Dump the Alpha, Mated to the King

Three years of marriage, and Mira had never imagined that on such a bright, ordinary afternoon, she would feel the violent tearing of the mate-bond.

It wasn't pain at first-pain came later. What hit her was pressure, it was crushing and sudden, like a fist tightening around her heart. Her breathing came out ragged, her hands wrapping around her abdomen as her knees nearly buckled.

It took less than a second for her to understand. Her Alpha, her husband, Adrian, was in danger.

But how? He was supposed to be in his spacious, sunlit office at the pack house, dealing with pack affairs. There had been no reports of any outside threat. What could have happened?

Her wolf surged within, frantic with worry, straining to take control and rush to their mate's side. Without a second thought, Mira mind-linked to her husband's Beta, Mason.

"Luna..." Mason hesitated and that only sharpened the blade of her fear and fury.

"Don't you dare lie to me. Tell me where Adrian is!"

*

Mira used every ounce of speed she possessed on the drive to the hospital. The closer she got, the more the phantom pain in her own chest intensified. Tears burned behind her eyes. They had only been married for three years. While not all of it had been peaceful or happy, she had never imagined she could lose him this soon.

She all but crashed through the doors of the Emergency Department. The air was thick with the coppery scent of blood and the sharp sting of antiseptic. Pack members moved swiftly through the corridors, doctors and medics barking orders. A gurney was shoved violently through the main doors.

Mira froze.

Adrian Vale-Alpha of the Silver Ridge Pack-lay strapped to the stretcher, his broad body smeared in red, the white sheets beneath him ruined. Drops of blood trailed behind him, a reminder of how close she had come to losing him.

But he was still breathing. She could still feel the faint, strained thread of their bond. She hadn't lost him yet.

Just as the breath of relief left her lips and she moved to step forward, to take his hand, another figure slipped into the space that should have been hers.

The woman was small, almost fragile-looking, radiating a salty aura of fear and tears. They streamed down her cheeks as she clutched Adrian's hand in both of hers, her knuckles white as if he might vanish if she let go.

"I'm so sorry," the woman sobbed. "This is all my fault. I shouldn't have said those things."

Adrian turned his head.

Even injured, even pale, his presence still dominated the chaotic hallway. His powerful Alpha energy pulsed around him like a controlled tide, instinctively commanding the space. His fingers tightened around the woman's, a tenderness in his grip that Mira, in three years of marriage, had never seen directed at herself.

"Don't cry," he rasped, his uninjured hand rising to clumsily brush a tear from her cheek. Then he pressed something into her palm. A white flower. Its petals were crushed and stained a deep, ugly shade-his blood. He seemed not to notice or care.

"Take it," Adrian said, his voice rough but soft. "I know you always wanted one. It's your birthday. You deserve every happiness."

A look passed between them-a silent, intimate current that shut out the world.

Three steps away, Mira stood utterly still, the color draining from her face.

Her husband had nearly died, and his concern was for another woman's happiness?

What the hell kind of joke was the universe playing on her? Had she woken up wrong and stumbled into some parallel reality that wasn't hers?

Mira squeezed her eyes shut, then opened them. The scene before her remained unchanged. The two were still lost in their own world, their intense gaze shutting out everything else.

Her wolf let out a low, wounded whimper within her. The initial shock and absurdity were rapidly curdling into something darker, something angrier.

She was his LUNA. His MATE. Chosen by the Moon Goddess herself. For three years, they had presented a united, loving front to the pack.

Yet in all those three years, she was certain he had never looked at her like that.

She had told herself his coldness was just part of being an Alpha, a burden of his title. But the scene before her was proof it wasn't.

"Luna Mira," an Omega bowed sharply before her, a wave of fearful respect preceding him. "You're here."

Mira gave a single, stiff nod. She couldn't speak yet-if she opened her mouth, she might shatter the last vestiges of her control.

Adrian was being wheeled towards the operating room. As he passed her, his gaze flickered over her.

She had expected to see guilt. An apology. She saw nothing. Only his customary, impenetrable ice.

The doors swung shut behind him with a final, damning thud.

"What happened?" Mira asked, her voice dangerously soft. She felt fury and agony twisting together inside her.

The Omega hesitated. Smart.

"Tell me," she repeated. Her tone was calm. Too calm.

Alpha werewolves weren't easily injured, but the mate-bond's reaction didn't lie... Adrian had been gravely hurt. She would know why.

