I never thought laughter could turn into screams so quickly. One moment, I was watching my five-year-old son, Noah, play in the clearing, and the next, chaos erupted like a storm. The sun had been shining brightly, or at least it was supposed to be, before the world came crashing down.
“Luna!” My heart sank when I heard one of the pack, Claire yelling. Her eyes were wide, breath coming in quick gasps. “There are rogues! We need to get everyone to safety!”
I turned to Noah, blissfully unaware, throwing dirt at his friends. “Noah! Come here!” I shouted, but it was too late. The air filled with growls and the sound of chaos. Panic surged through me as I saw shadows moving among the trees.
“Mommy, look!” he shouted, waving his arms excitedly. “A big bad wolf!”
“Noah, no! Get back!” I screamed, but he didn’t listen. I rushed toward him, adrenaline pumping through my veins, my heart pounding like a drum. I reached him just as the rogue lunged.
“Noah!” I lunged, but the rogue was quicker. It grabbed him, and my world shattered.
“Get away from him!” I shrieked, desperation clawing at my throat. I flung myself at the rogue, but it was like fighting a shadow. The creature tossed Noah aside like he was nothing.
“No!” I collapsed beside him, cradling his limp body in my arms. Blood soaked through his shirt, staining my hands. “No, no, no… please, God, no! Noah!"
I felt a mix of anger and hurt but I felt a mix of rage and pain swell in my chest, but there was no time to dwell on it. I looked around for Damon, my mate, my supposed protector. Where was he?
“Damon!” I yelled, my voice cracking. “Help! Where are you?”
I spotted him across the clearing, running—running away—with Leah, my sister. While I fought for our son’s life. The realization hit me like a punch to the gut, and the breath escaped my lungs.
“Luna!” Claire shouted, pulling me back to reality. “We have to go! More are coming!”
But I couldn’t leave. Not like this. Not with Noah. “Noah, please! Open your eyes!” I whispered, cradling his head, desperate for a sign of life. His little eyelids fluttered, but he didn’t wake.
“Mommy…” he mumbled, barely audible. My heart shattered into a million pieces.
“Shh, baby. I’m here. You’re okay. Just hold on.” Tears streamed down my face as I looked back at Damon and Leah. “You promised me,” I choked out, feeling the betrayal cut deeper than any knife. “You promised to protect us.”
But there he was, running away with my sister, as if my world didn’t matter. It wasn’t just Noah I was losing; it was the future I thought we had together.
Suddenly, a wave of rogues flooded into the clearing, and Claire grabbed my arm, dragging me to my feet. “We have to move!”
“No! I can’t leave him!” I struggled against her grip, but my body felt like lead.
“Luna, please! We can’t fight them off alone. We need to get help!”
I glanced back at Noah, the world narrowing to just him and the growing darkness. I wanted to scream, to rage against the universe, but all I could do was nod and scoop Noah’s limp body into my arms. He felt so light, so fragile, as I held him close.
We ran toward the trees, my heart pounding in my chest, my thoughts spinning. I could feel the weight of Damon’s betrayal pressing down on me. He was supposed to be my rock, the one who would stand by me no matter what. But he chose Leah. Chose to abandon me in my time of need.
“How could he leave me and my son?” I whispered, the words catching in my throat.
“I don’t know,” Claire replied, her voice soft but urgent. “But we need to get to safety. We can’t let them take us, too.”
I didn’t respond. My mind was consumed with images of Noah, the blood, the laughter turning to screams. “I can’t believe this is happening,” I murmured, my breath shaky. “I can’t believe he didn’t come for us.”
“Luna…” Claire squeezed my hand, pulling me along. “We’ll get help!”
But deep down, I knew. I knew he was gone. My son gone. The bond I thought would always protect me had shattered like glass.
As we reached the edge of the woods, I turned back one last time. Damon was still there, running away with Leah, saving themselves. My heart twisted in pain. “You’ll pay for this!"
Because I wasn’t just losing my son today. I was losing everything I ever believed in.
Chapter 2The funeral was a blur. People came, offered their condolences, and left, but none of it registered. My son was gone, and no amount of kind words or sympathy could change that. It felt like the whole pack was moving on while I was stuck in this endless pit of grief.
Back at home, the silence was suffocating. I found myself in Noah’s room, staring at his bed. His favorite blanket was crumpled in the corner, and his toys were scattered like he had just been playing with them. Everything was still, too still, as if the house itself knew what had happened.
