Chapter 1

Elvina’s POV

The crashing of the ocean waves usually lulled me into a sense of peace, but today the tide was unpredictable. 

I stood near the shoreline, the cool salt water swirling around my ankles as  i stared deep at the water for so long, long enough for my mind to wonder off. 

The thought of the hell i had been through in my marriage sneaked into my mind yet again after i promised myself not to dwell in the past anymore.

I felt a sharp pain in my chest from the acceptance that i could never be enough.

After years of dedication to my ex husband Felix, i was still torn apart by him. 

The start of our marriage was honestly filled with roses and sunshine. Felix was charming and loving, he made me feel special and he just understood me. I fell for his charm over and over, because i couldn’t just get over the idea of someone this perfect being mine.

Our marriage was blessed with a beautiful girl, Iris. At first I doubted Felix’s ability to be a father, but he never seized to prove me wrong. He became a wonderful father to our daughter. 

Everything was going perfectly well until it didn’t anymore. i began to see cracks on my marriage, but i kept on patching it up, because i couldn’t fathom the idea of losing my husband and my daughter losing her father either.

Suddenly, my husband became very cold and controlling ever since his promotion as the Gamma of the Ashbourne pack. 

Ever since then, his view of me changed as he only saw me as a trophy and he wanted me to become the perfect wife to the Gamma.

Felix gradually became distant until he wasn’t there anymore. He barely returned back home from work and then blamed it on emergency board meetings. 

He avoided sleeping in the same room and bed with me, he started sleeping in the guest room, then he frequently had prolonged midnight calls.

Worst of all, he began withdrawing from our daughter, from paying little to no attention to her. I tried having conversations about it with him severally, but he just kept shunning me out. 

Every conversation ended up becoming an argument, but i fought really hard to make everything better for the sake of my daughter, untill I couldn’t any more.

My marriage finally crashed right in front of me on the night of our 5th anniversary. That very night was supposed to be a  special one, but it turned out to be the most devastating moment for me 

That night, i caught my husband and his secretary together in our matrimonial bed all curled up and naked.

Every part of my my heart shattered into millions of pieces, but I had to remain strong for my daughter Iris.i was ready to stand my ground as i was already fed up of sacrificing my peace for his own ego. 

Felix asked for a divorce out of shame and guilt i  guess. I didn’t think twice before I accepted the divorce. I also rejected our mate bond instantly even though it came at a cost. 

I bet the moon goddess punished me for my actions, by stripping me off my powers that i was yet to even understand. I became powerless after the rejection process was completed.

But none of that matters anymore, as long as my daughter was living a normal life far away from all those unhealthy drama.

For the first time in years, I felt a faint sliver of freedom. 

A splash of water on my face disrupted my train of thought and  snapped me back to reality, I felt a tear drop slipped down my face but I immediately wiped it off. 

I was on a short vacation at the beach while my daughter was with my best friend, Helena for the meantime while i took a time off for just me and myself alone. 

Still standing near the shore, i  took a few steps deeper into the water, letting the cool tide wash over my skin.

Then, without warning, an unusually large wave crested and slammed into me. The force immediately swept me off my feet, pulling me under for  a brief,  and breathless moment.

When i broke through the surface, gasping for air and wiping the salt water from my eyes, horror instantly seized me.

The sudden violence of the wave had completely snapped the thin straps of my bikini top, sweeping it away into the water.

Immediately panic surged through me. I wrapped my arms around my chest, sinking shoulder deep as i looked around frantically.

The water was clear, but the bikini  top was already gone, carried away by the current.

"Do you need help?"

A deep, commanding voice resonated just a few feet away. I turned my head sharply to see a man wading through the water toward me. 

He  was impossibly broad-shouldered, with sharp features, dark hair plastered against his forehead, and piercing gray eyes that seemed to burn straight through the mist. 

His presence alone carried an undeniable authority, a power that made the atmosphere feel charged.

"I…my top," I stammered, my face flushing heat despite the freezing water. "The wave took it."

Without a second's hesitation, he closed the distance between us. Before I could process his movement, he reached down and scooped me into his arms.

I gasped as he lifted me out of the water. His skin was warm, his muscles dense and unyielding against my chest as I instinctively clung to his shoulders.

I was too stunned to speak or even think at that moment. 

He held me securely, shielding my bare upper body against his broad chest as he carried me toward the shore.

His touch sent a strange, electric spark through my skin, a sensation so intense it made my heart race wildly against his chest.

He walked past his beach lounge chair, reached down with one hand while holding me effortlessly with the other, and grabbed a plush white towel.

