Rejected Luna: Tears of the Heart

The dining room of the Silver Moon Pack’s main estate felt goddamn suffocating tonight. Misha stared blankly at the gourmet meal she’d spent all afternoon slaving over. On the long mahogany table sat venison steak with truffle sauce, now stone-cold. The fat in the sauce had started to congeal, looking f*****g unappetizing to anyone with eyes. Two crystal glasses meant for the best red wine sat empty and dusty, abandoned for way too long. The aromatherapy candles Misha lit three hours ago were nothing but frozen puddles of wax on the ivory silk tablecloth. Today was their third wedding anniversary. Misha took a deep breath, trying to calm the wolf inside her that was starting to lose its mind. Her inner beast was howling in grief, clawing at her consciousness because it craved the presence of its mate. As a Luna, the mate of the Pack leader, Misha should’ve been showered with love and respect on a day like this. Instead, she was sitting alone in a room way too big for one person. She’d told the servants to go to bed two hours ago because she wanted this dinner to be a private moment between her and Jason. Her husband had promised he’d be home before seven. Now, the antique clock in the corner was pointing to eleven. Misha got up, her legs feeling stiff as hell. The maroon dress she was wearing felt tighter and tighter against her chest. She walked over to the massive window overlooking the front yard, hoping to see the flash of Alpha Jason’s headlights at the gate. The yard was f*****g empty. Just the occasional patrol guard passing by with a tired face. Worry started creeping into Misha’s heart. Did something happen to the Pack? Was there a Rogue attack or an intruder at the border? Misha immediately brushed the thought off. If there was an attack, the sirens would’ve gone off and the Pack mind-link would be blowing up with soldiers coordinating. But the link was dead silent. Jason had intentionally blocked his private mind-link from Misha since this morning, claiming he had an important meeting with the Council of Elders that required total focus. Misha turned around and grabbed the TV remote sitting on the sofa. She needed some other sound besides that agonizing ticking clock. The big screen flickered to life, showing a local news channel for the werewolf community. A beautiful news anchor appeared in front of a fancy gala hall downtown. The words "LIVE BROADCAST" flashed in the top right corner. "Tonight is a truly moving night at the Silver Moon Annual Charity event. We can see Alpha Jason looking sharp as he accompanies Lady Yula, who is currently giving a tribute speech for her late husband." Misha’s heart stopped for a full second. Her eyes were glued to the tall, built man in the black suit standing on the podium. That was Jason. Her husband, who was supposed to be eating dinner with her right now, was standing there. Jason’s hand was wrapped possessively around another woman’s waist. That woman was Yula. Jason’s sister-in-law and the widow of the former Alpha who died three years ago in a hunting accident. Yula looked elegant in a black dress that hugged her slim body, her face looking perfectly sad yet still beautiful. Misha gripped the remote so hard the plastic f*****g cracked. Yula’s voice sounded soft and shaky through the speakers. "I wouldn’t have made it through this grief without the support of my brother-in-law. Alpha Jason has been my pillar of strength, and he even sacrificed his personal time tonight just to make sure I wasn’t crying alone on this stage." The camera panned to Jason’s face. He was looking at Yula with a look so damn tender—the same look he used to give Misha when they first got married, but which had slowly disappeared. Loud applause broke out from the crowd. Misha felt sick to her stomach. She’d been played for a f*****g fool. Jason said he had a meeting with the Elders about a border dispute. Turns out, he went to a charity party to play escort for his brother's widow while leaving his own wife waiting at home like an i***t. The tears she’d been holding back finally hit her cheeks. Misha’s wolf howled in rage. The pain of this betrayal felt physical. Their mate bond throbbed with a dull ache, as if telling her that her mate was busy giving his emotional attention to someone else. Suddenly, the familiar roar of an engine came from the front of the house. Misha quickly killed the TV and wiped her tears away roughly. She didn't want to look weak. She was the Luna of this Pack, and she had every f*****g right to demand an explanation. The front door slammed open. Heavy footsteps approached the dining room. Jason appeared in the doorway. He looked a bit disheveled. His tie was loose and his jacket was draped over his arm. The overwhelming scent of jasmine perfume—strong as hell—wafted off him. That was Yula’s favorite perfume. Jason paused when he saw Misha still standing there in her full gown, the table covered in cold food. Jason’s face didn't show a hint of guilt. That handsome face with the sharp jawline just looked stiff and cold. His gray eyes stared at Misha with an unreadable expression. "You’re not asleep yet?" Jason asked flatly. Misha swallowed the bitterness in her throat. She tried to keep her voice steady. "I was waiting for you. Today is our third anniversary, Jason. You promised you’d be home at seven." Jason let out a long sigh, as if Misha’s words were just another goddamn burden on his plate. He walked right past her and poured some water from a pitcher into a glass. "I forgot," Jason said shortly. That was it. Two words that shattered Misha’s heart into pieces. "You forgot?" Misha repeated, her voice trembling. "I’ve been getting this ready since noon. I even cooked your favorite meal. And you f*****g forgot?" Jason slammed his glass onto the