Chapter 1

Elena's POV

"We'll have to separate, my love," Alaric said, staring at me. I could see emotions swirling in his eyes.

I opened my mouth in shock.

"But why?" I managed to ask.

"It's becoming frustrating. I've been receiving a lot of pressure from the elders. I've tried to act like I wasn't bothered, but I'm as bothered as hell. We need an heir, Elena, and since we don't have one, I was asked to dissolve my marriage with you," he said softly.

"Alaric, I've tried. We both know there's no specific reason why I can't conceive," I said, half screaming. I'd had enough of everyone watching my womb like it was my fault. After going through a series of tests, the doctor said I was fine.

"I'm sorry, Elena. You know there's little to nothing you can do, but I was forced to," he said, tearing his eyes away from me. I could see tears glistening in his eyes.

"What? Alaric, I thought you loved me, and you said it didn't bother you if I couldn't conceive. So why this?" I asked, dumbfounded.

"I do love you, so much more than you could ever imagine, and I also don't care whether you're with child or not. I love you so much."

His voice was low and strained, almost as if he was forcing the words out. His jaw tightened, and his eyes shimmered with emotions I couldn't quite understand.

My throat, which was filled with unshed tears, felt like it had a lump in it. It was too much to bear, and tears instantly filled my eyes.

"Hey, baby, don't cry," he said, wiping the tears that rolled down my cheeks.

"We could ask them for more time. Maybe something could happen. The Moon Goddess won't be heartless enough to make us separate," I said, trying to reason things out with him.

"I did, honey. I did. The appeal was still rejected. Either we separate or I'll be stripped of my position as Alpha, and you know what comes with it," he said, trying not to look directly into my eyes.

"What's that?" I asked inquisitively.

"Execution, honey."

"The rejection ceremony is in five days," he said.

Before turning to leave, he gently cupped my face in both hands.

His thumbs brushed away the tears on my cheeks before he rested his forehead against mine. For a brief moment, neither of us spoke. The silence between us was louder than words.

Then he captured my lips in a slow, gentle kiss.

It was filled with love... sorrow... and the pain of having to let me go.

I closed my eyes as my heart shattered even more. I could almost feel every emotion he was trying so hard to hide behind that kiss. It lingered for a few more seconds before he reluctantly pulled away.

"I'll always love you," he whispered.

Without another word, he turned around and walked out of the room.

The moment he left, I dropped to my knees and cried my eyes out. I couldn't believe this would ever happen.

After a while, I picked myself up from the floor, took my phone, and called my best friend, Lauren.

"Hello, babe. How are you doing?" she asked. I could hear the joy in her voice.

"Terrible," I replied with a sad laugh.

"Are you okay? What's wrong?"

I burst into tears again.

"Al... Alaric..." I managed to say between sobs.

"I'm coming to get you this moment," she said before hanging up.

A few minutes later, she arrived and barged into my room.

"Oh, Moon Goddess, you look horrible, Elen. What happened?"

I stared at her as more tears rolled down my cheeks.

"Let's go to my place first."

She helped me up from the floor.

The drive to her apartment was silent. Only my constant sniffles could be heard. We finally arrived, and she helped me inside.

"You need to shower. You look a mess right now."

I nodded and went to take a bath. She also left a pair of clothes for me, which I was grateful for.

I came downstairs to see her serving dinner.

"Come on and eat. You need it, especially in this state."

"Thank you, Lauren. I don't feel like it," I said as I made my way to the living room. I lay on the floor, staring at the ceiling. I felt numb. Deep down, it felt like my world had ended.

"Okay, now I think it's time for me to know what's going on. You keep crying, and I don't know what the problem is," she said.

"The elders of the pack asked that we separate since I couldn't give him an heir. You know the heart-piercing part? There was no way he could turn down what they had said. It had consequences attached," I explained as tears began rolling down my face.

"What the hell? Of all I know, Alaric was pretty much okay with you not having a child. What? What's the consequence?" she asked inquisitively.

"He'll be stripped of his position as Alpha. Not just that, but he'll be executed."

"No way in hell, Elena," she said, her eyes widening.

"He said the rejection ceremony is in five days. I'm so fucked up right now," I sobbed profusely.

"Hey, you're not. Come on," she said, trying to calm me down.

I eventually fell asleep on her shoulder.

††††

The next morning, I woke up to Lauren staring at me with pity.

"Hey, how are you feeling?" she asked, worry etched across her face.

"I'm better, Lauren. I have to go back to the house. I'm sure Alaric is wondering where I am."

"Okay, honey."

I changed into the clothes I had come with. They had already dried. I was about to leave when Lauren called me back.

"Elen, honey, you need to eat. You need to be strong. Starving yourself won't help. Come on, sit and eat," she said, nudging my hand.

I gave a small smile and sat down to eat. It was my favourite meal, creamy chicken Alfredo pasta with garlic bread. It looked mouth-watering. I ate in a hurry.

"Come on, Elen. You have to calm down. It's not running away," she said with a soft chuckle.

I laughed too as I slowed my pace.

After I finished eating, I stood up, hugged her, and left.

When I got home, the house was much quieter than usual. Maybe everyone was still asleep.

I stepped inside. All the domestic staff were there, busy with their work. The moment they noticed me, everyone's eyes landed on me. They looked surprised. Some even whispered among themselves, but I couldn't care less.

Instead, I made my way toward our room.

The moment I opened the door, I couldn't believe what I saw.

I stood frozen at the doorway, my mouth hanging open in horror.