The Omega opened his mouth, seeming to search for words.

"It was my fault," the woman from before stepped forward.

She lowered her head, shoulders curling in a show of submission. Her eyes were red-rimmed, her gaze fixed on the floor. She looked almost penitent. Almost.

Mira, of course, recognized her.

Ivy Glass. The woman who had appeared at her husband's side three months ago. The widow of Adrian's deceased friend, Alpha Draven of the Moonvile Pack.

In accordance with Draven's dying wish, Adrian had publicly and unequivocally declared his responsibility for Ivy's welfare.

No one questioned an Alpha's vow. Even Mira herself had initially felt sympathy for the poor, grief-stricken woman.

But from the moment Ivy arrived, the fragile peace of Mira and Adrian's marriage had shattered.

He had broken a Beta's jaw for lingering too close to Ivy.

He had confined an Omega to the cells for spilling a drink on her gown.

He had missed an Alpha Summit-an unthinkable lapse for any strong leader-because Ivy hadn't been granted entry.

Things he had never done for Mira. Before Ivy, Mira would have thought such actions beneath him.

Yet for Ivy, he did them all.

And today, he had nearly gotten himself killed to... to make her "smile". So what did that make her, his wife? What did their bond even mean?

"I'm sorry, Luna," Ivy quivered, seemingly oblivious to the storm of fury rolling off Mira. "I never meant for this to happen. I only mentioned in passing..."

"Shut up!" Mira's hand shot out, gripping the collar of Ivy's dress.

The hallway fell utterly still.

Pack members froze. Omegas bowed their heads lower. A wave of powerful, oppressive force radiated outwards-Mira's wolf, surging beneath her skin, furious and blood-hungry.

"You do not speak unless I permit it," Mira hissed, her voice low and lethally calm. "You are under the authority of your Alpha and your Luna!"

She made no effort to leash her Luna's aura. Ivy gasped.

"Luna!" The Omega stepped forward. "Please, your temper-"

"Explain," Mira commanded.

"It was Lady Ivy's birthday," the Omega rushed out. "Alpha Adrian took her to Willow Ridge. A frost-lotus grows near the cliffs there... it's said to grant the Goddess's favor to whoever claims it. The Alpha said he owed her his protection. And... a promise. But no one knew the rocks were so loose..."

Mira slowly released Ivy, her gaze dropping to the flower still clutched in the other woman's trembling hand.

A promise? What kind of promise was worth forgetting the wife waiting for him at home? Worth risking his life?

"I'm sorry," Ivy whispered, "I truly only mentioned it in passing, I never thought he would-"

Mira slapped her.

The crack echoed sharply in the silent corridor.

Ivy stumbled back, her hand flying to her cheek, eyes wide in shock.

"You don't get to decide what my Mate risks his life for," Mira snarled, her voice colder than winter stone. "And you don't get to wear his blood like a gift."

She knocked the flower from Ivy's hand. It hit the floor and shattered.

Before anyone could react, the operating room doors swung open.

"The Alpha will live," the doctor announced. "His body cushioned the worst of the fall. A broken leg, mostly superficial lacerations. He will recover."

Relief washed over Mira, the sensation feeling like a betrayal. Despite everything, despite the humiliation he had wrought upon their bond, she still cared for her mate.

She followed the doctor to his office to complete the final formalities.

An hour later, she stood outside Adrian's private room, the whispers in the corridor a grating hum against her frayed nerves.

"They say he nearly died for her."

"I heard she was his first love, before he met his destined mate."

A tightness seized Mira's chest, but she didn't move. She focused on the voices from within the room-Adrian was awake.

Ivy was seated by the bed, weeping softly.

"The flower is ruined," she murmured.

"I'll pick you another," Adrian said. His voice was low, firm, a vow woven into the words. "Once I've healed."

Mira could take no more. She pushed the door open and strode in, her eyes blazing.

Adrian's gaze snapped to her.

"You shouldn't be here." No greeting. No concern. Just... dismissal.

"She shouldn't be here," Mira shot back, her voice trembling with suppressed emotion. "I am your Luna."

His jaw tightened. "She is under my protection."

The sharp movement tugged at his injuries, a sheen of sweat breaking out on his forehead. The sight of his pain finally snapped something within Mira.

"You're hurt," she stated softly, the fight momentarily draining from her.

"I'll survive."

