: Best Friends

Trista’s POV

I tossed and turned all night. I got up with the sunrise, but Liam was already gone. So I slapped some makeup on my face to try to cover the dark circles under my eyes. It didn’t help though. My eyes were too swollen from crying.

Divorce.

The word hit me again and my stomach turned.

I couldn’t…I couldn’t even think about it. So instead I started my daily cleaning routine. The maids tip-toed around me, casting me sympathetic looks. They knew something was off with me and Liam. But they were kind enough not to mention it. They gently helped with my housework to show their support.

Divorce.

I scrubbed the kitchen floor on my hands and knees as hard as I could, like I was trying to scrub away the word. It just kept coming back though.

At 10:00am, the kitchen door flew open. It was Hazel, Beta Jack’s daughter and my best friend.

“Tell me everything,” she said, her eyes wide and sympathetic like my maids’.

I smiled gratefully at her. Judging by the look on her face, she already knew everything.

“I’m fine,” I told her, forcing a smile. She saw right through my smile though. As my best friend, she knew me better than anyone in the pack.

“There’s no way you’re ‘fine’,” she declared. She motioned for me to sit with her at the table. “Trista, I saw the letter of divorce. It was on my father’s table. Liam already signed it. What’s going on?”

I didn’t want to talk. I felt like such a failure! MY husband wanted to divorce me? What had I done wrong? Why?

Hazel’s voice was gentle. “I’m your best friend, Trista. Talk to me,” she implored.

I sighed. There was no point fighting Hazel. She was relentless when she wanted to be. “He told me last night. He said if I don’t agree to the divorce, he’s going to petition the elders.”

“That’s ridiculous,” Hazel scoffed. “If he does that, his wolf will be weakened. That’s the rules. Werewolves who reject their mates have to pay a price.”

“Yeah, well, I guess he’d rather have a weakened wolf than mate me.”

I couldn’t hold back the tears. They spilled from my eyes.

Was I that disgusting? That bad of a wife that he’d rather suffer in pain than be with me? Hazel clamped her hand over mine.

“Trista, you’ve done nothing wrong. You’re a wonderful Luna. Look at you! You’re beautiful. You’re loyal. And you’re so, so smart.”

I nodded. She was right about the smart part. I attended one of the top human business schools in the country. I begged my dad in high school to let me go. Since my wolf was so weak, I was pretty much a human anyway. I excelled at human college. I graduated with perfect grades and two degrees: one in art and one in business communications. In fact, I was one of the reasons our pack had been so successful. I have a really good head for business. Since I couldn’t be on the battlefield and fight for my pack (because of my blind wolf), like my father had, I helped our pack in other ways. Running our pack’s businesses was one of them.

And with my help, Blue Moon Crescent Pack had climbed the ladder in the business world. We were now one of the richest packs around.

“You keep a nice, cozy home for him. And you run our pack’s multiple businesses. What more could Liam possibly want?” Hazel asked.

A thought hit me then.

I was away at college for four years. Then, right after I graduated, I was hired by a massive business conglomerate in New York. I worked there for a year. But then my dad got sick, so I came back to Blue Moon Crescent to care for him.

It was during my time away that Liam found his first mate.

What if…

What if he never stopped loving her?

“Hazel?” I asked, biting my lip. “Did you ever meet Liam’s first mate? What was she…what was she like?” I braced myself for her reply.

Hazel shrugged. “She was pretty enough, I guess. Not as pretty as you, though. Not even close. If I remember correctly, she was an omega from the Red Moon Pack. She was the maid of the alpha there, but rumor had it she was also his mistress. Apparently, the old alpha didn’t condone their relationship. On a pack visit they…wait. Why are you asking?”

I shook my head. “No reason. I just had a silly thought. What if Liam wanted a divorce because he was still in love with his first mate. But I know that’s stupid. If I’M not good enough for him, the daughter of a gamma with TWO degrees, then surely she’s not. He’d never reject me for an omega.”

“That’s what I’m saying,” Hazel chuckled. “This whole thing is nonsense. You haven’t failed in your duty as Luna. You’ve been a wonderful, loving wife. You haven’t done anything wrong. There’s no reason for this divorce.”

“You really think so?” I asked. She squeezed my hand.

“Absolutely! And my father agrees, too. He said he’ll help you. We’ll all go to the elders on Monday and plead your case. I don’t know what Liam’s thinking, but I’m sure we can change his mind.” She looked very confident.

I hoped she was right.

