Chapter 3

Chapter 3

ISOLDE

"Of course, Alpha. I have been taking care of her since our parents died," Thalia said happily, and he smirked at her.

"Taking care of me? I am the one who was lied to! I am your Luna, and this is my land. You will not tell me I need to be taken care of or to calm down," I shouted.

The crowd became more afraid and stepped back.

"Isolde, I know this is a hard change." Larkin walked closer, and I growled at him.

"I am your Luna," I snapped.

He sighed in an annoyed way. "My wife Mave can help you. Why do you not let her take you home? Think before you do something you will regret."

"Is that a threat?" Nova looked at Larkin. He glared but then looked away.

"No, just advice. We do not want to hurt you. We are not your enemy. Your wolf seems confused. You should leave before she hurts someone," he said calmly.

I looked at everyone. No one was on my side. I saw Mave, Alpha Larkin's mate. She looked scared. Then I saw Bianca, who looked sad. She had to believe me.

"Bianca, you know I would not do this! You know this is wrong! Tell them," I pleaded.

"Isolde, you are not Draven’s fated mate. We can smell that she is marked by him and is pregnant. Know your place. Go home and take some time."

"Right, I am not his fated mate." I laughed a little, and my anger turned into sadness. "You all want your real Luna?" I shouted, my voice full of sorrow.

Nobody said a word. They did not need to; I could see it in their faces.

"It is time to go home, Isolde," Larkin said, making me growl again.

"I will take you home, and we can stay together. Do not worry, I am here for you." Thalia put her arm around my shoulder, and I wanted to shove her away.

"I never needed you before, and I do not need you now." My words were mean, and Thalia pretended to cry as she ran to the woman who was pregnant with my husband's child.

"It is okay, Thalia. She just needs some time. I am sure your sister loves you and did not mean it." This woman, a stranger, sounded kind as she hugged my sister. The crowd praised her and ignored me.

I could not say anything. I could not move; I could not even cry. How could Draven do this to me? For months, maybe years, he looked at me and lied.

He held me and said he loved me and that I was the only one. I was his wife and his mate; he said I was his whole world. It was all a lie. Now, even my pack hated me and saw me as a traitor.

I turned and ran to my house as fast as I could. The workers there went quiet when I walked in, and none of them would look at me. Whispers followed me, and I felt sick.

"Isolde is back. Should we call the guards?"

"She deserves what is coming for keeping our true Luna from us."

"She rejected Draven after almost being attacked. I always thought she was selfish."

I ran upstairs and broke down where everyone could see. I was now an outcast, blamed for just trusting a bad man.

I packed a small bag and ran away. My wolf came out, and Nova made us run as fast as we could. I could not face them or hear more lies and mean comments.

I felt so many things: hurt, betrayal, sadness, and anger. I felt a lot of pressure, not knowing how to handle it.

In that mess, one thing was clear: Draven had to pay, and I would be the one to make him suffer. I let Nova take over, and I was filled with hate, wanting him to feel as worthless as I did right now.

After a night of restless running, hunger bothered me as I found a nice inn in a small town. Its old stone outside looked pretty, and as I walked in, the smell of aged wood and a fireplace welcomed me.

I fell onto a squeaky bed, finally letting myself get some rest. Hours later, I turned on my phone and saw over fifty missed calls from Draven. Anger grew in me at the thought of hearing his excuses or seeing his face again. Memories of our past, from being childhood friends to becoming Alpha and Luna, filled my mind.

How could I have been so blind? I believed him for so long and felt like a fool. Then, the thought that I would never feel his arms around me again hurt my chest. I had never loved anyone like Draven, and the idea of a life without him was impossible. It was always Draven and Isolde; then we became Alpha and Luna.

As I thought about turning off my phone to hide from the pain, Kane called. I waited for a moment but answered, getting ready for the argument.

"Where are you?" Kane's voice sounded just as angry as mine.

"You are not my Alpha. Watch your tone," I snapped, barely stopping Nova, my wolf, from taking over in a burst of rage.

"Isolde, it is dangerous out there. You promised you would not leave."

"You expected me to stay? You are as pathetic as he is."

"What happened? What are you talking about?" Kane's growl came through the phone.

"You knew about her, did you not? Draven's fated mate. The one he marked and got pregnant." My voice shook with betrayal and disgust.

"I did not know. That jerk!" Kane's anger sounded real, but I could not trust anyone anymore.

"I do not believe you."

"Isolde, I swear I had no idea he already marked her."

"Already? But you knew he never rejected her?" The truth made my stomach turn.

"I did, but he swore he was going to reject her. He said he needed more time."

"You did not think I needed to know that?"

"Isolde, there are bigger problems right now."

I laughed in a sad way. My life falling apart was not the priority, not when I was a Luna. I could not be selfish or proud. My life belonged to my people, people who no longer wanted me.

"I do not care about your pack's problems, Kane. I am done with all of it."