THE BILLIONAIRE ALPHA DIVORCED LUNA

Chloe's POV The silk sheets felt cold against my skin, just like everything else in this massive penthouse. Three years. That's how long I've been waking up alone in this king-sized bed while my husband, my mate, sleeps in his office again. The morning sun streamed through floor-to-ceiling windows, painting golden stripes across the empty space where Zack should be. I pulled myself up, my wolf whimpering inside me. She missed him. We both did. But missing someone who's never really there gets exhausting after a while. "Good morning, Luna," Maria, our housekeeper, knocked softly before entering with my breakfast tray. The older woman's eyes held that same sympathy they always did. Everyone in the pack knew. Everyone saw how the great Alpha Zack Thornton treated his mate like a pretty decoration instead of a wife. "Morning, Maria. Is Zack already at the office?" "He left at five this morning, Luna. Another emergency meeting with the board." There was always an emergency. Always something more important than me. I ate my breakfast in silence, scrolling through my phone. The pack wives' group chat was buzzing about tonight's gathering. Another event where I'd stand beside Zack, smile pretty, and pretend our marriage wasn't just for show. My wolf stirred restlessly. Even she was getting tired of pretending. After showering, I chose a simple blue dress. Not too flashy, not too plain. Zack preferred me to look "appropriately elegant" as he called it. Everything in my life had become about what Zack preferred, what the pack expected, what a good Luna should do. The drive to Thornton Industries took twenty minutes. The gleaming glass tower dominated the skyline, a monument to Zack's success. My husband built his empire from nothing, becoming the youngest billionaire Alpha in the country. I should be proud. I was proud. But I also felt invisible next to his greatness. The receptionist barely looked up as I passed. "Good morning, Luna." "Morning, Janet." The executive elevator whisked me to the top floor. Veronica sat at her desk outside Zack's office, her red hair perfectly styled, her green dress hugging every curve. She looked up with that fake smile that never reached her eyes. "Luna Chloe, what a surprise. Alpha Thornton is in a meeting." "He's always in a meeting," I said, walking past her. "You can't just—" I pushed open the heavy oak door. Zack sat behind his massive desk, his steel gray eyes flashing with annoyance as they met mine. Three board members turned to stare at me. "Chloe." His voice was ice. "I'm in the middle of something." "You're always in the middle of something. I need five minutes." "Later." That single word hit me like a slap. Always later. Never now. Never when I needed him. "Tonight's pack gathering," I said quietly. "Will you actually show up this time?" His jaw tightened. "Of course. I'm the Alpha." Not 'of course, I want to be there with you.' Just duty. Always duty. I turned to leave, catching Veronica's smirk as I passed. She wanted my position. The whole pack knew it. Sometimes I wondered why I still fought for a marriage that felt more like a prison sentence. Back home, I found a surprise. My stepbrother Ryan stood in our living room, his green eyes bright with excitement. "Chloe! Surprise!" I hadn't seen him in two years. He'd been in London, getting his MBA. Now he stood in my home, grinning like we were close. We weren't. We'd never been. Something about him always made my wolf uneasy. "Ryan. What are you doing here?" "Didn't Zack tell you? He offered me a position at Thornton Industries. Starting Monday as Senior Vice President of Operations." My stomach dropped. Zack hired my stepbrother without even telling me? "That's... great," I managed. Ryan stepped closer, and I instinctively stepped back. "You look beautiful, Chloe. Marriage suits you." Something in his tone made my skin crawl. But before I could respond, my phone buzzed. Zack. "Be ready at seven. Wear the black dress." Not 'I love you.' Not 'Looking forward to tonight.' Just orders. I spent the afternoon preparing for the gathering. Hair styled, makeup perfect, the black designer dress that Zack bought me last year fitting like a glove. I looked like the perfect Luna. Too bad I felt like a fraud. Zack arrived at exactly seven, looking devastating in his charcoal suit. My wolf yearned to run to him, but I held back. He barely glanced at me. "You look appropriate," he said. Appropriate. Not beautiful. Not stunning. Appropriate. The drive to the pack house was silent. Zack scrolled through his