The Woman

My footsteps became hurried, alarm bells going off in my head. My eyes became blurred, and thoughts jumbled in my head like piles of waste crammed into a tiny refuse bin.

That couldn't be him, could it?

He certainly wasn't the type of person who would speak so gently, and softly at that. And also, not to a woman. He was no such gentleman.

Finally, I arrived at the center of the office, and there he was, my husband, sitting on the couch, right beside a blonde-haired woman. Her head was lowered, and she was clutching one of her hands.

My husband, Luca, was sitting so close to her, so close that I could barely see any respectful distance a married man ought to maintain.

His arm was placed on her back, soothing her gently.

I knew he knew I was here.

But he wasn't even glancing at me.

So much for not seeing each other after a month.

I cleared my throat.

He raised his head, his deep eyes staring right at me.

For some reason, I felt like an intruder, an outsider.

I mustered a smile. "You've returned, Luca."

"Mmmm." That was all.

I felt my face sting, for the whole time, his hand didn't stop gently patting the woman's back, right in front of me, his other half.

"Luca, who is she?"

The woman gave a sniffle, then finally raised her head.

Suddenly, I felt short of breath.

I stared blankly at the woman, awareness flashing in my eyes, dawning through me.

I finally knew what the guards had meant.

She was indeed a peerless beauty.

Her skin was pink-toned, her face was filled with blush, soft and attractive features that made her look like a goddess. She was the type of person men tend to favor. She was absolutely, and indeed, breathtaking.

"You're the Luna…" her voice was even softer, almost calming. She gave me a look of appraisal, as if determining my worth. Finally, she looked me in the eyes. She certainly had big ones. "Hi, Luna…" she suddenly proceeded to stand up, but Luca held her back, his voice filled with concern.

"You hurt your knees, no need to stand."

"But I have to." The woman bit her lips, shooting me a look while clinging to my husband's arm. "What if she thinks I'm uncultured?"

My husband glanced at me expressionlessly, then patted the woman's head. "She wouldn't. She isn't that unreasonable."

The words cut like a knife to my chest, sharp and relentless.

I didn't know what to say—the shock was overwhelming.

Was it the fact that he was being intimate with another woman right in front of me?

Or was it the attention he was giving her, treating her like something fragile, precious?

It's shocking how much change could happen in a mere month. But never would I have expected that the 'changed' person would be Luca. He seemed too great for that.

"Luca, we need to talk."

"Uh…" the woman suddenly groaned, her brows furrowing ever-so-slightly.

"What happened? Are you okay?"

"My stomach… it feels so uncomfortable." She groaned weakly, and my wolf growled in my head.

'Pretentious bitch.'

My nails dug into my palm, watching as my husband tenderly catered to the woman.

"Ahhhh…" the woman cried out once again.

And this time, I finally saw myself in his eyes. He was looking at me.

"Go and get the doctor," he commanded.

It was like lightning bolting out of the blue, and I was dumbstruck. It took me a while to find my voice. "Me?"

"Yes, you!" That was the first time he raised his voice against me.

My eyes widened with disbelief.

The world buzzed around me until I could hear nothing.

Perhaps realizing I wouldn't move, Luca called for the guards to fetch the pack doctor himself.

In the midst of the commotion, my maid rushed in.

"Your Highness! I was so worried!" she cried, clutching my arm. Her other hand pressed against her chest, which heaved with concern. Sweat beaded on her forehead.

"Your Highness, what's wrong?" she asked, her voice panicked. She seemed to grasp the situation but said no more, as I stiffly observed the scene before me.

At some point, the pack doctor arrived. He attended to the woman while Luca remained at her side, his expression serious—the same one he wore during business dealings. That look meant this was something important to him, something he couldn't allow to go wrong.

"Luca…" I began, but I couldn't finish my sentence.

"Let's talk later!" he snapped.

He yelled at me in front of the pack doctor, in front of my maid.

A lump formed in my throat. His aura had always been overwhelming. Time and time again, I found myself lowering my head, out of habit, out of nature—from a Luna to her Alpha.

I swallowed what little dignity I had left and strode out.

"Ahhh…" my maid cried out and immediately followed.