I sank to the floor, clutching his blanket to my chest. The pain was so deep, I could barely breathe. My heart felt like it had been ripped out and stomped on. “Why did you leave me?” I whispered, tears streaming down my face. “Why did you have to go?”
I don’t know how long I sat there, lost in my grief, when I heard the front door open. Damon was home. I wiped my face quickly, trying to pull myself together, but it didn’t matter. The ache in my chest was still there, gnawing at me.
He walked past Noah’s room without a glance, without a word. Just like that, like I didn’t exist. Like our son didn’t exist. The anger that had been simmering beneath my sadness bubbled up. He hadn’t been there when Noah and I needed him, and now he was acting like nothing had happened.
I stood up and followed him to our bedroom. He was taking off his jacket, acting casual, like this was any other day. Something about the way he moved so easily while my world was shattered made my blood boil.
“Damon,” I said, my voice shaking with a mix of sadness and anger.
He barely looked at me. “What is it, Luna?”
"What is it?" His words hit me like a slap. I wanted to scream, to demand how he could be so cold, but something else caught my attention. There was a scent on him—faint, but familiar. It wasn’t mine. It was hers.
I stepped closer, my heart pounding. “Why... Why do you smell like Leah?”
Damon froze for just a second, then shrugged like it was nothing. “What are you talking about?”
“I can smell her on you, Damon,” I said, my voice low but sharp. “Why do you smell like my sister!?”
He didn’t meet my eyes, and that was all the answer I needed. “We were together earlier,” he said, still too calm. “She needed someone to talk to after the funeral. What else could it be?”
I blinked, barely able to process what I was hearing. “You left me, Damon. You left me and Noah, and now you’re spending time with her?”
“Luna, don’t start this,” he muttered, turning away from me. “I’ve had a long day.”
“A long day?” My voice rose, the pain turning into full-blown rage. “You weren’t the one holding our dying son in your arms! You weren’t the one screaming for help while your mate ran off with someone else!”
His jaw clenched, but he still didn’t turn around. He just stood there, like this conversation wasn’t worth his time.
“Damon, look at me!” I yelled, my voice breaking. “Don’t you dare turn your back on me after everything!”
He finally turned to face me, his expression cold, unreadable. “What do you want me to say, Luna?”
“I want the truth.” My voice trembled, but I held my ground. “I want to know if you’ve been with her. If you’ve been cheating on me with my own sister.”
The silence stretched between us, and for a moment, I thought he wouldn’t answer. But then he sighed, his shoulders slumping just a little. “Yes.”
It was a simple word, but it hit me like a freight train. My knees buckled, and I had to grab onto the doorframe to keep from falling. “You and Leah?” My voice was barely a whisper.
He didn’t say anything. His silence was enough.
“How long?” I asked, tears blurring my vision. “How long have you been with her?”
“Does it matter?” Damon asked, his voice flat. “It’s not like—”
“It matters to me!” I screamed, the rage exploding out of me. “You were supposed to be my mate! You were supposed to be there for US! For our son!”
His silence was the answer I didn’t want, but I already knew the truth. I had lost my son, and now I was losing everything else. My mate, my family, my whole world.
“I held our son while he died, Damon,” I whispered, my voice broken. “And you were with my sister... damn!”
“I’m sorry, Luna,” he said, but the words felt empty, like he didn’t mean them. Like he was just saying it because he had to.
I shook my head, wiping my tears. “No, you’re not sorry! You’re sorry you got caught.”
He didn’t deny it. He just stood there, staring at me with that same cold, detached look. I couldn’t take it anymore. I turned and walked out of the room, slamming the door behind me.
As I stormed out, the whispers of the pack filled my ears. They weren't just in my head—I knew the gossip was already spreading. I could almost hear the hushed voices, the sideways glances.
"Did you hear? Damon and Leah were together after the funeral," their voice low but full of curiosity. "He didn’t even seem that upset about Noah."
"It’s like he chose Leah over Luna, like he never really loved her to begin with. Can you imagine?"
Chapter 3And that was the worst part. Not just losing my son, but knowing everyone else was talking about how my mate—my supposed mate—had already moved on. While I was drowning in grief, they were probably already pairing Damon and Leah together in their minds.
"Poor Luna... She’s all alone now. Damon and Leah... well, they seem to fit, don’t they?"
I clenched my fists, trying to push the thoughts away, but it was impossible. I could feel their judgment, their pity, pressing down on me like a weight I couldn’t shake off.
