Chapter 5
Ivy’s POV The message from Alpha Vincent burned in my mind like a wildfire, “I’m coming to get you.” His words echoed over and over, a promise wrapped in salvation. The thought of walking away from Ethan, from everything I once believed in, filled me with a strange mixture of dread and relief. I had made up my mind. I’d leave Foreland Pack soon. Not now—not yet—but soon. I thought I could steel myself for the waiting. But nothing could prepare me for what awaited me when I returned home. The scent hit me first—sharp and intoxicatingly wrong. My own scent, crushed beneath the heavier musk of Farah. The way she slithered around Ethan’s room, like a snake in my garden. My throat tightened as I pushed the door open just enough to see. There they were. Farah lounging on Ethan’s bed, wrapped in the soft fabric of my clothes. My favorite dress—the one I thought was lost—was twisted around her slender frame like a mockery. She was moaning low, a sound that made bile rise in my throat. And Ethan… Ethan’s hands traced curves I once thought were mine to touch, his lips pressed roughly against hers. I froze. For a moment, I thought maybe they hadn’t seen me. But then Farah’s eyes flicked toward the door. And that smirk… oh, that cruel, knowing smirk. She kissed him deeper, as if daring me to interfere, to fight for the scraps of a marriage he had already thrown away. My body moved before my mind caught up. I stormed into the room, fury blazing like wildfire. Ethan’s eyes snapped wide, panic flashing across his face as he scrambled to pull his pants up. “Ivy…” His voice was a weak apology, but I wasn’t having it. Not after everything. I didn’t stop to listen. I slapped him hard—hard—the sound echoing in the room. “I’m still your fucking Luna,” I hissed, every word a dagger. “And you’re a disgrace, Alpha. How dare you cheat to the one you promised forever with? How dare you?” Farah’s eyes narrowed, a venomous gleam replacing her usual mockery. “You’re just bitter,” she sneered. “Shut up, you damn slut,” I spat. “You are a whore, Farah. A snake! Even the Moon Goddess will be so disgusted of you!” The room crackled with tension. Ethan’s jaw clenched so hard I thought it might break. “Shut the fuck up. Don’t talk to her like that. Apologize. Now.” His voice was cold and commanding. I laughed, bitter and broken. “I won’t. You deserve every word.” Farah’s expression shifted suddenly, a calculated sadness dripping from her eyes. Then, between shaky breaths, she whispered, “She’s… so mean, Alpha. I’m pregnant with your baby.” The world tilted on its axis. Ethan’s face was a mixture of shock and something darker. The thought burned me alive. How many times had he done this? How many nights had he forsaken me for her? How many times did they fuck each other in my sheets? My hands curled into fists. “You’re a homewrecker. A flirt. You disgusting bitch! You’re both disgusting!” Farah’s composure shattered. Tears streamed down her face as she collapsed into Ethan’s arms, sobbing uncontrollably. I couldn’t stand it. I reached out and slapped her, hard enough to make her stagger. “How dare you act like you’re the victim!” I growled. “You’re a home-fucking-wrecker, Farah!.” That was the last straw for Ethan. His hand shot out, striking my cheek with a force that left stars swirling in my vision. Shock, pain, and humiliation roared through me. My legs trembled, and I barely caught myself from collapsing. Farah’s face loomed over me—hostile, triumphant, and utterly indifferent. Without another word, they turned their backs and left me alone in that room—their bed, our bed—still sticky with the evidence of their betrayal. I sank to the floor, my heart pounding in my ears. But before I could gather my scattered thoughts, heavy footsteps approached. Wolves, my own packmates, stood at the door. “Luna, you’re to come with us,” one said grimly. “Alpha’s orders. It’s a punishment.” I didn’t need to ask where. The pack’s dungeon—cold, dark, and suffocating. His punishment to me. Days stretched before me like a bleak horizon. Locked away, forgotten, discarded. My spirit felt crushed beneath the weight of humiliation. How could I think clearly? How could I even feel anything but rage and sorrow? And yet, the worst was Farah. She came down to the dungeon more than once. Her voice, dripping with malice, filled the stale air as she taunted me with videos of her and Ethan—her laughing, her moaning, her triumphant grin as she bore the weight of his child. “You should be happy, Luna,” she sneered. “You’re worthless now. This baby is the future.” Each word felt like a knife twisting deeper into my chest. But heartbreak was gone. What was left was pure, raw disgust. On the fourth day, a sudden wave of nausea swept over me, like the poison I’d felt at the Alpha gathering. My knees buckled, and the room spun until darkness swallowed me whole. When I woke, I was back in my Luna room. The nausea had faded, but my vision was still blurry. A figure sat quietly beside me. Ethan. He looked guilty—but not remorseful. “Don’t do it again,” he said quietly. “Or the punishment will be worse.” His words were poison, but I didn’t respond. He stood and headed for the door. “We have visitors. The Alpha of Nightshade Pack.” As he left, I realized someone else was there. Alpha Vincent. My heart twisted in a strange way I didn’t understand. I knew it was time. I looked down at my hand and saw the ring on my finger—the symbol of everything I was losing. With a shaky breath, I slid it off and tossed it out the window. I felt weak—so weak. Ethan’s neglect, his betrayal, his cruelty had drained me of everything. I gathered what little strength I had left and packed my things: the end-of-marriage agreement, the letter stepping down as Luna, my diary filled with years of pain and hope—all wrapped in a neat package, my farewell gift to Ethan. Then, I placed the house key on the dining table and erased every trace of myself from his life.