I was kidnapped a week before our fifth anniversary.

Alone and terrified, I called Alpha Lucas repeatedly within the week, but he never answered. I escaped and returned home to find that the anniversary party I had prepared had been turned into a celebration for my sister's homecoming.

At the estate, everything I had arranged from the decorations, the food, and the lights had been replaced with a grand welcome for Lilith. The gates stood open, music spilling onto the lawn. It looked like a happy celebration.

I felt completely out of place.

My boots left dried mud on the polished stone. My dress was torn and stained. I still tasted iron from the wounds I had suffered while escaping. It seemed nobody had even realized I'd been taken.

Inside, golden lights flickered on marble columns wrapped in silver streamers. The air smelled of wine and cinnamon. Lucas appeared at the top of the stairs, eyeing me with a disapproving frown.

"Selene," he said sharply, descending. "Where have you been? Why do you look like a mess?"

"Lucas." I met his gaze, my breath burning. "I've been calling you. Why didn't you answer any of my calls?"

Before he could respond, Lilith appeared radiant in the silver moon-gown Lucas had gifted me on our first anniversary, now perfectly fitted to her figure.

"Oh, Selene! Thank the stars you're here," she said, taking my hands with innocent delight. "We thought you were just busy at work. I'm so glad you made it to the celebration!"

I narrowed my eyes. "What exactly are we celebrating?"

Lilith gestured toward the room. "My return. I had planned a dinner for tomorrow, but Lucas said we should celebrate tonight since the house was already decorated for your anniversary tomorrow. I also don't want to disturb your celebration tomorrow, so... I hope that's alright. It wasn't meant to take anything away."

Lucas smiled warmly, his hand resting on Lilith's back. "It's not a big deal. Anniversaries happen every year. Lilith doesn't come home often. It felt wrong to ignore her arrival."

A slow, searing pressure built in my chest. I clenched my fists but didn't move.

"I see," I said through gritted teeth. "So, the party I planned was reassigned. Just like that."

Lucas shifted uncomfortably. "Lilith arrived yesterday, and we didn't have enough time to prepare something new, so we just used what was already here. It would've felt wrong not to do anything."

Lilith suddenly exclaimed, "I hope you don't mind me borrowing this dress. I found it in your wardrobe. It's so beautiful, and I didn't think you'd wear it tonight."

"You didn't ask?" I said, voice tight. "That dress was a gift from Lucas on our first anniversary."

Her eyes widened in shock. "Oh no…! I'm sorry. I didn't mean to…, if I'd known, I wouldn't have worn it. I'll change."

She turned to leave, but Lucas caught her arm, frowning at me.

"What's the problem? You never wear it anyway. Let her enjoy it for one night."

"But she said it was meaningful," Lilith murmured, guilt cracking her voice.

"I gave the dress," Lucas said coolly. "I decide who wears it."

Turning to me, he added, "Stop making a scene."

"I'm making a scene?" I scoffed, glaring at him. "You used the plans I made for our anniversary without even asking, and I'm the one making a scene? Do you know how much time and money I spent on this?"

Lucas frowned. "If it's money you need, I'll pay it back."

"No thanks," I sneered. "Don't let me interrupt your party."

"No, please don't go," Lilith said, stepping in front of me. "It's my fault. I will leave now. You and Lucas should be together."

I looked at her and sneered, then turned and walked away.

"Selene? Where are you going?" Lucas called, his jaw tightening.

He was about to follow me, but Lilith pulled him back and hooked her arm through his. With a hopeful sigh, she said, "I always believed we could be a family again. Why is my sister treating me like this?"

"You don't have to worry," Lucas said gently, his eyes softening as he looked at her. "I'll talk to her later. Go and enjoy your party. There's no need to be upset."

Lilith nodded. She turned toward the Elders by the hearth, drawing all eyes. The celebration where I should have been the center of attention had become hers, and no one dared to question it.

With that, I left amid the ruins of what was supposed to be our celebration. I climbed the stairs, betrayal weighing down every step. In the bedroom, I peeled off my ruined dress, revealing bruises and cuts earned from fighting for my life for almost a week.

No wonder Lucas hadn't answered my calls. He had been busy taking good care of my sister. I thought the bond we built over five years meant something more, but it was all just wishful thinking.

I always knew he never truly loved me, not even for a single day.

But I had loved him for as long as I could remember. So, when he said he was willing to marry me five years ago, I said yes through tears, thinking it was the happiest moment of my life.

Now, our fifth wedding anniversary is just tomorrow. I should give Lucas a proper gift.

The music played on. The laughter never stopped. I grabbed my phone and dialed a number.

"Lawyer Toby," I said, my voice was cold and clear. "I need you to draft divorce papers and send them to me tonight."

"Selene, your bond didn't come easily. It was blessed by the Moon Goddess. I advise you both to think carefully before signing anything," Toby said, his voice calm but firm.

