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.

Elaine

My gaze fell upon Tristan, and I couldn't help but be struck by him. He had matured into a chiseled man who exuded confidence and allure. Well, he was an Alpha now, so this was pretty much expected.

I looked at him and studied his features. He was chiseled, and hisHis neatly styled dark hair framed his face and enhanced his rugged charm. With a defined jawline and commanding stature, he was far from the boy next door image I remembered him to be. Yet, despite that five years had passed, he still retained the same magnetic presence that had captivated me during our younger days.

However, his undeniable handsomeness struck me. Yet, cold and piercing blue eyes sent a shiver down my spine and hinted at a depth of intensity I hadn't fully comprehended before. Despite that, I still felt an inexplicable pull towards him. Sudden panic filled me; my infatuation with him was still present deep within me.

“Don’t just sit there! Help me get changed!” he commanded, jolting me out of my delusion and making me grit my teeth. So I hadn’t just been a wife he ignored. I’d been a wife he was also treated like a slave.

“Well? What are you waiting for? Go get me some —”

“Why don’t you just do it yourself?” I snapped. “It's not hard to open your dresser and change.”

His eyes widened. It seemed he wasn’t used to hearing me object to his demands. But it was different now. I wasn’t about to let him abuse me again like he had, apparently, done in the past.

He huffed and grabbed a shirt himself. I smiled to myself and relished the small victory. He scrutinized me for a moment, then broke the silence. “Go with me to the party tonight. I know you're upset about Megan, so I decided to bring you instead of her. Just don’t make another scene.”

I remained tight-lipped and hid my anger. As his wife and Luna, I should have been the one to accompany him to all functions and engagements. Taking someone else shouldn’t even have been an option. Sadly, it seemed his mistress was shameless enough to take over my role without batting an eye. They were both jerks in my eyes.

Maybe the moon goddess had made me forget my time with Tristan as a way of saving me from my misery? She may have been tired of seeing me cry and wail in pain. So maybe forgetting was more of a blessing than a curse? At the very least, Tristan no longer had the hold on me that Liz had told me about, and I wouldn’t let him control me like he used to. It was different now. Because now, I would no longer sit idly or cry all day under his abuse. Starting today, I would fight for myself, and that's what I would do starting today.

I went to leave the room, but Tristan grabbed my arm and pinned me to the wall.

“What are you doing?” I asked, trying to hide my nervousness by staring steadily into his eyes.

Tristan smirked and then leaned in to kiss me!

Oh, hell no! I wouldn’t let him!

“Get off of me!” I shouted, pushing him as hard as I could. Tristan looked surprised, and the next moment, I saw him glaring at me.

Surprise passed over his face before it morphed into a glare. “What’s your problem?” he asked, annoyed.

I looked at him dangerously. “You're not going to kiss me, huh? I won’t let you touch me ever again! Ever!”