phone while I stared out the window. Three years of silence. Three years of being alone while sitting right next to my mate. The pack house buzzed with activity. Over two hundred pack members mingled in the grand ballroom. As soon as we entered, Zack was pulled away by other Alphas. I was left standing alone, as usual. "Luna Chloe, you look lovely." Beta James appeared beside me, his hazel eyes kind. "Thank you, James." "Zack's been stressed lately with the Morrison acquisition." There was always an excuse. Always a reason why Zack couldn't spare five minutes for his wife. "I'm sure he has," I said flatly. James frowned but said nothing more. Even he couldn't defend the indefensible. The evening dragged on. I played my part perfectly. Smiled at the right times, said the right things, stood beside Zack when photos were taken. The perfect Luna. The perfect lie. Around nine, I escaped to Zack's study for a moment of peace. The room smelled like him, pine and power. It was the closest I'd felt to him in months. The door opened behind me. I turned, expecting Zack, but found Ryan instead. "We need to talk," he said, closing the door behind him. "About what?" He moved closer, and my wolf snarled a warning. "About us." "There is no us, Ryan." "There could be." His hand touched my arm, and I jerked away. "You're crazy. I'm married to your Alpha." "A marriage that's clearly not working." He stepped closer, backing me against the desk. "I've watched you, Chloe. You're miserable. You deserve someone who actually wants you." "Get away from me." "I've wanted you since we were teenagers." His hands grabbed my wrists, pinning them. "Your mom married my dad, but that doesn't change how I feel." "Let go!" I struggled against his grip, but he was stronger. "Just one kiss. That's all I want." His mouth crashed down toward mine. I turned my head, his lips hitting my cheek instead. Using every bit of strength, I brought my knee up hard between his legs. He doubled over with a gasp, releasing me. "You little—" I ran for the door, yanking it open. But the hallway was empty. Everyone was still in the ballroom. My hands shook as I straightened my dress. I had to tell Zack. He was my mate. He'd protect me. But as I turned back toward the ballroom, I heard Ryan's voice, loud and distressed. "Zack! Thank God!" I froze, watching from the shadows as Ryan stumbled into the ballroom. His shirt was ripped, claw marks down his chest. What had he done to himself? "She attacked me," Ryan gasped, falling to his knees in front of my husband. "Chloe... she tried to... she wouldn't stop..." The room went deadly silent. Every eye turned to stare as I stepped into view. Zack's eyes met mine, and what I saw there shattered my heart. He believed Ryan. My mate, my husband, the man who was supposed to trust me above all others, looked at me with disgust and rage. "How dare you," Zack's voice boomed through the room. "How dare you touch what's mine." But I wasn't his. I'd never been his. I was just a possession he ignored until someone else tried to claim it. "Zack, please, let me explain—" "There's nothing to explain!" His Alpha power pressed down on the room, making weaker wolves submit. "You're no longer my Luna. This marriage is over." The words hit me like physical blows. Three years of trying, three years of loneliness, destroyed by one lie. And Zack didn't even want to hear my side. I looked at the man I'd loved for three years, the man who just threw me away like garbage, and felt something inside me break. But also, something else was born. Strength. Resolve. Without a word, I reached into my purse and pulled out an envelope I'd been carrying for weeks, too scared to use it. The divorce papers I'd had drawn up during my darkest moments of loneliness. I walked straight up to Zack, ignoring the gasps from the pack, and placed the papers in his hand. "You want to end this marriage?" My voice was steady, cold. "Sign them." His eyes widened in shock. He'd expected me to beg, to plead, to cry. But I was done being his doormat. "You were supposed to trust me above all others," I said quietly, but everyone heard. "A real mate would have asked for my side of the story." Then I turned and walked out of the pack house, leaving behind my marriage, my position, and the man who never deserved me. But as I reached my car, my phone buzzed with a text from an unknown number: "You think you've escaped, but I'm not done with you yet. - R" My hands trembled as I started the engine. This wasn't over. Ryan would come for me again. And next time, I'd have no Alpha to protect me.