The once vibrant home that Xanthe had shared with Lynam now felt hollow and distant. Every room, every corner held the echoes of laughter and love that now seemed like a distant memory. The air between them had thickened over time, heavy with unspoken words, and the tension between them was palpable. Lynam had barely spoken to her for days. Their marriage, which had once felt like an unshakable foundation, now stood on the brink of collapse.
Lynam sat alone in his office, a glass of whiskey in hand. He had barely touched the drink, but the glass served as a reminder of the numbness he felt. His mind replayed the events of the past few weeks, the distant stares Xanthe had given him, the cold silences that had become their conversations. And then there was Michelle—always lurking, always with a smile that hid something far more dangerous.
Lynam's phone buzzed, pulling him from his thoughts. He stared at the screen—another message from Michelle. He hadn't responded to her in days, but she wouldn't let him go. His fingers hovered over the keys, but instead of replying, he tossed the phone aside, frustrated with himself.
The knock at the door startled him. Elias entered without waiting for a response.
"You look like shit," Elias said with a grin, his voice laced with amusement, though it barely touched his eyes. "The marriage falling apart already?"
Lynam's eyes narrowed. "What do you want, Elias?"
Elias took a step closer, folding his arms across his chest. "Just here to see if you're still in control. You've got to make a decision, Lynam. Xanthe's slipping through your fingers, and you're letting it happen. Is this really what you want?"
Lynam's jaw tightened. "Don't you dare tell me what I want. I know what I've done. But there's nothing I can do now. I fucked up."
Elias chuckled darkly. "You don't get it, do you? The game's already been set in motion. There's no going back. You're running out of time. But hey, we still have time to fix this—if you're willing to make the right choice."
Lynam didn't respond. Instead, he turned his gaze to the window, staring out at the sprawling city below. His mind was a battlefield—torn between his loyalty to Xanthe and the pressure from his family, particularly his father, Alex. He had already felt the weight of his father's expectations pressing on him. But Elias's words kept echoing in his head, and deep down, Lynam knew the truth. He had allowed everything to slip away, and now, it was too late to fix it.
Xanthe, on the other hand, was fighting her own battles. As Alpha Luna, her role had never been easy, but now, it seemed even harder. The pack had grown restless, sensing her emotional instability. Her leadership was questioned, not just by her own doubts but by others within the pack. Some whispered that maybe she wasn't fit to lead them—especially when her personal life seemed so fractured.
"Alpha," came a voice, breaking her from her thoughts. It was Kael, one of her closest advisors. "There's word of a rival pack near the borders. They've been making moves. We need to act fast."
Xanthe sighed, her mind spinning. Between her crumbling marriage and the rising threat to her pack, everything felt like it was collapsing at once. She had to make a choice—her marriage or her duty to the pack.
"Prepare the pack," she ordered, her voice cold and firm. "We won't be caught off guard. I'll handle the rest later."
As Kael nodded and left, Xanthe stood in the center of her room, staring out at the moonlit night. She had always known that the role of Alpha Luna came with immense pressure, but now it felt unbearable. Her strength was being tested in ways she hadn't anticipated. But there was no time for self-doubt. Not now.
She clenched her fists. The pack needed her, and no matter what happened with her marriage, she would never abandon them.
Later that evening, when Xanthe returned home, she found the house unusually quiet. It was still too early for Lynam to be home, or so she thought. She stepped inside, kicking off her shoes, when she noticed something—her bedroom door was slightly ajar.
Her heart skipped a beat. She had left it closed when she left this morning. Slowly, cautiously, she walked toward the room, feeling an unsettling knot in her stomach. When she opened the door, the sight before her stopped her cold.
Lynam was there, sprawled on their bed, asleep. But what struck her more was the figure next to him—Michelle, lying with her arm draped across his chest, as if they had spent the night together again.
Xanthe's breath hitched. For a moment, she stood frozen in the doorway, her mind struggling to process what she was seeing. Michelle had clearly taken advantage of the situation, slipping into Lynam's life when he was at his weakest. And now, Xanthe was left to face the consequences of their betrayal.
Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. She had worked too hard to be vulnerable in front of Lynam again. This time, there would be no reconciliation. Not after this.
Lynam stirred as Xanthe approached, his eyes fluttering open. The moment he saw her standing there, his face twisted with shock and guilt. "Xanthe... I... I didn't mean—"
"Don't," she interrupted, her voice icy. "You've already made your choice. I don't need your explanations."
Michelle stirred, slowly sitting up and giving Xanthe a smug smile. "Oh, you're back early. I didn't think you'd be home so soon, but Lynam and I—"
"Shut up," Xanthe snapped, her voice a low growl. "You're not welcome here. Neither of you."
Her chest tightened with a wave of anger and betrayal. She had tried so hard to make things work, to trust Lynam again after everything that had happened. But now, seeing him with Michelle, all the pain came flooding back. The promises, the love—they all felt like empty words.
Lynam, guilt washing over him, stood up from the bed. "Xanthe, please. I was drunk. It wasn't what you think."
"Save it, Lynam," she replied, her voice trembling but steady. "I've had enough. I can't do this anymore."
She turned to leave, but Lynam's voice stopped her. "Xanthe, please don't leave like this. We can fix it."
"I don't know if I can trust you again," she whispered, more to herself than to him, before walking out of the room, slamming the door behind her.
As Xanthe stormed into the pack's territory, the weight of everything on her shoulders grew even heavier. Her marriage, the pack's future, her identity—she had never felt so lost.
But as she stood in front of the pack, preparing to lead them into battle against the rival group, something inside her clicked. She had to be strong, for them. For herself.
"I'm not just an Alpha," she said, her voice loud and commanding. "I'm your Luna. And I will fight for this pack."
For the first time in days, Xanthe felt a sense of clarity. The battle ahead would test her, but she wasn't going to back down. Not now, not ever.