Eight
ว
Monica was beaming when I surprised her with her favorite lilies for our wedding anniversary. The whole hall was decorated with them–it was her dream motif. And seeing her that happy? It tugged something in my chest.
She kissed me sweetly and whispered a thank you. I smiled, watching my father walk in with our relatives and the guests, including Monica’s parents.
But even as the celebration began, something felt… off.”
Everyone was giving us gifts, laughing, drinking–but I couldn’t shake the unease crawling up my spine. I kept looking around like my eyes were searching for something. Or someone.§
Elira.&
She wasn’t here. The Luna should’ve been present. But not a single person even mentioned her–not my father, not the council. Nothing. Like she never existed.
It was strange.
“Hon, is there something wrong?” Monica asked, brows furrowed in concern.
“Nothing,” I lied, forcing a smile. But my mind was screaming.
Why the hell do I care?
I told myself this was what I wanted–to be with Monica, the woman I claimed to love. So why the fuck did Elira keep haunting me?”
Monica smiled, trying to believe me, and walked off to talk to her parents. I stood up and went to the Luna’s guards. Quietly, I asked where she was.
“I did not know, Alpha, but two days ago, She had been visiting the places you two used to go.“}
That made me freeze.}
Why would she do that now, of all days?}
I didn’t get a chance to ask more. Monica came back, and just in time–the gifts were being presented. But my eyes kept searching the crowd. A part of me still hoped she’d show up.
“She said she’d come…” Monica pouted. “Guess she’s still heartbroken. She’s always good with words, but look at her now.”
I stayed silent.
Then a woman stepped forward. “Alpha Thorne. Luna Monica. This is a special gift from Luna Elira.“>
My heart skipped.
Why wasn’t she here to give it herself?}
“Where’s the Luna?” I asked.}
“We were only instructed to deliver this,” the woman replied before trying to leave.§
I stepped toward her, ready to push for answers, but Monica grabbed my hand. “You’re acting weird. What is it, Honey? What aren’t you telling me?”
I brushed it off again, another damn lie. The party moved on: Monica opened the box. It was small, nothing fancy.
I wasn’t paying attention, still scanning the room for Elira. My jaw clenched.
Why didn’t she come??
She never missed our wedding anniversaries… until now.
Then Monica screamed.
Loud.
The kind of scream that sliced through noise and made time freeze. The box hit the ground.
And rolled.”
Inside–No.
A fetus.2
My vision blurred. My heart dropped, like someone dumped ice in my veins then replaced it with fire.
No…
This can’t be real.
That can’t be hers.
Could it?%
Did Elira…. have a miscarriage??
My mind blanked.%
“Honey! Are you even listening to me?!” Monica cried. Her face pale. Servants rushed to pick it up.
“Don’t throw it away!” I barked. Everyone stared.”
“Have you lost your mind?! She sent this to ruin our celebration!” Monica screamed.
But my wolf… he stirred. Not in anger. In fear. In grief. There was no threat, but something inside us felt like it was collapsing.
couldn’t stay still
7:38 PM dd
I couldn’t stay still.
I stormed out of the hall.
“Honey! Where are you going?!”
I didn’t stop. My feet dragged me to the packhouse. To her room.&
Empty.
I pushed the door open wider. My chest tightened.
The drawers… empty.
Her scent? Gone.
No trace of her at all.
Like she’d never even been here.
Something cracked in my chest. My wolf went dead silent–frozen with dread.
No…
No, no, no.S
Then my father walked in.&
“Where is she?” I asked. Almost said my wife, but caught myself. Barely.
“She’s gone,” he said quietly. “And don’t think I didn’t notice that it’s you, Lucas, not Thorne. You cannot manipulat your father, anyone could but me. You abandoned her. And it was the best thing for her to leave.”
I couldn’t speak.
I just stood there. Stunned. Hollow
Later, I demanded a paternity test. I needed to know. To prove that the fetus wasn’t mine.&
Monica was furious. Screaming. Threw a vase across the room. Begged me to stop. Demanded to know why I was acting this way.N
But I couldn’t even look at her.
All I could think about was Elira.
The test results came in.
And it shattered me. It was mine. My son.
And I never even knew she was pregnant.
Why why didn’t she tell me?”
Did I mean that little to her?
My wolf let out a long, heartbroken howl inside me. We both felt it–the grief. The pain. The hole that just opened inside me.N
I hired the best investigators I could.
I don’t care what it costs.
I need to find her.
My father watched me silently as I stood there, staring at the DNA result–my hands shaking.N
