide to kiss me. The moment I slipped into the tub, the water embraced me in warmth. The bubbles rose in soft peaks around my shoulders, carrying the faint scent of lavender. Every ache in my muscles loosened and I felt myself sink deeper, letting the day’s stress dissolve into the ripples. Cassiel did not leave. He crouched beside the tub, close enough that his presence wrapped around me just as surely as the water did. His silence was heavy, yet not uncomfortable. He was watching me. I dragged the washcloth over my skin, following the rhythm of my own movements, but awareness of him pressed at me. When I dared to glance up, I found his eyes fixed on my face. His expression wa
Aurielle DuVall I shut my eyes the entire way back to the house, not because I wanted to sleep, I couldn’t, but because keeping them closed felt safer. I trusted myself in Cassiel’s hands. He wasn’t incompetent, not the kind of man to leave me to handle every detail alone. He was steady, reliable, and even in my haze, I knew he wouldn’t fail me. Still, rest never came. I was far too aware of every bump in the road, of the strange heaviness pulling at my limbs, of the bitter metallic taste coating my tongue and teeth. My body wanted to collapse, but my mind remained stubbornly awake, stuck in its own endless replay of everything that had gone wrong today. When Cassiel finally arrived at the house, it felt both too soon and not soon enough. He didn’t waste time, his voice cut firm but polite as he dismissed the mercenaries, telling them they could go with an edge in his voice that made it clear they were in trouble. They listened instantly. They always did. The guilt pricked sharp
Aurielle DuVallI’ve decided, I’m going to take the risky option. The dangerous one. The kind of option that could get me killed if I made one mistake. But I promised myself, before I even made my move, that I would not stand still and wait to be saved by these people. If I did nothing, he would win. If I fought, at least there was a chance.I forced my lungs to fill, forced the air into my body even though panic was threatening to strangle me. My wrists were burning from the pressure of his grip, and his other hand pressed cruelly over my mouth. His skin tasted of dirt, of sweat, of the kind of filth that never really washes away. His breath reeked as it hit my cheek.My senses were being haunted.Before I could talk myself out of it, I lifted my foot and slammed my heel down on his toes with every ounce of strength I had. There was a sharp crunching sound that turned my stomach, bone meeting bone in a way that was not natural. He shouted in pain, his roar so loud it startled the bi