Ella POV

I burst into the spacious office, the scent of old books, mahogany, and leather immediately washing over me. But there were two other scents there, too: bourbon and woodfire smoke, the scent of Alexander, my mate and husband—for now. And something sweeter, floral.

Sophia.

I saw the whip of brunette hair first before I saw her pretty, foxen face. Sophia Oxford, daughter of the Alpha to Moonshine pack, which sat right above Stormhollow and Ashclaw.

Ironic that the three packs formed a triangle, because Sophia was always the other woman throughout my marriage that I couldn’t shake. Or was it the other way around?

She and Alexander had been friends long before I ever came into the picture; being from neighboring packs, they had gone to the same school together, and Sophia and Alexander had apparently been close friends for longer than anyone could remember.

There was even a moment in time when it was speculated that Sophia might be Alexander’s fated mate.

Until I came into the picture and ruined everyone’s dreams. Including Sophia’s.

Even though Alexander and I got married, he always treated Sophia well—inviting her for banquets and balls, buying her birthday gifts, even sharing meals together when he couldn’t be bothered to do the same for me.

For a long time, I put up with his gentleness toward her; I told myself that they were childhood friends, that he had every right to be kind toward her even when she didn’t deserve it. Maybe a small part of myself even believed that if I didn’t complain about it, Alexander might finally soften toward me.

But he never did. Even when I was the perfect, obedient Luna every Alpha would dream of, even when she acted cruelly and unforgivably, he always chose her.

Sophia slowly turned to look at me from the plush armchair where she was perched. She had a tiny teacup and saucer delicately balanced in her manicured hands, and wore what looked like a brand-new dress in the prettiest pink I had ever seen.

I looked past her and at Alexander, who was sitting behind his desk, red hair haloed by the sun behind him. He stared blankly at me as I stopped abruptly in the center of the room, green eyes flicking over me like I was a stray cat that had just wandered in.

“Ella,” he said slowly, not bothering to hide the hint of disdain in his voice. “What are you doing here? I’m in the middle of a meeting.”

The irritation in his tone wasn’t lost on me. Once, it might have made me cower and scurry away with my proverbial tail between my legs. But not anymore. Not now that I was dying and had little time left for such things.

“I have something urgent I need to discuss with you.”

“It will have to wait. I’m busy.”

I scoffed and gestured toward Sophia. “She practically lives here. I’m sure you two can save your tea party for later.”

Sophia gasped. Alexander’s brows shot up. Clearly, neither of them expected me to speak so bluntly—frankly, I hadn’t been expecting it, either. I’d only just discovered I was terminally ill a couple of hours ago and already I was acting like a completely different person.

Sophia said in a light voice, “Ella, darling, what do you need to say that you can’t say in front of me? We’re all friends, after all.”

Friends? Friends? This was the same woman who turned her nose up at me every time I attempted to be friendly toward her. We couldn’t have been further from friends—more like strangers.

I slowly turned my head to look at her. My upper lip curled, although no fangs extended—not without my wolf. But I tried to pour every ounce of distaste I could into that stare.

“Some things, darling, are better discussed between husband and wife. Unless you’re implying that you are a third party in our relationship?”

Sophia gasped again, one delicate hand—she’d always been so fair-skinned and slender and fucking perfect, like a little dove—coming up to clutch at the pearls around her throat. Tears instantly welled up in those big blue eyes of hers, although I was certain they were fake. “Why, I never—”

“She’s gone crazy, Sir,” Beta Gabriel suddenly said from behind me. He’d apparently been standing in the doorway this whole time, although I hadn’t noticed. “Should I escort Luna Ella out?”

I clenched my jaw, refusing to look at anyone but Alexander. He was sitting stock-still, just blinking at me as if in surprise.

Then, those green eyes flicked over me again—but in a different way this time. There was something… assessing about his gaze, as if he were seeing me for the first time.

I wasn’t sure if he had ever looked at me in that way before.

Finally, he said, “Gabriel, please see Sophia out.”

I couldn’t hide my surprise at that. Even Gabriel muttered, “Sir?”

Sophia shot to her feet. “Alex—”

“My… wife needs to speak with me,” Alexander said as his Beta moved toward Sophia. “We’ll resume our discussion later, Sophia.”

Sophia looked displeased, but didn’t argue further as Gabriel gently took her by the elbow. “Right this way, Miss,” he said in a kind voice that he’d never used on me. He led her out, and once the door was close behind them, I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding.