"I've made up my mind," I told him. "I don't want to lie to myself anymore."

The divorce papers had arrived early that morning. As I was getting ready to leave, I found Lucas in the kitchen. He was humming quietly as he flipped eggs, acting like everything was perfectly normal.

Cooking had always been one of his quirks. He enjoyed it despite his busy schedule, but he rarely did anything for me unless he wanted something or was trying to smooth things over after an argument.

He noticed me coming down the stairs and smiled as if it was just another ordinary day.

"You're just in time. I made breakfast, it's your favorite."

I looked at the plate. Fried eggs. Scrambled eggs. Everything eggs. I scoffed silently. I was allergic to eggs. He knew that, or at least, he should have. Lilith liked eggs, not me. But apparently, five years of marriage hadn't been enough for Lucas to learn something that basic.

He sat down, completely unaware of how ridiculous it all looked.

"About last night," he began, "I think what you did was unreasonable. I know you and Lilith have issues, but you didn't have to cause a scene in front of everyone."

I didn't bother sitting down. I pulled a folder from my bag and placed the documents in front of him.

"You need to sign these."

Lucas clearly hadn't expected paperwork first thing in the morning. He froze.

"What's this?"

"Something important," I replied, arms crossed. "It should've been signed last night, but you were too busy parading Lilith around like your Luna, so I waited."

His jaw tightened.

"Selene, I don't have feelings for Lilith anymore. Yes, she's my ex-mate, but we're family now. I treat her like a sister. Can you not see that?"

I didn't answer directly. "Just sign the papers."

"Is this really the time?" he snapped, clearly losing patience. "We haven't even talked about your behavior last night, and now you pull this?"

"It's not a stunt," I said, my voice cold. "It's important. And I'll listen to whatever you have to say after you've signed."

Glaring, he scribbled his signature at the bottom of the pages without bothering to read the details. Maybe if he cared, he would've noticed they weren't just divorce papers, they also included a severance clause.

Then again, maybe he saw it and simply didn't care enough to argue.

Everyone knew Lucas had once been in love with Lilith. They were the golden pair of the Silver Fang and Red Moon packs. But five years ago, just days before their mating ceremony, Lilith had run off to Europe to chase after some high-ranking French alpha she claimed was her "true mate."

The scandal would've created a rift between both families, so they turned to me, the adopted niece of the Red Moon matriarch, the girl taken in after my parents were killed in a rogue ambush.

I was always quiet, always in Lilith's shadow, always the fallback plan. When she left, I became the convenient solution. I stepped in, married Lucas quietly, and spent five years trying to earn my place beside him.

I truly loved him, and at the time, that was all that mattered. I was willing to give him everything.

He said he was grateful. He said he appreciated me. I thought that would be enough.

It wasn't.

"Here," Lucas said, sliding the papers back across the table. "Now that we've settled that, can you at least apologize to Lilith? She just got back. I don't understand why you're treating her like a stranger."

I stared at him, anger rising beneath disbelief. "So, I'm the problem now?"

"Who else would it be?" he said without hesitation. "You acted childish over some decorations and Lilith wearing your clothes. She's your sister. Treat her better."

I let out a dry laugh. "Lucas, I spent weeks planning our anniversary. I poured everything into it. And you handed it all over to her like it meant nothing. You say she's family but what about me? I'm your wife."

He opened his mouth to respond, but the words died when he saw the tears forming in my eyes. For a moment, something shifted. I saw guilt flicker across his expression. He stepped forward, reached out as if to hold me, but I took a step back.

He looked frustrated but didn't press further.

"Fine. Let's have dinner tonight. I'm sorry for not considering your feelings. Let me make it up to you. Just the two of us, at our favorite steakhouse. For our anniversary. What do you think?"

I stared at him, unsure. There was something in his eyes… guilt, maybe sincerity, maybe both… but whatever it was, I knew this would be the last time.

I nodded slowly. "Okay."

Lucas smiled like he had fixed everything. He left right after breakfast to make the arrangements.

The rest of the day, I kept glancing at the divorce papers, second-guessing everything. Maybe I was being dramatic. Maybe it was just jealousy. My emotions have been all over the place lately. I told myself I'd wait until dinner before making any final decisions.

I waited for Lucas to come back, but he never did. As darkness began to fall, I figured maybe it was all part of the surprise. I didn't want to ruin it, so I went to the steakhouse myself, trying not to overthink it.

At sunset, I arrived early. I spotted his car parked out front, and despite everything, my heart fluttered like an idiot. But when I stepped inside and turned toward our booth, I froze.

There he was, sitting exactly where we always sat.

And across from him, Lilith leaned in, smiling sweetly, pressing a kiss to his lips.

I was sure Lilith had seen me standing at the door but she didn't care. In fact, she smirked at me before deepening the kiss, as though she were marking her territory. She was claiming Lucas as hers, right in front of me.