"You nearly didn't."

"That was my choice."

"Ah, yes," she nodded, a bitter smile twisting her lips as she tried to ignore the fresh wound his words carved. She turned her face away, struggling to steady her breathing.

She would not cry. Not here, not in front of them. He did not deserve it. A man who valued neither his own life nor the sacred bond they shared deserved no tears.

"What explanation will you give the Council?" Her voice was thick.

"It's handled," Adrian said, his tone final. "They won't know."

Protecting Ivy. Again.

"You should go," he added. "Ivy will stay." The command in his voice was absolute, brooking no argument.

Mira's head whipped back towards him, her eyes wide with naked hurt and accusation. But this time, he had already averted his gaze, as if looking at her was a burden too heavy to bear.

"Do not question your Alpha." He had even anticipated her challenge.

Mira's nails dug viciously into her palms, her heart tearing itself apart with a pain so visceral it was a wonder he couldn't feel it from mere steps away. Or perhaps, he simply didn't care.

Before the tears could betray her, she turned on her heel. "Remember this. It was you who sent me away." Then she strode from the room, not allowing herself a single backward glance.

Once inside her car, the dam holding back her tears finally broke. She slumped over the steering wheel, shoulders shaking as sobs wracked her body. Behind her closed, blurred eyes, the memory of their wedding day surfaced, vivid and cruel.

"I swear," he had said, lifting her veil, his eyes holding a softness she hadn't seen since, "I swear I will make you the happiest Luna in this world."

That had been his promise to her. A promise whose expiration date, it seemed, had arrived in just three short years.

With trembling fingers, Mira unlocked her phone. The screensaver was their wedding photo-her smiling up at him, him looking almost tender. Fresh tears blurred the image.

"Liar," she whispered, the word a broken sigh.

Her thumb hovered, then pressed down on 'delete.' The image vanished, leaving a cold, generic background.

"If you've forgotten first," she said to the empty car, her voice hollow with resolve, "then don't blame me for taking back my love."

It took Adrian nearly half a week to walk unaided.

His recovery had been slow-slower than what an Alpha's should be-because his mate had withdrawn.

Mira never visited. Just as he had demanded.

Everyone had expected the Luna to relent first. Luna Mira was, after all, renowned for her grace and virtue, always placing Alpha Adrian and the pack's well-being above all else. Yet, she did not.

No messages. No calls. Not even an inquiry about his condition through the pack physicians.

Adrian did not reach out to her either.

The standoff lasted until the day Alpha Adrian returned to the manor. The house was immaculate as ever, but something vital was missing.

For the first time, Mira was not waiting at the door to welcome him home, to take his coat with a smile and ask if he needed anything.

The realization stung the proud Alpha. Not with guilt, but with the affront to his authority.

"Mira," he called through the bond. Silence was her only reply.

Adrian took the stairs two at a time, pushing into their bedroom. The sight of his wife seated at her vanity made him frown.

"I was calling for you. Why do you not answer your Alpha?"

The brush in Mira's hand hesitated for only a fraction of a second as he shut the door behind him. His scent of sandalwood and pine instantly filled the space. She clenched her fist, trying to ignore the inner pull, the way his presence seemed to wrap around her.

She could make her tone light. "I assumed you weren't lonely. After all, don't you have your most excellent assistant for company?"

After Ivy's arrival, Adrian had not only offered her sanctuary but a position within the family corporation as his personal assistant.

His office, the one place he had always insisted was off-limits to Mira-as Luna, your domain is the pack's heart and home, he'd said-was now Ivy's daily workplace.

The thought nearly made the brush in Mira's hand snap.

"You know Ivy has been through a great deal," Adrian continued, closing the distance, utterly blind to the bitter edge in her words. "She's sensitive. Fragile. You shouldn't take your temper out on her."

Ivy, Ivy, Ivy. Mira threw the brush onto the vanity with a clatter.

"Right! She's sensitive, she's fragile, she needs protecting. Then go be with her! Why come back here?"

She stared up at him, her eyes wide and glistening with unshed tears, filled with a hurt he seemed determined not to see.

A flicker of surprise passed through Adrian's gaze, quickly schooled back into impassivity. "Mind your tone, Mira."

His hands came down on her shoulders, firm and imposing. "You are my mate. You should never turn away from me."

Mira's lashes fluttered. So he did remember she was his mate.