: The Meeting With the Elders

Trista’s POV

“He’ll reconsider, I know he will,” Hazel said.

Hazel and her dad, Beta Jack, walked with me to meet Liam at the elders on Monday morning.

“You’ve been a good Luna, Trista,” Jack assured me. “There’s no reason for him to divorce you.”

We got to the elders but Liam wasn’t there yet. I hadn’t seen him since he told me he wanted the divorce.

The elders instructed us to take a seat and wait.

“Do you know where he’s been staying?” I asked Jack. Jack shook his head.

“But it looks like you can ask him yourself, because here he is,” Jack said.

Sure enough, Liam had entered the room…with another woman on his arm!!!

I blinked in disbelief. Another woman? But who?

“Trista,” he said snidely. “Meet the NEW Luna, Lucy.”

New Luna? But we weren’t even divorced yet! I squinted, trying to make out the woman’s face. But I couldn’t see her clearly. They took their seats across from us. The elders stood. The woman looked at me smugly. Was she…was she the reason he wanted a divorce?

“We are ready to hear your case,” the elders told Liam. Liam wasted no time with formalities.

“I have come here today to initiate a rejection.”

“Have you asked for a divorce?” one of the elders asked.

“Yes, but Trista will not sign the divorce papers. This is the only way now.” Liam’s tone was blunt.

Hazel squeezed my hand. His words stung. He was making it sound like this was my fault! All I wanted to do was stay married! Was that so wrong?

“I have come on Trista’s behalf,” Jack said, stepping forward.

“You may speak on Trista’s behalf, Beta Jack,” the elders said. Liam shot Jack a nasty look. Jack ignored it. “I feel that Liam is making a mistake,” Jack said. “Trista has done nothing wrong.”

“Nothing wrong?” the woman, Lucy, blurted out. She stood up. “Her wolf is blind! And she’s pretty much blind too. She hasn’t provided Liam with any heirs. He tried to be kind and offer her a divorce. But she wouldn’t accept it!”

“And who are you?” the elders asked.

“I am Omega Lucy, of Red Moon Pack,” she said boldly.

Omega? So it was true! Liam was leaving me for an omega? This just kept getting worse. “Liam and I are in love,” she continued. “We have been for years.”

For years? I felt like I couldn’t take any more. This was too much…

“If not for his marriage to Trista, we would have been together years ago. I am here on Liam’s behalf. He doesn’t love her. He loves me. He wants me to be the new Luna.”

I could hear the hate in her voice. She despised me. But why? I didn’t even know her.

“I see,” the elders sighed. “Alpha Liam, is this true?”

“Yes,” Liam said. “The Alpha of the Red Moon pack has been abusing her. She isn’t safe there anymore. I love her and I want her to be my Luna. She will be a strong Luna for this pack.”

“Even so,” Jack said, glaring at Lucy, “I urge Liam to reconsider. Our pack already has a strong Luna. Trista.”

The elders were silent for a moment. I held my breath. Then one of them spoke in a calm, steady voice.

“We agree,” he said. “Trista has been a strong Luna for this pack. We too urge you to reconsider.”

“I have given this a lot of thought,” Liam said. “I do not love Trista. I am adamant. If she won’t sign the divorce papers, then I will initiate the vow of rejection alone.”

Clearly, he wasn’t going to change his mind. Lucy flashed me a smile of victory. I hung my head. She had won. It was over. He was going to reject me.

Liam opened his mouth to begin the rejection, but I cut him off.

“There’s no need to initiate a rejection,” I said calmly. “You clearly want to be with this other woman, and you’re not going to change your mind. Your wolf will be weakened if you do this and I don’t want to put the pack at risk. I will protect our pack as my last act as Luna. I accept your divorce.”

Hazel gasped beside me. She pulled me aside.

“Are you nuts?” she asked. “What are you doing? You’ll be a rejected Luna! You’ll have to leave our pack! You’ll be exiled as a rogue, Trista.”

I appreciated her concern, but the past few days had been mental torture. I was exhausted. I couldn’t take it anymore. I just wanted it to be over and I told her that.

“Beside,” I smiled weakly. “Rogue life isn’t so hard anymore. I can return to human society. I lived with humans all through college. I have experience. It’s not so bad.”

“No Trista,” she said, her eyes wide. I could see tears forming. “I’ll be okay,” I assured her. “I have no family here anyway.” It was true. My mother died when I was young and my father left two years ago because of the illness. “If I lose Liam, my husband, there’s nothing left for me here. What’s the point in staying?”

