Forgotten Luna: I'm Done Playing the Substitute

Isabella The clock on the mantel ticked with a rhythmic, mocking precision. I snuck a quick glance at it, and almost wished I didn't. 1:00 a.m, and he still wasn't back. I sat on the edge of the sofa, my fingers tracing the silver handle of the cane resting against my knee. The birthday candles on the small cake I’d baked had long since slumped into waxy puddles, their flames extinguished by the draft under the door hours ago. My leg, the one that had never quite forgiven me for that night three years ago, throbbed with a dull, insistent ache. Every time the weather turned cold, or I sat too long, the limb reminded me of the rogue wolf's teeth and the sacrifice I'd made three years ago. I'd given up my pack, my title as heir, and everything for William. I was still deep in thoughts, when the front door clicked open..William walked in, looking every bit the powerful Alpha. His tailored suit clung to his biceps, and even though he looked utterly exhausted, it did nothing to reduce his appeal. He paused when he saw me, a flash of genuine guilt crossing his handsome features. "Bella," he breathed, rushing over. He smelled of cold air and expensive cologne. "I am so, so sorry. An emergency meeting with the elders... it spiraled. I couldn't get away, and my phone died halfway through." I parted my lips to speak, to tell him it was okay, but he beat me to it. Instead, he took my hands in his, his palms warm and familiar. “Happy birthday.” He didn't smile as he spoke. I forced a small, soft smile to my lips. I wanted to be angry, but I had abandoned my pack, my title, and my very identity to be here. I couldn't afford to be angry. "I waited up," I whispered. "I missed you, William." "I have something for you." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, velvet-wrapped box, but his expression was so cold that it made me shiver. "I know it’s late, but I wanted you to have this tonight." My heart gave a hopeful flutter as I took the box, my fingers trembling slightly. Maybe this was the year he'd noticed the things I actually liked, but as the lid snapped open, my breath hitched, and not in excitement. Resting on the satin was a diamond pendant. It was beautiful, expensive, and exactly like the one he'd given me for our anniversary, and the one from Christmas. This was the third identical necklace in the last year. “It’s...” It’s stunning, William," I lied, the words tasting like ash. I closed the box quickly, shielding my eyes from the repetitive glitter of the stones. Tears blurred at the back of my eyes, but I forced them to remain unshed. "Thank you for thinking of me.” "You deserve the best," he said, leaning down to kiss my forehead. It was a chaste gesture that stung more than a slap. "I’m going to jump in the shower. I'm beat." "I'll get your clothes ready," I said, reaching for my cane to push myself up. I followed him into the master suite, moving with the practiced, uneven gait I'd spent three years perfecting. While the steam began to hiss from the ensuite bathroom, I told myself not to think about it. “He has a lot on his plate,” I muttered under my breath as I set about laying out his silk pajamas and clearing his discarded blazer from the bed. “He's the Alpha. He probably mixed up the designs and ended up with that. It's a harmless mistake. Everyone makes mistakes.” However, no matter how hard I tried to convince myself, it didn't work. The sound of the shower started, pulling me back to the present, but it didn't last long. In a matter of minutes , it was replaced by a heavy, rhythmic thudding against the tiled wall. I paused, a pair of his socks in my hand. I walked closer to the door, my brow furrowing. Was he alright? He’d been working so hard; maybe he was dizzy? "William?" I called out softly, my hand hovering over the handle. “Are you okay?”He didn't answer. Instead, I heard a low, guttural huff and I froze. I moved closer to the door, my heart hammering against my ribs. The door was opened up a crack, and when I peeked, a small gasp slid past my lips. William's hand was wrapped around his c**k, stroking his thick length, in a wet, rhythmic friction that grew faster and more desperate by the second. "Ah... god..." William’s voice was a ragged, tortured rasp. I felt heat crawl up my neck, a mixture of shame and a forbidden spark of hope. Was he thinking of me? I leaned closer, my ear almost touching the door. I could hear his heavy, frantic breathing, the sound of his palm moving frantically around his thick length. He sounded like a man possessed, his groans breaking into sharp, needy whimpers. The thud of his fist against the shower wall timed perfectly with his quickening breath. "Harder..." he hissed to himself, his voice thick with a lust I had never seen directed at me. His movements reached a fever pitch as I heard the sharp intake of breath, the sound of his body tensing against the tiles, and then a long, agonizing moan that seemed to come from the very depths of his soul. “Oh, f**k Elisa.” My blood turned to ice as realization slammed into me. My husband wasn't washing away the stress of a long day, he was pleasuring himself, and his breaths coming in frantic, desperate stabs was proof. Anyone could hear how much she meant to him from his voice, and how much affection he had for her. The thought broke me as I stood frozen, the air in the bedroom suddenly too thin to breathe. William hadn't touched or had s*x with me since the day he brought me home from the hospital. He’d told me he wanted to“protect” me while I healed. I had believed him, and look where that had gotten me. Like that wasn't enough, the final blow came. I was still grappling with my thoughts when the sounds increased. His moans grew louder, and as he reached his peak, a name tore from his throat, a choked, worshipful sound that I wouldn't have predicted "Elisa..." The name didn't just fall from his lips. It sounded like a prayer. “Elisa... mmm, Elisa..." I recoiled as if he had reached through the door and slapped me. The socks slipped from my fingers, pooling on the floor like a discarded skin. My eyes blurred instantly, and this time, I didn't stop the tears from falling. I quickly pressed my hand to my mouth to keep my sobs from reaching William, and no matter how hard I tried, I just couldn't shake off the thought in my head. “William didn't love me. I'm nothing short of a joke to him.”