Adrian leaned in, his breath a whisper against her skin. "I need you, Mira."

His words sounded intimate, but his tone was disturbingly cold. Mira's heart trembled with a bitter ache. This wasn't an endearment; it was a command, a statement of his needs. He still required the power of the mate-bond to heal.

Tears threatened again, but Adrian paid them no mind, intent on claiming her lips. With a surge of courage she didn't know she possessed, Mira pushed against his chest. "Don't touch me!"

A shadow flickered in Adrian's eyes. "Mira! My patience has limits!" He took a forceful step forward, his arms wrapping around her waist, effortlessly lifting and pinning her beneath him on the bed, straddling her hips. "Obey your Alpha! This is your duty as Luna!"

"No! No, I can't! Not like this!"

"It's been three years, Mira." Adrian's kiss was a hard, demanding pressure. "You can't retreat forever. I want you. Now."

Tears streamed freely as Mira kicked and struggled, but Adrian was unyielding. His strength was absolute. One hand pinned her wrists above her head while the other tore ruthlessly at her clothes.

Heartbreak mingled with a deeper, colder dread within Mira. She had never imagined her husband would treat her like the monster from three years ago.

He knew. He knew what that night had done to her, the trauma that had nearly shattered her, the way it had left her terrified of a man's touch.

He knew of the shame she carried. On their wedding night, he had promised, his voice solemn, 'I will never force you'.

As Adrian's tongue forced its way past her lips, Mira bit down, hard.

Adrian grunted in pain, his grip loosening. Seizing the moment, Mira shoved him off and scrambled to the farthest corner of the bed, dragging the torn covers around her trembling form.

Adrian went rigid. For a split second, something like regret flashed in his eyes-but it was gone as quickly as it appeared.

"Mira," he said, frustration edging his voice, "you can't live in fear of this forever. I am your Alpha. Your husband."

The impatience in his tone cut deeper than any shout.

A tight, suffocating pain seized Mira's chest. He had never spoken to her like this before, not about this. Their therapist had advised patience, taking things slowly. And things had been getting better.

Just three months ago, they had shared a few, truly tender kisses. She had finally stopped flinching at his touch. Now, all that fragile progress lay in ruins.

She flinched again as he shifted on the bed.

"Please... just go away..." Her plea was a broken whisper.

Adrian stared at her for a long moment, then let out a deep, exasperated sigh. He stood up and strode from the room-boots still on-slamming the door shut behind him.

The silence in the room was deafening. The mate-bond ached dully between them, a silent siren call urging her to follow, to submit. But she couldn't erase the image of his face, twisted with a determination that had felt like cruelty. The same cold, isolating despair she'd known three years ago washed over her once more.

Only this time, it came from her husband. That cut the deepest.

Mira didn't know how long she cried before her phone rang. It was the cake shop's delivery service.

Then she remembered. Today was their wedding anniversary.

She had ordered the cake a week ago, harboring a fragile, private hope: if all went well today, she might have found the courage to finally, fully, give herself to him, to complete their bond in every way.

Now, that courage lay in splinters.

His impatient tone, his disappointed eyes flashed before her. For a fleeting second, doubt wavered within her. Had she overreacted? Had he chosen to come home today because the date meant something to him, too?

Swallowing hard, she mustered the remnants of her resolve and dialed Adrian's number.

One ring, two. No answer. She tried again. And again.

Then, the final, definitive click of a declined call. He was truly angry, wasn't he?

Her fingers trembled as she scrolled and dialed his Beta, Mason.

The line connected, and a wall of thumping bass and raucous laughter exploded from the speaker.

"Luna?" Mason's voice came through, loud and casual over the din. "It's late. Everything alright?"

"Is Adrian with you?" Mira asked, her voice barely a whisper against the noise. "I can't reach him."

"The Alpha had a bit too much," Mason replied easily. "Stepped away for a moment. Don't worry, I've got him."

He paused, then added, "I've got another call coming in-"

Mira stared at the phone, her lower lip caught between her teeth. His lie was flimsy, transparent.

The call hadn't disconnected.

She heard a muffled voice, thick with drink and derision. "Funny the Luna still bothers. Three years and she hasn't let the Alpha touch her-no wonder he runs to Ivy."

A chorus of rough laughter followed.

"Alpha Adrian treats Ivy like a treasure. Does Luna Mira actually think she's special? Everyone knows what happened to her. Damaged goods. Couldn't even keep her virtue. The Alpha's mercy is all that keeps her."

