Thessaloniki, GreeceEsme’s POVThe last month had been exhausting, fighting for a major project I’d just won, not only to help our company, but because our wolf pack needed it desperately. As their Luna, it was the least I could do. My pack was also hosting the annual New Moon Festival. It was my husband Calvin’s dream, and though he was the pack’s alpha, I was the one who worked hard to achieve that dream for him. But that had meant a month of running low on sleep and barely getting to spend time in the pack house. It also meant I had barely gotten any time with Calvin. But I would that night.After finishing my last call, I packed my bag and left my office without delay. My heart skipped with excitement just thinking about seeing Calvin. I missed him so much—“Winning against humans isn’t something you should be so proud of,” Silvan’s familiar voice rang out behind me as I exited the building. My hair stood on end as I paused, using my senses to confirm there were no humans arou
Esme’s POVFrom the other side of our bedroom door, Stella moaned for the third time. I could no longer deny what I was hearing, and indescribable rage burned through me. After all the sacrifices I’d made? Every single thing I had gone through to get the damned contract I was holding rushed through my mind as I placed my hand on the doorknob.My body trembled. But with one last silver of hope that I was wrong, I pushed the door open. Everything I feared manifested before my eyes. Calvin had Stella straddling him while he sat on my vanity chair and thrust into her as if his life depended on it.It took them a second to realize I was there, and Calvin froze as he met my gaze. “Esme!” he cried with his eyes wide.Stella rushed to get off him, while Calvin pulled up his pants and then fell to his knees. “Esme, she seduced me—”“Seduced you?” I shouted in disbelief. He had been pounding her like it was his only mission on earth, yet he had the guts to claim she’d seduced him?My gaze went
Esme’s POVAfter a fitful and truncated night’s sleep, I woke early when my personal assistant, Amy, entered the room. “Ah, here you are. I’m done with all the tasks you gave me yesterday.” I looked into her eyes, grateful for her reliability and our relationship. My father found her near death and rescued her when I was five, and we’d grown up together. Like Stella, she was like a sister to me. Just the thought of Stella made my heart ache. An unbidden image of her naked on top of Calvin formed in my mind. I shoved the memory aside and addressed Amy. “Are the gates open yet? Some of the guests like to come early.”“I had them open the gates at dawn, and several packs have already arrived.” She looked at me with a furrowed brow. “But that’s not important. Are you okay?” “I’m fine,” I said, sounding lackluster and unconvincing, even to my own ears. Amy raised her brows, clearly not buying that. My shoulders slumped. “I’m just tired from working around the clock these last few days,”
Esme’s POVI stood, gaping at Calvin on the stage. What did he mean the project was obtained through underhanded methods? Was that some kind of accusation? I braced myself for whatever came next, sure I wasn’t going to like it. He continued without another glance my way. “As you all know, the Lycans have prohibited us from having any relationship beyond the surface level with humans unless we are specially instructed.”Many people nodded. I remained still, waiting to see where Calvin was going with this, wondering if I should rush the stage, or if that would only make things worse.“And we all know how valuable this project is. But I’m sad to say that, to get it, my wife and your luna, Esme, slept around with human men, betraying the laws of our kind.”“What?” I screeched.An uproar filled the garden, and the crowd sent thousands of hostile gazes my way.Shock, anger, and betrayal rushed through me. I ran to the stage and slapped Calvin across the face. “You bastard! First you sleep
Esme’s POVNever in my wildest dreams would I have expected that Silvan would request a union between us. When Papa had informed me about his plans to have me wed Silvan, I not only refused Papa and rejected Silvan, I lied and said I already had a mate. Then I had Calvin pretend we were fated mates and write a letter to Silvan. Why would he want me after all that?I stared at him. As much as I regretted my relationship with Calvin, I was still scared of Silvan, just as scared as I had been back then. He kept his eyes locked on mine for one second. Two. Three. Then disappointment flashed across his face, and he turned to leave.One look at the silent but curious crowd had me gritting my teeth. In desperation, I quickly said, “I agree.” After we got away from the crowd, I would make him see reason, make him see I wasn’t the right person for him. Somehow.Silvan turned, and his eyes curved upwards in a smile. “The man in the picture is me,” he declared. The crowd broke into even more
Esme’s POVHe walked off.Fucking walked off while I stood there watching him walk deeper into my pack. However, I followed him.“I’m going to need more explanation, Silvan.” Silvan finally stopped at a dead end that was miles away from the garden.“Considering that I just saved your ass, I had imagined that you would be more, you know…” he paused, his eyes lingering on me as I walked closer.“Grateful,” he added, and I rolled my eyes.“I would be grateful if that was really you saving me and not you taking advantage of a mess that you created.”Damn him.He had been the one to lean in, he was also the only reason why that picture existed in the first place, and then he raised some goddamn condition to clear his own mess.I took a deep breath, calming my emotions.“I’m glad I don’t have to remind you of the stakes again,” Silvan said with a smirk that made me wish I could get a punch on that perfect face.But remembering that he was a Lycan and a Royal made me restrain myself. As m
“Stella was right after all. Either way, you are still a slut,” Calvin slurred, and my nose crinkled as I smelled the alcohol on him.He was drunk.“You don’t have any right to be in here. Not to mention talking to me.” Calvin scoffed, stepping inside completely. “You talk about rights? What of the three years of you depriving me of my right? And then whoring around?” “What are you talking about?” this was not the Calvin I knew.He was not the man I came home to every night who would praise me for working so hard. He was not the Calvin that held me every night after my father died.This was someone else. A total stranger.“We were married for three years, Esme. And not for once did I get to touch you or be with you like a proper couple!” Understanding dawned on me, and I rolled my eyes, irritated at his true colours. “We were never a proper couple, Calvin.” “From the very onset, I made things clear with you. In exchange, I have given you shelter and every damn thing you could ev
Esme’s POVI barely slept as I spent all night packing my bags and anything that my father and I considered important.I knew that after tonight, this place that had been my home for the last twenty-one years would not be anymore.At the first break of dawn, I dragged one of my boxes downstairs, and I saw the two men from last night, standing with their backs ramrod straight while a bundle that I just realised was Calvin was tied up beside them. “Is this all?” one of them asked, not sounding the least bit surprised that I came down with a box.“There’s more upstairs.” The both of them gave curt nods and then went upstairs.By the time all of my bags were moved downstairs, an hour had passed, and I was surprised when the door opened, and three more men stepped in. And right behind them was Silvan. He stood there, his two hands in his pocket and the silliest grin on his face.“Can we leave now?” How did he know that I was going to come along?I trailed behind him until we got to the