Chapter 1: Echoes of Unspoken Prophecies

"You are late," I whispered, the moment the door clicked shut behind him.

A heavy sigh filled the impending silence before he turned to face me. Elain, there is something that we need to talk about."

My heart raced. In the dim light of our penthouse bedroom, I watched whilst he carefully unbuttoned his coat, revealing a crisp blue shirt underneath. He hesitated momentarily, then from the inner pocket, he revealed a folded document.

"This," he began, thrusting the paper towards me, "is for you."

I took it hesitantly, unfolding it. My eyes quickly skimmed the document revealing the contents, and the weight of the word made my knees buckle. "Divorce papers?" I stammered, disbelief clouding my voice.

He did not meet my gaze. "It's signed. By me."

Tears threatened to pour from my eyes. But I fought them back, needing clarity. "Why Richard? After 10 years together, why now?"

For the first time that evening, he looked genuinely torn. "Elain, it's complicated."

I laughed bitterly. "Complicated? You hand me divorce papers out of the blue, and all you can say is that it is complicated."

"I never meant to hurt you," he whispered, taking a step toward me. The distinct smell of the forest, a hint of his werewolf lineage, wafted around him. It was a scent I'd come to associate with safety and love. Now, it felt like a cruel irony.

"Is there someone else?" The words fell from my lips before I could stop them.

For a fraction of a second, I saw a flicker of hesitation in his eyes, but he said nothing.

The room was suddenly stifling. The walls, adorned with my artwork, seemed to close in on me. Paintings that once symbolized love and hope now feel like mockery.

"You will not tell me, will you?" My voice cracked, the weight of the realization pressing down.

He looked away, and that told me everything. My vision blurred, and the room spun. The man I'd spent years with, the man I'd thought I knew inside out, was now a stranger.

Without another word, I signed the agreement, the ink a testament to my shattered heart.

Little did I know, it was only the beginning of our tangled journey.

I left the room, needing to catch my breath, and escaped to my art studio, a sanctuary nestled on the top floor of our penthouse. The New York City skyline stretched out before me, the twinkling lights mimicking a starry night. My fingers instinctively reached for a brush, but instead of paint, they found an envelope tucked behind the canvas. It was not there before.

Curiosity piqued, and I opened it. Inside was a single photograph and a note. The photo depicted Richard, my husband, with a woman I had never seen before. They were in a dense forest, under the vibrant glow of the full moon, both in their wolf forms. The image was strangely intimate. The note read, "Know the truth before you let go."

Chills ran down my spine. Who sent this? And Why?

My phone buzzed with an incoming message. The number was unknown. " Meet me at Central Park, by Bow Bridge, at midnight. If you seek answers

Was it a trap? Was it linked to Richard's sudden desire for divorce? My heart wrestled with fear and curiosity. But one thing is clear: I couldn't just stand by without knowing the full story. Without knowing what secrets lay hidden in the shadows of our marriage.

As midnight approached, I found myself drawn to Central Park, ready to unravel the mysteries surrounding the man I thought I knew.

As midnight approached, I found myself drawn to Central Park, ready to unravel the mysteries surrounding the man I thought I knew.

The Bow Bridge stood bathed in moonlight, casting a silvery glow on the water below. There was a haunting beauty to the park at this hour, but tonight, the serenity did nothing to calm my racing heart.

A soft rustling from the trees caught my attention, and a figure stepped into the light. It wasn’t Richard. The woman from the photograph stood before me, her sharp, emerald eyes studying me intently.

“You must be Elain,” she began, her voice smooth yet distant.

“Who are you? Why am I here?” I demanded, trying to mask the tremor in my voice.

She chuckled. “Questions, always questions. But it’s not who I am that’s important. It’s who *he* was with me.”

I swallowed hard. “What are you talking about?”

She moved closer, the moonlight revealing a gold pendant around her neck, strikingly similar to one I’d seen Damian wear. “Damian and I share a bond you might not understand. One that precedes your union with him.”