Another voice chimed in. "Ivy wasn't around back then. Now that she is, the Alpha finally knows what a real gem is. Look at them dance. They fit. The tainted Mira should do the pack a favor and step aside."

Each word was a lash, stripping her bare.

The mockery. The scorn.

They all knew. Everyone knew.

Everyone knew of his infidelity but her. He had made a public fool of her.

Heat prickled behind her eyes, a fresh wave of tears threatening.

Even *that*-the thing Adrian had sworn on his life never to tell another soul-was pack gossip now.

He had promised to guard her dignity for a lifetime, and he had broken that vow, too.

She clenched her jaw, forcing the tears back. A tight, furious pain constricted her chest. Her wolf howled in silent agony, but she remained perfectly still.

She held that position until the first grey light of dawn seeped through the curtains.

When her phone finally chimed, she didn't startle.

A part of her, a foolish, wounded part, expected-almost hoped-for a message from him. Even that was too much to ask.

It was Ivy. A new post on the pack's public network.

The image was of a slender wrist adorned with an exquisite, sparkling diamond bracelet. The caption, simple and dripping with faux innocence, read:

**I just happened to admire it in passing. The Alpha insisted it belonged on my wrist.**

Mira's heart nearly stalled when she recognized the bracelet. Others might see only its staggering price, but Mira knew the story behind its design.

A choice for one's only beloved.

A laugh, sharp and mirthless, escaped her. Only now did the full, devastating depth of her own folly truly crash over her. The scrolling comments beneath the post twisted the knife.

"Is the Alpha spoiling you again?"

"Is Assistant Ivy going to be our new Luna?"

"The way he looks at her... it's definitely not just professional!"

A numb sensation spread through Mira as she scrolled until a familiar private account-Adrian's discreet secondary profile-caught her eye. His comment was brief, a single line beneath Ivy's post:

"You deserve it."

Ivy's immediate reply was a single, glowing heart emoji.

Mira almost laughed again, the sound choked with bitterness. They couldn't even be bothered to hide it anymore. Did they think she was dead? She would not tolerate this humiliation a moment longer. A cold, clear fury propelled her into action. She dialed the jeweler.

"Send over every piece from the new collection," she commanded, her voice eerily calm. "To the headquarters of Vale Industries. Immediately."

Within the hour, she was dressed and composed, standing in the executive secretary pool of Adrian's corporate empire. Several personal shopping consultants trailed behind her, arms laden with glossy brand boxes.

"L-Luna?" Adrian's chief assistant, also the pack's Gamma, stammered, rising from his desk. "What brings you here-"

The whispered title sent a ripple through the room-curiosity, surprise, a flicker of excitement.

Mira offered a serene smile, adrenaline singing in her veins, mingling with a strange, defiant thrill. For three years as Adrian's mate, she had remained largely unseen. Only a handful here knew her face.

She lifted her chin and raised her right hand, letting the distinctive, moonstone-set Luna's ring catch the light. Her identity needed no further introduction.

"Everyone has been working so diligently," she announced, her voice carrying effortlessly. "I've brought a small token of appreciation. One for each of you."

With a graceful wave of her hand, the consultants stepped forward, opening the velvet-lined boxes in unison. Nestled inside each was a bracelet-the exact design Adrian had given Ivy.

So he likes giving bracelets? 'Only beloved,' is it? Let's see how special it feels now.

A collective gasp filled the air. No one had expected the Luna to appear, let alone bestow such extravagant gifts. Hesitant voices arose. "These... are truly for us, Luna?"

"Of course," Mira's smile widened, genuine warmth touching her eyes. "Your dedication is invaluable. A pack-a company-thrives when its heart is united. My Alpha is a visionary leader, but even he can overlook the details. It's my duty as his Luna to ensure balance is kept."

The room erupted in grateful exclamations and excited chatter as the women eagerly accepted their gifts.

It was then that Ivy appeared in the doorway. Her gaze was sharp, her jaw tight.

"Mira-Luna," she corrected, her tone sweet yet strained. "You needn't have gone to such trouble. And these gifts... does Adrian know?"

Mira turned to face her fully.

"Since when does the pack's welfare, or the use of its resources, require your approval?" Mira asked, her tone deceptively mild. "Those matters belong to the Alpha and his Luna alone."