I stood there frozen, cold sweat clinging to my back as the truth finally sank in. Then I turned around and left.

Back at the house, I drifted through the rooms like a ghost. I couldn't even name what I was feeling, betrayal? Grief? It was something I should have seen coming, and yet it still gutted me. I had truly loved Lucas.

And now it hurts like my heart was being torn apart piece by piece.

I found the divorce papers and signed them without hesitation.

After that, I began packing. Memories clung to every corner, photos of us together, old gifts, tokens from anniversaries that only I seemed to remember. As I looked at each picture, it hit me just how alone I had been in that relationship.

I was smiling at every single one of them.

Lucas wasn't.

He didn't come home that night.

Morning arrived too quickly. I was still sorting through my things when the front door finally creaked open. Lucas stepped inside and saw me hunched over the cabinet. His expression shifted from surprise to something that almost resembled guilt, as if he had just remembered what last night was supposed to be.

Our anniversary dinner had never happened.

I said nothing. Lucas lingered in the doorway before walking toward me. When he noticed the pile of clothes beside me, he moved as if to help, but I pushed his hand away. He frowned.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"Just cleaning," I replied. "When I saw the dress Lilith wore the other day, I realized how many clothes I've kept but never worn. Some of them were chewed through, probably rats. Others smelled like urine."

His frown deepened. "Rats? In here?"

"I don't know," I said with a shrug. I pulled out another set of clothes such as dresses, sweaters, jackets. He recognized them instantly. They were all gifts he had given me over the years.

"What are you doing with those?" he asked again.

"I'm going to wash them. Hopefully, they can still be saved. I can't wear them anymore, so I'm planning to donate them."

Lucas blinked. "Why donate them? You can keep them as long as you want."

I shook my head. "There's too much, and they're not being used. Someone else might need them more. Don't worry, since they're from you, I'll make sure they're donated under your name."

He looked as if he was about to argue when the door behind him opened again, and Lilith walked in confidently. She wrinkled her nose dramatically.

"What donation?" she asked, then covered her nose. "Ugh, it smells like rats in here."

Lucas turned to her, his voice softening. "Selene said the cabinet might have rats. She's sorting it out."

Lilith's gaze fell on the pile of clothes, and she immediately recognized them as the gifts Lucas had given me. Her smile stayed sweet, but there was something sharp underneath, hatred and jealousy barely masked.

"I heard you're donating them?" she asked in a syrupy tone.

"Yes," I answered flatly. "I thought—"

"Oh no," she interrupted with a light laugh. "You can't donate those. They've been peed on. What if they're contaminated? Donating them under Lucas's name could reflect badly on him."

Lucas's expression shifted. He took her words to heart and turned to me, face serious. "She's right. It's not worth the risk. Just throw them out."

I said nothing, but something inside me cracked. Those gifts had meant something. I cherished them. Now, he discarded them like trash, because she told him to. And he didn't even hesitate.

Before I could collect myself, Lilith's eyes wandered toward my room.

"Oh, perfect. There's a clean room in the house," she said brightly, stepping forward. "Lucas, can I stay here? The sunlight hits just right, it's perfect."

Lucas glanced toward the room, then nodded like it was the most natural thing in the world. "Sure. If that's what you want."

I stared at them, stunned. Lilith noticed my expression and gave an exaggerated pout, pretending to be concerned.

"Oh… is that your room, Selene?" she asked innocently. "Oops. I didn't mean to assume. It just looked so cozy and neat. But if it's yours, I won't take it."

I didn't respond right away. My brain was still trying to process everything. Then Lucas, as if nothing were wrong, spoke again in a calm, matter-of-fact tone.

"She told me she doesn't have a place to stay yet. She's been staying at a hotel, and you know how expensive that is, so I offered her the room. She'll be more comfortable here."

"Oh, no problem," I said, glancing between the two of them. "Then she can stay in the guest room."

"It's not clean yet," Lucas said. "It might take too long, and she's already tired from the trip. Your room is already in order, so it makes more sense for her to use it for now."

I turned to him, sarcasm lacing my voice. "I can clean the guest room if that's what you want. It won't take long."

Then I looked at Lilith. "Actually, why not just sleep in my husband's room? We're all family, right? You two sharing a bed shouldn't be a problem."

"Selene! What the hell are you trying to imply?" Lucas snapped. "You're acting like this over a room?"

"What?" I shot back, glaring at him. "I'm just offering her suggestions. She seems more eager to sleep beside you than to use my room."

"You—" Lucas raised his hand slightly, as if struggling to hold himself back, but before anything could happen, Lilith threw her arms around him, her eyes glistening with tears.

"It's okay. I'll just stay at the hotel," Lilith said.

"No," Lucas said, his voice lower, colder. He glared at me and said with gritted teeth. "Stop being selfish. Lilith is your sister. Treat her like one."