Ceres's POV

The press saw some altercation between Richard and me.Then I turned around and started walking away. There was pin-drop silence in the hall. I could feel the weight of everyone’s judging gaze around my neck like a chain.

My claws ached to emerge, and my heart twisted with fury.

It has been three years since I married Richard, yet his son is already two years old. This means that all those times he claimed he was busy with pack business and didn't come home, he had only been with Anita and their son.

I let out a bitter laugh as my soul crushed with pain. He had told me he didn't like children; he said they didn't quite fit into his life. But now the truth has come to light, he just didn't want them with me.

These past few days, I have been keeping up the charade, thinking that if I tried hard enough, I could make him see me.

What a fool I have been.

I glancing back one last time, my heightened senses picking up on every judging gaze and whispers in the audience.

Anita, standing beside Richard, cradled her child gently in her arms, cooing to him with a smile.

Leaning close to Richard, she asked, “Richard, why did Ceres leave? Does she not like Lucky?”

His monstrous gaze swept over me, and he said in a frosty tone, “Ignore her.”

A growl rumbled low in my throat, and my wolf stirred within me, wanting to rise to the surface, but I controlled her.

His words felt like a slap to my face. To him, I was just someone who took advantage of him to become his Luna. He probably felt caged in our marriage due to my relentless effort to make him see me.

I have been betrayed, shattered, and humiliated, and I am not going to keep taking it lying down.

It is over!

Divorce is not a shameful thing, at least not for me. But staying, trying to protect Richard after learning the hard truth, yeah, that would be shameful. The thought alone made me sick to my stomach.

I returned to the mansion Richard and I shared after our marriage, the same one he hardly comes back to. Every corner of this place had been filled with my touch, in my small attempts to turn the house into a home. But now, each familiar piece of furniture, each delicate decoration, only served as a painful reminder of my wasted effort.

I went upstairs to my room and started packing my things, my hands trembling with rage and heartache. I was halfway through when a knock sounded at the door.

“Luna Ceres, Beta Martins is here,” the housekeeper said when I opened the door.

I paused and drew a deep breath before heading downstairs.

Martins, Richard's Beta, stood by the door. There was a suitcase beside him, indicating that he had just arrived. My eyes strayed to his hands, he held a jewelry box and a bouquet of roses.

“Luna Ceres,” he said with a warm smile as I approached, “Alpha Richard prepared these lovely gifts for you to celebrate the anniversary of your mating ceremony.”

I came to a halt and met his gaze.

Just then, as I watched him, the full reality of the situation sank in. I have had suspicions for years, but this felt like the final missing piece of the puzzle.

Martins has always been the one bringing my anniversary gifts over the years, acting as though they were from Richard and today, Richard is busy celebrating his illegitimate child, so it is impossible for him to have prepared these gifts.

It was all Martins’ doing!, it has always been his doing!

Searching his eyes, I asked softly,

“Martins, Richard doesn't even know today is our anniversary. You prepared these gifts yourself, didn't you?”

Martins’ smile faltered, and he looked at me with pity, “Luna Ceres... It’s... It’s not like that...”

His hesitation told me everything I needed to know. I released a slow breath; it felt as though a heavy weight had been lifted off my shoulders. I had let myself believe, let myself hope in the past that Richard actually cared because he never forgot our anniversary and always sent gifts through his beta. Now every shred of that hope is gone.

Without uttering another word, I turned around and ascended upstairs.

I took out my phone, tempted to call my family, but I stopped myself. Three years ago, I had married Richard against my family's wishes, leaving my pack to join his. Now look where that has gotten me. I smiled bitterly and tapped absentmindedly on my phone's screen.

The headlines that swarmed my feeds immediately caught my attention. I saw rumors about me flooding the internet. Each of them stung like salt on an open wound.

“Shocking! Luna Ceres used to be a mistress, had an abortion, and can’t bear children!”

“Why can’t the Alpha and his Luna have pups?”

“Alpha Richard is a victim; he is mated to a wolf who can’t bear him pups!”

