I forced my lips to curve upward, tucking away my pain behind a mask of normalcy.
“Nothing important,” I lied smoothly. “Just talking to myself.”
He accepted this without question, already turning to discuss dinner plans.
I was half–asleep when Damien finished the pack duty that night, his body still radiating warmth from another woman’s touch.
He pulled me into his arms as if nothing was wrong. I kept perfectly still, fighting the urge to recoil.
His hands covered mine, Alpha warmth seeping into my frozen fingers. The gesture that once brought comfort now felt like a mockery.
In my drowsy state, I felt him press my hands against his chest, right over his heart – the heart that no longer beat for me alone.
Exhaustion finally dragged me under, my dreams haunted by white fur and triumphant smiles.
When I woke, his side of the bed was empty again. The sheets still held Emily’s faint scent.
A beta approached hesitantly. “The Alpha King had urgent pack business, my lady.”
I nodded, face carefully blank. His “pack business” probably wore pure white fur and a smug smile.
These days, the lies didn’t even hurt anymore. Whether he was truly handling territory matters or tangled with Emily, the result was the same – another empty day.
Over the next few days, I methodically stripped our quarters bare, gathering every gift and memory.
The crystal wolf he’d spent a winter carving. Dozens of perfume bottles, each scent crafted to match mine. Leather bracelets I’d woven while dreaming of forever. Photos. Letters. Promises.
I carried it all to the ritual fire pit, watching the flames consume our past.
“What are you burning?” Damien’s voice made me stiffen. The smoke…”
