Chapter 3

Irwen’s POV

The room was silent, save for the fading echo of the footage I’d just shown. Whispers began to rise, confusion and disgust etched on every face. And then, Kairos stepped forward. His voice was cold—razor sharp and merciless.

“This is disgraceful,” he said, his eyes locked onto Darien. “Your actions are not only a stain on your own name, but on the very seat of your pack. An Alpha who cannot keep his vows has no right to hold power.”

Darien flinched, but only for a moment. Then he straightened, his jaw clenched and pride clinging to him like a second skin. “It’s not what it looks like. I was set up,” he spat. “Irwen’s been distant from the beginning. She’s never fulfilled her duties as my mate—never been a true Luna.”

His words were loud, desperate. But to me, they were nothing more than knives dulled by repetition. Lies I’d heard in my own mind, whispered in the silence of our cold bedroom.

I let out a soft laugh. “Everyone here knows I’ve performed my duties as Luna. Even now, I’m fulfilling them—this entire summit was part of my role.” I turned slowly, looking each leader in the eye. “You’ve all seen it. You’ve witnessed it. You’ve praised it. I don’t need to defend myself when the truth is this clear.”

Darien’s face twisted in anger. He stormed toward me and grabbed my wrist, his fingers digging painfully into my skin. His voice dropped low, but the fury in it made everyone freeze.

“You ungrateful—”

“—And what about Faye?” I said softly, cutting him off.

He stilled.

“Your childhood friend. The one you’ve been sneaking off to meet behind closed doors. The one you’ve touched… while never laying a hand on your own mate.”

The room froze again.

“You don’t know what you’re talking about,” Darien hissed, but his voice cracked.

“I don’t need to say anything more,” I said coldly. “You just confirmed it.”

He realized it a second too late. The slip. The truth laid bare in front of everyone.

My heart clenched. Even now, even after everything, it still hurt to say it aloud—to look at the man who was once my dream and see the stranger he’d become. But I kept my expression cold. I would not let tears fall here. Not in front of him.

The grip on my wrist tightened, and before I could pull back, Darien’s palm connected with my face.

The force sent me to the floor. My cheek stung. Blood trickled from the corner of my lip onto the marble tiles. A stunned silence fell over the room, punctuated only by my shallow breath.

I didn’t cry.

I didn’t speak.

But I didn’t need to.

Kairos stepped forward, his voice like thunder. “Enough.”

The power in his voice shook the room.

His steps were measured as he approached us, his expression a mask of fury and disgust. “You raise your hand to your Luna—in this sacred chamber—before the council and your king?” His gaze burned.

Before Darien could respond, the doors at the back of the chamber creaked open. A figure stepped inside—a woman with long dark hair and bright red lips. She walked as if she belonged, chin lifted with smug confidence, and when she stopped beside Darien, her presence confirmed everything.

“I came because I was told I would be welcomed,” she said, smiling innocently. “As Luna.”

A collective gasp filled the room.

I slowly pushed myself to my feet, wiping the blood from my mouth with the back of my hand. “Selena,” I said, my voice calm. “Thank you for confirming everything for the council.”

Confusion flickered in her eyes.

“I sent the message,” I said, allowing myself a bitter smile. “From Delta Marcius’ phone. I borrowed it before the meeting began. I wanted to see if you would come.”

Her smile faltered. “You… tricked me?”

“I gave you an opportunity to expose yourself. You did the rest.”

Darien whirled on her, his voice rising with fury. “You idiot! Why would you show up?!”

Selena flinched at his words, her confidence wilting under the weight of his public rage.

“You absolute fool!” he shouted. “Do you know what you’ve done?!”

And then Kairos raised a hand again, silencing the room once more. His eyes swept between the two of them. “Based on all that we’ve seen and heard. I hereby grant Lady Irwen’s request for divorce. Effective immediately.”

Darien turned to him, eyes wild. “No. You can’t do this. She’s my mate!”

“You broke the bond long ago,” Kairos replied coldly. “You shattered your vows. And now you will face the consequences.”

“I won’t accept this,” Darien growled. “This… this damages my honor—my name!”

Kairos didn’t flinch. “You speak of honor after striking your mate? After cheating openly? You’ll accept the judgment of your king, or you’ll lose more than just your title.”

Darien’s fists clenched. His pride burned in his eyes.

Kairos continued, unmoved. “As compensation for the emotional, political, and personal damage caused to Lady Irwen during your union, I hereby command that half of all your marital assets, achievements, and holdings be transferred to her.”

I froze.

Darien exploded. “That’s not fair! That’s theft!”

“You should’ve considered fairness before you destroyed your marriage,” Kairos said. “This is the law. And as Alpha King, I enforce it.”

Several Alphas in the room nodded in agreement. Their expressions were stone. No one spoke for Darien. No one defended him.

“You brought this on yourself,” one elder muttered.

“There is no alliance with a traitor,” another Alpha said coldly.

Darien’s breath hitched, and for the first time, I saw fear on his face. Real fear. Because this wasn’t just a divorce. It was exile. Shame. The end of his place among us.

“Remove him,” Kairos ordered.

Guards stepped forward. Darien stared at me, then at Kairos, then Selena—who now looked pale and stunned, as if the gravity of her actions had just begun to settle in.

“No,” he whispered. “You can’t do this…”

But they could, and they did.

He was dragged from the chamber like a criminal, his cries of protest echoing in the grand hall until the doors slammed shut.

I hadn’t expected that. I had asked for freedom, not fortune. I would’ve walked away with nothing if it meant peace. But to be given this—power, independence, recognition—was more than I had dared hope.