I couldn’t stand to be around him. Damon, the man I thought I could trust with my life, had betrayed me in the worst possible way. I had nothing left—no son, no mate, no sister. Just the bitter truth that I was completely and utterly alone.
---
I stood in front of the mirror, staring at my reflection. My eyes were hollow, dark circles beneath them from nights spent tossing and turning. The person looking back at me felt like a stranger—broken, defeated, and tired. So tired.
Noah’s loss had taken everything out of me. Every breath, every heartbeat felt like a painful reminder that he wasn’t here anymore. And Damon? He was nowhere to be found either. At least, not for me. He had made his choice, and that choice wasn’t me. It was Leah.
That’s when I decided to call Lily.
Lily had always been a good friend, even when distance and time tried to wedge between us. We hadn’t spoken in a while, but I knew she would understand. I knew she’d listen. She always did.
As I sat in Noah’s empty room, my hands trembling, I dialed her number. The sound of her voice was like a lifeline when she answered.
“Luna?” she said, her voice concerned the moment she heard my shaky breath. “What’s wrong?”
I let out a breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding. “Lily... I don’t know where to start.”
“Take your time,” she said gently. “I’m here.”
Tears stung my eyes as I tried to explain the whirlwind of emotions choking me. “I can’t stay here anymore. It’s Damon. He... he’s not the same, Lily. He’s been with Leah.”
There was a pause on the other end of the line, then a sharp intake of breath. “Your sister? Luna... I’m so sorry.”
I nodded, even though she couldn’t see me. “He’s been distant for so long, and after Noah... after we lost him, Damon just left. Not physically, not right away, but he’s not been here for me. It’s like I don’t exist to him anymore. And Leah—she’s always with him. I can’t take it anymore.”
“Luna,” she said, her voice firm but soft, “you don’t have to put up with that. You deserve better. You don’t have to stay there and suffer like this.”
“I know,” I whispered, wiping at my eyes. “I just... I’ve been holding on for so long, hoping he’d come back, that he’d care. But he doesn’t. He’s gone.”
“Luna, listen to me,” her tone full of conviction. “Come to my pack. You don’t have to stay there. I’ve got a place for you, and you’ll be safe here. You don’t have to deal with this alone.”
“Thank you, Lily..."
“Damon's pack isn’t your responsibility anymore... You’ve given enough. You’ve suffered enough. It’s time to think about yourself for once, Luna. You’re stronger than you realize.”
Her words hit me hard, and I closed my eyes, the reality of everything sinking in. “I don’t know if I’m strong enough to do this.”
“You are,” she said firmly. “You’re stronger than anyone I know. You’re not trapped.”
“I need to confront Damon first. I need him to know that I’m not just leaving the pack—I’m leaving him. My things were pack already."
“I get it. But don’t let him pull you back, Luna. You deserve better than this.”
“I know,” I whispered, more to myself than to her. “I’ll call you when it’s done.”
After I hung up the phone, I sat in silence, feeling the weight of the decision I had just made. Lily is right. There was no going back now. I wasn’t just leaving the pack—I was leaving Damon. The thought was terrifying, but at the same time, there was a small part of me that felt... free.
I reached for the small suitcase I had hidden in the closet. I had been packing for days, little by little, careful not to raise suspicion. Damon was too wrapped up in his missions, too distracted by Leah to even notice my growing distance.
The mate bond between us had felt like a chain around my neck, tightening with every cold look, every time he brushed past me without a word. But not anymore. Tonight, I was breaking free.
I zipped the suitcase closed and sat on the edge of the bed, staring at the closed door. I could hear muffled voices downstairs—Damon’s deep voice and Leah’s obnoxious laugh.
Traitor!
It had become a familiar sound in this house, a sound that twisted the knife deeper into my heart every time I heard it.
I gripped the edge of the bed, trying to steady my breathing. The pain was still there, sharp and raw, but it was different now. It wasn’t just grief—it was anger. Anger at Damon for abandoning me when I needed him the most. Anger at Leah for betraying me. Anger at myself for staying as long as I had.
“Enough,” I whispered to myself, standing up.
I was done being the silent, suffering wife! I had tried, for the sake of the pack, for the sake of the bond, but I couldn’t do it anymore. I couldn’t stay in a place where I was unloved and unwanted…
I took a deep breath and walked down the stairs, suitcase in hand. Damon was sitting on the couch, leaning back casually while Leah sat too close to him, her hand resting on his arm like she had any right to touch him. My stomach churned at the sight.
“Damon,” I called, my voice steady despite the chaos raging inside me.
