Chapter 4 An Old Friend

Moira's POV

I began organizing my belongings and arranging my room in the apartment that would now become my comfortable home, where I would spend my days without my husband and daughter. I deliberately kept myself busy to avoid constantly thinking about them and how heartbroken I was because of them.

This freedom had to be enjoyed and celebrated, as it was never something I had experienced before—especially when I was still Jude's wife and a Luna in the Night Hunter Pack. I had to be perfect in front of everyone, but no one gave me special respect just because their alpha had never wanted me as his mate.

In the end, everyone was aware of the origins of our marriage. Instead of blaming my father for the scheme he had orchestrated, almost all the members blamed me.

The alpha was unhappy; his wife and mate was not whom he wanted. That was what they said. For them, the responsibility of a leader was crucial; Jude should have been rewarded for his hard work with a woman who soothed the soul, not someone they considered a temptress like me.

Temptress... I chuckled at how some people called me that. "Scheming Luna," "Restrictive Luna," and other derogatory nicknames for me. Well, they didn't need to bother finding new nicknames because I was no longer their Luna.

I sipped the wine in my hand while reading one of my favorite novels in front of the fireplace. The seasons had changed. Autumn had arrived, and it reminded me of my beautiful teenage years when my mother was still with me. I always missed her apple cider more than sipping wine alone.

My mother had been gone because of my father's betrayal, but I refused to let myself become weak because of the same thing.

"Don't you want to contact Mirielle? I miss her. Don't you?" said Ziri, to which I only replied with a pout without taking my eyes off the novel in my hands.

"Moira, are you seriously going to ignore your daughter?"

"Enough, Ziri. She's already made her choice."

"Moira."

"Come on..." I put down the novel and fixed Ziri with a sharp gaze as she appeared before me, clearly waiting for the answer she expected. I wasn't surprised by her persistence because she was a loving wolf. "Do you want me to beg for their love? Should I force Elle to stay with me so she'll feel I'm restricting and tormenting her? Is that it?"

"No, Moira. At least ask how she is." I shook my head. "She's just a child. She's only seven years old."

"I know. However, she seemed to understand everything and dared to contradict me," I replied, the pain in my chest still lingering. "I may have overreacted because I felt hurt by the child's attitude, but I could do nothing. I'm still hurting. At least you should took my side and let me heal first before telling me to make peace with everyone."

"Alright, I understand. I'm sorry. I should have understood your condition better and the trauma of being abandoned and betrayed a long time ago. So what are you going to do now? What's your plan?"

I grabbed the TV remote and switched on one of the channels, showing Ziri what was on the screen. The Werewolf Channel was already covering the Pack Academy anniversary celebration, which included a gathering and training session.

"Get ready to attend the alumni reunion at the Pack Academy, I guess. I don't want to miss this opportunity. Since I'm no longer a Luna or an employee , I don't have any responsibilities, especially at the company—in other words, I'm unemployed—so I have to fill my life and days with something positive."

"And start over from the beginning."

"Yes, start over from the beginning. It won't hurt me, though." Ziri was lying comfortably while smiling. I knew it must be tough for her to start a new life where we had to begin everything from scratch. But... "Tell me we can do all this, Ziri. Tell me everything will be okay."

"Well, even though I'm a bit unfamiliar with this new life, yeah... everything will be amazing from now on, Moira. We can do it. I'm sure of it."

***

The gathering had already begun, though it was still in its early stages, with only a handful of alumni arriving to greet one another. I didn't miss it either. I arrived early, hoping to meet someone who would reignite the passion I had lost since marrying Jude.

I met several people who had been close to me while working on various projects during college. They were living good lives, and most had decided not to rush into marriage.

Well, that hit me pretty hard. However, at least there was some enlightenment: most men do end up making life difficult for women after marriage.

They made demands, and when women tried their best to fulfill them, the men found faults to justify their own wrongdoings.

I sighed heavily. Though I always reassured myself that everything was fine and I could manage without Jude, it wasn't that simple. But I had to do it, no matter what.

My steps halted when I saw someone with a familiar smile standing in front of a design house I recognized. He spread his arms, and I immediately ran toward to greet him. He hugged me tightly and warmly before asking how I was.

"Moira... I didn't expect you to come because you've been hard to find since..."

"I know, Dillan. I've felt lost since I decided to get married. There have been many surprises in marriage."

"At least you're here now. By the way, are you still interested in design?"

I couldn't help myself—whenever someone mentioned design, I responded enthusiastically. This time, I just nodded.

"I guess that means yes. I'm glad to see that passion still in you. Of course. Who else could replace the master, the best idea generator and designer—the design genius—on campus? We still talk about you sometimes."

"Yeah, no problem. As long as it's something good," I chuckled. He pointed his index finger at me and laughed.

"How about we talk about this in the cafeteria? Since it's such a treat to see you, I'll buy you food," he said excitedly. I thought briefly while looking around, but Dillan gave me a hopeful look, so I finally nodded.

We walked side by side and arrived at the cafeteria to order a cold latte and some snacks as "conversation companions." We started by talking about life after I decided to quit the academy. Dillan regretted my choice, especially when he heard that my decision hadn't turned out well. However, I tried to change the subject and focused on what he was currently busy with.

He answered and seriously explained what he’d been working on, and then said something unexpected.

"Now that I met you, I no longer need to post job openings on job search sites. How about joining my company? I would be pleased to have a genius designer like you."

It was a great offer. However, it made my stomach churn with excitement and doubt.

"I left that field a long time ago—for seven years, since I got married. I'm not sure I can do that as well as before."

"But you still worked at your husband's company, right?"

"Yes, in sales." Dillan's eyes widened in surprise.

"I know. I hated it. But at the time, only the marketing was willing to hire me. They felt they had a much better designer. So... it was yes or never."

"That's... you must miss the passion you once had. So do I. It would be so much fun to work together again. And... hearing your story about how your life and marriage went until you decided to divorce, this is your chance to shine again, Moira. You'll be the brightest star like you used to be." Dillan smiled with confidence shining in his eyes. "So? What's your answer?"