Chapter 5: A Private Annulment

Devlin’s POV

I woke up the next morning with one decision already made. I wasn't going to spend another day sitting around feeling sorry for myself.

That didn't mean I wasn't hurt. I was. My chest still felt heavy whenever I thought about Jason and Chloe, and the council meeting kept replaying in my mind. But sitting in my room crying over people who had already decided what they wanted from me wasn't going to change anything. If they were determined to treat me like I had no say in my own life, I wasn't going to help them by becoming a woman who simply waited for the next blow.

So I got dressed and left the house. I spent the morning shopping for toiletries and a few hair products I needed. On my way back, I passed a small boutique and stopped outside. I don't know what made me walk in. Maybe I simply wanted to do something for myself.

The attendant brought out several dresses, and I tried on a few without expecting to buy any. Then she brought out an emerald green dress that immediately caught my attention. I stared at myself in the mirror. The color looked beautiful against my dark skin. The dress hugged my curves without making me uncomfortable, and for a little while, I forgot about being the rejected Luna whose position was being discussed by people who barely bothered to hide their contempt for her. A smile touched my lips as I looked at my reflection.

I looked good.

Not good enough for Jason or the council.

Just good for me.

The attendant offered to take some pictures, and I agreed. I ended up buying the green dress and another one before leaving the boutique with a small smile on my face. By the time I returned home, I was hungry.

Instead of waiting for someone else to decide what I should eat, I went into the kitchen and cooked for myself. I made pasta with a rich sauce, grilled chicken, vegetables, sliced fruit, dessert, and a cold glass of juice. Music played while I cooked, and I hummed along to a song I barely knew. For once, I allowed myself to enjoy something simple.

I carried my plate into the dining room and sat down. I had barely taken a few bites when Jason walked in. His eyes went straight to my food.

“That’s a lot of food.”

“Yes, it is.”

He pulled out the chair across from me.

“You’re going to eat all that by yourself?”

“Yes.”

He looked genuinely surprised. “You could leave some for me. I'm hungry too.”

I put my fork down.

“No.”

His eyebrows pulled together. “But why not?”

“Because I made it for myself.”

“But you’ve made this for me before.”

“I know.” I picked up my fork again. “I didn’t make anything for you today, Jason. If you're hungry, ask the kitchen staff to prepare something for you.”

He didn't argue. He simply stood there, looking at me as though he was trying to understand when I had stopped making room for him in everything I did. I finished my meal without explaining myself.

Later, I returned to my office to focus on pack business. I needed a file from the records room, so I left my office and headed down the corridor. I was almost at the sitting room when I heard voices.

Isabelle and Chloe.

They were speaking quietly, unaware that I was nearby.

“You said Jason has already signed everything?” Chloe asked.

“Yes,” Isabelle replied. “The annulment papers are already signed. Devlin still doesn't know.”

My fingers tightened around the file in my hand.

“And Jason is still planning to tell her at the Gala?”

“That is what he wants. The council thinks announcing it publicly will make things easier. Once the pack hears that the marriage is over, there will be less room for argument.”

Chloe was silent for a moment before asking, “And who comes next?”

“Don't rush things,” Isabelle said. “Let the council handle that part.”

I didn't stay to hear anything else. Back in my office, I closed the door and sat behind my desk. Anger burned through me, but beneath it was something worse. I had expected betrayal from Chloe. I had expected cruelty from Isabelle. What I had still hoped for was that Jason would at least tell me the truth himself.

I stood and walked straight to his office. I didn't knock. Jason looked up from his desk, surprise crossing his face.

“Did you sign the annulment papers?”

His expression changed.

“Who told you?”

The question itself gave me the answer.

“So you did.”

“Devlin, I was going to tell you.”

“When?”

He didn't answer.

“You were going to announce the end of our marriage in front of the entire pack before telling me?”

“Devlin, it's not that simple.”

“It is very simple, Jason. You signed the papers.”

His shoulders dropped.

“The council has been putting pressure on me for months. They want an heir.”

“And apparently, you want one too.”

“That’s not what I said.”

“You didn't have to.”

He looked down at the desk.

“You knew all of this while you were with me,” I said. “You signed those papers, yet you kept coming back to me as though we still had a future.”

“I didn't know how to tell you.”

The words hurt more than I expected.

“You signed away four years of our lives without telling me. You let me sleep beside you, kissed me, touched me, and kept the truth from me.”

Jason stepped towards me, but I moved back.

“Devlin, please. I know I was wrong. I kept telling myself I would find the right moment to tell you, but every time I looked at you, I couldn't bring myself to do it.”

“So you thought keeping me in the dark was kinder?”

“No. I knew it was wrong.” His voice lowered. “I was afraid of what would happen when I told you. The council kept pushing me. My parents kept saying the pack needed an heir, and every conversation somehow ended with you being the problem.”

He swallowed.

“I signed those papers because I was weak enough to let them convince me that ending our marriage was the only way to stop the pressure.”

I stared at him.

“But after I signed them, I couldn't bring myself to tell you. I kept thinking maybe I could fix something before you found out.”

A bitter laugh escaped me.

“Fix something?”

“I know how that sounds.”

“No, Jason. You don't.” My voice shook. “You didn't fix anything. You made the decision for both of us and then came back to our bedroom every night as if everything was normal.”

His face tightened.

“I know. And I hate myself for that. I should have told you the moment I signed them.”

“I didn't need you to protect me from the truth,” I said quietly. “I needed you to respect me enough to tell me.”

“I should have.”

He hesitated before continuing.

“I don't expect you to forgive me. But I never wanted you to find out like this. I thought if I told you privately, you would fight me. I didn't know how I was going to stand there and hurt you face-to-face, so I convinced myself that announcing it publicly would make the decision final.”

“And you thought that would make it easier for me?”

“No.” His voice dropped to a whisper. “I thought it would make it easier for me.”

That admission left me silent.

“I was a coward, Devlin. That's the truth. I didn't know how to choose between what the council wanted and my mate, so I tried to avoid the consequences until I couldn't anymore.”

I searched his face for something I could still hold on to, but all I found was regret.

“You could have told me the truth,” I said. “I might have hated you for it. I might have screamed at you. I might have walked away. But at least I would have known where I stood.”

Jason said nothing.

“You wanted a woman strong enough to give you the heirs you so desperately want?” I asked. “You should have paid closer attention to the woman you already had.”

Something stirred inside me. At first, it was a faint warmth beneath my chest. Then it erupted.

Heat spread through my body with such force that I grabbed the edge of his desk.

“Devlin?”

I couldn't answer. The heat moved from my chest through my ribs and down my arms, burning beneath my skin while my heart pounded against my chest. A strange vibration traveled through my bones.

Then I heard it. A roar.Deep and  powerful.

It wasn't coming from outside the room. It was inside me.

My knees weakened as the sound rolled through my body. I looked towards the dark glass of the window and caught my reflection. My eyes flashed gold.