Amelia’s POV

“I said apologize. Now!” Silas’s voice thundered, his rage echoing in every corner of the room.

I looked at him, voice trembling, barely a whisper, “Why?”

His eyes widened, incredulous. As if the very idea of questioning him was a crime. “Why?” he repeated, his lip curling. “Elizabeth is pregnant with my pup, and you almost hurt her out of jealousy. Tell me, Amelia, is that behaviour worthy of a Luna?”

“Apologise, Amelia. Or—” His tone dropped, dangerously low, thick with threat.

Tears welled in my eyes as I whispered, “I’m your mate… your wife. How can you do this to me, Silas? How can you cheat on me and expect me to apologise?”

His eyes flared with fury, voice venomous. “Shut up!”

“No.” My voice was shaking, but my spine was finally straight. “I will not apologise. I’m done crawling. I’m done being silent. I will not.”

I turned and ran from the room as I was too broken to speak further and too hurt to stay. For a brief, pathetic second, I thought he would follow. That he would call out to me, stop me, explain everything, tell me I had misunderstood. But no. Silas didn’t come. He had his true love to comfort. His perfect Elizabeth.

And as I fled, I saw her, his mother, the former Luna, waiting outside like she knew exactly what had just happened. Her eyes glittered with cruel satisfaction, lips curled in a smirk.

“If you know your place,” she said coldly, “then pack your things and get the hell out of my son’s life, you slut. He is finally happy. Don’t ruin it.”

“He cheated on me,” I whispered, my voice trembling.

Her hand struck my cheek so fast I barely saw it coming.

“How dare you speak ill of my son! You are the problem! You’re infertile. Undesirable. A cursed woman. Who in their right mind would want to touch you? My son deserves an heir. Since you failed, the right woman is giving him what he needs. Now pack your things and disappear. I’m sick of seeing your pathetic face.”

The pain from her slap didn’t compare to the humiliation. This was not the first time she hit me, nor the worst. The former Luna had always hated me for the death of the previous Alpha, for Silas’s forced bond, and for being a useless, weak omega Luna. She tormented me daily, and now she had the perfect excuse to be rid of me.

She walked away, disappearing into Silas’s office, where I knew he was holding Elizabeth, perhaps whispering sweet promises to her and the child that would be the new heir.

Meanwhile, I locked myself in my office and cried.

They were celebrating her pregnancy.

While I, the Luna, was crumbling into dust.

The day of the banquet arrived. I had planned everything meticulously, working with the servants like one of them, ensuring each guest would experience perfection. But while I toiled in the background, Elizabeth was the one sparkling in the spotlight.

She wore a champagne-colored gown that shimmered under the lights, her smile radiant as she sat beside Silas and the former Luna as if she already belonged there. The perfect family.

And me? Dressed in a gown I had chosen days ago, eyes puffy from crying, standing quietly in a corner like a forgotten shadow. I was the Luna in title only, but no one looked at me, and no one acknowledged me. The whispers weren’t for me. The admiration, the smiles, the respect, they all belonged to her.

My heart ached. All I had ever wanted was to be loved by my mate. To be held by him. To be looked at the way he looked at her. I would’ve given him everything. I had given him everything. And still, I was nothing.

The banquet was over. As I helped the maids clear the mess, a soldier approached.

“Luna, the Alpha is calling for you on the terrace.”

I froze. My heart raced. Why would Silas call for me? After ignoring me all night? After publicly flaunting his mistress?

Still, hope flickered in my chest. I rushed to the terrace, taking the stairs two at a time as my breath caught when I saw everything. Candles. Rose petals. A staircase lit in soft and golden glow.

Was this for me? My heart thudded wildly. Was he going to apologise? Tell me he had made a mistake? Say he still cared?

But when I reached the top, Elizabeth stood there. She turned slowly, the light catching her flawless skin and sparkling gown.

I frowned. “Where’s Silas?”

She smiled, but it wasn’t sweet. It was slow and poisonous. “Silas?” she repeated. “Why would he be here?”

She took a step down the stairs, then another, deliberately placing herself just a step below me. “Three. Two. One,” she whispered. “Game over, Amelia. Return what belongs to me.”

And then, she fell.

I reached out instinctively, but I wasn’t fast enough.

A blur of movement, a wolf lunged and caught her before she hit the ground. He shifted, and it was Beta Jade, holding her protectively.

“Miss Elizabeth!” he cried, full of panic and rage.

Then his eyes turned to me, cold and accusing. “You tried to kill her? In jealousy?”

“What’s going on?” Silas’s voice thundered as he arrived on the terrace. He stopped dead at the sight, Elizabeth sobbing in Jade’s arms.

“She tried to kill me,” Elizabeth whispered, clinging to him. “She—she tried to push me. I would’ve lost the baby. Jade saved me... or I’d be lying there in blood.”

Silas’s eyes found mine, wild and stormy. “She did what?”

I took a shaky step back. “I didn’t. I didn’t touch her. You can check that there is no trace of my scent on her. It’s a setup. She planned this.”

Elizabeth’s mask cracked, but only for a split second.

Jade sneered. “You think Miss Elizabeth would stoop to framing you? You aren’t even worth that effort.”

“Exactly,” Silas said coldly. “Elizabeth has no reason to stoop to your level. You’re not even competition for her.”

A bitter laugh escaped me. My heart was bleeding, but I couldn't stop myself now.

“You’re right. She’s not the competition. So tell me, why would I try to kill her? You hate me. Your whole pack despises me. She’s the one you cherish, the one you parade around like a queen. You could replace me any time you want. What would I gain by killing her and your bastard child?”

“Shut up!”

“No, Silas Thorne, I won’t. I will speak today! You think you were forced into this marriage? You think I trapped you? You want Elizabeth?”

I looked him straight in the eye. “Then let’s divorce.”

Everything went still.

Silas stepped away from Elizabeth, who nearly collapsed, but Jade caught her. He marched to me, grabbed my chin roughly. “What did you just say?” he snarled. “Repeat it.”

“Let. Us. Divorce,” I said again, firm and clear.

He burst into manic laughter. Before I could react, he threw me over his shoulder like a sack of grain.

“Where are you taking me?! Let me go!”

“You think I’ll let you walk free after trying to kill my pup?” he growled.

And for the first time, I was afraid of what was coming.

Silas turned to the others. “No one is allowed near my residence tonight. This woman has committed a grave sin, and she will be punished. Anyone who interferes will be exiled from the pack.”

And just like that, he shifted into his massive wolf form and ran fast, angry, and dangerous with me on his back.

He took me somewhere I had never been allowed to go in four years of marriage. His private residence. He threw open the doors and tossed me into the room like I was nothing. And I knew…This was only the beginning of my punishment.