1

Raven

It was supposed to be the happiest night of my life. A celebration of love, loyalty, and the bond I shared with my mate and husband, Alpha Emerson Blackwood. The one-year anniversary of our marriage had finally arrived, and I had everything planned down to the smallest detail. Lila, my best friend, had been by my side from the beginning, helping me arrange every surprise. We stood together in the living room of our home, the air filled with the scent of fresh roses and the soft glow of candlelight.

“He’s going to love this, Raven,” Lila said, adjusting the arrangement of champagne glasses on the table. She grinned at me, her eyes sparkling with excitement. “The gift you got for him? It’s perfect.”

I smiled, my heart swelling with anticipation. “I hope so. It took weeks to find that watch—he’s been eyeing it for months but wouldn’t splurge on it himself. I wanted tonight to be special.”

Lila chuckled, placing the bottle of wine beside the glasses. “It will be. I can’t wait to see his face when he realizes how much effort you put into this. He’s going to be over the moon.”

I glanced at the clock, trying to shake off the nervous flutter in my chest. “He should be here by now,” I muttered. Emerson had promised he’d come straight home from pack duties. But it was getting late, and my anxiety was beginning to gnaw at me. I wanted everything to be perfect.

Lila sensed my unease and gave my arm a reassuring squeeze. “He’s probably just caught up with something at the pack. He’ll be here soon.”

Guests began to arrive, filling the house with laughter and chatter. I smiled as I greeted familiar faces, trying to focus on the joyous occasion. Marcus Greer, my old mentor and someone I had always looked up to, approached me with a warm smile.

“Raven,” Marcus said, pulling me into a fatherly embrace. “You look radiant, as always.”

“Thank you, Marcus,” I replied, pulling away. His presence always gave me comfort, especially tonight when my nerves were starting to get the best of me. “I’m so glad you could make it.”

“I wouldn’t miss it for the world,” he said, his eyes flickering with something I couldn’t quite place before he looked toward the door. “Where’s Emerson? Late for his own anniversary, is he?”

I laughed nervously, glancing at the door myself. “He’ll be here soon.”

But even as the guests mingled and the clock ticked forward, I couldn’t help the growing knot of anxiety in my stomach. I checked my phone for the third time, hoping for a message from Emerson, but there was nothing. Lila came over and handed me a glass of wine, sensing my worry.

“Relax, Raven. He’s probably just running late.”

I nodded, taking a sip of the wine, but my mind couldn’t settle. When the door finally opened, and Emerson walked in, the weight in my chest lifted—until I saw the look on his face.

Emerson wasn’t smiling. He wasn’t wearing the warm expression of a man coming home to celebrate with his wife. He was cold, distant, and carrying a folder in his hand. My heart sank.

“Emerson?” I said, stepping forward, my smile fading. “What’s wrong?”

He didn’t answer right away. He looked around the room at the guests, his jaw tight, before his eyes finally settled on me. “Can we talk?” His voice was low, but it lacked the affection I’d grown accustomed to.

I swallowed hard, the unease in my chest turning into a lump in my throat. “Of course,” I said, following him into the study, my mind racing with possibilities. Had something happened with the pack? Had I done something wrong?

As soon as the door closed behind us, Emerson placed the folder on the desk and looked at me with eyes I didn’t recognize. My heart raced.

“What’s this?” I asked, my voice trembling as I reached for the folder. My fingers were shaking as I opened it and saw the words staring back at me: Divorce Agreement.

“Divorce?” The word felt foreign in my mouth, my entire body freezing. I couldn’t comprehend it. I looked up at him, searching his face for some kind of joke, a sign that this wasn’t happening. “Why?”

Emerson’s expression was cold, detached. “I can’t do this anymore, Raven. I’m in love with someone else.”

My world collapsed in an instant. The air was sucked from the room, and I couldn’t breathe. “Someone else? Emerson, what are you talking about? We’re married. We’ve been together for a year!”

He didn’t flinch. “I’ve been seeing Lila. We’ve been together for a while now. I’m ending this because I want to be with her. She’s the woman that I want in my life.”

I stared at him, the words piercing my heart like a knife. My best friend. My Lila. The one who had helped me plan this entire evening. “No,” I whispered, shaking my head. “You’re lying.”

Emerson crossed his arms, his eyes cold. “I’m not lying, Raven. I’ve already spoken to her about it. After the divorce, we plan to be together.”

Before I could process the betrayal, the door to the study opened, and Lila stepped in. Her once kind and friendly expression was gone, replaced by something twisted, something dark. She smirked at me, stepping closer to Emerson, her hand sliding up his arm.

“I’m sorry, Raven,” she said, but the glint in her eyes told me she wasn’t. “It just… happened. Emerson and I are in love with each other.”

I felt like I was going to be sick. My stomach twisted in knots, and my hands trembled as I gripped the divorce papers. The betrayal was too much—my husband, my best friend, both conspiring behind my back for who knows how long. I couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think.

Tears blurred my vision, but I refused to break in front of them. With trembling hands, I grabbed the pen and signed the divorce papers without another word. I couldn’t bear to stay in that room, couldn’t bear to look at their smug faces for another second.

“Raven, wait—” Emerson called after me, but I didn’t stop. I stormed out of the house, ignoring the curious stares of the guests. My heart was pounding in my chest, my mind a storm of emotions. I had to get away, had to escape before I lost control completely.

The night air was cold as I stepped onto the street, my vision blurred with tears. I didn’t know where I was going. I just had to keep moving, had to outrun the pain that was tearing me apart.

I was halfway across the road when I heard the screech of tires. I turned just in time to see the headlights barreling toward me. Everything happened so fast—too fast. The impact knocked the breath out of me, and I flew through the air, hitting the pavement with a sickening thud.

I lay there, broken and bleeding, my body numb with shock. The car slowed for a moment, then sped off into the night, leaving me to die alone on the cold street. Pain surged through me, but it was nothing compared to the pain in my heart.

As the blood pooled around me, I knew I didn’t have much time left. My vision faded, and the world around me grew dim. But before I let go, before I succumbed to the darkness, I whispered a prayer to the Moon Goddess.

“Please,” I begged, my voice weak. “Give me another chance. Let me make them pay. Let me have my revenge on Emerson, Lila, and whoever was behind the fucking wheel of that car.”

With that final plea, I closed my eyes, the world slipping away as I fell into the cold embrace of death.