CHAPTER 4: TRY HARDER

Flashback: 5 years ago

“Yesss… right there, baby…” I whimpered, my nails digging into his skin as I clutched his shoulders.

He bit my neck, his breath uneven as his thick girth pounded into me, hitting my g-spot head on in a rhythm that left me breathless, overwhelmed, consumed. 

“Goddess, you smell different but so good," he murmured into my skin. "Did you change any of your scents?” he asked, not expecting a response. He pulled away from my neck and looked at me with half-lidded eyes. “You feel so good. Look at me, baby.”

I did. And just like that, everything else disappeared as it always did with him.

The room, the world, the quiet voice in the back of my mind that sometimes whispered that I did not belong here. That this was too much, too fast, too unreal.

None of it mattered when he looked at me like that.

Like I was the only thing in his world.

My breath hitched as my pleasure climbed, sharp and consuming. 

“Cum for me.” He growled, slamming in deep and grinding into me.

I gasped his name, my fingers tightening against him as the wave crashed through me.

I moaned as he released into me, his seed warm. 

When he was done, he exhaled against my shoulder and pulled out of me with a pop. 

I reached up to wrap my hands around him for a cuddle, but was met with empty air.  

He paused, glancing back at me.

I pushed myself up slightly, the sheets slipping down my body as I watched him walk to the bathroom. A familiar ache settled in my chest. “Ford… You’re leaving?”

“I have to finish something,” he said over the sound of the running shower. A few seconds later, he stepped outside, wiping his body. “It won’t take long.”

A small, humorless laugh left me. “It always never takes long,” I said quietly. “Then you’re gone for the next 24 hours.”

He stilled. “Don’t start this tonight, Keren,” 

I swallowed, forcing the words out before I could stop myself. “This is how it always is now. You come in, you fuck me, and then you leave again.”

“Keren—”

“I’m starting to feel like…” I hesitated, the word bitter in my mouth. “… a whore you visit between responsibilities.”

That got his full attention.

He crossed the room and leaned down, pressing a quick kiss to my forehead. “You know that’s not true,” he said softly. “I’m just busy right now. Having to be in charge of the company and this pack has not been easy. Once my brother comes back, I promise it will be better.”

“You’re always busy,” I replied, my voice tighter now. “And I’m always alone.”

His expression shifted slightly. “I’m sorry,” he said, straightening. “But you can’t rely on me for everything. You need to make friends.”

Something in me snapped.

“I’m trying,” I hissed. “But your family won't even look at me. The pack... they treat me like I’m a disease, Ford. They treat me like I’m lesser because I’m human.”

Ford sighed as if he were exhausted. “You’re overthinking things again. They just take time to warm up to outsiders.” He started buttoning up. “There are human mates here too, and they’ve assimilated just fine.”

“They’re not married to the Alpha,” I shouted, frustrated. They don’t have everyone watching them, judging them. And of course you think everything’s fine,” I added. “You don’t see what’s happening because you’re not there for it!” 

Ford’s expression hardened. “So now I’m a bad leader?”

“That’s not what I said.”

“It’s what you implied.”

I shook my head, anger rising fast now. “Don’t put words in my mouth. I’m just tired of you not listening to me!” 

“And you aren’t listening to me, either,” he volleyed back, his voice sharp. Then he took a deep breath, closing his eyes briefly before opening them back. “I’m tired of the arguments, Keren,” he said, his voice low and tired. “A Luna is supposed to be a bridge between the alpha and the pack. Someone who makes things easier, but all you do is complain.” 

My chest tightened painfully. Our marriage was just six months, and I already felt like I was drowning. 

“I am trying,” I whispered.

He hesitated, like he wanted to say something else.

Then he turned and walked out, shutting the door behind him with a quiet click.

And I sat there, alone in a bed that felt too big, staring at a space that no longer felt like it belonged to me.

I wiped the tear rolling down my cheek and stood up. I needed to leave this suffocating room.

—

An hour later, I was strolling through the pack’s sprawling gardens. 

When I first got here, I had loved the beautiful mix of modern and ancient architecture that was the Silver Moon compound. But now, it felt like a high-security prison. 

I kept my head down, my hair blocking my face, trying to blend into the shadows as I walked toward the communal gardens.

Everyone averted their eyes as I walked by, but I was already used to being an outcast. 

“Well, look at this,” a sharp, mocking voice called out, cutting through the quiet of the afternoon.

I stopped, my stomach twisting into a familiar knot. 

Standing by the fountain was Bree, Ford’s cousin and friend. 

She was surrounded by three other women, all of them beautiful, athletic, and radiating that quiet, predatory arrogance of born wolves. 

She stepped forward, her eyes scanning me with a look of pure disdain that made my skin crawl. “The human child has finally left her nursery,” she said, her voice loud enough for people nearby to hear. “Tell me, Keren, did you manage to get Ford to stay for breakfast? Or has he realized how boring you are?”

The others laughed. 

“I’m just going for a walk, Bree,” I hissed, trying not to show her how much she got under my skin. “Just leave me alone.”

“A walk?” Bree stepped into my personal space, looking down at me with disgust. “You stick out like a sore thumb here. You should go back inside before you embarrass Ford further.”

I gasped as a cold, sticky liquid suddenly splashed across the side of my head and down my shoulder. 

“Oh, I am so sorry,” one of her friends said, laughing and holding an empty glass of iced tea. “I tripped. My wolf is always restless around... fragile things.”

I wiped the tea from my face, my skin burning with a humiliation so deep it felt like a physical wound. 

I looked at the guards standing a few feet away, but they simply turned their heads, pretending to be fascinated by the treeline. 

“You know,” Bree sneered. “Soon he’ll get tired of his infatuation with you and pick a better Luna.” 

“I’m his fated mate.” I hissed at her, pushing her back. 

She laughed. “Oh, please. Like it’ll be a new thing for Alphas to keep their mates aside,” she sneered. “...and get someone more… useful.” 

I clenched my fist. This was the social cruelty Ford called "taking time to warm up." 

To them, I wasn't his mate; I was a mistake. A weak human not suited for their precious Alpha. 

Ignoring her, I stormed up to the guards. 

“Where is your alpha??” I hissed, making my voice as authoritative as I could. 

They exchanged nervous looks and shook their heads. 

“He was heading back to the Vale villa the last time I saw him, you silly bird,” Bree said, chuckling as she walked away. “If you had any useful abilities, you would have smelled or felt your own mate.” 

The alpha family had a different building from the regular pack members. They called it a villa, but in reality, it was a mansion where each family had its own suite. And sharing a space with his bitch of a cousin and the other ones who acted like I didn't exist had been a different level of hell. 

Most times, I just stayed in our suite for days on end to avoid them.

I clenched my fist and stormed away without looking back. 

I reached the Alpha’s office, my lungs burning from anger, only to slow down when I heard moans coming from the room.  

Nah, I had to be mistaken. Maybe he was watching something. 

With shaky hands, I pushed the door open just an inch, and my heart dropped to my stomach. 

Ford wasn't alone. He was in his chair with a woman on his lap, her back to the door, her long blonde hair cascading down her naked spine as she rode him. 

Ford’s hands were on her hips, his face buried in her bosom.