But my reprieve was short-lived, because Alexander barked, “No longer pretending to be the gentle Luna today, are you? You know Sophia is like a little sister to me, and I won’t stand for you to speak so harshly to her. Nor will I allow you to make claims about infidelity.”

His tone made me bristle internally, but I kept my expression neutral. I had no intention of explaining my reasons behind the words I’d said to Sophia, and I had no intention of apologizing for them, either. I was tired of apologies, tired of being quiet and sweet and never standing up for myself.

“My wolf has entered dormancy,” I said bluntly, clasping my hands behind my back. “You need to mark me in order for it to return. If you don’t, I will die within a year.”

Alexander scoffed.

“Ah. Another one of your tricks, just like the ‘sweet, gentle Luna’ act. Let me guess—you want to secure your position as my Luna, give birth to my heir, by fabricating some made-up illness that forces me to mark you and be intimate with you.”

Of course. After all my years of hard work, diligence, and perfection, he was so suspicious of me as to accuse me of faking my illness in order to baby-trap him. I hadn’t expected any different.

“There is another way,” I said, lifting my chin. “Divorce me, reject me, and my wolf will return then.”

“No.”

Now that took me by surprise. Alexander hated me—there was no doubt about it. I expected him to jump at the chance to divorce me for any reason. But he had refused immediately.

It had to be because an Alpha couldn’t reject his mate for no reason. It could harm his reputation as an Alpha, make him appear overly emotional and disloyal.

And I hadn’t technically given him a reason to divorce me—I hadn’t cheated or fought with him or done anything other than become ill and mildly infuriating.

“I’ll be the one to publicly announce it,” I said. “I’ll take the blame. It won’t hurt your reputation.”

“No,” he repeated, rising from his chair.

At his full height, he practically towered over me, broad shoulders blocking out the sun streaming through the window behind him. He smoothed down the front of his dark vest, subtly brocaded with gossamer black threads, and narrowed his eyes dangerously.

“We are not getting a divorce.”

Ella POV

His reaction, the anger in his voice, surprised me even more. He wasn’t laughing or mocking me, nor did he seem upset. Just… mad. Frustrated.

“I don’t understand,” I blurted out. “You hate me, Alexander. If I’m the one to take the blame, thus protecting your reputation from harm, then why wouldn’t you jump at the opportunity?”

There was a long moment of silence. Alexander stared at me, green eyes unreadable. I held his gaze, even though it wasn’t something I was used to.

Then, finally: “Our contract clearly states that only I can initiate a mutual rejection.” He pulled a drawer open from his desk and reached in, pulling out a leather bound folder that I knew all too well. He flipped to a certain page and extended it to me. “Page three, clause B.”

I sighed exasperatedly but took the contract. Indeed, the clause he’d pointed to stated that only Alexander could end our “relationship”. I faintly recalled reading it at the time of signing, but had been under so much pressure and the naive hope that Alexander might eventually grow to love me that I hadn’t paid much attention.

“The only reason I married you,” he went on, rounding his desk and crossing over to the small bar in the corner, “was to give the public a good impression—an Alpha who marries his fated mate is a better candidate for Alpha King, after all. And now, with the election coming up, I can’t risk losing favor.”

Right. So this was all about the upcoming Alpha King election. Alexander had always wanted the position, and now that the current Alpha King’s ten-year term was coming to its end, new candidates would be campaigning soon.

Alexander was one of them.

“Furthermore,” Alexander turned his back to me and poured himself a glass of bourbon, “your father is still benefiting from Ashclaw’s support. Unless you’re planning to leave him high and dry with a debt he can’t repay.”

I bit the inside of my cheek. He was pouring himself a fucking drink, his back turned to me, and speaking in a tone as if we were simply discussing business.

And I supposed, in a way, this was business. Maybe it hadn’t always been that way for me, because I had once stupidly held onto the hope that my fated mate would fall for me, but it had always been a transaction to him.

“I’ll speak to my father. We’ll pay you back the money you gave him and we’ll be even.”

“Go ahead. You’ve wasted enough of my time today. But don’t come crying to me and pretending to be all innocent again when he turns you down.”

I rolled my eyes and abruptly left without another word.

A few minutes later, I found myself in one of the sprawling gardens out behind the mansion. This particular garden, with a gnarled old flowering cherry tree in the center and high hedges, was one of the few places in the mansion where I truly felt at peace.

Here, surrounded by the sickly sweet scent of fallen cherry blossoms, I felt like I could breathe. Hardly anyone but me ever came here—the gardeners rarely tended to it, allowing little flowers and shoots of grass to come up between the pebbled walkways.

