Castor's message came in the late afternoon, just when I started believing I could have a peaceful evening. I gripped my phone tightly as his words glared back at me. "If you want the divorce, meet me at seven. We'll settle this once and for all. Your lawyer will be here and everything."
I should have known better. I should have sensed that something was off. But I was too desperate for it to be true, too hopeful that he had finally given up and was ready to let me go. So, I pulled myself together, dressed in a white sundress that clung to my curves from the weight I was already gaining, and headed to the address he gave me. The elegant building was tucked away in the heart of the city, its tall windows glowing with warm light. Inside, the space buzzed with energy. It was a large ballroom filled with high-ranking werewolves from all over. Something was wrong. My stomach twisted as I stepped inside, scanning the room. Castor appeared by my side almost immediately, gripping my elbow before I could even think about turning back. "You made it," he said with a cruel glimmer in his eyes. "Good girl." "What is this?" I asked. "Where are the papers?" He leaned in, lowering his voice. "This isn't about the divorce, Lila. Tonight's important. We have to make an appearance, and you'll play the part of my loving wife one more time." "What?" My heart hammered in my chest. "I'm not doing this. I didn't agree to..." His grip tightened painfully on my arm, and his lips brushed against my ear. "You'll follow my lead, Lila. Or I'll make sure everyone here knows just how difficult you've been. That's my right, you know. You wouldn't want that, would you?" I froze. He had always been good at manipulating me, controlling me, and making me feel like I had no other choice. For a moment, the old fear crept back in. But something else stirred, too, something new and far more potent. The alpha blood coursing through me pulsed, reminding me of what I had become. I straightened, forcing a smile as I looked up at him. "Fine. Let's get this over with, darling." He slid his arm around my waist, pulling me close as we made our way through the room. Every step felt like a betrayal, my body moving with his, pretending to be the woman I had once been. His obedient Luna. But I wasn't her anymore. We walked past clusters of werewolves, their conversations dropping to hushed whispers as we approached. Castor kept his smile in place, charming and confident, as he slowly led me to the center of the room where the elders gathered. I recognized most of them, powerful alphas from neighboring territories who were here to celebrate the retirement of one of their own. That's what this was. A ceremony. And I had been dragged here like a pawn in one of Castor's many games. He had to look the part, and he couldn't do that without me. As we approached the elders, I felt the hairs on my neck stand up. Across the room, I spotted Declan Lincoln. My breath caught in my throat as I looked at him. Tall and broad-shouldered, his dark brown hair slicked back, making him look powerful and composed. His blue eyes locked onto mine, and I quickly looked away. But it wasn't just Declan that made my stomach twist. Selena was standing beside him, her arm looped in his with a big smile plastered all over her face. Castor caught my look and smirked. "Yeah, Selena's with him. You didn't know she had a brother, did you? And guess what? He's your hotshot lawyer." He leaned closer, his voice dripping with mockery. "Conflict of interest, sweetheart. He won't touch your case now. You've got no one left." I glared up at him, refusing to let him see me hurt. "I don't care about him. I'm not here for him. I'm here to be done with you." "You'll never be done with me," he said, tightening his grip on my waist. "You're mine, Lila. You always will be." We reached the elders, and Castor's smile almost illuminated the damn room as he greeted them, pulling me into the conversation like everything was perfect. I played along, pretending to laugh at their small talk, sipping from the drink he gave me. Then Castor nudged my arm on purpose, causing my drink to spill all over my white dress. The cold liquid soaked through the fabric, clinging to my skin. I gasped, looking down as the thin material became almost transparent, exposing the swell of my breasts, which had grown fuller and more tender since the pregnancy. I turned bright red and saw the triumphant twinkle in Castor's eyes. He was trying to humiliate me. He always did this. I had just never noticed it. He used every opportunity to remind me that he was in control. But something inside me snapped. I turned to face him, my heart pounding in my ears. "Don't touch me." The room went silent. "I'm not your puppet. I'm not your property. I don't care what you say or do. We will never get back together." Castor's smile faltered, and I saw the shock