But Caspian didn’t see it that way. When I told him we were mates, his reaction was anything but what I had hoped for. "No," he had said, his voice cold and distant. "This isn’t right. I was supposed to be with Ophelia."
I was devastated. "Caspian, please," I had begged, tears streaming down my face. "We’re meant to be together. You can’t just leave me."
But he had been determined to reject me, to leave with Ophelia and follow her to the Shadow Crest Pack.
And then, my mother fell ill. On her deathbed, she made Caspian promise to take care of me, to stay by my side, because I was his fated mate. He agreed, out of respect for the woman who had raised him up, but I knew in his heart he resented her for forcing him to stay.
And back when my Alpha father left, he left the pack for me to lead. Back then, I knew Caspian had always craved power, so I willingly made him the Alpha, content to remain in the background as the Luna. However, even after we mated, he never announced me as his Luna.
One day, I confronted him about it. "Caspian," I had said, trying to keep my voice steady. "Why haven’t you announced me as your Luna?"
His response was like a slap in the face. "Your mother forced me to mate with you. And now you want to be Luna too? Dream on, Claire. The position of Luna will always be reserved for your sister."
His words stung more than any physical blow ever could. I had nothing left to say. I couldn’t fight him, couldn’t make him love me. The most important place in his heart was reserved for the most precious person—Ophelia.
But I had one last request, one final act of desperation: Kylo’s trip to the ocean. I was ready to let him go, to set him free. Yet he still refused to spend one last moment with our son. It was one thing for him not to love me, but how could he be so heartless toward Kylo? His own flesh and blood?
I stared at Caspian with a mix of disappointment and fury. The man who once appeared as flawless as a painting now only inspired revulsion in me. His eyes, which had once softened when he looked at me, were now cold and unyielding. I had always found solace in those eyes, but now, they felt like a reminder of how far we had drifted.