Chapter 2

Azalea’s Pov

The sun had come too early, maybe because last night had hunted me more than it should. Noah never returned and he never cared to even send a text that he was fine.

I was done hiding in the shadows and letting his actions kill me while I smiled like the woman who lived the perfect marriage. Today, we were going to talk, I didn’t care if I had to scream down the roof of the pack house, they needed to slot me in as a fucking business appointment.

I almost sniggered at the thought, I needed to book ahead just to see my husband. I shook my head as I applied a darker shade of concealer around my eyes, I needed to hide the dark circles that had formed.

“Good morning, Luna,” my driver greeted, his head bowed as he pulled the car door open for me.

“Morning Martins, how is the wife?” I asked.

His smile was blinding, “She is perfect ma’am, last night was our anniversary and she went all out,”

His joy was contagious, but I couldn’t catch it… I hated the way his happy marriage felt like a fucking stone to my crumbling one. “That is so nice, you should have told me, I would have given you a day off,” I said with a paltered smile on my face.

“It is fine Luna, I know she needs her rest,” he said in a teasing tone.

I smiled, angry at myself for the jealousy that I could feel creeping up my chest. Was this what I was subjected to? A bitter Luna who couldn’t even smile for others' happiness?

“Martins, could you please stop by the doughnut spot,”

“Of course, ma’am,”

The car was in complete silence, my body thrummed with nerves and a hint of excitement as we neared the pack house. The smell of doughnuts filled the car. Would he appreciate it?

The pack house stood tall like a foreboding building, the marble floors and flowers did nothing to soothe me. In this immaculate building, I felt smaller. Forgotten.

The receptionist smiled, “Good day Luna, the alpha is in his office, I could tell him that….”

I chuckled, “Don’t, I would love to surprise him,” I whispered lifting the carton of doughnuts into her eyesight. She nodded eagerly, her excitement almost overshadowing mine.

When we had gotten married, Noah had always been excited when I would show up to his office unannounced and along the line, well we drifted, the excitement turned into frustrated glances and then nothing.

“I am sure you will have a pleasant day,”

I waved, I didn’t question her tone, I didn’t have to think much about it. The excited lover in me was happy to take this step.

As I moved towards the office, I heard it. The unbeatable soft laugh, feminine, muffled through the closed door.

I stopped in my tracks, my heart slamming hard against my chest.

Another sound followed; this time undeniable— a grunt.

It can’t be.

My hand trembled violently as I neared the door, the doughnut forgotten as I grabbed the doorknob. It is nothing, it has to be nothing. But each second, the unmistakable sounds of pleasure echoed through the door.

I pushed the door open.

My world tilted on its axis. The doughnut dropped to the floor as I stared at the scene before me. She was bent over his desk, her gel-polished nails digging hard into the wood. And Noah? He was slamming into her as if he needed this to survive.

My chest tightened, my lungs begging for air. The rumours, the stories, there weren’t lies… it was… I had been…

“Fuck!” Noah groaned, slamming hard into her, unaware of his wife... his freaking mate staring at him with a broken look on her face.

“You bastard!”

They froze like a fucking deer trapped in headlights. She scrambled, her eyes filled with fear as she picked up her skirt, trying to hide the dignity that wasn’t there. I knew her, she was the fucking secretary he had just hired, a young intern who…

My hand reached out, grabbing her ponytail as she tried to bolt past me, “How long?” I growled, my eyes darkening as I stared at her tear-stained face.

Was she crying that she had been caught?

“Azalea!”

My head snapped towards the direction of the voice, his belt buckled, staring at me like nothing had happened, but the stench of sex and betrayal filled the room, “Don’t you fucking Azalea me,” I seethed.

He sighed. He freaking sighed, “Let her go... she has work...”

I hissed, my hand smacking her hard on the face just as she ran out of the room, the sound of her tears echoing through the hallway. Noah looked in the direction she had bolted through, I could see the look in his eyes, he wanted to run after her.

I stepped over the pastry, a bitter laugh escaping my lips as I stared at the man, whom I called my mate. “So, this is it?”

“Stop acting like a fucking child!” he barked.

I spun; my eyes wide in shock. What?

“Forgive me, husband, forgive the stupid wife who stayed awake all night, wondering when you would return. Forgive me for thinking that I could bring this, something to celebrate my birthday… the one you fucking missed, the one you…”

“I never asked you to stay awake… I never requested for you to bring this!” he roared, the veins in his head almost popping.

“What?”

He didn’t look mad anymore, he stared at me with the calmness I had once admired, “Maybe I shouldn’t have picked you to be my Luna…”

My knees buckled; the words had hit harder than a punch. The air left my lungs. Did he know what he had just said?

When his gaze met mine, it softened, he took a step forward, his hand grabbing mine as he pulled me to his chest. I felt numb, there was no electric jolt in his touch, as his finger trailed up my skin, it burned. “I am sorry, you know I didn’t mean that… I love you…”

I pulled away; he had the freaking mind to stare at me as if I had been the one to destroy us. “You love me? Noah? Love?” I laughed.

I was losing my mind. Maybe this is penance for the life I must have lived.

“You are being emotional… You need to remember your position in this pack... this isn’t befitting for a Luna...stop acting…”

“You fucking cheated Noah! And yet I am the one in the wrong!”

My throat felt sore, how was I here but he still couldn’t hear me? He didn’t even see me.

“These tantrums…”

“You were fucking your assistant, and you call this a tantrum?” I bellowed.

He ran his fingers through his hair, “Look, I have been stressed lately and I know that you are still strung out on the baby…”

A tear rolled down my cheek. The first and the last I would cry for him.

He smiled, the cold calculating smile of a ruthless man, “I will come home tonight… and maybe we can try again… if you have a child, you wouldn’t be obsessed about things that shouldn’t be…”

Something cracked.

He had used it again, using the image of a desperate future to hunt me. “Okay,”

He smiled, pleased with the reply I had given him, “The alpha king would be here in a few days, you should start the preparations,”

He walked away, leaving me standing in the wake of his betrayal and pain. He didn’t tell me he was sorry, didn’t even bother to say he was happy belated birthday. Nothing.

He wanted perfection. He wanted the world to see him as what he wasn’t. I would give him that.