Chapter 3 Chapter 3 It's For The Best

Lucian's POV

For several moments, I simply stared at Allison, unable to fully process what she'd just said. The slap had sobered me somewhat, though my head still felt foggy from the whiskey.

*Is she serious?* Fenrir growled within me, surprisingly disturbed by her declaration.

*She can't be,* I responded internally. *It's just another emotional outburst.*

"What do you mean?" I demanded, my voice dropping to that dangerous timber that usually made lesser wolves cower.

She stood before me, chin raised, those amber eyes burning with a determination I hadn't seen in her for... had I ever seen it? Something about her seemed different-stronger, more resolute. It was almost attractive, if it hadn't been so irritating.

"Are you deaf? I said we're getting a divorce. Is that so hard to understand?!" she spat, her voice carrying a harshness I'd never heard before.

"Divorce?" I finally echoed, a disbelieving smirk forming on my lips. "Is this some kind of game, Allison?"

"No game," she continued, her voice steady despite the tears drying on her cheeks. "I want out of this marriage."

A strange, hollow feeling expanded in my chest, but I quickly dismissed it. This was clearly a ploy for attention-some desperate attempt to make me chase her after what had just happened. Women and their emotional manipulations were all the same, weren't they?

"Playing hard to get now?" I chuckled, loosening my tie further. "A little late for that strategy, isn't it? We've been married for two years."

"This isn't a strategy," she said, moving away when I stepped closer. "It's a decision."

*She's serious,* Fenrir growled within me, surprisingly upset. *Our mate is leaving us.*

*She's not our true mate,* I reminded my wolf. *Just a convenience.*

Yet something about her resolve made me uneasy. I was used to Allison being compliant, accommodating-the perfect silent partner who kept my home running smoothly while I built our empire. This defiance was new, and I didn't care for it.

"Don't be dramatic," I said dismissively. "You've had a perfect life here."

"Perfect?" She let out a sharp, brittle laugh, the sound cracking at the edges. "I've been nothing but a glorified housekeeper to you. And our-"

I saw her fall silent instantly. Our what? I felt Allison was hiding something, so I stared directly into her eyes, noticing they were wet with tears. Was she crying?

"Look, if this is about me being busy lately," I tried to soften my tone, "I have responsibilities to the pack and the company. You know that.I can make it up to you."

"I don't need anything from you anymore," she whispered. "You wouldn't understand anyway."

"Ok.And what exactly do you plan to do?" I asked with exaggerated patience, as though speaking to a child.

"Where will you go? How will you support yourself? You haven't worked in two years, Allison. You've been a housewife-and not even a particularly good one at that."

It was a low blow, and I knew it. Allison had tried desperately to fulfill the role of Luna, despite the pack's thinly veiled contempt for her common origins.

My mother had made her life especially difficult, constantly criticizing everything from her table manners to her inability to throw the lavish social gatherings expected of a Storm Pack Luna.

"That's none of your concern," she replied, her voice surprisingly steady. "I'm doing you a favor, Lucian. Do you really want her to remain your mistress forever? Wouldn't it be easier if I just stepped aside?"

"Who?" I froze, tension snapping through my body like a whip.

"Heidi Lawrence, your first love."

My blood ran cold. "How do you know about Heidi?" I demanded, anger masking my shock. "Have you been following me? Going through my phone?"

She laughed, the sound hollow and bitter. "That's what you think of me? A desperate, stalking wife?"

She shook her head. "This pack has eyes everywhere, Lucian. Did you really think your little rendezvous would stay secret?"

"That's not what I meant," I growled, running a hand through my hair. "Are you divorcing me because of Heidi? Don't be ridiculous. The Luna of the Storm Pack will only ever be you."

"I don't care about that position," she said coldly. "You want to know why I'm divorcing you? Let me ask you something first. Where were you the day I called you? Just tell me the truth, and I'll tell you my reason."

My mind flashed back to that day-I was with Heidi at the hospital. Guilt flickered through me, but I pushed it down.

"I already told you," I answered stiffly. "I was in meetings."

Allison's laugh was bitter, escalating until tears formed in her eyes. "You'll never know what you lost, Lucian. Never."

Unease crept up my spine. "What are you talking about?"

She shook off my hands and turned away, moving toward the closet to begin packing.

Fenrir stirred within me, restless. *"Don't let her go, " *he growled. *" Say something. Stop her."*

But my pride held me still-until I realized she'd already folded two sweaters and tossed them into her suitcase.

I decided to change tactics. "What about your mother? Who will pay for her care if not me?"

She paused for a heartbeat, her back still to me. Then she resumed folding. "I'll find a way," she replied quietly.

"What way?" I countered. "The specialized facility, the round-the-clock nurses-do you have any idea what that costs? Where would a housewife like you get that kind of money? Without me, she'd be in some state facility within weeks."

She turned to face me, and the naked hatred in her eyes made something in me recoil. "You're despicable! I regret ever loving you, Lucian," she said, her voice like ice.

"Allison! Watch your tone. I am your Alpha."

"Not anymore. "Then her eyes suddenly blazed amber as Jasmine surfaced, and the words that followed sent an arctic chill through me.

"I, Allison Carter, reject you, Lucian Storm, as my mate and Alpha. I sever our bond and withdraw my loyalty to you and your bloodline."

The ritual words of mate rejection hung in the air between us like jagged shards of ice. A sharp pain ripped through me as Fenrir howled in agony within my mind.

I stumbled back, clutching the doorframe for balance, but Allison didn't even flinch. She turned back to her packing, methodically filling her suitcase with clothes and personal items.

Once the last piece was tucked in, she snapped the zipper shut with a decisive click and lifted the suitcase from the floor.

As she passed by me, her voice dripped with venom:

"And let me give you something to chew on before I go. You really think you've ever satisfied me?"

My breath caught.

Uh-oh.

" The nights I melted in your arms? They were an act.Pretending that I enjoy our pathetic excuse for intimacy. Lucian. You can't please a woman with that undersized equipment and your two-minute performance."

That cut deep, deeper than I admitted-to even myself.

Fenrir howled in humiliation.

"You lie," I growled, teeth half-shifted now. "Watch it, Allison."

She tilted her head. "No. I don't answer to you anymore. I don't fear you. Hell, I don't even pity you. Keep your little porcelain heiress. See how long she entertains you once your empire starts cracking."

"You'll regret this," I snarled "Don't come crying back when you realize what you've thrown away."

"I already know exactly what I'm throwing away," she said, eyes glinting with razor-sharp finality. "Nothing of value."

With that final barb, she turned and walked out-no hesitation, no backward glance. Just the sound of her heels echoing down the hall, and the silence she left behind.

*Go after her!* Fenrir demanded. *She is OURS. We cannot let her leave!*

But my pride held me rooted to the spot. Was she trying to threaten me with divorce? Or was this some ploy to attract my attention?

I wasn't going to fall into her trap. No one could disrupt my plans. Let Allison have her little tantrum.

She'd be back, tail between her legs, once she realized what life without the protection of the Storm Pack would really be like.

That would definitely be the outcome.

As I heard the front door slam downstairs, my phone rang. Heidi's name flashed across the screen.

I answered the call, pushing away the hollow feeling in my chest and the desperate howling of my wolf.

"Heidi," I purred into the phone, "I was just thinking about you."