“Alpha Richard and Anita: Fated mates reunited!”

“Luna Ceres's secrets exposed—the dark side of a she-wolf who married into wealth.”

I clutched my phone, my fingers trembling. Tears prickled at my eyes, falling down my cheeks. It was as though the dam that held them had finally collapsed.

With my heart twisting in pain, I snarled bitterly, “After everything I have done for you, Richard, this is how you repay me? Fine! Thank you for clearing out the lingering feelings I still had for you!”

My wolf, Elsa, rose to the surface, whimpering in my head, “I hate our mate! I hate him so much!”

“I know, I hate him too, and he is no longer our mate!”

I wiped my tears and steeled myself. I resumed packing my bags, taking only my belongings, leaving behind everything that belonged to the Winstons' family.

By tomorrow, I will sever the last of my ties with Richard.

*****

The night dragged on, my exhaustion finally overtaking my anger. I fell into a drowsy, troubled sleep.

When I heard heavy footsteps outside the door, my muscles tensed, and my eyes flew open.

Suddenly, the door swung open, and that familiar scent of rain in the woods wafted in, hitting my senses.

It was him. It was Richard.

I clenched my fist in anger and remained on my side of the bed, not moving. What was he doing here? Isn't he supposed to be with his lover and supposed heir?

Suddenly, the bed dipped beside me, and his cold hand brushed against my skin. Now that he was near, I could smell alcohol on him. He was drunk.

I instinctively recoiled, shifting away from his touch. My wolf snarled from within, and I clutched my stomach protectively. Anger simmered in me like a storm, waiting to break out.

In the next moment, Richard flicked on the lamp beside the bed, illuminating the room.

His tall frame loomed over me, his expression stone-cold as his angry gaze pierced through me.

“Haven't you caused enough trouble?” he growled.

Caused trouble? Did he really think I had made that scene earlier just to stir drama? My chest tightened with pain and hurt at hus words, but I forced myself to stay calm.

Glancing up at him, I said, “I am serious about getting a divorce.”

His face hardened, and his jaw clenched. His eyes changed from ocean blue to flaming red, and his gaze remained fixed on me. It appeared as though he was trying to hold back his anger.

“You've gone nuts, Ceres!” he snarled. “You are afraid of the child, afraid he would threaten your position in this pack. That’s why you’ve asked for a divorce in a pathetic attempt to get my attention, right?”

Color drained from my face, and my eyes widened in shock at his words. Searching my face, he smirked, as though convinced he had seen through my ploy.

He sneered dismissively, “Let me warn you—”

But before he could finish, I swiftly rose from the bed, my movement fluid and fast as I strode to the closet. I grabbed my coat and my already-packed suitcase. Then, I turned to face him one last time before leaving.

A look of shock etched on his face, and he narrowed his gaze as he watched me. I stared back at him with eyes that held nothing but calculated fury.

“Richard, I will meet you at the courthouse tomorrow at 10 a.m. to finalize our divorce. If you do not show up, I will make sure every pack in this territory hears of the dirty secrets you and your family have been hiding!”

As I expected, his face instantly turned cold, and his gaze remained as frosty and dangerous as ever. The air around us thickened with tension.

Having known Richard for years, I have come to learn that there is nothing he hates more than his family's reputation being tarnished, which is why I resorted to this tactic.

Even though my heart was still filled with sorrow, I knew everything would be all right eventually, as time goes on.

I gave my all to this relationship, loved Richard with every fiber of my being, but right now, everything has changed.

Ignoring the slight ache in my heart, I turned on my heel and pushed my suitcase toward the door.

Just as I was about to leave, Richard’s hand shot out and grabbed my wrist. “Ceres!” His voice was cold, and his eyes were gloomy. “Don't regret this!”

“Regret?” I scoffed, glaring at him furiously, my wolf stirring angrily within me. “The only regret I have is not leaving you long ago.” I saw an unreadable emotion flash across his eyes.

With a final tug, I freed my hand from his grip, turned around, and left without looking back.

