Too Late To Want His Moonlight Back

2

The cozy restaurant suddenly felt way too small. Whispers spread through the room, and Melena almost wanted to laugh at how predictable it was. People at nearby tables kept glancing over, and from the looks on their faces, she could already tell whose side they were on.

"Poor girl."

"What a homewrecker."

"I can't believe she'd do that."

Seriously?

The woman carrying her boyfriend's baby was somehow the victim, and she was the bad guy. That was honestly impressive.

Delilah's sweet jasmine-and-honey scent filled the air, making her seem even more fragile and pitiful. She knelt there crying like the heroine of a tragic romance while people practically lined up to sympathize with her. Meanwhile, Melena's chest felt tight. Five years. Five whole years of loving Mark, trusting him, and planning a future with him, only for everything to end like this.

Then Mark suddenly dropped to one knee and grabbed her hand.

Melena stared at him in disbelief. Was he seriously doing this right now?

His scent wrapped around her as he tried to calm her down, probably hoping her wolf would soften. Unfortunately for him, that wasn't happening.

"Lena, please," he said desperately. "This is all a misunderstanding. Delilah seduced me one night when I was drunk and caught up in my rut. You were gone for three years. An Alpha has needs. It was a mistake. I always used protection, I swear. The pregnancy must have been an accident. But you're back now. We belong together. She means nothing to me."

Melena blinked twice.

Wow.

That might have been the dumbest apology she had ever heard.

So let’s get this straight. He cheated, got another woman pregnant, and somehow thought explaining the details would make things better?

Delilah let out another loud sob, and Melena resisted the urge to groan. At this point, the woman deserved an award. An older Beta woman even leaned over to pat Delilah's shoulder while shooting Melena, a look sharp enough to strip paint off a wall.

Melena slowly pulled her hand away. "Let go, Mark. We're done."

For a moment, she thought he would finally understand. Instead, he grabbed her hand again.

"Come on, Lena," he said. "You have nowhere else to go in Hamilton. Your father doesn't care about you. He still blames you for your mother's death. I'm the one who's supported your research all these years. And don't forget, you turned down Zane Rider's offer from Shiver Corp. Who's going to fund your research now? Without me, you've got nothing."

And there it was.

The real reason he thought she'd stay.

Not because he loved her. Because he thought she needed him.

A bitter laugh escaped her. Strangely enough, hearing those words made everything clearer. The heartbreak was still there, and so was the anger, but she wasn't confused anymore.

She straightened in her seat and met his gaze.

"You think I'm trapped? Really?" she asked.

Mark's expression faltered.

"Please. Companies have been trying to recruit me since Levy Country. Vespera Pharmaceuticals alone offered me a blank check and full access to their labs last month. Their CEO doesn't waste time playing pathetic little games."

The color drained from his face, and Melena felt a small spark of satisfaction. Maybe reality was finally starting to sink in.

He stood so quickly his chair nearly tipped over. "Lena, I love you," he said. "You're my everything. Just give me one more chance. I'll spend the rest of my life making this up to you. We can fix this. Don't throw everything away because of one stupid mistake."

One stupid mistake.

Right. Because cheating, getting another woman pregnant, and lying about it for years was apparently a tiny accident now.

The soft jazz music drifting through the restaurant somehow made the entire scene even more ridiculous. It felt like the universe had decided to add a soundtrack to her humiliation. She could feel everyone watching, waiting to see what she would do next. Her hands trembled once beneath the table, but she quickly steadied herself. Getting angry wouldn't help, and honestly, Mark wasn't worth the effort anymore.

Her gaze shifted to Delilah. The redhead was still crying, tears streaming down her cheeks as she held her stomach protectively, looking less like a devastated woman and more like she was posing for the cover of a pregnancy magazine.

A small smile tugged at Melena's lips. Honestly, she was this close to laughing. What exactly was she supposed to do here? Fight over a man who couldn't keep his pants on? Yeah, no thanks.

"Stop crying," she said, her voice calm enough to surprise even herself. "He's yours now. I'm leaving."

The restaurant went quiet. Delilah stared at her with wide eyes, clearly not expecting that response. To be fair, neither was Melena.

She reached for the diamond ring on the table. Just a few moments ago, that ring had meant something…a future, a promise, a life she thought was certain. Now it was just an expensive piece of jewelry. Funny how fast things could change.

Without hesitating, she took Delilah's hand and dropped the ring into her palm. Delilah looked down at it surprised.