I sat alone on the edge of the bed that used to be mine and Ethan’s–though it had been cold on his side for over a year. The silence pressed in around me suffocating, so thick it was as if the very walls bore witness to my despair.
The room, once filled with warmth and the scent of lavender from my oils, now reeked of loss. The love I had once clung to like a folicie was long gone, replaced with the bitter stench of betrayal.
I stared at the phone in my hand, my thumb hovering over the call button. I hesitated, swallowing hard
With a deep breath, I pressed it!
The line connected almost immediately. “Ivy,” came Alpha Vincent’s voice–deep, commanding, and unmistakably angry His–tone ja blade wrapped in velvet. “To what do I owe this unexpected call?”
I gripped the phone tightly. “I need your help.” I sighed and opened my mouth to explain. “I need you to come get me out of Fort Pack I’ll be ready once the elder confirms everything is finalized.”
Silence followed. When he finally spoke, there was a bitter edge to his words, “Help? After all these years of silence? Ethan over me?”
The guilt was immediate. 1 made mistakes. I know. I thought I knew what I wanted”
He scoffed “Mistakes, huh? I offered you everything, Ivy–mateship, love, a future. And you ran toward into believing he could give you more.”
st wall who sweet–talked you
thought he would learn to love me,” I whispered, hating how small my voice sounded. “I thought I made the right choice
“And now you see the truth,” he snapped. “What do you want from me?”
“I’m leaving him,” I said quietly. “But I need time. There are things I have to handle before I go.”
Vincent paused, his voice lowering. “You have two weeks. After that, if you’re not free from him, I will come and take what’s mine.”
Then the line went dead.
I let the phone slip from my hand, the dial tone humming in my ears. Vincent’s words clung to me like a second skin. His possessiveness hadn’t changed–but neither had his desire to protect me. I didn’t know whether that comforted me or frightened me.
That night, sleep never came. I drifted through the Luna quarters like a ghost, fingers trailing along polished wood and velvet curtains. I found myself opening drawers and pulling out gifts Ethan had given me over the years 1
A ruby necklace. Beautiful, expensive… but impersonal. I always preferred emeralds, the color of nature and healing.
An orange handbag. Vibrant, bold–Farah’s style, not mine. I preferred soft sage greens, muted earth tones.
A golden bracelet elegant but cold. Silver felt more like me–softer, quieter, but stronger in its own way.
It was all so clear now. Even in the things he gave me, Ethan had never really seen me
When dawn broke, I heard the front door creak open. Ethan walked in, rumpled and exhausted. The scent of another woman clung to him like a curse. Fan:
His eyes scanned the items laid out on the table. “What’s all this?“!
“Just things no longer need.” I replied, my voice steady despite the ache in my chest. “Perhaps Farah would appreciate them. They seem
more her taste L
I’d offered him nothing more than spare clothes to donate. The
He didn’t respond. No anger. No concern. Just a slight nod,
nod, like I’d indifference in his eyes was worse than rage.
Suddenly, a crash echoed through the room.
We both turned to see Farah, her wide eyes fixed on the shattered remains of our wedding photo. A huge wedding photo of me and Alpha Ethan!!
“Oh no,” she gasped, feigning innocence as she knelt beside the shards. “I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to knock it over
Ethan rushed to her side, his face etched with worry. “Are you hurt?“..
Farsh shook her head, tears brimming in her eyes. “Just startled.“..
He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her to his chest like she was the most precious thing in the world. “Nothing is more important than you and your safety”
I stood there, frozen in place. The jagged glass between us mirrored the chasm in our relationship–once whole, now irreparably shattered
“It’s fine,” I muttered, kneeling to pick up the pieces. One of them sliced my finger, and blood welled up instantly ignored it.
Then, after shattering the wedding frame like nothing. I saw how Farah lifted her head, her eyes gleaming with mock concem. “Alpha. I don’t feel safe alone right now my staff is off–duty Could I stay here for a while??!
“Of course,” Ethan replied without hesitation. Take the Luna quarters. It’s the most comfortable”
He didn’t even glance at me. He didn’t care whether I agree or not.
I left the room silently and moved into the guest room. The air was stale. The furniture cold. The mattress stiff. This room had never been
meant for a Lunall
I sat on the edge of the bed, staring at my reflection in the mirror. My face looked hollow. The circles under my eyes, the pale tint to my cheeks–it was as if being with Ethan had drained the life from me
9:03 PM ₫ ·
%0D
Tears fell freely now. Not just from heartbreak. But from the years I’d lost. From the woman I had let myself become, I had given up my strength, my fire, for a wolf who only saw me as a convenience.
But no more.
That night, I opened a blank page in my old journal and began to write–not about Ethan, not about the betrayal–but about myself. M thoughts, my pain, and the things I would never again sacrifice for someone else’s approval.
I wasn’t a mere second option.”