It was the one place here that felt like mine.

Not for long, though. Because soon, I would be leaving.

I dialed my father’s number and sat on the stone bench beneath the cherry tree.

“Ella,” my father’s voice answered after the third ring. “I was wondering when you might call. With the upcoming election, I was considering offering Alexander my public endorsement in exchange for more—”

“Dad, I want to divorce Alexander.”

“What? Why?”

“Because my wolf has gone dormant, and I’ll die in a year if he doesn’t mark me or reject me.”

“What are you talking about? I’ve never heard of an illness like that before.”

“Well, it’s true. If you want your daughter to live, you have to help me get out of this marriage. Because Alexander is definitely not going to mark me.”

My father sighed. “Ella… You know how important this union is. Whatever is going on between you two, you need to take the high road and remain diligent. I understand marriage is not easy sometimes—”

“We’re not just fighting, Dad. He hates me.”

“I know it feels that way sometimes, but you have to push through. Stormhollow needs Ashclaw’s support. Don’t cause any trouble that could impact our pack. Think of your mother’s legacy.”

My throat tightened at the mention of my late mother. She had died when I was just a baby, so I had never met her—but Stormhollow had been her pack. She was the only heir to Stormhollow, but when she had married my father, he had taken on the title of Alpha.

Such was the way of things in our world. Men were Alphas. Women were Lunas, props to hold up their male counterparts.

And right now… my life was less important than what two men wanted.

“Besides,” my father went on, “I just purchased a new diamond ring for Margaret for our wedding anniversary. I can’t lose our biggest stream of income now. Surely you understand…”

I almost laughed out loud at that. Margaret, my stepmother and mother to my half-brother, Brian… She always loved lavish things. My father would gladly spend all of our family’s savings on gifts for her.

Not me. Never me.

I was just the daughter to be used up, even if it killed me.

When it killed me.

“You really don’t care about me, do you?” I bit out, hurt and angry. “I’m telling you that I’m going to die, and you just care about the money.”

“You’re not going to die, sweetheart. You’re just being dramatic—”

Too frustrated to hear more, I abruptly hung up before he could finish. I hung my head in my hands and breathed deeply through my nose, trying not to cry.

There had to be something I could do. Anything.

Suddenly, I felt a warm hand touch my shoulder. I didn’t need to look up to know it was Lilith, and I leaned into her, letting her wrap her arms around me.

“I don’t want to die,” I whispered, my voice strained from the effort of holding back tears. “I want to live.”

Lilith sniffled, and when I looked up, her eyes were red and puffy. The sight made me want to cry even more. “Is there anything I can do?” she asked.

“I don’t know. Alexander won’t mark me or divorce me, and I was stupid enough to sign a contract that disallows me from rejecting him myself. And my father just cares about the money. So right now, I’m royally screwed.”

Lilith made a little sound of distress.

“All I’ve ever done is give,” I whispered. “I give and give and give and never ask for anything in return. And now, the one time I don’t just want help but need it… I just get blamed, rejected, and pushed away by my own father and mate—the two people who should have my back no matter what.”

And now I was supposed to die for them, when they would never sacrifice a single thing for me.

I laughed bitterly. “I’ve been so perfect, and yet neither of them will help me.”

“So stop being perfect.”

I looked up at Lilith, finding her staring down at me with a new intensity in her gaze. It took me by surprise. “What?” I asked, sitting up straighter.

Lilith shrugged. “Do something crazy, something that will push Alexander away,” she mused. “If all you’ve ever done is be perfect, then no wonder he doesn’t want to reject you. So… make him want it.”

I blinked as Lilith’s words sank in. It had never crossed my mind to be the exact opposite of what Alexander wanted—rather than being the sweet, gentle Luna who got walked all over and used, I could be a constant thorn in his side, make his life so miserable he would have no choice but to divorce me.

“I’d be… free,” I whispered, standing. “And my wolf would return…”

Lilith nodded and rose alongside me, taking my hands into hers. “I’ll help in any way I can. I won’t let you die, Ella. Not on my watch.”

At that, a tear finally slipped out—but it was a happy one. I laughed thickly and pulled Lilith into my embrace. “Thank you, Lilith. Thank you.”

Lilith leaned into me and held me tight, tighter than anyone had before.

“Sorry to interrupt this little moment, but you’ve got work to do, Ella.”