The night outside was inky black, and the chill of early autumn sank into my skin.

As I stepped out of the large wrought iron gate of the mansion, emotions I had buried deep within me began to rise to the surface. Tears welled up in my eyes and cascaded down my face.

I took my cell phone from my bag and decided to reach out to someone I had let down years ago when I made the decision to become Richard's Luna.

I dialed the person's number and it startef ringing. My heart pounded against my chest as I prayed they would answer.

Ceres's POV

After a few seconds, the call connected, and that very familiar voice of my best friend, Jasmine, rang out. “Ceres, is that you?” she asked in disbelief.

As soon as I heard her voice, I was choked up with emotions all over again.

I couldn't blame her for asking that question. After all, it had been three years since we last spoke to each other. I had abandoned her, as I did every member of my family and pack, and now, look where that had gotten me. I wiped my free-flowing tears with the back of my hand and sniffled.

“It’s me, Jasmine.” I tried to hide the emotion in my voice. “Please, can you come and get me?” I sobbed, my voice finally betraying me.

“Are you crying, Ceres? Did something happen?” she asked in a panic-stricken voice.

I couldn't bring myself to utter any more words as I was filled with emotions. At my silence, Jasmine said in a fierce and steady voice, “Wait right there for me, Ceres. I’m coming to pick you up right away!”

The line went dead.

Jasmine had been my best friend since our childhood days. She was the only daughter of Alpha Frederick, Alpha of the Crimson Pack. Their pack and ours shared the same border. Our fathers were childhood friends, just like us.

Jasmine was a beauty to behold, with wavy blond hair, aquarium-blue eyes that turned gray whenever her wolf emerged, a perfectly carved face, and a beautiful slender body. She was the definition of perfect.

She had strongly opposed my marriage to Richard, but I had stubbornly ignored her advice and followed my heart, completely cutting her off. I stopped taking her calls, refused to see her whenever she came looking for me, until eventually, she stopped trying to reach out.

Thirty minutes later, headlights cut through the darkness as Jasmine's red luxury car pulled up. As soon as she got out of the car, she rushed toward me, her eyes filled with tears as she pulled me into a tight hug.

“Goddess, I have missed you so much!” she said.

Releasing me from her embrace, her eyes landed on my suitcase, and she looked at me, already understanding what had happened.

“Let's go back to my apartment first, babe.” Her voice was filled with a cocktail of anger and sympathy.

Half an hour later, we arrived at a luxurious downtown apartment in Crimson Pack. It looked even better than I remembered. The paintings on the walls was immaculate and new, indicating it had been done recently. I wasn't surprised; Jasmine never went more than a year without renovating her apartment. She had always lived a life of luxury. She was never in want of anything.

Whatever Jasmine needed, all she had to do was ask, and her father and two older brothers would make sure it was delivered to her. She was what I would call a spoiled brat.

As soon as we stepped into Jasmine's apartment, she cursed angrily, “I wanted to storm over to the Transcorp Hotel and curse him out when I saw the news today. That heartless piece of shit! How dare he try to force his illegitimate child on you?”

Hearing her angry words, I thought I would feel hurt all over again, but I felt nothing. It was as though everything about Richard had become a distant memory.

Shaking my head, I smiled bitterly. “We’re getting a divorce tomorrow.”

“Way to go, girl!” she exclaimed proudly. “You have no business being with someone who treats you like trash. Imagine the only daughter of the Alpha King, ruler of all Alphas, being treated with no value or respect. You deserve better, babe!”

As she spoke, she walked over to help me unpack my things. I heaved a long sigh upon hearing her mention my father, Alpha Triston of the Snowfall Pack.

The truth is, a few years after I was born, my parents sent me abroad for my studies.

As soon as I came home many years later, I decided to go Richard's pack and work in his company. I had always been that wolf who didn’t like the limelight, so I kept my identity as the Alpha King’s daughter hidden from everyone.

