Chapter 6 Secret Longing

_Zarelle's POV_

Amara's shriek could have shattered glass. But no guards dared to move.

Her scream turned more sharply. "Beta Aldrin! Get out here now!"

The Beta emerged like a soldier stepping onto a battlefield, his sharp eyes taking in the scene-Elsa's bared teeth, my clenched fists, Amara's trembling rage.

"Former Luna," Aldrin said to Amara with a light bow. "How may I serve?"

Amara jabbed a manicured finger at us. "Remove these intruders! That disgrace"-her gaze sliced to me-"forfeited all rights to this territory, and her little friend just insulted a Luna!"

Aldrin's jaw tightened as he recognized Elsa. Every Beta worth their salt knew the Sterling heiress-and the war that would follow if harm came to her.

"With respect," he said, voice steel wrapped in silk, "denying Miss Sterling diplomatic courtesy would violate three separate inter-pack treaties." His gaze flicked to the enforcers edging closer. "Unless we want Lightning Pack warriors at our borders by sundown?"

Amara's face purpled. "You'd choose some omega's whore over your own-"

"I'm preventing an inter-pack war," Aldrin cut in, his voice steel-edged. "Unless you'd prefer to explain to Alpha Calden why we're at odds with the Lightning Pack?"

The moment Calden's name was invoked, Amara's bluster deflated like a punctured balloon. "Th-there's no need to bother him," she stammered, her bravado crumbling. "He's... occupied with more important matters than this trash."

I exhaled quietly. Though I wasn't afraid to face Calden again, I had no desire for unnecessary complications.

Amara finally relented, stepping aside with all the grace of a cornered alley cat. But the venom in her glare promised this wasn't over.

"I'll be watching your every step, Stormy." She hissed my discarded name like a curse.

I scoffed and continued climbing the stone steps, my heels clicking against the weathered granite. Then-

A sharp pressure against my lower back.

Amara.

The former Luna had slithered behind me, her fingers digging into my waist as she tried to send me tumbling down the stairs in front of the entire pack.

But the broken woman who'd fled Sunlight Ridge weeks ago no longer existed.

My enhanced reflexes ignited. In one fluid motion, I pivoted, slamming my forearm against hers with enough force to send her designer-clad body reeling backward.

The result was immediate.

Amara's expensive heels caught on the uneven stone. For one glorious second, she windmilled her arms like an overturned beetle-

-Then crashed down five steps in a tangle of silk skirts and snarled hair.

A gasp rippled through the gathered pack members. Someone stifled a laugh.

"You little bitch!" Amara shrieked from the ground. "You dare lay hands on me? You worthless omega!"

I gazed down at her with the detached coldness of an Alpha assessing prey. "I defended myself against an attack, Former Luna. Perhaps you should be more careful where you place your hands."

Aldrin rushed to help her up, and I caught the flicker in his eyes. He had seen everything. Good. That meant I had no more need to waste my breath.

***

The Alpha's office smelled of Calden's cedar cologne and stale power plays. My fingers didn't tremble as I took the divorce papers-just another contract to sever, like all the others I'd negotiated for my family's empire.

The embossed stamps glittered in the lamplight, each one a key to my freedom.

"Perfect." The word tasted like victory. "Now, about my belongings-burn them all."

"Are you certain?" Aldrin's brow furrowed. "There might be items of sentimental value-"

"-Nothing in this den holds value for me," I cut him off. "Let the flames purify what his touch corrupted."

As we turned to leave, the Beta hesitated. "Your acquaintance with Miss Sterling...unexpected for someone in your former position."

I didn't blink. "True bonds transcend borders, Beta."

Elsa's sudden stumble was too perfectly timed. Her stiletto came down on Amara's outstretched hand with surgical precision. The crack of breaking bones echoed off the marble.

"Oh dear!" Elsa's honeyed tone dripped with false concern. "How clumsy of me."

Amara's whimpers followed us down the hall. "This isn't over." She hissed.

Yet her final threat was as hollow as my marriage with Calden had been.

It was over. I was certain.

***

_Calden's POV_

The mindlink hit me like a physical blow, interrupting my afternoon meeting with the pack's financial advisors. Aldrin's mental voice was tense as he spoke.

"Alpha, we have a situation. Zarelle has returned to the territory with Elsa Sterling from the Lightning Pack. There's been an incident with your mother."

My coffee cup shattered in my grip at once. My heart was racing, though I couldn't tell if it was from panic or something else entirely.

"Meeting adjourned," I barked, already moving toward the door.

As I walked through the corridors, I told myself my urgency was purely practical. Thessaly needed to maintain her position as my mate, and any disruption had to be addressed. It had nothing to do with the way my wolf perked up at Zarelle's name, or how my pulse quickened at the thought of seeing her again.

When I arrived at the packhouse, I found my mother in the hallway, tears streaming down her face as she cradled her hand.

"Mother, what happened?" I knelt beside her.

"That monster!" She sobbed, pointing toward the exit. "She attacked me, Calden! That vicious omega pushed me down the stairs, and then her friend deliberately stepped on my hand. They humiliated me in front of the entire pack!"

"She pushed you down the stairs?" I asked, my brow pulling together in confusion.

"Maliciously! Without provocation!" Mother's voice rose. "She's nothing but an ill-mannered omega who has forgotten her place. And that friend of hers, how does a nobody like Zarelle know someone from the Lightning Pack? There's something suspicious about this. You must use force to reclaim the money she took! Also, punish Beta Aldrin for siding with the enemy!"

Before I could respond, Aldrin's voice echoed in my mind again.

"Alpha, I need to clarify what actually happened. Your mother attempted to push Zarelle down the stairs. Zarelle defended herself, and your mother lost her balance. Miss Sterling's action appeared intentional, but it was in response to your mother's aggression."

The revelation hit me like a blow. My mother had tried to harm Zarelle?

"Mother," my voice was dangerously quiet, "is there something you want to tell me about your interactions with Zarelle during our union?"

Guilt flashed across her features before being replaced by indignation. "I was merely teaching that rogue omega her responsibilities as Luna. Someone had to show her proper respect and discipline. The beatings and scoldings were necessary; she was too wild, and too independent."

"Beatings?" My voice dropped to a whisper. "You beat my mate?"

"Your ex-mate," She corrected quickly. "And yes, when she stepped out of line. It's Luna's duty to maintain order among the pack women."

I stared at my mother as if seeing her for the first time. How many times had Zarelle come to me with bruises she claimed were from training accidents? The pieces were falling into place, painting a picture that made my wolf howl with rage and something unknown.

"You will never lay a hand on another pack member again," I said, my Alpha command bleeding into my voice. "Is that understood?"

But even as I addressed Mother's behavior, another part of my mind focused on Aldrin's information. Zarelle's friendship with Elsa Sterling was more than curious. How did a supposed omega from an unknown pack become friends with the princess of one of the most powerful families in the region?

And despite everything, despite the divorce, despite my commitment to Thessaly, I found myself consumed by one overwhelming need.

I had to find Zarelle. I had to at least make her apologize for the disrespect shown to my mother, regardless of the circumstances. It was a matter of pack honor, of my authority as Alpha.

At least, that's what I told myself as I prepared to track her down.