Chapter 2

Eyra’s POV

I’d spent the whole night crying over my misfortune. Three years was the limit of what I could endure as a wife, a Luna who’d never been formally crowned, and a fated mate who’d never experienced the mating ritual as it should be—because Dave was almost never home at night. He was always working overtime, patrolling the pack territory, or sleeping at the pack office or in his office.

Time and again, I tried to find a way to save our marriage, but all I’ve found are more and more reasons that force me to leave.

Dave never involved me in any pack activities; he would always go out alone with his beta, and he never reported back on anything. Then one day, the elders and pack council summoned me to a pack meeting, asking why I never made time to accompany Dave, even just to greet the members during his visits.

“Hasn’t Alpha Dave even officially named me his Luna yet?” I said, and I could see the shock on their faces at that moment.

How could they, as pack council, not know that?

“Where is he now? Why isn’t he present at such an important meeting?” asked a woman who was Dave’s grandmother. She was one of the pack’s council; she’d once served as interim alpha because her parents hadn’t yet had a male heir, and when she married, this pack merged with Dave’s grandfather’s pack before splitting off again when she gave birth to Dave’s father. “Eyra? Where’s Dave?”

“He…”

How should I know? I’ve been waiting for him to come home, too, but for some reason, he never returned. Two days with no word.

My heart always ached whenever I thought about the way he treated me... especially what happened that night—exactly one year after our wedding, Dave came home early. But instead of coming to our room, he locked himself in his study.

I waited for him to come into our room like someone who’d lost her mind. I was in heat, and he wasn’t near me. I soaked in a pool of cold water all day, asking the servant to add ice cubes every time the water got warm.

After holding back, I intended to seduce him into touching me just this once. How could we fulfill the elders’ wishes to have an heir if he had never even slept in the same bed with me?

I stepped cautiously inside his study to check, but my steps halted right at the threshold.

The door wasn’t locked. Yet, there was a strange sound that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end, and my heart sank. Instantly, my intentions and desires faded when I saw what Dave was doing in that room.

He was sitting back on the sofa with one hand holding an object—a photograph that he was staring at intently. It wasn’t the photo that disturbed and unsettled me, but rather what he was doing with his other hand.

Dave let out a low moan, his hand moving quickly over himself.

Instantly, it felt as if my heart were being gripped by sharp claws. It ached, burned, and felt as if it might burst. Without a second thought, I turned and walked out of the room.

I’ve never again hoped that Dave would touch me since then. Because no matter what, only Elara could ignite his passion. Only that woman—even if it’s just her photo—can drive Dave’s desire wild enough to make him willing to do something like that.

And now, Elara has returned. Dave no longer had to pleasure himself while staring at her photo. He was finally free to satisfy those same desires with the woman he’d wanted all along.

I grabbed the documents, read every clause written there carefully. There was no objection, because everything was clear, and I didn’t need anything now, except love. However, it was no longer possible to hope for that from Dave.

So, with a single stroke of the pen, it was all over. My struggle, my sacrifices, and my patience—all of it.

***

We sat in silence for nearly an hour. He enjoyed his breakfast while occasionally glancing at his phone and typing something on it.

I didn’t need to ask. It must have been a message from Elara, and for the first time, I saw him flash a smile. It was faint, but I’d never seen one from him for me before.

“Have you signed the papers yet? Elara will be moving in here soon. She should have been here all along. So, we should—”

“I know,” I replied, cutting Dave off. I glanced at him briefly before getting up, retrieving the signed papers, and setting them on the table.

“No need to repeat yourself,” I said coldly before sitting back down, even though I no longer felt like finishing my breakfast. “I’ve already signed it. No objection. I’ll pack my things and leave right away, just as you hoped.”

“Good,” he replied briefly, then grabbed his phone and typed something. He must be updating that woman on the progress of our breakup.

Not long after, he stood up, grabbing the file from the table, and left without saying goodbye.

Now it’s my chance to pack up my things and leave. There’s no way I can stay and watch another woman move into the house that should be mine.

I stood up after putting all my belongings into the suitcase, then scanned the entire room. Instantly, my heart twisted painfully.

This room had never held any meaningful memories. No tender touches, no warm embraces—nothing but coldness. It even seemed as though Dave was reluctant to set foot in this room.

So, what was I grieving? The years I'd wasted? The pain? Or the marriage I'd only imagined?

“Where are you going?” a voice asked, making me turn my head and hurriedly wipe away the tears already streaming down my cheeks. His eyes briefly fell on my suitcase before meeting mine again. “You can’t leave.”

For a moment, I almost smiled, dropped my suitcase, and rushed toward him—thinking he’d finally give our marriage a chance.

But once again, it was just a fantasy which has been happening all along during these three wasted years.

“According to pack rules, our divorce won’t be final until a month has passed,” he said, which made me frown.

“W-what does that mean?”

“While we wait for it to be finalized, you can’t leave the pack mansion or break any pack rules related to this matter. Otherwise, all our efforts will be in vain.”

Our efforts, huh?

I swallowed the bitterness. I’d thought that was finally over. If parting ways was the best course, I’d accept it, even if it hurt. The problem was, even to escape this pain, I had to endure another wound I’d never imagined before.

“Will… she still stay here without waiting for that one-month waiting period to end?” I asked softly.

“That’s none of your business,” he replied coldly.

I nodded again. “Then… isn’t there any way to skip or speed up the waiting period?” I asked again. He, who had been busy with his phone all this time, turned sharply toward me and gave me a cold stare.

“Are you trying to bait me?” he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “Look, pretending you want to leave just makes me even more certain that you don’t agree with this.”

What? Should I say no? Do I need to explain that what he’s thinking is totally wrong? I’ve done enough and I really want to leave now.

He’ll never believe me, anyway.

“Your insincerity makes me sick,” he said again, before finally turning around and walking away.

Instantly, all strength left my body. I would have slumped to the floor if I hadn’t been holding onto the wall.

My chest felt so tight as if it had been squeezed by such a large stone. In my confusion, a name flashed through my mind—one I should have contacted a long time ago. Long before I decided to let Dave into my life.

After scrolling for a while, I found a number I’d never gotten around to saving in my contacts. Hesitant, I pressed the dial with trembling hands.

After just one ring, I got an answer from the other end of the line, as though he'd been waiting for my call.

“Yes?”

“It’s me, Noir. Selene Noir.”

“I know,” he said. “Is this about my offer?”

“Yes. I’m ready to accept your offer.”

The atmosphere was silent for a while before he finally spoke. “What made you change your mind?” he asked.

“It turns out you were right.”

He snorted. “Good that you realized that. So… today?”

“Um, can you wait a little longer?”

“How long?”

“One month. After that, I’ll meet you in person.”

He sighed heavily. “Are you sure you won’t back out again?”

I shook my head. “I won’t. I promise.”

“All right. One month. If you go back on your word again, I’ll come find you and make you do it. Deal?”

“Deal.”