Elaine

A soft, golden light shined around me. Everything I knew about the world disappeared as if I had been transported to another realm.

Then the golden light called upon me. “Elaine.”

"Who are you? How do you know my name?" I asked, as the light soothed my worries. Just hearing its voice made me feel better.

"I'm Neeya, and I'm your spirit wolf," came the reply.

"You're kidding.” I couldn't help but laugh. “I am wolfless, and I've come to terms with that already.”

“But it’s true,” the voice persisted. "Trying to explain why you can sense me now is difficult, so I won't delve into that. What’s important thing is that I'm here now, and I'll always be with you as your friend. You won't be alone anymore, Elaine. I will be your companion… forever."

Her last statement flattered my heart, and even though I couldn’t see her form, I could feel her smiling at me. A lone tear escaped my eyes.

Warmth and comfort like none I’d ever experienced flooded my senses.

#

“Bestie? Thank God, you’re awake!”

I opened my eyes to see my best friend, Liz, with tears streaming down her face. She held my hand, looking agitated but relieved.

“Liz? W-What are you doing here? Where… am I?” I asked, scanning the room. With the white walls, a steel bed, and the smell of antiseptic, it was clear I was in the hospital.

The question is, what am I doing here?

“You scared the hell out of me!” Liz shouted as she threw herself at me. She clung to me as if I had been brought back from the dead, and the way her shoulders moved up and down indicated she was crying non-stop. Eventually, she lifted her head and peered at me. “Good thing your healing power was activated somehow. If not, you surely would have died.”

Healing power? How could I have that power if I didn’t have a wolf? Wait. Was the dream real? Did I really meet Neeya?

“That's right, Elaine. I'm as real as it gets,” Neeya confirmed inside my head, startling me. “But no one should know about me, though. Let’s keep it that way for now, for your protection. Can you do that, hmm?”

“Of course, Neeya, you can count on me,” I said without hesitation, assuring her that I would keep our little secret.

Just then, Liz pulled away from me and asked. "How's your head feeling? ” she asked casually.

I furrowed my brows in response. I felt great headache.

“Why am I in the hospital?” I exclaimed.

“You had a car accident!” Liz protested.

“Accident? I’ve been in an accident?” I put a hand to my head and felt bandages, and my body felt sore all over.

“A car accident, yes,” Liz confirmed. She then lightly caressed my shoulder, looking concerned.“I can’t believe Tristan Hale didn’t even bother to visit you here.”

“Tristan? Why would the Alpha heir of Wolfsilver Pack bother to visit me?” I said sarcastically, expecting Liz to tell me she’d said that as a joke.

Instead, her eyes widened, and she couldn’t seem to find the next words to say. “Tristan is now the Alpha. His father is dead.”

I gaped. "Alpha Roman is dead? Since when? How come I didn't know?"

Liz palmed her forehead, looking even more concerned. An awkward silence followed before she said, “You’re married to Alpha Tristan, Elaine. ”

My ears twitched upon hearing her words. Me, married to Tristan Hale? Was this some kind of a joke?

Elaine

"Come on, Liz. Quit playing." I chuckled while nudging her on her side. "I shouldn’t have not trusted you with my secret. Besides, I’m only eighteen. I haven't even found my destined mate yet."

How could I attract someone like Tristan? He was out of my league, and the thought of me being married to him was absurd.

"You really don't remember anything, do you?" Liz uttered. I looked at her straight in the eyes before she slumped into the nearby chair next to my bed. Again, an awkward silence hovered. She took a deep breath, as if she was relieved about something. "Well, maybe it’s for the best. I mean, what good would it do you to remember that bastard anyway?"

She pulled a compact mirror from her purse and handed it to me. "There. Look at yourself and tell me what you see."

I looked the same, only a little older and stressed, with small lines formed on my forehead and bags under my eyes. It appeared I hadn't gotten a decent sleep, though I wasn't sure why not. I shifted my gaze to Liz. "What’s going on? I don’t understand what's happening."

"You’re not eighteen, Elaine. You’re twenty-three, and you’ve been married to Tristan for three years."

The mirror slipped from my hands, shattering on the hard cemented floor. Despite the room’s cold temperature, beads of sweat formed on my forehead. Five years had passed, and I had no recollection of any of it? And I was married to Tristan Hale?

The door pushed open, revealing a familiar man. It was Jared Cole, Tristan's best friend. When Liz acknowledged him as Beta, which meant he’d elevated in rank when Tristan became the Alpha. He carried a basket full of fruit, yet didn't look happy delivering it to be making the delivery.

Jared was a loyal friend to Tristan. Perhaps, he shared animosity towards me? I couldn’t imagine he’d be happy that Tristan had ended up married to a lowly maid. Even I was struggling to make peace with that.

"The council members send their regards," Jared said coldly, referencing the basket as he placed it on a nearby table.

I smiled faintly. "Please tell the council that the gesture is highly appreciated."

“Why are you the one who bought this, Beta Jared?” Liz asked. “Where’s the Alpha Tristan?”

Jared shot her a smirk. “He’s busy governing the pack. He can’t waste his time on trivial matters,” he said with a dismissive wave of his hand.

“But this is nothing but trivial, Beta Jared,” Liz rebutted. “The Luna almost died!” Liz said. “That’s anything but trivial. I’m sure the Alpha wouldn’t mind sparing her some of his time, considering they’re husband and wife.”