ripple through the crowd. But I didn't stop. I couldn't. "I'm done pretending. I'm done playing the role you forced on me. You want a happy wife? You want someone to stand by your side and smile for the cameras? Well, find someone else, Castor. I'm not here for your amusement anymore." His eyes flashed, his lips curling into a sneer. But before he could say anything, I slapped him. Hard. The sound echoed through the room, followed by stunned silence. I didn't care who saw it. I didn't care about the stares, the whispers. All I cared about was that, for the first time, I had stood up to him. Castor's eyes started to glow with rage as he started breathing heavily. I could feel the pressure in the room shift as everyone watched, waiting to see what would happen next. "You think this changes anything?" he snarled, stepping toward me. "You're still mine, Lila. You always will be. No one will ever take you seriously, especially not after this." I squared my shoulders, refusing to back down. "I'm not yours. And I never will be again." I glanced across the room, my eyes locking with Declan's. He stood there, watching everything. Selena seemed amused as she smirked, her eyes glittering with satisfaction as she leaned closer to Declan, reminding me I was nothing compared to her. But I wasn't going to let her, or Castor, win. Not anymore. Without another word, I turned and walked away, my head held high. I could feel everyone's eyes and hear the murmurs as I left the room. But for the first time in years, I felt something I hadn't felt in a long time. I felt free. The moment I stepped outside, the cold night air hit me, and I took a deep breath, trying to steady my racing thoughts and emotions. My heart was still racing, my skin still tingling from the confrontation. But I had done it. I had finally stood up to Castor. Publicly. The perfect powerful alpha facade was no more.(LINC POV) I watched from across the room as Lila slapped Castor hard, loud enough to make the entire banquet hall fall silent. The crowd parted, murmuring in shock as she stormed away, her white dress stained and clinging to her body. Castor stood there, frozen, his face contorted with anger, but he didn't follow her. Not this time. He knew better.I couldn't tear my eyes away from her as she pushed through the crowd and disappeared through the doors. She was different from the women I was used to seeing in these circles.She was strong, bold, and unpredictable. As she made clear, she didn't back down even with her husband, her soon-to-be ex-husband.I had come here tonight expecting nothing more than the usual pleasantries, the familiar politics of pack life. But Lila? She had turned everything on its head in a matter of seconds. Castor had miscalculated if he thought he could control her forever.I excused myself from the conversation I had barely been listening to and made my w
Linc had given me a lifeline, and I knew I had to take it, but walking into yet another law firm felt like admitting how tangled my life had really become. I stood outside the building, staring up at its sleek glass façade, fighting the instinct to turn around and run. But I couldn't keep running from this. Castor had to be dealt with, and I couldn't do it alone.I took a deep breath and stepped inside. The receptionist didn't even glance at me twice this time as I told her I had an appointment. She buzzed me through, and before I knew it, I was sitting across from a lawyer who looked like he belonged in some glossy magazine. Everything about her was polished, from her pantsuit to how her hair was styled. She reviewed the paperwork I'd brought."So, you're the one Lincoln recommended," she finally said, setting the papers down.I nodded. "Yes. I assume Mr. Lincoln already told you about my situation."The lawyer smiled. "I know enough to understand this will be a tough case. Castor
I spent days searching for a job. Each morning, I woke with a knot of anxiety in my stomach, knowing that I would face another round of rejections. The world outside Castor’s grip was cruel, and I had never realized how dependent I had been on him. The rejection was hard to take. I didn’t have a degree, and my resume was little more than a blank page. Most companies barely let me finish speaking before they cut me off. Some knew who I was the second I introduced myself.“Lila Roman? Castor Roman’s wife?” The interviewers would stare. They didn’t say it outright, but I could tell they were afraid. Afraid of hiring someone tied to the most powerful Alpha in the city.I wasn’t a person to them.I was Castor’s property, even if I was trying to leave him. No one wanted to be caught in his orbit. No one wanted to take the risk.I tried to hold onto hope. I couldn’t go back to Castor, not after everything. But the weight of the rejections piled up, making me feel smaller each day. I wasn’t
