Heartbroken

Chapter 3

Selene ~~

The wind howled through the trees, carrying the scent of damp earth and pine. The forest stretched endlessly before me, shadows twisting between towering trunks, but I didn't stop running.

I couldn't.

The moment my feet hit the forest floor, I let my wolf take over.

Bones cracked, muscles stretched, and my skin burned as my body shifted. My once frail human form was replaced by sleek white fur, my paws digging into the soil as I bolted into the night.

The pain inside me was unbearable.

It clawed at my chest, squeezing my heart until I could barely breathe. No matter how fast I ran, I couldn't escape it.

Damian's voice echoed in my head.

"I will never love you."

"Lillith is pregnant."

"You should be grateful she took on the responsibility you couldn't."

My paws faltered, the weight of my emotions making my legs weak.

For five years, I had poured my soul into this pack.

I had devoted myself to my mate, to the people who were supposed to be my family.

I had studied politics, strengthened alliances, negotiated treaties that saved our warriors from unnecessary battles. The Silver crest Pack thrived under my leadership—not Damian's.

And yet, none of it mattered.

Damian never saw me.

Not as his Luna. Not as his equal. Not as his wife.

I pushed myself forward, forcing my legs to move. The cold air burned my lungs, but I welcomed the pain. It was better than the emptiness inside me.

Branches snapped under my weight as I leaped over a fallen tree, my vision blurring from exhaustion. My body screamed for rest, but I ignored it.

Because no matter how far I ran, no matter how much distance I put between myself and that damned packhouse…

The truth was inescapable.

I was nothing to Damian.

A burden.

A failure.

A Luna who couldn't even carry her Alpha's child.

A whimper slipped from my throat, but I swallowed it down, forcing myself to stay upright.

I hated this.

I hated that I still loved him.

I hated that even after everything he'd done—even after he betrayed me—I couldn't erase him from my heart.

How pathetic was I?

A dry, bitter laugh escaped me, though in my wolf form, it sounded more like a choked growl.

The moon cast a silver glow over the treetops, the light barely reaching me through the thick canopy. I had lost track of time, of distance.

I was tired.

So, so tired.

And I had nowhere left to run.

By the time I returned to the packhouse, my legs were trembling with exhaustion.

I barely made it inside before I collapsed onto the cold marble floor of my bedroom. My body ached, my fur damp with sweat and dirt.

I shifted back, the change slower this time, my limbs sluggish from fatigue.

The moment I was human again, I pulled the blanket off the bed and wrapped it around myself, my fingers trembling.

I had spent years pretending to be strong.

Pretending to be enough.

But tonight, everything inside me had broken.

I couldn't do this anymore.

A soft knock pulled me from my thoughts.

"Come in," I rasped, my throat raw from the run.

The door creaked open, and an older woman stepped inside.

Moriah.

She had been my caretaker since I first arrived in this pack. An elder, once a warrior, now just a quiet woman who had always treated me with kindness.

Her eyes softened when she saw me, her wrinkled hands tightening around the tray she carried.

"Oh, my dear," she murmured, setting the tray down before kneeling beside me. "You look exhausted."

I let out a breathless chuckle. "I feel worse than I look."

She sighed, brushing a strand of damp hair from my face. "Selene, you can't keep doing this to yourself."

I closed my eyes, my throat tightening.

"I can't stay here anymore, Moriah," I whispered. "I need to leave."

Her fingers stilled against my cheek.

For a moment, she said nothing.

Then, she exhaled deeply, sadness etched into every line of her face.

"I was afraid you would say that," she admitted.

A lump formed in my throat. "I don't belong here."

"You do," she insisted gently. "You are this pack's Luna."

I let out a bitter laugh, shaking my head. "No, Moriah. I was never their Luna. Not really. And I was never Damian's mate, either."

She sighed, rubbing my hand between her palms.

"You've given them everything," she said softly. "And they never deserved you."

My chest ached at her words.

If only Damian had seen me the way Moriah did.

If only he had valued me, even a little.

But it was too late now.

"I just… I want to go somewhere I can breathe," I murmured. "Somewhere I'm not constantly reminded of what I lack."

Moriah eyes glistened, but she nodded.

"If that is what you want," she said, squeezing my hand. "Then I will help you."

A tear slipped down my cheek.

But before I could say anything, the door slammed open.

The force of it sent a gust of cold air into the room.

And standing there, his jaw clenched, his blue eyes burning with fury—

Was Damian.

I stiffened.

Moriah immediately rose to her feet, stepping slightly in front of me as if to shield me from his wrath.

But Damian's gaze was locked onto me.

I stared at him, numb.

He was angry?

"Why was he angry ."

I'm the one that is supposed to be angry not him , I am

After everything, after breaking me beyond repair—he had the audacity to be angry at me?

Moriah scoffed. "She is the one that is supposed to be burning in anger and anguish not you , you are the one who betrayed her.," she said sharply.

Damian's eyes flicked to her, but he didn't respond.

His jaw tightened, his hands clenched into fists at his sides.

"Leave us," he ordered.

Moriah hesitated, her gaze flicking toward me.

I swallowed.

"It's fine, Moriah," I said quietly.

She didn't look convinced, but after a moment, she gave a reluctant nod.

"I'll be outside if you need me," she murmured, shooting Damian a glare before stepping out of the room.

The door shut behind her, and silence fell between us.

Damian took a step forward.

I didn't move.

Before I knew it, Dorian pushed me to the bed making me hit my head on the bed stand.