Chapter 2

Verena

It''s going to be okay.

Things will work out.

Elijah will come around—after all, he loves me—

My hand stops mid-reach, trembling as I go for the plate on the dining table. Tears hit the polished dark wood, and seeing our signatures on those divorce papers slams me right back to reality. We''re divorced. Tomorrow he''s going to reject me.

I can''t pretend anymore. I completely fall apart, sobbing as my fingers grip the edge of the table, staring down at the hardwood floor through blurry vision. He actually divorced me.

My marriage with Elijah was never easy. When we got married, he was cold and kept his distance. But slowly, I started seeing glimpses of his softer side—the emotional part of him he tried to hide from everyone else. I took on his pain as my own and did everything I could to make him happy. He was finally starting to open up to me. Then Nixie came back, and suddenly he pushed me away like our years together meant absolutely nothing.

My chest tightens at the thought. I just can''t accept that he doesn''t want me anymore. But the untouched food on the table and that red velvet cake with "Happy Third Anniversary" written on it? That''s proof enough. I spent almost four hours baking that cake, hoping to see Elijah smile when he got home.

"Are you done with your little breakdown?" Maya, my maid, snaps from the doorway. She''s standing there looking annoyed, gesturing at the wall. "Unlike you, I actually have work to do—like cleaning up this mess."

I wipe my face and step back. "Yeah, go ahead." My voice comes out scratchy.

Maya rolls her eyes, her mouth twisting in disapproval as she walks over and looks at the table.

"What a headache," she mutters, shaking her head.

Even though I''m Luna, nobody in the packhouse likes me. It''s because I''m an orphan who never shifted. Even omegas have wolves, which makes me seem way below everyone in rank. So people don''t think I should be their Queen. Someone without a wolf can''t lead a pack of wolves—that''s what I''ve always been told.

I''ve learned to live with it because that''s how I''ve always been treated. And forcing people to respect me through fear goes against everything I believe in, so I try to make up for my weakness by giving my absolute best. But Elijah always punished anyone who disrespected me, always had my back when things got ugly. He was so protective of me. *Was.*

I wonder if he thinks Nixie will make a better Luna than me because she has a wolf. She comes from a Gamma family, so she''s got a strong wolf, and anyone would choose her over me.

*Rip!*

I jump at the sudden sound of something being torn, and I see Maya violently ripping down the fairy lights and red balloons from the wall behind the table. With each decoration being destroyed, I feel something break inside my chest. My friends Dory and Drake helped me put all this up last night, and we were so proud of how it looked.

Maya doesn''t go easy on the food either, and I flinch watching her just dump the cake straight into the trash. I feel like that cake—thrown away like garbage.

My head starts spinning from all these emotions. I need a shower. I walk out of the dining hall, my legs feeling like lead.

Now that I think about it, I''ve been feeling pretty sick since this morning. My throat''s been scratchy, I feel nauseous, and I''ve been exhausted lately. Maybe it''s because of Elijah.

Not really paying attention to where I''m going, I automatically reach for the bedroom door handle. But the second the door swings open, this musky scent hits me. There''s another smell mixed with it that makes my nose wrinkle.

I freeze completely when I see Elijah sitting on the bed. With Nixie on his lap.

With brown curls brushing her shoulders and a floral mini skirt riding up her slim, pale thighs, Nixie looks like every guy''s fantasy. Compared to her, I look plain in my simple blue dress and straight dark hair. They''re clearly having a moment—her arms wrapped around his neck, his hand on her tiny waist.

Elijah notices me. "Rena," he says in that deep, smooth voice that always gets to me, and he lets go of Nixie''s waist. Nixie slides off his lap and stands next to him, adjusting her skirt.

"Oh my God, Rena. I-I didn''t know you''d be coming," she says, her pale skin flushing red like she''s embarrassed.

Even without a wolf, I can still feel the sting of their intimacy. My heart pounds painfully in my chest.

"Rena, what are you doing here?" Elijah asks, staring at me with those cold black eyes. I can''t read his expression at all.