He carefully wrapped it around my shoulders, tucking it securely over my chest before gently setting me back on my feet.

“Are you alright?” he asked calmly, his intense gray eyes scanning my face with a mixture of composure and subtle concern.

"Yes," I breathed out, holding the towel tight against me. "Tha..Thank you. Truly... I don't know what I would have done."

"It was no trouble," he replied, a faint, rare softness flickering in his eyes. He extended a hand toward me. "I'm Arthur."

“Elvina.” I managed to say, taking his hand briefly. The warmth of his grip made my pulse spike all over again.

“Elvina.” He repeated, testing the name as if storing it away.

"Well, Elvina, since the wave deprived you of your swimwear for the day, permit me to fix it. There's a high-end boutique inside the resort lobby. Let me buy you a replacement, and then join me for dinner tonight."

I blinked, caught off guard by his directness and the sheer confidence in his tone. "Oh, no, I couldn't possibly accept a gift from you. You've already done enough by saving me."

"I insist," Arthur said smoothly, stepping closer. His eyes locked onto mine with an intensity that made it almost impossible to look away. 

"A woman as beautiful as you shouldn't have her day ruined by a rogue wave. Let me take care of it."

His words hit me with unexpected weight. After everything I had been through, after feeling invisible and broken for so long, his genuine admiration left me breathless.

I was about to reject his offer once more, then a thought lingered in my mind that it wouldn’t hurt to just explore for once tonight.

He was a total stranger after all, how bad could it hurt? I’m sure it was going to be nothing serious. It was just dinner.

"Alright," I whispered, giving in with a small, hesitant smile. "Thank you, Arthur."

An hour later, after drying my self up and putting on something more comfortable, i met Arthur near the lobby shops. 

True to his word, he drove me to an exclusive designer boutique. He didn't just pick a simple replacement, he selected an exquisite, limited-edition deep emerald bikini crafted from Italian silk-blend fabric.

When I looked at the tag, my jaw nearly dropped. "Arthur, no. This is far too expensive. I really can't take this."

He walked up behind me, his reflection towering over mine in the boutique mirror. He placed his hands gently on my shoulders, his thumb brushing against my collarbone.

"It matches the color of your eyes," he murmured, his breath warm against my ear. "And it belongs on you. Don't worry about the price, Elvina. Allow yourself to be spoiled tonight."

His compliments melted away my lingering doubts. I held the outfit close, feeling a sudden surge of excitement I hadn't experienced in years.

‘Exploring.’ I reminded myself.

“Okay, fine,” i said.

 “I really appreciate this Arthur, this is a lot.” I continued.

“It’s nothing Elvina.” He cut me off immediately. 

He paid for the bikini and guided me out of the boutique. 

An hour later, we made it to a restaurant in his Suv

Dinner was a blur of low candlelight, exquisite wine, and intense conversation.

Arthur was really attentive, he watched my every movement, listened to every word like i were the only person in the entire restaurant. 

The atmosphere became extremely intense at a point. He stared deeply into my eyes,it made my heart beat faster . My heart shouldn’t be beating fast like this.

At that moment I expected my phone to ring from Iris’s call to tell me goodnight, but none of that happened. I guess Helena, already tucked her in.

By the time we were done eating, we walked down the quiet, dimly lit corridor toward his private penthouse suite. 

I didn’t even know what i was thinking when i followed him back to his house. 

The air between us remained thick with undeniable tension.

The moment the suite door clicked shut behind us, Arthur turned and pulled me into his arms. His mouth came down on mine in a deep, possessive kiss that instantly consumed every lingering thought in my head. 

I tangled my fingers in his dark hair, pulling him closer as a quiet moan escaped my throat. He shifted his weight, backing me against the door before lifting me up. 

Instinctively, I wrapped my legs around his waist, holding onto his powerful shoulders as his hands mapped the curve of my waist and hips.

He carried me into the dimly lit bedroom and laid me gently onto the massive king-sized bed. Standing over me for a brief second, his eyes darkened with pure desire as he stripped off his shirt, revealing a torso sculpted like marble.

Arthur leaned down, trailing hot, feverish kisses along my jawline, down the sensitive skin of my neck, and over my collarbone. 

Every touch sent electricity shooting through my nerves. He pulled away the silk robe I wore, leaving my skin completely bare to his gaze.

"You are breathtaking, Elvina," he growled softly, his voice low and raspy.

He hovered over me, his hands tracing every curve of my body with a mix of reverence and overwhelming passion.