Although my parents and brother had their reservations about it, they decided to support my decision. But when I told them that I wanted to become Richard’s Luna, they kicked against it. My father even threatened to disown me if I went through with it, yet i did.

Just the thought of it made my heart grow heavy. I had turned my back on my family, and it had all been for nothing. I bet none of them would want to set eyes on me now.

When we were done unpacking my things, Jasmine pulled me into her arms in a warm hug. “It’s good to finally have you back, babe. You are not allowed to fall in love with that jerk in the future, do you hear me?”

My eyes welled up with tears again as I thought of everything I had been through, all the time I had wasted pursuing the wrong man.

I replied Jasmine with resolution, “I won’t. It’s a promise.”

The promise I made to Jasmine was more for myself than for her. It was a reminder not to allow myself to be vulnerable to Richard ever again.

****

The next morning, the weather was gloomy, as though the clouds were conspiring to block out the sun's light.

I adorned myself in a black off-shoulder, knee-length gown that I hadn’t worn in three years, abandoning my usual dignified style of dressing as the Luna of Silver Moon Pack. I was completely done with that life.

I stood in front of the mirror, my green eyes catching my reflection. I could feel my wolf stir happily within me. The dark color of my gown complemented my very pale skin so well. Instead of tying my red hair in a knot like I would usually do, I let it loose, allowing it to cascade around my face.

Jasmine and I left for the courthouse at 9 a.m., arriving thirty minutes early.

We waited in the car at the entrance of the courthouse until 11 a.m., and still, there was no sign of Richard.

“Maybe he’s just running late. Let's wait a bit more,” I said to Jasmine, sensing her impatience.

An extra hour passed, and there was still no sign of him.

Jasmine glanced outside the window. “What the hell is keeping him? How can an Alpha not know how to keep to time?” she yelled.

“Let me call him,” I said, taking out my cellphone from my handbag. I called Richard several times, but he declined all my calls and ignored my text messages.

I then scrolled through my contacts for the number of a reporter who I knew had a good relationship with the Winston Corporation and dialed it.

As soon as it connected, I went straight to the point in a calm voice. “I have evidence of Alpha Richard's infidelity, and I’d love to give it to you for free. Are you interested?”

He was completely taken aback but quickly agreed and hung up.

Impressed with what I had done, Jasmine gave me a high-five. “I am so proud of you, girl! That’s how you do it!”

I flipped my hair back and smiled. “Let's wait a little longer. He’ll be here soon now that he knows what’s at stake.”

In less than ten minutes, my cellphone rang. I glanced at the screen and chuckled softly. My strategy had worked.

It was Richard.

I answered the call but before i could get any word in, he growled angrily,

“What the hell do you think you are doing, Ceres?”

“You’d better come to work at the Corporation right away, or I’ll fire all these incompetent members of staff in your department!”

Richard's POV

“The only regret I have is not leaving you long ago.” Ceres left after saying this. I fell into disarray, unable to sleep a wink. I gulped down yet another glass of alcohol. The warmth slid down my throat, but the numbness I was waiting for eluded me. No matter how much I drank, I just couldn't shake that memory off—the memory of Ceres's cold face as she stood by the door with her luggage and told me she regretted not leaving me long ago. The nerve of her to say that!

“It was all your fault, Richard! She left because of you,” my wolf snarled in my head.

“She will come back,” I retorted and gulped down another glassful of alcohol.

“What if she doesn't? Huh? What if she’s serious about divorcing you? Us?”

Anger seared through my entire body. I heard a crack and looked down at my hand to see that it had crushed the glass cup. Blood dripped from my hand onto the plush gray rug on the floor, but I felt no pain. I just stared blankly at it, wondering if what my wolf had said was true.

No! It can't be! She loves me too much! She wouldn't do something like that!

I scoffed. She does know how to bluff though.

I rose from the chair, went to the bathroom, and put my bleeding hand under the running water, removing the piece of glass stuck in my palm that was preventing my wound from healing.

Once completely healed, I went back to the room and glanced around. It felt totally different now that Ceres was gone.

