Chapter 2
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“I was utterly speechless.
My parents always knew exactly how to press my buttons.
“Cara, don’t tell me you’ve forgotten,” my mother began, voice dripping with disdain. “Back at the Werewolf Academy, Arthur–ice hockey team captain–and Lucy–the head cheerleader–they were the perfect pair. If it weren’t for that accident that left Arthur in a coma, we’d never have asked you to take Lucy’s place in the sacred bonding ceremony.”
My fingers clenched at my sides.
They thought I should feel grateful–that fate had handed Arthur to me on a silver platter.
But the Moon Goddess knew the truth: I’d have rather never married him at all than see
him hurt like that.
Mom’s eyes flicked up and down my figure like I was a disappointment she was forced to tolerate. “Look at yourself, Cara. No matter how much you try to dress up, you’re just a housewife–three years in, still circling around your husband like he’s the sun and you’re some pathetic moon. And Lucy? She’s back from studying abroad in the human world, the
principal dancer in a renowned ballet troupe. What do you have to compete with that?”
She snorted. “Just give Arthur back to Lucy already.”
Every word felt like it had been dipped in poison, slicing into me, echoing through my bones.
My wolf, Lily, whimpered inside me–her pain mirroring mine.
But I didn’t cry. I bit the inside of my cheek until I tasted blood, my eyes reddened, but I turned and walked away in silence.
By the time I returned to the villa, night had fallen. The moon hung low in the sky, veiled in
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thin clouds.
I’d sent the staff home earlier in the afternoon–I needed space and complete silence.
Now, the house was empty.
Quiet and cold.
No lights were on. Just shadows.
I walked into the dining room, guided only by memory and muscle, and sat down at the long table.
My fingers brushed against porcelain plates. A meal I’d spent the whole afternoon preparing sat untouched.
Cooling dishes, congealed sauces.
At the center of it all was the cake I’d made myself.
“Happy Birthday, Arthur. Wishing You the Best.”
The letters, written in careful icing, mocked me.
How ridiculous. How humiliating.
Arthur and Lucy had always been the golden couple. Back in school, everyone admired them–two stars in the same sky. Lucy had been the light in Arthur’s eyes. Everyone knew that. He never looked at anyone else.
And then–three years ago–the accident happened.
A brutal ambush.
He’d fought like a true alpha, but in the end, he fell. And never woke.
No network available now. Please check your network.
Until I came into the picture.
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Lucy, devastated, had left. One tear–stained letter and she vanished into the human world.
They were engaged then. Practically mated already.
And that was when my parents decided to call me back–me, the daughter they’d sent off to live at the edge of the Silver Moon Pack territory, forgotten and quiet.
Suddenly I was “needed“.
They pulled me from my little cottage and shoved me into a wedding dress.
They made me stand before a comatose man and swear eternal love.
And I did.
The first time I saw him, pale and still as marble, something inside me stirred.
He looked… familiar.
Like a dream I’d had once but forgotten.
So I agreed. I whispered my vows into the silence of his hospital room.
I held his hand as the ceremony bound our souls together under the Moon Goddess’s
blessing.
And I hoped.
Foolishly, desperately.
That one day, when he woke, he would look at me and remember.
For three years, he remained asleep.
And for three years, I stayed by his side.
Feeding him, bathing him, massaging his stiff limbs. I researched treatments, consulted specialists, brewed potions, and lit healing candles.
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I gave up everything–friends, ambition, even the sky. I never went beyond the pack’s gates. I lived only for him.
And then… He woke.
I thought that would be the beginning of something new.
But it was just the end of a dream.
I reached for the silver lighter and flicked it open, lighting the candles on the cake.
Warm light flickered, casting trembling shadows across the walls.
In the mirror across from the table, I caught a glimpse of myself..
My dress–simple black and white. Conservative. Modest. Lifeless.
Not a hint of color.
Just like me.
Lucy, by contrast, was the embodiment of vitality. She danced like the wind, radiant and fierce. She wore silk and perfume and the confidence of someone who was always wanted.
Arthur chose her again the moment he could.
He returned to her arms and left me behind–like a coat he never meant to wear.
I blew out the candles.
The flame died. The house returned to its cold silence.
And just then-
Headlights.
Two piercing beams sliced through the windows, spilling across the dining room floor.
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A car engine. The low, powerful growl of a luxury beast.
Arthur’s golden Rolls–Royce Phantom pulled up onto the lawn.
I froze.
He… came back?
I had thought he’d spend the night elsewhere. With her…
The front door opened with a gust of wind and cold night air.
Then–he stepped inside.
Tall, broad, every inch of him exuding dominance and composure. The alpha aura clung to
him like a second skin.
His scent–snow–dusted cedarwood, wild geranium, and ocean salt–washed over me.
And underneath, the faintest trace of red wine.
He’d been at another banquet tonight–probably discussing alliances and trade agreements.
The duties an Alpha needed to take care of.
He always had time for that.
And for her.
He strode into the room, long legs carrying him across the marble floor.
I watched from the shadows, drinking in the sight of him like a dying woman starved of light.
He wore a silver–grey checkered suit tonight. He looked sharp and utterly immaculate,
A deep charcoal coat draped over his shoulders.
His blonde hair was slicked back, revealing high cheekbones, a strong jaw, and piercing
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blue eyes that could freeze you or burn you
More beautiful than any actor in the human world.
Then, his gaze flicked toward me. A flicker of annoyance.
“Why are the lights off?”
I said nothing.
He frowned and snapped his fingers.
Click.
The house lit up in a heartbeat.
His alpha energy surged through the space–subtle but powerful.
He rarely used it in front of me.
The sudden brightness made me blink.
And when my eyes adjusted–I saw him clearly.
He was so perfect, but so cold.
“…It’s your birthday today,” I murmured, the words barely a whisper.
He glanced lazily at the untouched meal. “Next time, don’t bother. I’m not interested in
birthdays.”
My heart twisted. “Is it birthdays you’re not interested in… or spending them with me?”
He didn’t even hesitate. “Think whatever you want.”
And he turned, walking up the stairs.
As always.
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Cold. Distant. Untouchable.
I stood up, staring after him, each step he took pressing heavier against my chest.
“Arthur,” I said quietly, “I wanted to give you a birthday gift.”
He didn’t pause. “Not necessary.”
Tears spilled silently down my cheeks. I wiped them away with the back of my hand and laughed bitterly.
I looked up at him–his broad back, his powerful shoulders.
The Moon Goddess knew how badly I wanted to run up those stairs and hug him from
behind.
I wanted to whisper that I loved him.
That I always had.
I gave him everything.
And still, it was never enough.
My love meant nothing to him.
Less than nothing.
I choked back the sob rising in my throat.
“Arthur..” My voice cracked, but I held it steady. “Let’s get divorced.”
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