Chapter 0003

I walk through the hallways of my almost empty company. My best friend and I had built Ruby’s collection from scratch. Ruby’s had been flourishing. Had been among the top ten fashion companies. Now it was crumbling.

Darren had kept true to his promise to destroy me. My name had been dragged through the mud by magazines and gossip columns. I had been painted as the villain.

The evil bitch that had come between old flames. The treacherous wife who refused to release the man that no longer wanted her. The sad and bitter woman who refused to let go.

I have been called names. I have been cyber bullied. I have been painted worse than the devil. The good image I had in the human society has been destroyed. Majority of both humans and wolves no longer want to be associated with me.

We have lost investors. Our profits are dropping drastically and employees are leaving us. No longer wanting to work for a monster like me.

I was the devil while Miranda was an angel. I was the one trying to break them up instead of the other way around. I hated everything that was happening but I couldn’t control it.

Just like the other days. My secretary is nowhere in sight. I have a feeling that she too was about to leave the company.

I walk into my office but I stop dead. A man that I have only seen in magazines is standing in my office. He occupies the room like he owns it. Like it was his own personal playground.

Sebastian Ashford is a very powerful man. Both in the human and wolf world. He has the unspoken title of alpha of alphas. With a wolf that can only be described as a beast, he was the staff of nightmares. He is also Miranda’s former mate.

“How can I help you Mr. Ashford?” I ask him. Finding my voice.

He doesn’t answer immediately. Just stares at me with those forest green eyes. As if he could see the pain that was wreaking havoc inside me.

He is tall, around six feet or maybe more. midnight black, thick hair. Even though he has a suit on. You can still tell he's fit under it.

He is hot in every sense. Too bad my heart will never be whole again. Never will it be able to beat for another. I was done with men.

“My son keeps talking about you. I had to come and see what all the fuss was all about” he says, his voice deep and husky.

I just stare at him not knowing what to say.

“I want to know what intention you have towards him”

He gets so close that I can feel his body heat. Blue perks up for a bit before going back to sleep.

“Nothing bad. He’s a good kid and he comforted me at my lowest” I murmur. I have to tip my head back just to be able to look at him.

“That better be all Red. Because if I find out you’re using him as revenge against his bitch of a mother, I will rip you to pieces. There will be nothing left of you to bury” he threatens his voice going dangerously low.

I can see the beast everyone talks about. He is lurking just behind those hypnotizing cold grey eyes. I should be scared but for some reason I was not.

Just as with his son, something drew me to him.

“I would never do that. I may hate Miranda but I would never use an innocent child to get back at her”

He continues to stare at me in that peculiar way. Like he was searching my soul. Learning all my secrets.

With a last warning he walks out. Taking his overwhelming presence with him. The moment he is gone the room immediately feels empty.

I get back to work. Trying to focus knowing well it was an impossible task.

It was hours later when Darren comes barging into my office. He was completely pissed and breathing fire.

“Stay the fuck away from my parents. I don’t know what you told them to hate Miranda so much but I won’t allow you to sink your dirty claws into them” he shouts, his voice hateful and full of disdain.

I scoff. “I doubt I have any power over them. They hate Miranda for what she did to you. Not because of anything I’ve told them”

He looks at me. His eyes full of loathing. How is it that all love has turned to hate? I just don’t fucking understand.

“Sign the goddamn papers and leave my family alone. Better yet, just fucking die it would make my life easier”

His words shatters me a little further. Leaving both Blue and I broken in a way I’m afraid we will never recover.

He turns about to leave but I stop him.

“Wait” I shout but it comes out as a whimper instead. “Be honest with me. Did you ever really love me? These ten years we’ve been together, did you love me or was it just pretend for you?”

I was fucking scared of the answer but I just had to know. Hoping that at least he loved me at one point. That he had at least cared for me. That he had been happy with me. His answer could destroy me but I needed it.

He sighs, before answering. “I don’t think so. My heart never truly belonged to you, it was always Miranda’s. You were just holding it for her but it was never yours to begin with so let’s just end this sham of a mating, so I can finally be with the only woman I’ve ever loved. We’re ten years overdue”

Without saying anything else he leaves. Walking out the door, like he was walking out of my life.

I fall to my knees. My heart constricting in pain. My soul feeling like it has been torn into two. He never loved me. Not even once. He was just using me.

The pain of this knowledge is crashing.

“Make it stop Blue. Please make the pain go away” I plead with her.

She replies just as broken. “I wish I could, my lovely human”

I don’t know how long I had been on the floor when I heard her. “Ren?”

I look up to find my best friend Claire standing at the door. Within seconds she is kneeling beside me.

“Oh Renny, what’s he done to you?”

And that’s all it takes for me to crumble. I throw myself at her. Finally, I break, a sob tearing its way from the depths of my tortured soul. I let the pain, the anger, the frustration and the hate I’ve been pushing down free.

The dam breaks and the tears I have been holding back flows. I cry my heart out to the moon goddess. Cry at the shitty hand I’ve been dealt with. At the pain she has allowed into my life. At the brokenness I was sure would never be fixed. At my damaged heart.

By the time I’m done I feel empty. Like there is a hole where my soul used to exist.

I whisper, the fight leaving me completely. “I’m sorry Blue but we have to do this”

“I know. Do what you have to, to save what little is left of us” she whimpers before retreating to the back of our mind.

I turn to Claire, whispering the words that tear at me. “I’m done”

She doesn’t say a word, just nods. Her tears fall while she holds me tightly in her arms.

************************************************

I stare at myself in the mirror and I can’t believe the woman staring back at me.

She looks tired and broken. Eye bags under her eyes, her skin ashy and hair thin. She’s lost weight and the clothes hang off her body. She looks like a shadow of her former self.

I close my eyes. Praying that when I do open them again they will be clear. It doesn’t work at all. The pain is still there. Still swimming in their depths. Lurking on the surface.

I take a deep breath then leave the bathroom. I stand in the room I’ve been calling mine. It’s funny how things can change in just a few months. How drastic your life can take a wrong turn.

I survey it making sure I haven’t left anything important behind. Everything I own is packed. The rest, the things Darren gave me are either burnt or donated. I’ve cleared everything. Leaving no sign that I ever lived there.

“Are you ready Blue?” I ask my wolf softly.

“Yeah. As ready as I’ll ever be” she replies, her voice barely above whisper.

She is hurt and has been withdrawing into herself more and more each day. I couldn’t allow her to fade. She was the only one that was keeping me sane.

I leave going straight to the airport. Everything has been sorted. I had already signed the separation papers. I had also gotten my lawyer to draft custody papers. Signing full custody of Krystal over to Darren.

It had broken us to do so. But we knew Krystal would never willingly choose to stay with us. Forcing her would only make her hate us more.

I had no idea where we would go. We just needed to go somewhere far away. Where we’re not constantly reminded of all we had lost.

Where we couldn’t see Darren and Krystal happy while we stood aside unwanted. We had to get away because each day felt like we were dying a little more.

Each day felt like we were one step closer to being swallowed by the darkness surrounding us.

“Blue?” I call. I needed her for this next step.

“I’m here love. Do it, let go” she pushes me. Giving me the strength I need.

“I Lauren Smith, cut all ties with Alpha Darren West and the Silver Mist Pack. I declare that I am now a lone wolf with no pack”

The moment I finish those words, I feel the pack link beginning to shrivel in my mind. The buzz that was always there at the back of my mind was now silent.

A tear falls down my cheek. As the pack link completely fades.

I accept that I’ve just severed the last connection I have to Darren and Krystal.

Blue and I were now truly alone.