Chapter 3

Ella

I held the shirt up to the light, staring at the stain until my vision blurred with tears. My fingers trembled as I traced the outline of someone else's lips on my husband's clothes.

The vibrant red lipstick mocked me, bright as a fresh wound against the crisp white fabric.

"No," I whispered, dropping the shirt like it had burned me. "No, no, no."

All the late nights, the distant looks, the perfume, and now this undeniable proof that Marcus was sharing himself with someone else. My chest tightened until I could barely breathe.

Jackson peeked around the laundry room door. "Mommy? Are you okay?"

I quickly wiped my eyes. "Yes, baby. Mommy's fine. Just... found a stain that might not come out."

"Can I have a snack?"

"Of course." I forced a smile and followed him to the kitchen, the image of that lipstick stain branded into my mind.

After settling Jackson with apple slices and peanut butter, I paced the kitchen, my thoughts racing. I'd been patient. I'd been understanding. I'd been the perfect Luna, the supportive wife who never complained when Marcus prioritized pack business over family time.

And this was my reward? Betrayal?

"Enough," I muttered, grabbing my keys. "Enough."

I called our neighbor to watch Jackson and drove straight to the office. My hands shook on the steering wheel, but my resolve strengthened with every mile. The shirt lay crumpled on the passenger seat, that damning stain facing up.

I parked haphazardly, not caring if I took up two spaces. The receptionist's eyes widened when I stormed past her desk.

"Luna, Alpha is in a meeting-"

I ignored her and marched down the hallway to Marcus's office. I could see him leaning over his desk through the glass wall, pointing at something while several council members nodded. Ava stood too close to him, her red lips curved in a smile that made my blood boil.

I shoved the door open so hard it bounced against the wall.

"Ella?" Marcus straightened, surprise flickering across his face. "What are you-"

I threw the shirt at him. It unfurled in the air, landing across his desk like a white flag of surrender. "Care to explain that?"

The room fell silent. Council members shifted uncomfortably in their seats. Ava didn't move, her expression unnervingly calm.

"What is this about?" Marcus picked up the shirt, his brow furrowed.

"The lipstick, Marcus. The goddamn lipstick on your collar!" My voice rose with each word. "Did you think I wouldn't notice?"

The council members exchanged uncomfortable glances. One of them, I think his name was Greg, slowly stood up and mumbled something about giving us privacy, but I blocked the doorway.

"No. Stay. I want witnesses." I crossed my arms over my chest. "I want everyone to see what kind of man leads this pack."

Marcus examined the stain, his expression frustratingly unreadable. "Ella, this isn't what you think-"

"So you're not sleeping with someone behind my back?" I laughed, the sound brittle even to my own ears. "All those late nights? The perfume on your clothes? And now this?" I jabbed my finger at the lipstick stain. "What is it then, Marcus? What exactly am I misunderstanding?"

A small crowd had gathered in the hallway outside the glass-walled office. Perfect. Let them all see. Let them all know.

"Are you cheating on me?" I demanded, loud enough for everyone to hear. "Just say it. Have the decency to admit it to my face!"

Marcus opened his mouth to respond, but Ava stepped forward, her red lips the same shade as the stain curving into a smile.

"Oh, Ella. Always so dramatic." She shook her head with exaggerated sympathy. "Always trying to make yourself the victim."

"Excuse me?" I turned to face her fully. How did she have the audacity to talk to me like that?

Ava reached for a folder on Marcus's desk. "I've been investigating you for quite some time."

The room went dead silent. Even the whispering in the hallway stopped.

"Investigating me?" I repeated, completely thrown off balance. "For what?"

Ava's smile widened as she opened the folder with theatrical slowness. "For fraud, deception, and lying to the Alpha and the entire pack about the true parentage of your son."

My mind went blank like someone had wiped a chalkboard clean. The words hung in the air, absurd and impossible.

"What?" Marcus's voice was dangerously low.

I blinked rapidly, my mouth opening and closing. "What did you just say?"

"Oh, I think you heard me perfectly well." Ava's heels clicked against the floor as she circled around Marcus's desk. "But I'll spell it out for those in the back." She gestured to the growing crowd at the door. "Our beloved Luna has been lying to us all."

A laugh bubbled up from my chest, slightly hysterical. "This is ridiculous. Jackson is Marcus's son. Everyone knows that!"

"Do they?" Ava pulled out a document and held it up. "Because according to this DNA test, Marcus is not Jackson's biological father."