Chapter 2: The Choice
842 Words
Seraphina didn't know how long she walked.
The hallway seemed endless, each step echoing through the silence as she walked away from the life she thought she had.
The voices behind her had long faded, yet Valeria's words continued to repeat inside her head.
"I can't exactly tell people you got your tubes tied for me, can I?"
Every repetition felt like another knife twisting deeper into her chest.
By the time she reached her room, her legs felt weak.
She pushed the door open and stepped inside. Everywhere was quiet and the room looked exactly as it always had.
The neatly made bed, the framed photographs, and the fresh flowers she had placed by the window that morning all stood exactly as she had left them, heartbreaking reminders of the life she had built around hope, love, and promises.
Yet everything had changed.
Slowly, Seraphina sat on the edge of the bed, staring quietly at the wall ahead.
After a moment, her eyes settled on the framed photograph sitting on the bedside table.
It was from their wedding day.
Lucien stood beside her, one arm wrapped around her waist, holding her close as though he never intended to let her go.
Back then, she had believed she was the luckiest woman alive. The Alpha she had loved for years had become her mate, her husband and her future. The family she had dreamed of having with him.
A tear rolled slowly down her cheek.
When Valeria left years ago, Lucien had been a broken man. The pain of losing her had been written all over his face, impossible to hide no matter how hard he tried. Everyone in the pack had seen it. Everyone knew that a part of him had left with Valeria the day she walked away.
The entire pack had watched their Alpha become calm, as if he had lost a part of himself the day Valeria walked away.
His business had suffered. Important deals had fallen through, and the pressure of keeping everything together weighed heavily on him.
His temper had gotten worse. Even the smallest problem could make him angry, and everyone around him was careful not to upset him.
Even his wolf had become unstable, restless, and unpredictable as it struggled to cope with the pain of losing its mate.
Through it all, Seraphina remained by his side.
She listened patiently whenever he needed someone to talk to and offered comfort during his tough times.
She supported him when others gave up, standing beside him even when there seemed to be no hope left.
Most importantly, she loved him when he could barely love himself, giving him the care, loyalty, and understanding he was unable to give in return.
Eventually, fate had revealed them as mates.
At the time, seraphina believed it was the Moon Goddess rewarding her patience. Now she wasn't so sure.
Has Lucien ever truly loved her? Or had she simply filled the empty space Valeria left behind?
The thought nearly disorganized her, her hand moved to her stomach.
A child. Their child, The miracle she had dreamed about for three years.
A fresh wave of emotion swept through her. She should have been happy. She should have been celebrating. She should have been thinking about how to tell her husband the good news.
Instead, she was sitting alone, trying not to fall apart. The room felt quiet and empty. For a long moment, she simply sat there, lost in thought.
Then something changed.
Slowly, her tears stopped falling. The pain was still there. The betrayal was still there. But beneath both emotions, something stronger began to grow.
She got determined. She was not alone anymore. She had someone to protect. Someone who depended completely on her. Someone who needed her love and care.
And she refused to let her child grow up feeling unwanted. Her child deserved love, her child deserved honesty. Her child deserved better than what Lucien had given her.
Taking a deep breath, Seraphina stood up. Her decision had been made.
She crossed the room and pulled a suitcase from the closet, then another.
She placed them on the bed, opened the first one, and began packing.
She picked a few clothes, Important documents, Some cash and nothing more.
The less she carried, the easier it would be to depart with.
An hour later, both suitcases were sitting beside the door. Her room no longer gives her comfort.
A sudden knock interrupted her thoughts, three sharp knocks.
Seraphina got scared. Nobody ever visited her room this late, another knock followed.
Then a familiar voice came from the other side of the door, breaking the silence.
"Seraphina?"
Her body froze.
For a moment, her heart seemed to stop beating.
Lucien.
He was home. Hearing his voice, which had once brought her comfort, now filled her with pain.
She stood still beside the bed, her hands tightening around the clothes she had been packing.
And judging by the sound of his voice, he was standing right outside the bedroom door.
- Writer
