It was a calm afternoon at the Morena estate when Michelle arrived unannounced. Xanthe was in the garden, tending to the herbs she used to relax her mind after stressful pack meetings. She heard footsteps approaching and turned to find Michelle standing there, dressed impeccably for someone who wasn't invited.
"Michelle," Xanthe greeted stiffly, brushing dirt from her hands. "To what do I owe this visit?"
Michelle smiled sweetly, holding out a document folder. "I thought I'd bring this to Lynam personally. It's about a new real estate deal that could be lucrative for his company. I assumed he didn't tell you about it—he's been busy."
Xanthe felt a flicker of irritation. "I'll make sure he gets it."
"Oh, but I wanted to explain it myself," Michelle said, her tone innocent but her eyes gleaming with challenge.
"Lynam's in his office," Xanthe replied curtly, stepping aside to let her pass.
From the window, Xanthe watched as Michelle entered Lynam's study. She told herself she trusted her husband, but the sight of them together, leaning over the same document, was hard to ignore.
That evening, Lynam joined Xanthe for dinner. The air between them was heavy, the silence only broken by the clink of cutlery.
"How was your day?" Xanthe asked, keeping her voice neutral.
"Busy," Lynam replied, not looking up from his plate.
"Did Michelle stop by?" she pressed, her tone sharper than intended.
He paused, finally meeting her gaze. "She did. It was about a potential deal. Why?"
"She mentioned it to me before she went to your office. It seems she's very eager to help you," Xanthe said, her words laced with suspicion.
Lynam frowned. "Are we really doing this? She's a business contact, Xanthe. That's all."
"She's more than that, and you know it," Xanthe snapped. "She's using this as an excuse to get close to you."
Lynam's patience snapped. "If you don't trust me, just say it outright. I don't have time for accusations without basis."
Their argument escalated, leaving both feeling unheard and misunderstood.
The next day, Alex invited Xanthe for coffee, pretending to seek her advice about a philanthropic project he claimed to be starting. Xanthe, desperate for a distraction, reluctantly agreed.
Over steaming cups of espresso, Alex leaned in conspiratorially. "You seem stressed. Is everything okay between you and Lynam?"
"Why do you ask?" Xanthe replied, her defenses rising.
"I've just noticed some tension," Alex said casually. "It can't be easy, balancing the pack and your marriage. And then there's Michelle..."
Xanthe's stomach tightened. "What about Michelle?"
"Let's just say she has a history of blurring professional and personal lines," Alex said, his tone dripping with false concern. "I'd hate to see her cause problems for you."
Xanthe clenched her fists under the table, her emotions swirling.
Later that evening, Xanthe attended a routine pack meeting at the Redwood ancestral home. She'd been receiving subtle resistance from some of the older pack members, but tonight, the discontent was more pronounced.
An elder spoke up, his tone stern. "You've been preoccupied, Alpha Luna. How can you lead us when you're distracted by human concerns?"
"Human concerns?" Xanthe repeated, holding her composure.
"It's no secret that your marriage is strained," another elder chimed in. "And the pack cannot afford a divided leadership."
"I assure you, my personal matters have no bearing on my duties," Xanthe said firmly, though the words felt hollow even to herself.
The whispers among the pack grew louder, planting seeds of doubt.
At the same time, Michelle and Alex's schemes deepened.
Michelle met Alex at a private lounge later that night, a sly smile on her lips. "Xanthe's unraveling beautifully. She's so easy to provoke."
"Good," Alex replied. "But Lynam is harder to sway. We need to make him question her loyalty."
"Leave that to me," Michelle said confidently. "A few more subtle moves, and he'll start to see her as the problem."
Unbeknownst to them, Xanthe's sister, Aisha, overheard snippets of their conversation. Aisha, still bitter about her estranged relationship with Xanthe, decided to bide her time, wondering how she might use this information to her advantage.
The next morning, Xanthe confronted Lynam, the tension between them finally boiling over.
"Do you think I haven't noticed the way you've shut me out?" she demanded. "Or how Michelle keeps finding excuses to be around you?"
Lynam sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Xanthe, I'm trying to protect you, to keep the pack stable—"
"Protect me by lying to me?" she interrupted, her voice breaking. "You don't even talk to me anymore. It's like I'm not even here."
Lynam hesitated, the weight of his secrets crushing him. He wanted to tell her everything—the truth about his heritage, about the danger Alex and Michelle posed—but fear held him back.
"We're supposed to be partners, Lynam," Xanthe continued. "But I feel like I'm fighting this battle alone."
"Maybe it's because you don't trust me," he shot back, his voice colder than he intended.
Her eyes filled with hurt, and she turned away, her heart heavy with the realization that their marriage was cracking under the strain.