His Defiant Ex-Wife: The True Luna Returns

For three years, I was the silent bank account behind the Nexus Pack. My husband, Caleb, was the Alpha, but the empire was built entirely on my inheritance.

Then the mind-link went dead. Caleb walked into our penthouse smelling of cheap vanilla and betrayal, followed closely by his secretary, Kimberly. She didn't just walk in; she swiped a red keycard-my Luna clearance.

"She understands the Pack's needs," Caleb sneered, shielding his mistress while I stood there, trembling.

They called me "wolfless" and "broken" because I hadn't Shifted yet. But the betrayal didn't stop at cheating. Caleb planned to lock me in the Sanctuary-a prison for the insane-so he could declare me incompetent and seize my fortune. Kimberly even shattered my mother's sacred Moonstone necklace, laughing as she called my legacy tacky.

I looked at the man I had elevated from poverty to power. He wasn't protecting me; he was planning a coup on my own life. He thought I was a weak, human-like liability he could discard once the checks cleared. He thought my wolf was dead.

He was wrong.

I didn't just sign the divorce papers; I froze every asset he had.

"An army marches on its stomach, Caleb," I whispered as his credit lines failed.

At his "victory" Gala, I didn't just expose his treason; I destroyed his world. And when he finally crawled back to beg for mercy, he didn't see a broken girl.

He saw the glowing silver eyes of the White Wolf.

Chapter 1

Azalea POV:

The silence inside my skull was deafening.

For three years, the Mind-Link between Caleb and me had been a constant hum-a private frequency, a tether of golden light connecting our souls.

Now? Dead air. Just cold, static white noise.

I sat on the velvet sofa in the Nexus Pack headquarters' penthouse. This building, this territory, this empire-it was all built on my inheritance. My mother's legacy.

The door clicked open.

Caleb walked in. He loosened his tie, movements sharp and agitated. He didn't even look at me. He smelled of rain and ambition, but beneath that, there was something else.

Something cloying. Like cheap, synthetic vanilla.

"We need to talk," I said. My voice was calm, but my hands were trembling in my lap.

Caleb sighed, throwing his jacket onto a chair. "Not now, Azalea. The Council meeting is tomorrow. I have a headache."

"Why is the link blocked, Caleb?"

He finally looked at me. His eyes, usually a warm hazel, were flat. "I needed focus. You project too much anxiety. It's distracting."

"Distracting?" I stood up. "I'm your wife. I'm your Luna. Since when is our connection a distraction?"

"Since you started obsessing over things that don't exist!" he snapped. "You're unstable, Azalea. Everyone knows it. It's because your wolf is broken."

The words hit me like a physical blow. He knew that was my deepest wound.

I opened my mouth to argue, but then I heard it. The sound of heels clicking in the hallway.

The door opened again.

Kimberly walked in. She wasn't knocking. She wasn't waiting to be announced. She swiped a keycard-a red keycard.

My breath hitched. Only the Alpha and Luna held red clearance cards.

"Oh," Kimberly said, feigning surprise. She was wearing a tight skirt that hugged her hips, and her blouse was unbuttoned just enough to be unprofessional. "I didn't know you were still up, Luna Azalea."

The smell hit me then.

It wasn't just on Caleb. It was radiating from her.

Her scent was mixed with his. A thick, musky layer of claiming that no shower could scrub off.

"Why do you have that card?" I asked, pointing a shaking finger.

Kimberly smiled. It was a predator's smile, sharp and cruel. "Caleb thought it would be more efficient. Since I'm handling the Pack's internal affairs now."

"Internal affairs?" I looked at Caleb. "She's a secretary, Caleb. A low-ranking Omega."

"She is competent!" Caleb roared. He stepped between us, shielding her. "Unlike you, she can actually Shift. She understands the needs of the Pack."

"Is that what you call it?" I whispered. "Meeting your needs?"

"Don't be crude," Kimberly said, stepping closer. She released a wave of pheromones-synthetic, cheap, but designed to provoke. "Caleb just needs a strong partner. Someone who doesn't need to be babysat because she's afraid of her own shadow."

"Get out," I said.

Kimberly didn't move. She looked at Caleb.

"Azalea, stop making a scene," Caleb growled. His voice dropped an octave. The air in the room grew heavy.

He was using it. The Alpha's Command.

It was a power that forced every wolf in the hierarchy to submit. It usually felt like a giant hand crushing you into the floor, forcing you to bare your neck.

"Sit down and shut up," Caleb commanded. The power in his voice rippled through the air, vibrating the glass windows.

Kimberly smirked, waiting for me to collapse.

I felt the pressure. It slammed against my chest. But then, something strange happened.

A spark of heat ignited in my blood. It wasn't the weak flutter I was used to. It was a surge of ancient, defiant fire.

I didn't sit. I didn't bow.

I took a step forward.

Caleb's eyes widened in genuine shock. "How..."

"I am not one of your subordinates, Caleb," I said, my voice steady. "And I am done being your stepping stone."

Kimberly laughed, a high, grating sound. "Look at her, Caleb. She's vibrating. She's probably going to have another panic attack. Just send her to the clinic."

She reached out, her hand brushing my arm with mock pity. "Poor little wolfless thing."

That touch was the spark.

I didn't think. I didn't calculate.

I swung my hand.

Crack!

My palm connected with Caleb's cheek. It was a solid, flesh-stinging impact that echoed through the penthouse.

The room went dead silent.

Caleb touched his face, staring at me as if I had grown a second head. An Alpha, slapped by a weak, human-like female? It was unheard of.

"You..." he snarled, his eyes flashing gold.

"I'm leaving," I said.

I didn't pack a bag. I didn't scream.

I closed my eyes and visualized the golden thread that connected us-the frayed, ugly remnant of our marriage.

I imagined a pair of shears.

Snip.

I cut my emotional feed to the room. The crushing weight of his presence lifted slightly.

I turned around and walked out the door, leaving the Alpha and his mistress standing in the wreckage of his ego.

I closed the door softly. That click was the loudest sound in the world.