Chapter 2
1171 Words
AUTHOR’S POV
Morning arrived beneath a blanket of gray clouds.
Camille woke before sunrise.
She always did.
The other side of the bed was empty.
Again.
For a moment she simply stared at the ceiling.
The familiar ache settled in her chest.
Not sharp enough to cripple.
Not dull enough to ignore.
Just there.
Every day.
A permanent wound.
She sat up slowly and glanced toward the clock.
Five-thirty.
Beside Damien's pillow was a folded note.
Three words.
Pack business. - D
Nothing else.
No goodbye.
No explanation.
No affection.
Camille stared at the note for several seconds before crushing it in her hand.
Three years.
Three years together.
And this was what remained.
A note.
A signature.
A ghost of a marriage.
She pushed herself out of bed.
The floor felt cold beneath her feet.
After showering and dressing, she headed downstairs.
The mansion was already alive with activity.
Servants hurried through hallways.
Guards moved between entrances.
The scent of coffee filled the air.
As Camille entered the dining room, conversations immediately quieted.
The servants lowered their heads respectfully.
"Good morning, Luna."
"Morning."
She forced a smile.
The title felt hollow these days.
Luna.
A queen without a king.
She sat down.
A servant immediately approached.
"Would you like breakfast, Luna?"
"Just tea."
The young woman nodded.
Moments later footsteps approached from behind.
Bright laughter followed.
Camille didn't need to look.
She already knew.
Selena.
"Good morning!"
The cheerful voice echoed through the room.
Camille turned.
Selena entered wearing a cream-colored dress.
Her dark hair cascaded over her shoulders.
Behind her walked Ethan.
The little boy carried a toy wolf in his hands.
"Good morning, Selena."
The widow smiled sweetly.
"I hope I didn't disturb you last night."
Camille's fingers tightened around her cup.
"Why would you?"
"Oh." Selena laughed softly. "Damien stayed with Ethan and me until almost midnight."
There it was.
The subtle stab hidden beneath innocent words.
Camille smiled politely.
"How wonderful."
Selena took the seat directly beside her.
Far too close.
"He's been such a blessing."
Camille remained silent.
"Honestly," Selena continued, "I don't know what I'd do without him."
Camille swallowed.
Neither woman missed the meaning behind those words.
Fortunately, Ethan interrupted.
"Mom."
"Yes, sweetheart?"
"I'm hungry."
Selena immediately turned toward him.
The perfect mother.
The perfect widow.
The perfect victim.
Camille suddenly lost her appetite.
A familiar scent entered the room.
Every wolf instantly straightened.
Alpha.
Damien walked in.
His black shirt clung tightly to his muscular frame.
Power radiated from him effortlessly.
The room seemed to shift around his presence.
For one ridiculous moment Camille's heart skipped.
Even now.
Even after everything.
Her stupid heart still reacted to him.
"Damien."
Selena smiled immediately.
His gaze landed on her first.
Not Camille.
Her.
"Morning."
Selena's face brightened.
"Did you sleep well?"
"Enough."
Then Ethan jumped from his chair.
"Uncle Damien!"
The little boy ran directly toward him.
Damien caught him easily.
A rare smile appeared on the Alpha's face.
The sight made Camille's chest ache.
Because she remembered when those smiles belonged to her.
Back when she mattered.
Back before Selena arrived.
Damien ruffled Ethan's hair.
"Ready for your lessons?"
"Yes!"
"Good."
Selena laughed.
"He's been excited all week."
Damien nodded.
"I promised I'd watch."
Camille looked up.
Watch?
Watch what?
Selena answered before she could ask.
"Ethan's combat training."
The little boy puffed out his chest proudly.
"I'm going to be strong like Uncle Damien."
Everyone laughed.
Everyone except Camille.
Because Damien had promised her something today.
A promise he'd apparently forgotten.
Three weeks ago.
Their mating anniversary.
The first day they'd both had free in months.
She had planned everything.
The picnic.
The lake.
The private dinner.
One entire day together.
One day.
That was all she'd asked for.
Slowly she placed her cup down.
"Damien."
His attention shifted toward her.
Finally.
"What?"
The single word hurt more than it should.
"You promised we'd visit the eastern territory today."
His brows furrowed.
For several seconds he simply stared.
Trying to remember.
Then realization appeared.
Followed by annoyance.
Not guilt.
Annoyance.
"I can't."
The answer came immediately.
Camille laughed softly.
Of course.
"You can't."
"Ethan's training is important."
The little boy smiled proudly.
Camille wasn't angry at him.
He was innocent.
That somehow made it worse.
"What about our plans?"
Damien sighed.
"Camille."
That tone again.
The one that suggested she was being unreasonable.
The one she had begun to hate.
"We can go another day."
"You said that last month."
Silence.
"Things come up."
"And they always involve Selena."
The room instantly became tense.
Servants exchanged nervous glances.
Selena lowered her eyes dramatically.
As if wounded.
As if she wasn't enjoying every second.
Damien's expression hardened.
"Enough."
Camille stared at him.
There was that word again.
Enough.
Never Let's talk.
Never I understand.
Never I'm sorry.
Just enough.
Stop talking.
Stop feeling.
Stop existing.
Something cracked inside her.
Not loudly.
Not dramatically.
Just a small fracture.
Another one added to the hundreds already there.
She pushed back her chair.
"I've lost my appetite."
Damien didn't stop her.
Didn't ask her to stay.
Didn't follow.
Camille walked out.
Slowly.
Gracefully.
Like a Luna should.
Only when she reached the hallway did her breathing become uneven.
She kept walking.
Past servants.
Past guards.
Past portraits decorating the walls.
Until she reached the gardens.
The moment she stepped outside, tears filled her eyes.
"Pathetic."
Her voice trembled.
She wiped her face angrily.
Pathetic.
How had she become this woman?
A woman waiting for scraps of affection.
A woman begging for attention from her own mate.
A woman competing with another female inside her own home.
The humiliation burned.
Footsteps sounded behind her.
Camille quickly wiped her tears.
She turned.
To her surprise, it wasn't Damien.
It was Beta Noah.
Damien's second-in-command.
And one of the few people who still treated her kindly.
Noah frowned immediately.
"Luna."
Camille forced a smile.
"Morning."
"You've been crying."
"No."
"You have."
She laughed.
"You were always terrible at pretending not to notice things."
Noah's expression softened.
For several moments neither spoke.
Then he sighed.
"You deserve better."
The words froze her.
Because nobody said things like that.
Not anymore.
Not in this house.
Not in this pack.
Camille looked away.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"You do."
The silence between them spoke volumes.
Noah rubbed the back of his neck.
"He's making a mistake."
A lump formed in Camille's throat.
"Noah."
"He is."
She closed her eyes.
Because hearing someone else say it somehow hurt even more.
The Beta looked toward the mansion.
Toward the dining room windows.
Toward the life that was slowly slipping through her fingers.
One quiet sentence left his mouth.
The sentence Camille would remember long after this day ended.
"The problem is that Damien won't realize what he's losing until it's gone."
Camille's heart clenched.
Because deep down...
For the first time...
She was beginning to wonder if she should leave.
And once that thought entered her mind...
It refused to leave.
- Writer