He glanced up, barely paying me any attention. “Yeah?”
“I need to talk to you. Alone.”
Chapter 4Leah looked between us, her smirk faltering slightly, but she didn’t move. She never did. Always acting like she had more of a claim on him than I did.
“It’s fine, Luna. Whatever you need to say, you can say it in front of her,” Damon said, his tone dismissive.
I clenched my jaw, trying to keep my emotions in check. “No. It’s not fine. This is between you and me.”
Leah huffed, crossing her arms. “Oh please, Luna. You’re just going to whine about how Damon hasn’t been paying attention to you, aren’t you? Let me guess—you’re upset because he’s been with me?”
“Leah,” I said, my voice icy. “Leave. Now.”
Her smirk grew. “Make me.”
Damon glanced at her, then back at me, clearly uncomfortable with the tension. “Leah, just… give us a minute.”
She rolled her eyes, standing up but making a show of it. “Fine. But Damon, don’t take too long. We’ve got plans, remember?” She looked at me with that smug look, the one that made me want to scream. “Just hurry it up. I’m getting tired of waiting for you to make a decision.”
With that, she strutted out of the room, leaving me alone with Damon. I stared at him, heart heavy, but I couldn’t back down now. I had to do this.
“I’m leaving,” I said, the words finally out in the open. I’d imagined saying them a hundred times, but now that they were out there, they felt heavy, final.
Damon frowned, sitting up slightly. “Leaving? What are you talking about?”
“I’m leaving the pack. Leaving you.” I let the words hang in the air, waiting for his reaction.
For a moment, he looked confused, like he couldn’t comprehend what I was saying. Then, he laughed—an actual laugh, as if what I had said was a joke.
“You’re upset, Luna. I get it. Noah’s death… it’s been hard on both of us. But this?” He gestured vaguely toward me. “You’re not thinking straight.”
My blood boiled. He thought this was just about Noah? About me being upset over our son’s death? How could he be so blind?
“No, Damon,” I said, my voice rising. “This isn’t just about Noah. This is about YOU. About how you left me to grieve alone. About how you’ve been spending all your time with Leah while I’ve been drowning in my pain. About how you’ve abandoned me.”
His expression darkened, his jaw tightening. “I haven’t abandoned you.”
“You did abandon me!” I shouted, unable to hold it in any longer. “You left me there with our dying son while you ran off with her! And you’ve been with her every day since! Do you even realize what that’s done to me? What it’s like to be betrayed by the person who’s supposed to be my mate?”
He stood up, towering over me, but I didn’t back down. Not this time.
“I was grieving too, Luna,” he smirk, his voice low and dangerous. “Leah was… she was just comfort. I didn’t mean for things to get so complicated.”
“Comfort?” I repeated, incredulous. “You found comfort in my sister? While I was mourning our child? Wow.a”
“I didn’t mean to hurt you,” he said, his voice softer now, but I wasn’t buying it. Not anymore.
“You didn’t mean to hurt me, but you did. Over and over again.” My voice cracked, but I forced myself to stay strong. “And I’m done. I’m done waiting for you to realize how much you’ve destroyed. I’m leaving, Damon.”
He stared at me, his eyes narrowing as if he was finally starting to understand that I was serious. “You’re leaving… for good?”
I nodded, my throat tight. “I want you to reject the mate bond.”
Damon froze, his eyes widening. “What?”
“You heard me. I want you to reject me. Officially!"
His face paled. For the first time in a long while, I saw genuine fear in his eyes. “You can’t be serious.”
“I am,” I said, my voice firm. “I can’t be bound to someone who doesn’t love me. I can’t be tied to this pack, to this life, anymore.”
He shook his head, stepping closer to me. “Luna, no. We can fix this. I’ll make it right.”
“You can’t make this right, Damon,” my voice trembling. “Not after everything. I’ve given you chance after chance, and you’ve thrown them all away.”
“Please,” he begged, reaching for my hand, but I pulled back. “I’ll end it with Leah. I swear. I’ll do whatever it takes to fix this.”
I shook my head, tears spilling down my cheeks. “It’s too late.”
“Luna, I love you,” he whispered, desperation in his voice. “I never stopped loving you.”
“Love?” I laughed bitterly. “If this is your version of love, Damon, then I want no part of it.”
He looked lost, like he didn’t know what to say, how to fix the mess he had created. But I was past the point of caring. I was done waiting for him to realize what he had lost.
“I want the rejection, Damon,” I said, my voice steady. “And I’m leaving tonight!”