She took a single, deliberate step forward, closing the distance.

"And 'Adrian' is for my use. You will address your Alpha with the proper title and maintain a respectful distance."

She didn't need to raise her voice or issue a threat. The message was crystal clear.

A dead silence fell over the room. The other women watched the exchange with bated breath, their loyalties palpably shifting.

After all, it was the Luna who had brought tangible honor and reward. Ivy's favored status granted them nothing but whispered gossip.

The moment Ivy understood, the color drained from her face.

Her eyes widened, instantly glistening with unshed tears. Her lips parted as if to form some explanation. "You-you misunderstand, that wasn't what I-"

Mira didn't even glance her way, rendering her utterly invisible.

She turned instead to Mary, the senior secretary, gesturing to the remaining boxes. "Please ensure the bracelets are distributed. They are gifts from me. What you do with them afterwards is your own affair. Just remember, they are a token of the Luna's esteem."

"Of course, Luna." Mary's face flickered with a mix of deference and excitement as she swiftly complied.

One by one, the bracelets were handed out. When the distribution reached its end, Mary paused, her cheeks flushing slightly as she did a quick count.

"Luna," she said cautiously, "it seems... we are one short. Assistant Ivy hasn't received one."

Mira's expression didn't flicker.

"Doesn't she already have one?" she asked, her voice cool and clear. "Since Alpha Adrian has already gifted her a bracelet, there's no need for a duplicate."

A profound silence settled over the office.

Every gaze in the room shifted-slow, curious, piercing-landing on Ivy, whose face was now a mask of mortified crimson.

Mira let her eyes rest on Ivy, tilting her head slightly. "Is there a problem, Assistant Ivy? Or do you believe your contributions have so far exceeded everyone else's here that you deserve a double portion of recognition?"

It was a masterful question. For Ivy to claim 'yes' would be to declare herself an enemy to every woman in the room. Her promotion to the Alpha's personal assistant was already seen by many as unearned favoritism; much of her supposed work was quietly completed by others.

Ivy swallowed with visible difficulty, forcing a brittle smile. "Of course not... The Luna is most considerate."

Ignoring the feeble compliment, Mira offered the rest of the room a gracious smile. "I will be taking a more active role in the pack's affairs from now on. Should any of you have concerns, my door is open. You have my word on fair and just treatment."

Then, amidst a sea of newly respectful and admiring looks, she swept out of the office.

The moment the door clicked shut, a wave of hushed, derisive laughter bubbled up inside.

"Some people really think a few feathers make them a phoenix."

"Exactly. She should look in a mirror. How could she ever compare to the Luna?"

"The Alpha and Luna are fated mates. No one comes between that."

"What a clown."

Mira paused just outside the door, a faint, cold smile touching her lips. Her wolf's keen hearing captured every whispered jab with perfect clarity. She could even hear Ivy's sharp, ragged intake of breath.

So Ivy likes to play games? Let her taste the bitterness of her own medicine.

She had tolerated Adrian's neglect because he was her mate, though even that well of patience was running dry. But from this day forward, she would allow no one else to trample on her dignity. Not anymore.

*

As expected, the call came just as she was driving home.

She answered calmly.

"Mira." Adrian's voice was sharp with displeasure. "What you did today was completely out of line."

His tone was icy, brimming with accusation.

"Because of you, Ivy is being isolated. The whole office is talking. She's considering leaving."

Mira's temper flared before she could stop it.

"And you're blaming *me*?" she shot back, her voice razor-edged. "Did you spare a single thought for my feelings when you bought her that bracelet and publicly fawned over her post?"

"It was just a bracelet," Adrian snapped. "She admired it, so I gave it to her. Why must you turn everything into a spectacle? You were never this... difficult before."

He paused, his next words dropping like stones, final and cold.

"I won't be coming home tonight. Use the time to cool down and reflect on your behavior. Ivy has suffered enough. There's no need for you to target her further."

The line went dead.

Mira sat in silence, tears welling despite her furious efforts to hold them back.

This was it. The final thread of hope, severed. There was nothing left to say, no bridge left to cross.

If he was so determined to shield another woman, to cast her as the villain in their story, then what was left for her in this loveless charade of a marriage?

With a steady hand that belied the chasm opening inside her, she pulled over and dialed her private lawyer.

"Draft the papers," she said, her voice clear and devoid of all emotion. "I want a divorce from Alpha Adrian."