Chapter 19
1216 Words
Liam’s pov
“Here you go,” Lucian said, handing me a cup of orange juice.
I shot him a sharp glare.
“We’ve been drinking all day. Let’s sober up a little,” he added calmly.
I rolled my eyes but took the cup anyway, downing the juice in one go. The sweetness did nothing to settle the storm inside me. I was about to speak when my gaze locked onto her — Aurora, standing across the room on the arm of her so-called fiancé. He was introducing her to people like she belonged there, like she hadn’t once been mine.
My chest tightened.
“What are you staring at?” Lucian asked, following my line of sight. “Ah. She’s here too.” His tone stayed annoyingly calm. “Interesting.”
“What the f**k is wrong with her?” I hissed, voice low and rough with irritation. “She didn’t have to show up here. Our pack is everywhere. People will know she’s the ex-Luna. They’ll talk.”
“Liam, it’s been over a month,” Lucian replied. “She’s already known as the ex-Luna. I don’t think anybody gives a s**t anymore.”
But they did.
“Isn’t that Aurora, the ex-Luna?” a voice drifted from behind us.
“Yeah, that’s her. And the man with her is her fiancé,” another answered.
“Wow, I wasn’t expecting her to move on so quickly. It’s like she knew the divorce was coming. Probably had her side piece ready the whole time. Guess she wasn’t faithful to the Alpha after all.”
Both of them burst into loud laughter.
My fists clenched so hard my nails bit into my palms. Heat rushed through my veins, a volatile mix of rage and something sharper — something that felt dangerously close to hurt. I forced my jaw shut, breathing through my nose.
“I don’t know what you’re thinking,” Lucian warned quietly beside me, “but don’t.”
My eyes stayed glued to Aurora. She was smiling. Laughing softly. Looking radiant and happy in a way that twisted the knife deeper. That smile used to be mine.
“I’ll go use the restroom,” I muttered, the words tasting bitter.
I pushed through the crowd, shoulders rigid, anger surging hotter with every step. The moment I stepped into the empty restroom, the growl ripped out of my throat — low, feral, and raw. I gripped the edge of the sink, knuckles white, staring at my reflection like it might crack.
What the hell was she thinking? Coming here, parading him around like this was some victory lap to humiliate me? Who the f**k did she think she was? And Damon… that bastard didn’t see anyone else but my f*****g ex. My Luna.
The door swung open.
I stiffened.
“I had no idea you were at this party,” Damon said, stepping inside with an easy smile playing on his lips.
A fresh wave of annoyance crashed over me, hot and blinding.
“Why are—” I started, voice thick with barely contained fury.
“What do you mean?” Damon asked, confusion flickering across his face.
“You know exactly what I’m talking about,” I growled, stepping closer. “You knew she was my ex-wife. Why the hell did you go after her?”
Damon shrugged, that stupid, unbothered smile still plastered on his lips. “She was single. I was single. I don’t see the problem with wanting to be with her.” His smile widened. “You know, I should actually thank you. If you hadn’t dumped her, I never would’ve gotten such an amazing fiancée.”
The words hit like a slap. Something inside me snapped.
I grabbed him by the collar and slammed him against the wall before I could stop myself. “What the f**k are you doing?!” he snapped, annoyance flashing in his eyes as he tried to shove me off.
“I see,” I snarled, my grip tightening until my knuckles turned white. “All this time, you’ve had your eyes on my wife.”
“Ex-wife,” he corrected sharply.
That single word made my blood boil. I fisted his shirt even harder, fabric bunching in my trembling fingers.
“You’re so quick to correct me,” I hissed, voice low and venomous. “Were you f*****g her while we were still married? Was that it?”
“I don’t have to answer to you,” Damon spat, shoving me off with more force. “Now let me the f**k go.”
“When did the affair start?!” I yelled, the words tearing out of my throat raw and desperate.
“Why do you even care?” he shot back, straightening his collar with a glare. “It’s not like you were ever faithful in that relationship. Now that she’s gone, you suddenly want to know if she was unfaithful too? It doesn’t matter anymore, Liam. You’re not together.”
He paused at the door, that smug smile returning. “Now if you’ll excuse me, my very beautiful fiancée is waiting for me. She gets worried when I’m not beside her.” He flashed me a wink. “You wouldn’t relate.”
My vision blurred with rage. I wanted to lunge at him, to wipe that smirk off his face, but I stayed rooted, chest heaving, fists clenched so tight they shook.
I needed to get the hell out of here.
The second I stepped out of the restroom, I found Lucian.
“We need to leave,” I said, voice tight with barely contained fury.
“Why?” he asked.
“Because I can’t stand being here another second. Let’s go get a drink or something. I don’t want to be here.”
“Because of Aurora, right?” A half-smirk tugged at his lips.
I didn’t find it funny. Not even a little. I opened my mouth to snap at him when my eyes landed on her again — Aurora, standing too close to another man. He was leaning in, saying something that made her laugh softly, his hand resting comfortably on her lower back.
Lucian followed my gaze. “That’s the other guy I saw with her earlier.”
“Isn’t that great?” I muttered bitterly, the words tasting like acid. “She found two men, not just one. What a f*****g bitch.”
“Language,” Lucian muttered, but I didn’t give a f**k.
“We should go,” I said, already turning away.
“Okay. I don’t want to be here either.”
As we pushed through the crowd toward the exit, our eyes locked with Aurora’s for a long, heavy moment. She stared back, something unreadable flickering across her face, before quickly looking away.
My chest felt like it was caving in.
The moment we stepped outside into the cool night air, that familiar sharp ache bloomed behind my ribs — deep, hollow, and suffocating. The same old hurt I’d been trying to bury. But what surprised me was Lucian. He suddenly clutched his chest at the exact same time, face twisting in discomfort.
“You feel it too?” we both said at the same time, voices overlapping in stunned confusion.
- Writer