My heart thudded painfully. “You’re his... mate?”

She smirked. “In a way. But it's more intricate than that. We're bound by prophecy and destiny. But he chose you, and for years, I watched from the shadows, hoping he’d realize his mistake.”

“What mistake? Why is he divorcing me then?” The desperation in my voice was palpable.

She sighed. “He's torn between his duty to our kind and his feelings for you. But there's more at play. Forces that want to see your bond broken for their gain.”

“Why show me all this now?”

“Because,” she whispered, stepping even closer, “I've realized that without his happiness, the prophecy remains unfulfilled. And his happiness, regrettably, is with you.”

The weight of her revelation left me reeling. This wasn’t just about a failed marriage; it was about fate, love, and a prophecy that could change everything.

This wasn’t just about a failed marriage; it was about fate, love, and a prophecy that could change everything.

She stepped back, looking up at the moon, which was almost fully covered in shadow. “Tonight's lunar eclipse isn't just an ordinary one. It's the night the prophecy speaks of.”

I frowned, trying to piece together her words. “What does this prophecy say?”

She hesitated for a moment before reciting in a lyrical tone:

"When shadow covers the silvered sphere,

Two souls, once torn, will draw near.

The wolf’s heart, once divided in two,

You must choose love, old or new."

I stood there, stunned. “This prophecy... it speaks of Richard and me?”

She nodded. “And of me. The ‘old love' refers to the decision he makes tonight that will have consequences far beyond your marriage. The balance of our world depends on it.”

“Why am I only hearing about this now?” The weight of her revelation threatened to crush me.

“Because,” she sighed, “I thought I could manipulate destiny. But I’ve realized that fighting against it is fruitless.”

Suddenly, a chilling howl echoed through the park, and I turned towards the sound. The silhouette of a large wolf, unmistakably Richard in his wolf form, appeared on the other side of the bridge.

The woman’s gaze hardened. “The choice he makes tonight isn’t just about the two of you. Remember that.”

As she retreated into the shadows, I took a deep breath, steeling myself for the confrontation ahead. As the last sliver of the moon was cloaked in darkness, Richard, in his human form, stood before me, his eyes reflecting a storm of emotions.

"Elain," he whispered, "there's so much you don't know."

My heart raced, the weight of the night pressing down on me. "Then tell me, Richard. Tell me everything."

He took a deep breath, as if gathering strength, and then reached into his pocket. He pulled out an intricately designed pendant, identical to the one I’d seen the woman wear earlier. But this one was broken; a jagged line ran through its center.

“This was given to me on the night of our wedding, a gift from an old seer of our pack,” he began, his voice trembling. “It was said to hold the power to change our fate, but only if mended by true love.”

I eyed the pendant, realization dawning on me. “You mean...”

He nodded. “The day it broke was the day I handed you the divorce papers. I believed it was a sign, confirming my decision to let you go was right.”

“But why did it break?” I pressed, the urgency evident in my voice.

His gaze met mine, filled with anguish. “It broke when I lied to you about my reasons for wanting the divorce.”

I staggered back, the weight of his words sinking in. "You lied? But why?"

A haunting howl echoed in the distance, interrupting our moment. The atmosphere grew tense, the trees rustling as if sharing whispered secrets.

"That's not the only secret I've kept from you," Richard murmured, his voice barely audible. He gestured to the pendant. "The prophecy speaks of a choice, but it doesn't mention the cost. And the cost, Elain, is something neither of us might be prepared to pay."

Before I could respond, a dense fog began to envelop the park. In mere moments, it became difficult to see even a few feet ahead. The last thing I heard was Damian's voice, desperate and distant, calling out to me.

"Elain! Wait! You have to find the other half!"

And with those words, the night's revelations were far from over.

And then he was gone, swallowed by the fog, leaving me alone with a broken pendant, an unfinished prophecy, and a heart full of unanswered questions.