Chapter 2: walking Away

LUNA'S POV**

I had exactly one hour to pack my things before Raven returned to the pack house. One hour to gather seven years of memories into suitcases and bags.

My hands shook as I stuffed clothes into my bag. I had to be smart about this. I couldn't let emotion guide me. He wanted me gone? I would disappear completely. No crying, no begging, no second thoughts.

The problem was, everything in this house reminded me of him. The bedroom where he held me on our wedding night. The kitchen where he taught me how to make his favorite meal. The garden where he proposed to me four years ago, on one knee, with tears in his eyes.

*"Olivia, you are my choice. Always. Even if fate brings me a fated mate, my heart will remain yours."*

Lies. All of it was lies.

I found an old photo album in the closet—pictures of us from when we first met. Young, happy, in love. I threw it into the trash without looking at it. Looking at those memories would only break me, and I couldn't afford to break. Not now.

My phone buzzed. A text from my younger sister, Maya.

**"Hey, you okay? You haven't answered my calls in days."**

I typed back: **"I'm coming to stay with you for a while. Raven and I... we're done."**

Three dots appeared immediately. Then her response: **"WHAT?! I'm calling you right now!"**

I ignored the call. I couldn't explain it to her yet. Couldn't say the words out loud. If I did, I would fall apart, and I needed to be strong.

My omega pack members tried to help me as I carried my bags to my car. They whispered among themselves, clearly confused. The Luna was leaving? And taking only one car's worth of belongings? This was not normal. This was not good.

"Don't say anything to anyone," I told them firmly. "This is between me and the Alpha. Understand?"

They nodded, though I could see the questions in their eyes.

As I drove away from the pack house, I kept my eyes forward. I didn't look in the mirror. I didn't look back. Looking back would mean remembering, and remembering would mean pain.

My phone rang again. Then again. And again. All calls from the pack house. I silenced my phone and threw it on the passenger seat.

Maya lived about four hours away, in a smaller wolf pack. It was far enough that Raven couldn't easily come after me, but close enough that I could figure out my next move. I had money saved—money that was technically mine. I had my own bank account, separate from his. I was smarter than I had given myself credit for.

As I drove, my mind began to work. Raven had cheated. Raven had chosen another woman. Raven had hit me and told me I was a mistake. But I was the daughter of the previous pack leader. I had connections. I had strength.

And now, I had nothing to lose.

By the time I reached Maya's small apartment, the sun was setting. She opened the door before I even knocked, her face full of worry.

"Oh my god, Luna!" She pulled me into a tight hug. "What happened? Why are you here? Why didn't you call me back?"

I let myself cry for exactly five minutes. That was all I would allow myself. Then I wiped my eyes, straightened my shoulders, and told her everything.

When I finished, Maya's face was dark with anger. "That bastard. I always knew something was off about him. I told you, remember? When he brought that omega home, I said something felt wrong."

She was right. She had told me, and I hadn't listened. I had been too busy believing in love and second chances and the promises of a man who turned out to be a coward.

"I need to sleep," I said. "Tomorrow, I'll figure out what comes next."

But as I lay in Maya's guest bed that night, staring at the ceiling, I couldn't sleep. My mind kept spinning with possibilities. Raven thought he could just discard me like I was nothing. He thought he could hit me and throw me out and move on with his new mate.

He was wrong.

**The next morning, I would receive a call that would change everything. A call from the Alpha Council, asking me to come to the Capital. Apparently, my father's old friend had a proposition for me. And it involved everything Raven had ever wanted.**