Chapter One- Betrayal
Selene~~
The sun dipped below the horizon as I stepped out of the packhouse, exhaustion clinging to my bones. Another day of endless duties, of settling disputes, ensuring patrols were properly scheduled, and pretending that I was more than just a shadow beside my mate. As Luna, I was meant to be respected, honored. And yet, I felt like nothing more than an outsider in my own home.
But tonight felt different.
Damian was home.
A rare occurrence.
For the past year, I had grown used to an empty bed, to cold sheets and colder words. My mate, the man who had vowed to protect and cherish me, had always been distant. The few times he had touched me, it had been mechanical, as if fulfilling an obligation rather than sharing something sacred. Still, I had held onto hope. Hope that one day he would look at me the way I looked at him.
Hope that, one day, he would love me.
Stepping inside, I hesitated at the sight of him standing in the middle of the living room. His sharp blue eyes locked onto mine, unreadable, but there was something different about him tonight. Something in the way he held himself, in the heavy silence that stretched between us.
I pushed past the unease, forcing a smile. "You're home early," I said, warmth creeping into my voice. "I was just about to start dinner. What would you like to eat?"
For a moment, he said nothing. Then, with the cold precision of a dagger to the heart, he spoke.
"Lillith is pregnant."
The world tilted.
I blinked. Surely, I had misheard. "What?"
His face remained emotionless. "Lillith is carrying my child."
My stomach twisted, nausea rising in my throat. My hands trembled at my sides, my nails digging into my palms to keep from falling apart.
Lillith.
My best friend.
The woman I had trusted with my secrets, my dreams, my fears. The woman who had stood beside me through every struggle, who had sworn loyalty to me as both a friend and a pack member.
Lillith had slept with my mate.
And now, she was having his child.
A sharp, piercing pain shot through my chest, and my wolf howled inside me, a broken, anguished sound that rattled through my soul. My knees felt weak, my vision darkening at the edges, but I forced myself to stand tall.
I swallowed hard. "How long?"
Damian didn't hesitate. "Over a year."
I sucked in a sharp breath, my entire body trembling. "A year?" My voice cracked.
A whole year.
For a year, he had been lying to me. Deceiving me.
While I waited for him, while I longed for his love, he had been with her.
I felt sick.
"You betrayed me," I whispered, my voice barely audible.
Damian's expression didn't change. It was as if my pain meant nothing to him. "It was never about you, Selene," he said, his voice cold, detached. "Lillith is my true mate in every way that matters."
A bitter laugh escaped me, though it was laced with anguish. "True mate? The Moon Goddess didn't choose her for you."
His jaw tensed. "The Moon Goddess made a mistake."
I stumbled back as if he'd struck me.
A mistake.
I was a mistake.
I clenched my fists, my nails biting into my palms as I struggled to hold myself together. My entire life had revolved around Damian—around being his mate, his Luna. And now, he stood before me, telling me that none of it mattered.
That I never mattered.
Tears burned behind my eyes, but I refused to cry. I wouldn't give him the satisfaction. "So, what happens now?" I asked, my voice hoarse.
He exhaled, as if this conversation was nothing more than a mild inconvenience. "Lillith doesn't want to hurt you. She suggested that you remain as Luna for now."
I choked on my own breath.
She suggested?
She suggested?
I let out a hollow laugh, shaking my head. "How kind of her," I spat. "She sleeps with my mate, carries his child, and now she—out of the goodness of her heart—wants to let me keep my title?"
Damian's eyes darkened. "Don't be unreasonable, Selene."
"Unreasonable?" My voice rose, my chest heaving. "You just told me you've been cheating on me for a year, that my best friend is pregnant with your child, and you expect me to be reasonable?"
His gaze hardened. "You will not cause trouble for Lillith."
I felt something inside me snap.
"I should be the one causing trouble?" I took a step closer, tilting my head as I glared up at him. "You betrayed me. She betrayed me. And you have the audacity to warn me?"
His hand twitched at his side, but his expression remained blank. "You are still my Luna, Selene. Act like it."
Luna.
The title meant nothing anymore.
I wanted to scream. I wanted to rip something apart. But most of all, I wanted to disappear.
My breathing was uneven as I forced myself to speak. "And what happens next? You make her your mistress? Your second Luna?"
His silence was my answer.
I felt my heart crack.
"You're going to announce it at the pack meeting, aren't you?" My voice was barely above a whisper.
Damian didn't deny it.
"You'll give her a proper title. A place in the pack," I continued, my voice shaking. "While I—what? Stay here and pretend this doesn't destroy me?"
His blue eyes met mine. "You knew this marriage was never about love, Selene
I wanted to scream. I wanted to throw something. I wanted to shift and tear everything apart.
Then, as if he hadn't hurt me enough, he smirked.
"You should be grateful," he said casually. "Lillith is doing you a favor."
I frowned, my hands trembling. "A favor?"
He leaned forward, his voice dropping lower. "Everyone knows you can't give me an heir."
The world went silent.
I felt my heart stop.
He was mocking me.
Mocking the fact that I had failed to conceive.
Mocking the pain I had carried alone.
Mocking the nights I spent crying in silence, wondering what was wrong with me.
I couldn't breathe.
Damian's smirk deepened. "If it weren't for Lillith, the pack would start questioning why their Luna is barren." He tilted his head, watching me. "You should be thanking her."