Episode 1
“Althea, your presence tonight is invaluable to me. I cherish you deeply,” Damon proclaimed with a warmth that didn’t reach me.
My husband, the esteemed Alpha of the Crimson Hollow Pack, tenderly held the striking blonde, pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead—an act that seemed to freeze time for me. Rooted to the spot, I could only watch, a silent observer to this intimate exchange. The banquet hall buzzed quietly, the air thick with whispers and sidetracked glances that seemed to bore into me.
“Is that Althea Whitmore?” Isla, my maid, inhaled sharply. “What brings her here?”
The answer was as clear as the full moon shining outside. Damon had orchestrated this, seemingly oblivious or indifferent to the humiliation it piled onto me.
This evening’s Full Moon festival was meant to be ours—a showcase of unity between Alpha and Luna. Instead, Damon had chosen her, tossing aside any pretense of respect for me.
Althea Whitmore, his high school sweetheart and the Alpha’s daughter from the rival Silverclaw Pack, had always been his benchmark of perfection. Despite their breakup, fueled by rumors of her infidelity, she remained etched in his heart.
I had stumbled into Damon’s life at a social event a year after his heartbreak. Discovering our mutual bond as mates, we had fallen into a whirlwind romance. My family had reservations, yet I defied them, embracing my role beside him in the Crimson Hollow Pack.
We were mates, blessed under the gaze of the Moon Goddess. What could possibly go wrong?
My naivety was shattered by the miscarriage that followed. I lost our child during a routine business meeting, a tragedy Damon squarely blamed on my supposed negligence.
In a bid to mend our fraying bond, we adopted Lucian, a sweet boy who brought temporary solace. Yet, not even he could bridge the growing coldness from Damon.
And now, with Althea’s return, the past threatened to usurp my place.
As panic clawed at me, I forced myself towards them, each step heavier than the last.
“Althea, it would be best if you left,” I said, striving to mask my turmoil with dignity. “Please, stay away from my husband.”
Althea’s eyes widened, feigning innocence, as she turned to Damon. “Darling, should we tell her?”
A chill ran down my spine. “Tell me what?”
Damon’s gaze was devoid of the warmth once reserved for me. “From today, Althea will reside here with us.”
The floor seemed to vanish beneath me as his declaration echoed in the hollow of my chest. “Stay here? As what? Have you lost your senses?!”
Tears quickly gathered in Althea’s eyes. “I know you despise me, Seraphina. This is all my fault. But please, don’t take it out on Damon.”
Frustration surged within me. “I’m speaking to my husband!”
Damon interjected sharply, “Show her some kindness.”
“I’m not here to threaten your role,” Althea murmured, blinking back tears. “You remain the Luna. I only wish to stay close to Damon…and my child.”
My knees weakened, the revelation hitting me like a physical blow. “Child? What child?”
The shared look between them tore at my composure. Finally, Damon admitted, “It’s time you knew… Lucian is mine and Althea’s son.”
Air escaped my lungs in a rush. “But you said…we adopted him from an orphanage! He was parentless!”
“Had I not framed it so, would you have accepted him as your own?” Damon challenged, his brow furrowed in frustration.
Their deceit stung, the realization that I had devoted myself to raising the child of the woman who had claimed my husband’s heart.
Was I merely a stand-in? A caretaker in their narrative?
“No, Damon…I can’t accept this,” I asserted, my voice trembling. “Please, she must leave…I implore you, as your wife and Luna!”
“She stays. That’s final,” Damon declared firmly.
“If she remains…then you push me away,” I countered, my voice quivering with emotion.
My heart lodged in my throat, uncertainty gripping me as I awaited his choice.
Damon looked tormented, but before he could respond, Althea burst into tears.
“Don’t make him choose! This is all my doing…I shouldn’t be here,” she cried out before fleeing the scene.
Damon’s eyes hardened as he followed her, leaving me adrift in a sea of whispered judgments.
I stood there, bereft and humiliated, as the crowd’s cold stares bore into me. Damon had made his choice, and it wasn’t me.
“Luna Seraphina, are you alright?” Isla’s voice broke through my reverie.
“I need to rest,” I murmured, retreating from the prying eyes.
But sleep eluded me. How could I rest, knowing Damon was with her?
After hours of solitude, I gathered my resolve and sought out Damon, only to be barred by the guards.
“He’s indisposed,” they informed me coldly.
“What could possibly be more important than his wife?” I challenged, disbelief and anger mingling.
“Orders from the Alpha,” was the chilly reply.
As I turned to leave, agony lanced through me—an excruciating reminder of betrayal, manifesting as searing pain and tormenting visions of their intimacy just beyond the door.
Their voices haunted me, their pleasure a stark contrast to my despair.
I staggered away, the taste of bile in my mouth as reality crashed down around me.