It was my third week working at the diner, and I had settled into the job as much as possible. The early morning rush was relentless every single day, and the nausea hit harder some days than others. My breasts and back ached constantly, and my feet were sore from standing all day, but I forced myself to push through. I needed this job. The symptoms just reminded me of why I was pushing so hard.I wiped down the counter, my thoughts drifting to Cast. Even after everything, his influence refused to leave me alone. The whispers around town and the way people stared when they recognized me came back to him. The ex-Luna, now just a cook in some dingy diner.That's what they saw. What they whispered.As I scrubbed harder, trying to focus on anything else, the door slammed open against the wall as it was forcefully opened. The force of it startled me, and I didn't need to turn around to know who had just walked in. My parents had found me. I froze.“Delilah Montez Roman!” My mother's vo
CAST POVThe memory of Lila's face that day haunted me. She looked at me, eyes steady, as she told me she was leaving. At first, I couldn't believe it. I thought it was just a phase, that she'd come back, see reason. But she hadn't. And the longer she stayed away, the more I panicked."Mr. Roman, the Blakely contract needs your signature," Maya, my assistant, called from the doorway.I barely glanced up. "I'll get to it later." It came out harsher than I intended, but I didn't care. The frustration was too much. Maya knew better than to push when I was like this.I heard the door click shut behind her as she left me alone with my thoughts.I stood and started pacing the length of the office. I couldn't get Lila's face out of my mind.The cold, determined way she'd looked at me before walking out. At first, I thought she was bluffing, that she'd return.She had to, she was my fated mate.My Luna.But she didn't, and that's when the panic set in.Slamming my fist on the desk, I let the
Browsing through the maternity section made everything feel surreal. Tiny outfits hung on racks, each a reminder of the life growing inside me. I trailed my hand over a little onesie, imagining my baby wearing it. I hadn't planned on being here, in this aisle, pregnant and alone, but here I was. And somehow, despite everything, I was managing. "Look at this one," Indy said, holding up a pair of tiny overalls with a smile. She had been my rock through all of this. We were in Statesboro, far enough away from Augusta that I let myself relax a little. No one knew me here. No one would look at me and see Castor Roman's runaway Luna. I could just be Lila, a pregnant woman preparing for her baby. "Those are adorable," I said, reaching out to feel the fabric. It was soft, so perfect for a newborn. I imagined my baby in them, snuggled in my arms, safe and warm. For a moment, the reality of my situation faded, and I allowed myself to feel happy. Indy nudged me with her elbow. "You're
The phone vibrated on the kitchen counter, the lawyer's name flashing across the screen. "Hello?"There was a pause, longer than it should've been. I could feel it coming. Bad news."Mrs. Roman, I'm sorry. I can't continue with your case." "What? What do you mean you can't continue?""I'm dropping it. There's... too much at stake for me. For my firm. Castor Roman has too much influence. No one is willing to go up against him. No one. I'm even struggling to get basic things from the clerks."I leaned against the counter as the room started to spin. "So you're just giving up? After everything I've told you?""I'm not giving up, Lila. It's not about that. It's about survival. I can't risk this. And, if I'm honest with you, I don't think any lawyer in this city will take your case. He's just too powerful."Castor. Castor is always controlling something. "So that's it? He wins because you're scared? You're just letting him take everything from me?""You're smart, Lila. You knew this was
I was staring at the cold white ceiling. My hands rested protectively over my stomach, every breath slow and careful. The doctor had been in moments ago. I hadn't lost the baby. Not yet. But that didn't mean everything was okay."You're under too much stress," the doctor said. "If you don't take care of yourself, there's a risk to the pregnancy. Rest. No more strain."Yeah right.I exhaled, trying to focus on anything else. My chest felt tight, and I couldn't push away the image of what might have happened. Of what could still happen.Linc knocked on the door and stepped inside."How are you feeling?" he asked.I turned my head away, biting back everything I wanted to say. How was I feeling? Terrified. Exhausted. Like the world was slowly caving in. But none of that mattered. I just wanted my baby to be okay."The baby's fine," I whispered. "For now."He shifted awkwardly near the door, his usual confidence nowhere to be seen.I pulled myself up into a sitting position, wincing