The sound of Gabriel’s voice instantly made me bristle. I pulled away from Lilith and turned to see both the Beta and Sophia walking toward us. Sophia wrinkled her nose and covered it delicately with a little white handkerchief as if the scent of cherry blossoms sickened her.

“Have you forgotten the banquet is tonight?” Gabriel tilted his head. “There will be plenty of high-profile guests in attendance. You have a lot of work to do if it’s going to impress them.”

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. Right. The banquet—more like an excuse for Sophia to get drunk and hang off Alexander’s arm like his desperate mistress.

“I wrote a list of some foods I’d like prepared,” Sophia said, handing me a slip of paper with increasingly-decadent meals written down: fresh clams with butter, quail eggs, some kind of pastry I’d never even heard of before. “And you know my stomach is sensitive, so see to it that everything is prepared just right.”

I clenched my jaw. Lilith subtly nudged me with her elbow.

“You do it,” I said, looking into Gabriel's eyes. “I’m going to take a nap.”

Ella POV

I left Gabriel and Sophia standing in the garden. I didn’t turn back to look at them, although I could sense their expressions of shock.

The thought of two of the biggest pains in my ass being dumbfounded by my actions brought a smile to my face.

Now, I just had one more person to throw off: Alexander.

I made my way inside, deciding that a nap really did sound lovely after the morning I’d had so far. My suite was all the way on the west wing of the mansion, a good five minutes’ walk through the labyrinthine halls.

When I finally reached my suite and stepped inside, I hesitated, glancing at the small bed pushed into the corner. I couldn’t help but wrinkle my nose at the sight.

My room was small and insignificant—basically a glorified guest suite. It was well-appointed and cozy—a small bed with a handmade quilt laid on top, a little en suite bathroom, and a writing desk under the window—but hardly fit for a Luna.

I should have been dignified enough to share a room with Alexander all these years, but when he had shoved me as far away from his quarters as he possibly could, I hadn’t argued.

I had taken the assignment with a smile and had even thanked him, as if being treated like a guest in my own home was work thanking him over.

And what was even worse was that my sleeping arrangement hadn’t gone unnoticed. The household staff may not have realized that Alexander and I were never intimate, but they certainly knew that he didn’t like me.

I would often hear them gossipping about it, whispering and giggling over my humiliation. They said that I was no better than a mistress, that I didn’t even have my husband’s respect.

They were right.

The thought now made my stomach twist with discomfort. Now that death was so close I could taste it, it broke my heart to think I had spent so many years limiting myself.

Lilith was right; if I wanted to live, then I needed to change.

And even if I survived this, then I needed to be true to myself afterwards. I couldn’t bear to waste any more time letting myself get used and abused.

I made a decision then; I wouldn’t be napping in this room. No, I would go where I should have gone a long time ago.

Without hesitating, I turned on my heel and strode out of my room and down the hall. The closer I came to Alexander’s quarters, the more heads I turned. But I kept my head held high and moved with purpose, not letting anyone stop me.

Goddess, even the lighting and decor was better in the east wing. Ornate skylights above cast intricate swirling patterns across the marble floors, and portraits depicting Alphas and Lunas from days long gone lined the walls.

To think that I had spent so many years avoiding this side of the mansion…

“L-Luna?” A young servant girl emerged from Alexander’s room with a pile of sheets in her arms. She curtsied when she saw me, although the confusion on her face was evident. “Alpha Alexander is not in his room, if you’re looking for him.”

“I’m not looking for him.” I simply gestured for her to move out of the way, and after hesitating for a moment, she did.

I knew she thought it was strange for me to enter Alexander’s room, as I had never done before, especially without him in it. But I was the Luna for now, whether anyone liked it or not. I could go where I pleased.

Taking a deep breath, I turned the knob and opened the door. Alexander’s scent washed over me as I stepped into the dimly lit room.

The curtains were shut, casting the room into semi-darkness, so it took my eyes a moment to adjust. But as they did, I became aware of the room’s grand space—tall ceilings, a large main chamber with a smaller antechamber and an enormous en suite bathroom.

A large four-poster canopy bed dominated the main space, freshly made with clean sheets and plush pillows. In the antechamber was a comfortable sitting area with a fireplace, a loveseat, and two armchairs.

Alexander had no need for a desk here, seeing as how he had his own study—another luxury I wasn’t afforded even though there were plenty of spare rooms in the mansion—but there was room for it.

And the bathroom… It was like something out of a dream. An in-floor bathtub the size of a small swimming pool. A walk-in shower with crystal doors that caught the light. And all of the toiletries any person could possibly want.