table, splashing water all over the expensive cloth. "Stop being so goddamn dramatic, Misha! I’m tired. I had Pack business to handle today." "Pack business?" Misha laughed hollowly. The pain in her chest turned into reckless bravery. "Since when is escorting Yula to a charity party 'urgent Pack business'? I saw you on the news, Jason. You were standing there with your hands on her waist while I was waiting here like a f*****g i***t!" Jason’s face hardened. His Alpha aura flared up, making the air in the room feel heavy as lead. He didn't like being talked back to, especially not when he was being called out. Jason stepped forward until their faces were inches apart. Misha could smell the faint scent of alcohol and, again, that jasmine scent that made her want to vomit. "Watch your mouth," Jason growled in a dangerously low voice. "Yula is going through a hard time. Today is the anniversary of the day she and my late brother first met. She’s fragile and needed family support. Do you not have a shred of f*****g empathy?" Misha stepped back, intimidated by her husband’s dominant aura, but she wasn't backing down. "Then what about me? I’m your wife, Jason! This is our wedding anniversary! Why is Yula’s feelings always your priority over mine? For the past year, you’ve put her first in everything!" "Because she’s alone!" Jason barked. His voice echoed through the silent house. "She lost her mate. She lost everything. And you? You live comfortably here as Luna. You have everything, yet you still demand attention like you’re the most miserable woman on earth." Misha felt the tears starting again. "I have everything? I lost my husband, Jason. You’re here physically, but your heart is always somewhere else. You think I don't know you go to Yula’s pavilion every weekend under the excuse of 'checking security'?" "It’s my job as Alpha to protect my widowed family members!" Jason snapped back. "Or maybe you just enjoy playing the part of your brother’s replacement?" SLAP! The sound of the hard slap cut through the night. Misha held her cheek, which felt hot and stinging. She stared at Jason in utter disbelief. In three years of marriage, no matter how pissed Jason got, he had never once laid a hand on her. Jason looked at his own hand, looking shocked for a split second, but that guilt was quickly buried by the anger Yula had already planted in him. In the car earlier, Yula had cried and said Misha would be furious if she knew Jason was with her. Yula said Misha hated her and wanted to control Jason completely. Those words were now proven true in Jason’s eyes. "You’ve gone too far," Jason hissed. Misha backed away slowly. Her body was shaking—not from fear, but from the sheer agony of the betrayal. Her inner wolf curled up in fear from the attack by its own mate. "You hit me..." Misha whispered. "Just because I told the truth?" Jason looked away. He didn't want to see Misha’s tears, which usually made him crumble. This time, he felt Misha was the one in the wrong. Misha was being selfish. Misha was being unreasonable. "Clean up this s**t," Jason ordered, pointing at the food on the table. "I’m sick of looking at it. I already ate at the event." Misha looked at the venison steak she’d made with so much love. Now, it really did look like f*****g trash. "You’ve changed, Jason. You’re not the man I married three years ago." Jason looked at Misha with total disdain. A look that made Misha feel small and worthless. "And you’re not the woman I imagined, either. I thought you were soft and understanding. Turns out you’re just a petty, jealous bitch." Jason started walking toward the stairs to go to their room. Or maybe he’d sleep in the study like he’d been doing lately. Before he hit the first step, Jason stopped and looked back slightly, without meeting Misha’s eyes. "Learn something from Yula," Jason said coldly. That sentence froze Misha where she stood. "Yula never demands anything from me even though she’s suffering. She always thinks about the Pack and everyone else before herself. That is the true nature of a Luna." Misha clenched her fists until her nails dug into her palms. "You’re comparing me to her?" "I’m just stating facts," Jason cut her off sharply. "If you had half the heart Yula has, maybe this house wouldn't feel like such a f*****g hell to me." Jason headed up the stairs, leaving Misha alone in the cold dining room. Misha collapsed onto the floor. Her legs couldn't hold the weight of her body and her heart anymore. She cried silently. The sound of Jason’s retreating footsteps felt like a hammer driving the final nail into the coffin of their marriage. But there was one thing Misha didn't know yet. Upstairs, Jason didn't go straight to his room. He stood in the dark corridor and pulled out his phone. A message from Yula popped up. I’m so sorry if my presence caused a fight between you two, Jason. I feel so guilty. Please don’t be mad at Misha. It’s all my fault for being so weak. Jason read the text, his heart more convinced than ever that he was defending the right person. He typed a quick reply. It’s not your fault. She just needs to grow the f**k up. Just as Jason was about to shove his phone in his pocket, he heard soft footsteps at the end of the other corridor. That was the way to the guest rooms, usually kept for visiting relatives. Jason sharpened his hearing. His Alpha instincts went on alert. A guest room door was slightly ajar. "Are you done?" a woman’s voice whispered from inside. It was Yula’s voice. Jason frowned. Wasn't Yula driven home by a chauffeur to her pavilion on the other side of the Pack complex? Why the hell was she inside the main house? "Jason?" Yula called again, her tone completely different. There was no sadness there. Just a subtle, seductive purr. "I know you’re there. Misha’s still downstairs, isn't she?"