“Luna Trista?” the elders asked. “Is that your final decision?” I nodded at Hazel and walked back to the table.

“Yes,” I said, lifting my chin and blinking back the tears. I felt the moisture on the lenses of my glasses. No way I was going to let them see me cry. “I, Trista Moonlar, accept Alpha Liam Stonewood’s rejection.”

: Cast Out

Trista’s POV

“And sign the divorce paper as well,” Liam snidely slid the files across the table. I breathed deeply. This was for the best. I would leave the pack and reintegrate into human society. I could start over. I had my degrees and experience in the human world. It wouldn’t be that bad.

“Here, I have a pen,” Lucy scoffed. I locked eyes with hers. If this was the woman he loved, an omega from a different pack, then so be it. I was done. I was so over this. I grabbed the pen and quickly slapped my name onto the papers. Then I slid it towards the elders. They read the papers recognizing our divorce.

And just like that, it was over.

I was no longer Luna.

“Trista is entitled to half the pack’s wealth,” Hazel said.

What was she doing? I shot her a look that said, ‘stop it, no,’ but she continued. “The pack is only rich now because of Trista. All the wealth we have, Trista earned it. When humans divorce, they share their wealth. It’s the law. Trista should receive compensation. How else will she survive alone without the pack?”

“That’s ridiculous,” Lucy said, rolling her eyes.

“Is it?” Hazel shot at Lucy. Then she gave her a look that could kill. I had to admit, I was lucky to have a friend like Hazel.

“I think it’s something to consider,” Beta Jack piped in. “Hazel makes a point. Casting Trista out like this, without anything. It seems cruel. She worked hard for our pack. If she’s going to stand a chance in the human world, she needs money.”

“The money belongs to the pack. It’s not Trista’s,” Lucy said. “Whoever heard of such a thing? Sharing the money? The only reason the pack has been so successful is because my dear Liam worked so hard.”

“It is an interesting argument you present, Hazel,” one of the elders said. “And one we should perhaps consider.”

“There’s nothing to consider,” Liam said then. Lucy smiled victoriously at me. “Trista can have whatever she wants. Name your price.”

That wiped the smile clear off Lucy’s face. I was shocked, too. Really? Anything?

“Liam?” Lucy gasped, looking confused.

“The divorce is done. I have a mating ceremony to prepare for. With my NEW Luna.” He looked deep into her eyes and she blushed. “We’ll take our leave now. Give whatever. I don’t care. I’m done with all this.”

They pushed their chairs back and strode out of the room.

I was gobsmacked. He was so eager to marry his new Luna, he didn’t even care about money! I literally meant nothing to him.

“You heard him,” Hazel said. “Name your price.”

I sighed and shook my head.

“Go on then,” the elders said.

“I don’t want anything. I don’t want to take money from the pack. The pack needs it. I’ll find my own way.”

It was true. I didn’t want the pack’s money, I just wanted to go, so I left without taking a dime from the pack. Hazel helped me pack up my things, but honestly, I didn’t take much. Just a few changes of clothes, some toiletries, an old teddy bear from my childhood. I was eager to get out there. Everywhere I looked reminded of Liam and our failed life together.

It was quite the send-off, I have to admit. Beta Jack and the servants escorted me to the pack boundary. A stream of people followed. They hugged me and wished me well. I guess I was loved after all, just not by my husband. I promised Hazel I would call her as soon as I found a place to live.

“Close by,” she said, resting her forehead on mine.

“Of course,” I promised her. Then we hugged one last time and Beta Jack drove me to the bus stop.

I was able to snag a decent apartment in a small town called Summerset. It was close to the pack, so Hazel could still come and visit me. It wasn’t the nicest place, a little dingy with carpet that smelled a bit moldy. But the rent was cheap and it was all I could afford at the time. I had enough money for three month’s of rent. I had to get a job ASAP.

I unpacked my few belongings and a small plant I bought to make the place feel more homey. Then I scoured the internet for jobs. Suddenly, though, a wave of nausea swept over me. I ran to the bathroom and made it to the toilet just in time. At first, I didn’t think anything of it. I’d been really stressed out the past few days. I was probably just run down.

But then it happened again the next day.

And the day after that.

‘Time to see a doctor, Trista,’ I thought to myself when I was sick for the fourth day. I figured I had a bug and just needed some antibiotics.

I couldn’t have been more wrong…