Chapter 3

Tessa’s POV

I hurriedly got dressed and left. 

The drive back to the Ironclaw Pack was a blur, the road stretching endlessly before me as my mind churned with the memories of the previous night with this stranger, the sting of Sebastian’s betrayal, the reckless abandon of the Gray Zone, and the stranger’s furious departure after discovering my mating mark, it all swirled together in my head as storm of emotions I couldn’t stop. My wolf, Lititi, was restless too, pacing inside my head. She was angry, hurt, but also defiant, urging me to be strong and not feel weak for the messy situation I found myself in. I gripped the steering wheel tighter as I finally pulled into the driveway of ironclaw, the mansion I shared with Sebastian. Only the sight of the house made my mood change as fresh memories of Sabastian cheating played right in front of me in my head. The scene came flashing back. I could even see their lustful faces as they kissed.

Soon, I stepped out of the car. My black dress, crumpled from the night’s chaos, clung to me, and I hadn’t bothered to fix my hair or wipe the smudged makeup from my face. I didn’t care. I just wanted to grab my things, confront Sebastian, and end this farce of a marriage. But as I pushed open the door, a familiar presence hit me. 

Sabastian ’s mother, Marianne Simeon, stood in the foyer, her arms crossed as she glared at me. Her  hair was pulled back in a severe bun, and her eyes raked over me with undisguised disdain. She wore a navy dress. My heart sank. Of all the people to face right now, she was the last I needed.

“Tessa,” she called, her voice dripping with condescension. “Where have you been?”

I froze, my hand still on the door handle. Before I could respond, Sebastian appeared from the living room. His hair was neatly combed, his white shirt and pants looked like he had just had a shower and ready for the day. His eyes were cold as his gaze fell on me. He stepped closer, arms crossed.

“Well?” he said. “Care to explain where you’ve been all night? You didn’t come home, Tessa. That’s not like the perfect little wife you try so hard to be. Don’t tell me you were with another man all night?”

The nerve of him. After everything I’d seen in his office, after Lyra’s betrayal and his casual dismissal of my pain, he had the audacity to question me? Lititi snarled within me, her fury mirroring my own. Boldly, I took a few step to him, standing a few inches away as I looked up to him and spoke with all the courage I could summon.

“You have no right to interrogate me,” I snapped, my voice filling with rage. “Not after what I saw yesterday. You and Lyra, tangled up in your office like I mean nothing. You betrayed me, Sebastian. You betrayed us. I’m done with this marriage. I want a divorce!”

Sebastian let out a cold and short smirk that didn’t reach his eyes for a fraction of a second, but he quickly recovered, his expression hardening again. “A divorce? Don’t be ridiculous, Tessa. You’re blowing this out of proportion. You always do.”

“Out of proportion?” I laughed bitterly, taking another step forward. “I caught you with my best friend, Sebastian. You mocked me, told me to join you. You humiliated me, and you expect me to just swallow it? I’m not your doormat anymore.”

Just then, his mother, Marianne stepped forward. “Tessa, you’re making a spectacle of yourself,” she said. “A good wife would handle this privately, not air her grievances and leave her home to spend a night outside. You’ve always been too emotional, too weak to stand beside a Beta like my son.”

Her words cut deep, but I refused to let them break me. I turned to her, my eyes flashing amber as Lititi pushed against my control. “I gave up everything for your son,” I said. “My pack’s respect, my family’s legacy, my own happiness. I supported his rise in the Ironclaw Pack, smoothed over tensions with my own people, and this is how he repays me? With infidelity? With disrespect?”

Marianne’s lips curled into a sneer. “And yet, you’ve failed to give him the one thing a Beta’s wife should provide, a child. An heir to carry on the Simeon line. You’ve been married for years, Tessa, and your womb remains barren. What use are you if you can’t even fulfill that duty?”

The accusation hit me like a slap as I forced those tears from flowing. She just called me a barren woman! 

I felt Lititi’s growl rumble in my chest. My hands clenched into fists, my claws itching to extend. “You think I chose this?” I shot back, my voice rising. “Sebastian forced me to take contraception. Every month, he made sure I couldn’t conceive. He said it wasn’t the right time, that he wasn’t ready. Don’t you dare put that on me.”

Marianne’s eyes narrowed, but she didn’t back down. “Excuses,” she spat. “If you were a proper wife, you would have earned his respect, his desire to build a family with you. Instead, you’ve brought nothing but pressure to this household. Your Icevein blood has always been a liability, stirring tensions in the pack. Your offspring would never have achieved the political goals Sebastian needs to secure his position. And let’s not pretend you’ve satisfied him in other ways.” She paused, her gaze raking over me with disgust. “Clearly, you couldn’t keep him in your bed, or he wouldn’t have sought comfort elsewhere. With your Lyra..”

Did she just say that to me? I’d spent years convincing myself that Sebastian’s coldness was my fault, that I wasn’t enough. But hearing it from his mother, laid bare with such cruelty, shattered something inside me. Lititi howled, her pain and rage blending with mine. I saw them for what they were, despicable and manipulative. They used me.

“You’re wrong,” I said. “I’ve given everything to this marriage, to this pack. I’ve sacrificed my pride, my family’s trust, my own dreams. And for what? To be mocked and betrayed? I’m done. I want a divorce, Sebastian, and I won’t let you or your mother guilt me into staying.”

Sebastian laughed, a cold, mocking sound that sent a chill down my spine. “A divorce? You think it’s that simple? You’re nothing without me, Tessa. You walk away, you leave with nothing, no money, no status, no pack. You’ll be a rogue, scraping by in the shadows. I doubt you still have a pack to go back to. Is that what you want?”

Marianne took a step closer, her expression smug. “He’s right. A divorce for a Beta isn’t just a matter of signing papers. It goes through the Werewolf Court, and do you really think they’ll side with you? The daughter of a fallen Alpha, stirring up trouble for a respected Beta? The Icevein Pack has no power anymore, Tessa. No one on the council will risk offending Sebastian or the Ironclaw Pack for a domestic dispute. You’re alone.”

The weight of her words settled over me, heavy and suffocating. The Werewolf Court was notorious for its politics, its favoritism toward those with power. My father’s fall from grace had stripped the Icevein Pack of its influence, and I had no allies left to call on. Sebastian’s position as Beta gave him leverage I could never match. For a moment, I prayed a silent prayer to the moon goddess for help. 

“I don’t care,” I said, my voice is firm. “I’d rather be a rogue than stay in this prison of a marriage. You can keep your money, your status, your pack. I’m done with you, Sebastian, and I’m done with your lies.”

Sebastian’s eyes darkened, his beta aura flaring as he stepped closer and gripped my wrist painfully, his eyes boring coldly at me. “You’re making a mistake, Tessa. You’ll regret this. You always come crawling back.”

“Not this time,” I said, holding his gaze. “I rejected you as my mate, and I’ll do whatever it takes to be free of you. You can mock me, threaten me, but I’m not the weak woman you think I am.”

“You’re a fool, Tessa. You’ll be nothing without this family. You’ll see.”

I turned away, my heart pounding but my resolve unshaken. was Tessa Taron, daughter of Alpha Taron Ryk, and I would not let them define me. Not anymore.  I didn’t need their approval or their pity. I’d find a way to fight, to survive, even if it meant facing the Werewolf Court alone. As I walked toward the stairs to gather my things, Sebastian’s voice followed me. 

“You’ll be back, Tessa. You always have”