Jared's hidden irritation finally bubbled to the surface, and he spoke sarcastically. "Perhaps next time,” Jared sneered, “the Luna should consider her alpha husband before staging such an accident. If she seeks attention, she could do so by attending to her pack duties instead. I may be risking my tongue for saying this, but as the Beta and Alpha Tristan's best friend, I can't help but feel that the Luna's actions have brought shame upon our pack. Who in their right mind would drive and crash a faulty vehicle unless they desired an accident to gain attention?"

I clenched my wrist, trying to suppress the anger in me. I touched my outrage at such a ridiculous assertion. “You may leave now,” I said, opting for civility, despite wanting to burst into anger.

“You may now leave,” I said.

With that, Jared bowed his head and quickly exited the room. Liz was flabbergasted, wanting to confront the Beta, but I stopped Liz, knowing that her. She didn’t have the status to go against him, so she reluctantly took my advice and calmed herself while I tried to absorb everything I’d learned since waking. How would I weather the storm of events that would obviously ensue? If I had any hope of navigating my current life, I needed more information.

I turned to Liz and asked, “Can you fill me in? What’s happened over these past years? I need to know everything, especially regarding my marriage to Alpha Tristan.”

Liz heaved a sigh before starting to narrate everything that transpired.

Elaine

I gave Liz my full attention as she told me the highlights of the events that shaped my present life. "After you got married, you kept trying to please Alpha Tristan, bending over backward to gain his affection. But he always disregarded you and your feelings. He didn’t care if you were hurting, didn’t care if you were sick. In fact, he continually slighted and ignored you in favor of his mistress, Megan. It’s sad, but your husband has never loved you, Bestie, and he hasn’t treated you well, either."

Liz continued as time slipped by. My heart twisted with every word, each revelation a fresh wound.

"After you got married you kept trying to please Alpha Tristan, bending over backward to gain his affection. But he...He didn’t care whether you were hurting or not. Whenever you were sick, instead of taking care of you, Tristan would go out to meet Megan. Your Alpha husband never loved you, Bestie. It’s sad, but that’s how your life was in the past five years."

I could barely believe all I’d heard. Had I really loved Tristan so much that I allowed him to treat me like that? I may have been nothing more than a maid, but that didn’t excuse for the injustice I experienced. It seemed I had poured my heart and soul into a marriage that was nothing but a facade. It felt like a desperate attempt to hold onto something that was never truly mine.

"And your personality," Liz continued, her voice laced with sorrow, "it changed. You became more and more paranoid. You became depressed, and often delusional. You became secluded as well, even from me."

The bitter laughter that bubbled up from my throat tasted of regret. How could I have become this she-wolf that Liz was telling me about? How could I have allowed Tristan to transform me into someone so pitiful? It wasn’t about my status, either. It seemed I had more self-respect as a maid than as his Luna. Was there any hope of reclaiming the she-wolf I used to be?

“What’s your plan now?” Liz asked.

I took a deep breath, “I want to get back to who I was.”

Liz seemed very excited. “You know what,” Liz said, “I'll always be there for you no matter whatever choice you're about to make. Now, let me get the doctor so he can check on you.”

“Thank you, Liz,” I said.

My warrior best friend gave me a wink before leaving the room. Once she was gone, I allowed the tears to flow, allowed myself to mourn the pitiful she-wolf I had become after marrying Tristan.

“Don’t cry, Elaine,” Neeya whispered inside my head. “You’re no longer alone. Me and Liz will be with you every step of the way.”

I smiled. Neeya was right, and I no longer felt alone. And for sure, it would change the course of my marriage to the Alpha, now that I was woken up from the shackles of unrequited love he bound me with her reassurance.

The doctor visited my hospital room, letting me know I was ready to be discharged. Relief and fear filled me. Leaving the hospital meant going back to the alpha mansion and facing Tristan, and I didn’t know what to expect.

The doctor drew my attention once more. "You still need to rest, Luna Elaine. Your body needs time to get strong again," he said in a serious tone.

After he departed, Liz and I thanked the doctor as we gathered my things, feeling both nervous and left the hospital together. I remained quiet, Liz’s words about my marriage echoing in my mind, making me unsure of what awaited me at home.

Tristan hadn’t visited me in the hospital, confirming Liz’s stories about our loveless relationship. It wasn’t that I’d thought she lied. I had just hoped she had been exaggerating. But his wife had been hospitalized after an auto accident, and he didn’t even bother with a single visit? That destroyed any hope I had that Tristan cared for me at all.

"This is it,” Liz said when we arrived at the alpha mansion.

The mansion was huge and beautiful, with fancy decorations all around. The surrounding gardens were well-maintained, with quaint walking paths. Stepping out of the car, I stared in wonder. It looked so impressively luxurious. It felt surreal to realize I used to work here. Yet, I seemed to have forgotten what it looked like.

“Are you ready for this, Bestie?” Liz asked as we unloaded my things.

I took a deep breath and forced a smile. “As if I have a choice.”

A few minutes later, I stepped into the house, thinking I might still be able to find happiness somehow. Life as a luna couldn’t be that bad. Could it?

Liz helped me settle into my bedroom and smiled at me reassuringly before she left. “Call me if you need anything.”

“I sure will.”

Once she was gone, the house felt empty and quiet, giving off a lonely vibe. Even though the mansion was luxurious and I felt terribly alone. I wasn’t alone, however. Approaching footsteps echoed, stirring a sense of unease within me. The voice that followed was enough to make my heart race with nervous anticipation.

"So, you're back." The words pierced the air with icy coldness, sending a chill through the room.

Slowly, I turned to face Tristan himself, my husband and the Alpha of the Wolfsilver Pack.