Chapter 5
Layla’s POV
Three years later, I stood in the packhouse, my mind drowning in that awful night—Olivia abandoning me, Kael saving me, our mate bond igniting like a spark in the dark. My heart ached, heavy with loss. I’d spent three years searching for Olivia, pouring every ounce of my Luna authority into finding her. Nothing. No trace. Jett’s death still clung to me, a secret buried under missing evidence. I refused to believe Olivia was dead, no matter what anyone said.
“Layla, move it!” Cassidy’s sharp voice cut through my thoughts. My maid stood in the doorway, hands on hips, brown eyes glaring with disgust. “You’re Luna, but you’re pathetic. Get Alpha Kael his tea already!” Her sneer was vicious. No wolf, no heir after three years with Kael—I was a failure in her eyes, in everyone’s. Even a servant could mock me openly.
I grabbed the silver tray, hands trembling. “I’m going,” I mumbled, avoiding her gaze. My chest burned. Kael was my everything—his green eyes, scarred brow, that mole by his lips. I loved him so fiercely it hurt. He worked himself to the bone for Soulless Pack, protecting everyone, especially me. But the elders and pack members wanted me gone. A Luna with no wolf, no child? They called me worthless behind my back.
I hurried to the council hall, stone walls looming, torches casting flickering shadows. My pulse raced as I neared the door, tray in hand. I wanted to ease Kael’s stress, prove I was enough. But angry voices stopped me dead.
"Three years, no heir!" Elder Thaddeus roared, his staff slamming the bone-carved table. "The law demands a fertile Luna! Divorce her now!"
My heart stopped. The tray shook, tea splashing.
"Silver Moon’s daughter is ripe," Elder Silas sneered, voice dripping with malice. "Young, strong, hips made for breeding. She’ll give us a pureblood heir."
My vision blurred, tears burning. Divorce? Kael wouldn’t… would he?
Kael’s fist slammed the table. “Layla’s my Luna! My mate! You don’t get to choose!” His voice was raw with anger, but a tremor lingered, a crack of doubt that crushed my soul.
I choked back a sob, pressing against the cold stone wall. The silver cup slipped, crashing to the floor. Tea seeped into the cracks, like my marriage breaking apart. Through the door seam, I saw Kael’s jaw tight, his eyes dark. He didn’t shut them down. He was listening. My heart shattered.
The door swung open. Kael’s eyes narrowed. “Layla? Why are you here? I thought you were at the orphanage sale.”
My voice trembled. “I… brought you tea. You’ve been working so hard.”
He sighed, glancing at the spilled cup. “Don’t bother with this. Servants can handle it.”
I swallowed hard. “Okay. Are the elders… pushing you too much?”
He rubbed his neck, eyes softening but distant. “Go to Stella. Keep up the pregnancy checks. Call me through the bond if you need me there.”
I nodded, throat tight. The checks were torture—needles stabbing my skin, herbs making me gag, doctors probing my blocked fallopian tubes. Every test was agony, my body screaming, but I endured it for Kael. For my duty as Luna. I’d do anything to give him a child, to prove I wasn’t broken.
Stella’s hut stank of sage and damp earth. The witch’s gray eyes glinted as she shuffled her tarot deck. “Draw three, Luna,” she rasped.
My hands shook as I pulled the cards: The Devil, The Tower, The Hanged Man. My stomach lurched.
Stella’s lips curled. “The Devil chains your womb—guilt, maybe a curse. The Tower means your Luna title’s collapsing. The Hanged Man… sacrifice. A new Luna’s coming. Kael will choose her.”
My heart pounded. “A curse? I’ll lose him? He’ll take another?”
She shoved herbs at me, voice cold. “Eat these. Potent. Might fix you.”
I grabbed the bitter herbs, my stomach already churning from months of forcing them down. I gagged just thinking about it, but I’d do it. For Kael. For us.
Back at the packhouse, I needed Kael’s warmth, his strength to ground me. I headed to his office, heart heavy.
Cassidy blocked the door, her smirk cruel. “Oh, Luna,” she mocked, voice dripping with venom. “Alpha’s with his new secretary. Hear that?” She tilted her head toward the door, where muffled voices leaked out—a woman’s sultry laugh, familiar, teasing. “Kael, stop… not here,” the voice purred, followed by a low moan. Kael’s voice came next, soft, playful. “Come on, just a little…” Another moan, intimate, like skin on skin.
Cassidy snickered. “Sounds like your mate’s having fun. Guess he’s tired of a barren Luna.”
My blood boiled, tears stinging. “Shut up,” I snapped, but my voice shook. He was cheating. My Kael. My mate. Rage and heartbreak surged, and I shoved the door open, ready to scream.
Kael was on the couch, a woman straddling his lap, her hands on his chest. Her red hair cascaded down her bare back, her dress—barely there, a tight black slip that hugged her curves, leaving little to the imagination. Her full lips parted in a laugh, her body pressed close to his. My vision blurred with tears. “Kael!” I screamed, voice breaking. “You’re cheating on me?”
He jumped up, the woman sliding off, giggling. “Layla, no! It’s not what it looks like!”
“Not what it looks like?” I shouted, tears streaming. “She’s half-naked on top of you!”
Cassidy peeked in, smirking. “Told you, Luna. You’re nothing next to her.”
The woman adjusted her dress, smirking. “Calm down, Luna. We were just… practicing.” She held up a script, winking. “Pack ceremony lines. Got carried away with the drama.”
Kael rubbed his face, flustered. “Layla, I swear, it was just rehearsal. I wanted to surprise you with a new speech for the pack.”
My face burned, shame crashing over me. Not cheating. Just… stupid. But that voice, that laugh—it stabbed my heart. The woman stepped into the torchlight, her red hair glowing, her blue eyes sharp and piercing. Her flawless skin shimmered, her curves barely contained by the skimpy dress. She was stunning, dangerous. My breath caught as she turned fully, her gaze locking on mine.
Olivia.
Back after three years. But not my Olivia—her eyes were cold, her smile sharp as a blade. She was Kael’s new secretary, standing too close to my mate, her presence screaming trouble. My heart pounded, Stella’s prophecy burning in my mind. Then she spoke, her voice dripping with mockery, cutting deeper than any claw.
“Sister,” she purred, stepping closer, her lips curling. “I’m back. We can be together again.”