She will come back. I just need to give her time to clear her head and realize she cannot live without me.

My eyes darted to the window by the bedside draped with white long curtains. The soft rays of light sifting through them made me realize it was already dawn.

An hour later, I was being driven to the office by my driver.

Martins, my beta and personal assistant, was sitting in the front passenger seat. I noticed he had been stealing glances at me through the rearview mirror.

“Is there something you would like to get off your chest?” I asked coldly.

He shook his head slightly, an emotion I couldn’t read flickering in his eyes. “No, Alpha.”

I dragged my eyes away from him and looked out the window, staring blankly at the pedestrians on the sidewalk.

We soon arrived at my company. When the car was parked, I got out and made my way toward the large glass doors at the entrance of my corporation.

They slid open automatically, revealing a well-lit reception area. The walls were adorned with minimalist artwork, and the company's logo was prominently displayed in bold, polished letters on a feature wall behind the reception desk.

My ears picked up on the commotion inside even before I walked in.

“Alpha Richard has arrived! Alpha Richard has arrived!”

My staff were scampering to their positions. As soon as I stepped inside, everyone froze in place.

With Martins by my side, I made my way toward the elevator.

“Good morning, Alpha,” they greeted, but I was in no mood to acknowledge their greetings—not this morning. I was exhausted from the sleepless night I’d had.

I got into the elevator and went straight to my office.

I was going through some documents when the intercom on the desk rang. I answered it. It was my secretary.

“Yes? What is it?” I asked in an impatient tone.

“Alpha, Ms. Anita Benson is here to see you.”

I rubbed my forehead, making up my mind on what to say. I was in no mood to see anybody, at least not right now.

“Tell him it is about Lucky,” I heard Anita say to my secretary.

“Send her in,” I instructed. If it was about my son, I could always make an exception.

Anita strutted into my office, wearing a red gown that accentuated her slender body. Her blonde hair cascaded around her face. She was nothing short of perfection. A smile graced her lips as she approached, her blue eyes fixed on me.

“Good morning, Richard,” she greeted.

I nodded slightly in response.

Just as she was about to round the desk and approach me, I gestured toward the seat across from my desk and said, “Please sit.”

Her lips curved into a slight frown that quickly disappeared.

“You mentioned having something to say about Lucky,” I said.

She leaned forward in her seat. “Yes, Richard, Lucky barely slept last night. He was running a fever and was calling for you.”

“He’s sick?”

She nodded frantically. “I don’t know what the problem could be.”

“Where is he now? Why isn’t he with you?” I asked eagerly.

She rubbed the bridge of her nose. “I left him with his nanny.”

I immediately called Martins and asked him to send the pack doctor to my hotel, where I had lodged Lucky and Anita.

“I’m sure it’s nothing really serious. He’ll be fine,” I assured Anita.

Just then, my cell phone rang. I checked to see who it was. Upon seeing that it was one of the reporters representing my company, I answered.

“Alpha Richard, Luna Ceres just called and promised to give me proof of your infidelity. I’m so confused. I don’t know what’s going on,” he said in a scared tone.

“She did what?” I growled, rising from my swivel chair.

“She promised to give me proof of your infidelity for free, Alpha. I don’t know if I’m the only one she’s called. You need to reach out to her before she does any further damage.”

“Alright, thank you.”

I ended the call and scrolled through my screen in anger, searching for Ceres’s number.

This stupid game she’s playing needs to stop right now! She’s becoming quite petty in my eyes, going to such lengths to get my attention.

As soon as I found her number, I dialed it. She answered after a few seconds, and I demanded to know what the hell she thought she was doing.

“Alpha Richard, I’ve been waiting for you at the court for several hours. Since you didn’t show up, I had to resort to drastic measures,” she said. There it was again, that cold, indifferent tone she’d been using with me since yesterday.

Anger swirled within me, and I growled, “What the hell do you think you are doing, Ceres?”

You’d better come to work at the Corporation right away, or I’ll fire all these incompetent members of staff in your department!”