Feeling vindictive, I decided to take full advantage of the space.

I began with a luxurious bath, where I used all of the toiletries I wanted, even emptying some of the bottles of lotions and soaps. I lavished myself for a good while, taking care to scrub every inch and even use Alexander’s expensive skincare to do a face mask.

Afterwards, once I was dried off, I padded into his large walk-in closet and began rifling through his clothes. He mostly just owned suits, some of which I pulled off the rack and tossed onto the floor just for good measure, but I found a plush robe that was luxurious under my fingers and slipped it on.

The soft fabric felt like I was wrapped in a sheep’s thick coat.

Grinning like an idiot, I scurried over to the bed and threw the covers back. I climbed in and nuzzled down into the blankets, letting out a little gasp of pleasure at the plush pillows and silky sheets.

This… this was how a Luna should be living.

Alexander would no doubt be furious when he found out I’d been in his room—and I did intend for him to find out—but that was the whole point. And if I could also have the time of my life, for once, while working to make him divorce me… Then that was even better.

Soon enough, my eyelids began to grow heavy, and sleep pulled me under.

…

I woke to a familiar scent: bourbon and woodfire smoke.

Alexander.

Holding my breath, I cracked my eyes open just enough to see him standing in front of the full-length mirror with his back turned to me. My eyes widened slightly as I adjusted to the dim light and realized that he was shirtless, in the midst of dressing himself.

For a moment, I allowed myself to just watch him. I had never seen Alexander shirtless before, and while I knew he was muscular and well-built, this…

This was something else.

The physical attraction I felt upon seeing his broad shoulders and muscular back was immediate and intense.

Despite my compromising position, I found my gaze wandering over his form, savoring the way his waist narrowed until it disappeared into his sleek black trousers. And his ass…

Was this the specimen that could have been mine if only he hadn’t been so cruel?

Was this the man that I could have been sharing a bed with all these years?

“I’m going to assume you slept enough if you’re so wide awake now, staring at my body.”

The sound of his voice snapped me out of my reverie, and my face instantly reddened. I shot upright, suddenly feeling more bashful than I should have—I had chosen to come here and use his room to anger him, after all, and yet now that he was here, I felt awkward and silly.

Alexander turned around, frowning. Goddess, the front of him was even more impressive than the back.

“Why are you so eager to be intimate with me?” he asked.

As he spoke, his gaze dipped, and I realized with a start that the robe had fallen open, revealing one bare breast, nipple peaked in the cool air. I gasped and quickly shut the robe, but it was too late. He had seen everything.

My face reddened even further, and I shifted, preparing to get up.

But Alex swiftly moved toward me.

Before I could react, he was pushing me back down onto the bed by my wrists. One knee hooked over and pushed my left thigh to the side so he could kneel between my legs.

I felt more exposed than ever before as he held me there, staring down at me.

I couldn’t shift beneath Alexander’s weight. He held my wrists fast, pressing them against the bed, and stared down at me.

But he wasn’t looking at me the way a normal husband would look at his wife. There was hate in those green eyes.

“Being sweet and innocent didn’t work, so now you’re trying out some new tactics to seduce me, eh?” His gaze flicked distastefully across my collarbone. “Even climbing into my bed and wearing my robe without permission. Like a whore.”

Anger overwhelmed me, so hot and sudden it almost made me burst out laughing.

“You got me,” I cooed, calming myself somewhat. “How do you like my new style? It seems to have caught your attention, so I must be doing something right.”

A low growl rumbled in his chest, and I couldn’t help but smile knowing that my words had hit their mark.

“If this is who you really are,” he said, “then you should know that that’s the exact kind of person I hate.”

Good, I thought bitterly. I knew Alexander always hated women like that, and I hoped it made him hate me even more. The sooner I could get this over with, the better. It wasn’t as if I had much time left.

“Well, I’m exactly that kind of person.” I lifted my head just enough so that my breath fanned across his neck as I whispered in his ear, “But if you reject me now, you won’t have to deal with me anymore.”

Alexander stiffened. I almost hoped he would just do it now, say the words and end all of this. It was probably too hopeful of me to think this would be over so quickly, but I was desperate.

But he didn’t say the words, nor did he release me.

And then I felt something shift between us.

The mate bond.

It was hardly more than a flicker, like a few sparks at the end of a live wire, but I could feel it—the faint ripple of mutual attraction, the speeding of our pulses, the way his body subtly shifted toward mine.

His groin slightly pressed against my leg, and I felt something thick and warm twitch in his trousers.