Them before me

(IVORY’S POV)

I stood frozen, the room spinning under the weight of what I had just seen. Each second that passed felt like a hammer driving the realization deeper into my mind. My heart beat heavily in my chest, and I could barely breathe. Across from me, Alaric’s face twisted in anger instead, as if I were the one who had done something wrong.

“Say something, Alaric, will you? How could you?” My voice was sharp with fury, and my emotions were uncontrollable. This was despicable and shameful—sexting another? No matter how he spun it, this was cheating.

“Ivory,” he snapped, stepping closer and yanking his phone from my trembling hands. "Wow, just... wow."

“What the hell were you thinking, going through my phone?” His voice was cold and hard, completely devoid of the warmth I was used to. The man I had loved and trusted now felt like a stranger. But did I truly not see this coming?

“How could you?” I choked out, my voice cracking. Tears stung my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. “Valerie? After everything?” I wanted him to show remorse and understand the damage he'd done. But there was no guilt on his face—just anger that he’d been caught.

“You had no right,” he hissed, his eyes dark. “No right to go through my phone. That was an invasion of my privacy.”

“Oh, I had every damn right, Alaric. I have every right to question you and your mistress. How long has this been going on? How long have you been sneaking behind my back?”

His jaw tightened, but he said nothing. The silence that followed made my heart sink. I wanted him to deny it—even if I knew the truth. Denial would mean he still cared. But no apology came. No regret. Just a maddening silence that drove me to the brink.

I shook my head, bile rising in my throat as everything I thought I knew about him crumbled. It had always been her, hadn’t it? I was his wife, yet I felt like the other woman. I had to get out of there. I couldn’t stay in the 

same room with him, knowing what he had done.

Without another word, I turned and bolted for the door. I ran upstairs to the attic bedroom, away from them, faster than I thought possible, tears finally spilling over. I slammed the bedroom door behind me and locked it. My chest heaved as I leaned against the door, shaking uncontrollably. Even Lily, my wolf, retreated, unable to bear the weight of Alaric’s betrayal. He had tainted us.

I heard his heavy footsteps coming up the stairs, followed by the sound of him pounding on the door.

“Ivory! Open the door! Let me explain!”

Explain? I scoffed. What was there to explain? Deep down, I wasn’t just afraid of the affair—I was terrified of him telling me he was tired of waiting, that I couldn’t satisfy his needs.

“Please, Ivory, open the door!” His voice softened, but it didn’t matter. I couldn’t hear him anymore; I couldn’t bear the sight of him. I loved him too much, and that was the worst part.

Exhaustion took over as my sobs slowed. My heart ached in ways I had never known before. But I had betrayed myself more than anyone. The signs were always there, but I chose to ignore them, clinging to the idea that my marriage was perfect and I was lucky to marry the hot Alpha Alaric. I had lived in denial, not wanting to face the truth.

As my sobs quieted, sleep pulled me under. But even in my dreams, his amber eyes and deceit haunt me.

*********

 

I was running with the speed of lightning—running for my life. 

 

The forest was dark and dense, the stench of death hanging heavy in the air. My legs were barely keeping up as I fled, panting desperately. I couldn’t stop. I couldn’t look back.

 

Growls echoed behind me, the bloody rogues gaining ground. No matter how fast I ran, they were faster, closing in. They were everywhere, surrounding me.

 

Just as the first rogue leaped toward me to attack, an overwhelming light pierced the darkness. A figure appeared, powerful and commanding, cutting down the rogue with a single blow. I froze, breathless, as the others scattered in fear.

 

“Who... who are you?” I stammered, awestruck by the figure’s presence. Lily, my wolf, stirred, wanting to bow in submission. Strange.

 

The man turned to me, his eyes locking onto mine, sending a chill down my spine. His face was both familiar and foreign. He smirked and said, “Your husband.”

 

I gasped, my mind racing. The Alpha King of the second sphere of Mystical Blue Land? Before I could ask more, the dream shattered.

 

*********

 

Then I woke up with a start, my heart racing, sweat clinging to my skin. It was morning already. The dream had felt so real. The Alpha King? Why now, amid all this chaos?

The blare of car horns outside snapped me out of my thoughts. I stumbled to the window, squinting as I tried to make sense of what I was seeing.

Outside, a car was parked at the entrance of the packhouse. Guards were unloading bags with an urgency that unsettled me. What was happening?

I threw on a robe and rushed downstairs. The sight that greeted me stopped me in my tracks.

Valerie was here. Walking through my home as if she owned it. The nursery—the room I had lovingly prepared for our first pup—was now being filled with her belongings.

“What is going on?” I demanded, my voice trembling with fury as I marched toward Valerie. “Why are you putting those things in there?”

One of the guards barely glanced at me. “It’s the Alpha’s command, Luna.”

 

The Alpha’s command? My blood boiled. This was my home, my life—and he dared to bring her here? Not long after, Alaric stepped into the room; his face was set in a tight scowl. Glancing around, he gestured to the guards with his hands. “Everyone out,” he commanded, his voice low but firm.

 

The guards scurried away, leaving just the three of us — Alaric, Valerie, and me. He turned to me, his expression unreadable, his voice too gentle for my liking. “Ivory, there’s something you need to know.”

 

My heart sank. I glanced at Valerie, standing a few feet away, her eyes downcast.

“Valerie is having my first pup.”

For a moment, everything froze. His words echoed in my mind: Valerie. His first pup? My breath caught in my throat, and the ground beneath me seemed to give way.

“I had to,” he continued as if that explained everything. “The pack needed an heir, Ivory. They were growing restless. I couldn’t keep waiting for you.”

I froze at his words. This wasn’t about love or family. It was about his pride—about proving something to the pack.

“I understand,” I said quietly, the shame and hurt burning in my chest. “I wasn’t enough for you.”

“No, Ivory—” he started, but I couldn’t listen. I clenched my hands, my nails digging into my palms, to stop myself from breaking down.

“Poor thing,” Valerie purred, her voice dripping with false sympathy. “It must be hard, knowing you’re almost barren.”

Her words were daggers, twisting in the wound that had already been cut deep.

“Enough, Valerie,” Alaric snapped. “Ivory is still the Luna of the Silver Pack, and you will respect her.”

Luna. The title felt hollow now. What was the point of being Luna if I couldn’t give the pack what it needed?

“I’ll take my leave,” I said, my voice brittle but steady. I walked out without looking back, each step heavier than the last.

I had given everything to this pack, to him. And now it was all gone—stolen by Valerie and her unborn child. I had nothing left. Not even hope.

 

I felt a crushing pain in my chest as I landed thud on the bed in the attic bedroom. 

 

My head felt heavy with the betrayal. Will I survive this humiliation?