~Ezinne~
I watched Rose with intense scrutiny as she absentmindedly twiddled her fingers, hidden from view beneath the desk. Rose's status was not quite defined in my life. She was not quite an ally, but the one person I could rely on without reservation. Several years my senior, she had never given me cause to regret knowing her. In the days when I still resided with Louisa, Rose had been one of our household staff. Although Rose and I had never developed a traditional closeness. I admired her for her unwavering commitment to her duties, performed with meticulous precision. She maintained a strict boundary around her responsibilities, and never meddled in matters that didn't concern her, and she spoke only when it was either necessary or expected of her.
Two years after my marriage to Garrick, I made the decision to hire Rose. I had liberated her from Louisa's employ, offering her a more generous salary and appointing her as the head servant. I recognised her superior competence and efficiency compared to the gossipy servants who populated the pack house and seemed more preoccupied with trading scraps of gossip for entertainment than with their duties. I suspected this was the source of resentment from some of the other maids who spread malicious rumours about me.
After a moment of silence, I broke the tension. "Tell me everything," I urged.
A visible wave of panic swept across Rose's face, her eyes darting up to meet mine only briefly before retreating to the safety of her fidgeting hands. She hesitated, caught in the grip of uncertainty, before venturing a response.
"Uhm... to what exactly is my Luna referring?" she stammered, feigning ignorance.
"Come on, Rose. You know better than to feign ignorance with me. I overheard it all. Perhaps you could start by explaining why you instructed the other servants to keep minding their businesses. Surely, as their Luna, I'm entitled to be informed about the happenings within my own pack," I pressed.
She nodded, her gaze darting around my office as though the walls themselves might betray her confidence. Edging closer, she seemed to gather her courage. "Luna, I—" She took a deep breath to steady her voice. "I have never uttered nor believed those words."
"What words, Rose?"
Her voice dropped to a whisper, laden with unease. "There's a rumour claiming you're barren, which allegedly compelled Alpha Garrick to conceive with Miss Elara and now plans to bring her back as his bride."
My heart stopped. "What?!" The revelation felt like a physical blow, my whole world crumbling before my eyes.
"I swear, Luna, those words never came from me, nor did I give them any credence," she hastened to add, her sincerity genuine.
I fought back tears, convincing myself it must be a cruel joke. It was all hearsay. But the words 'Elara,' 'Garrick', 'pregnancy', 'barrenness' reverberated through my mind like a relentless echo. Elara's parting words haunted me afresh. Her cryptic farewell, "This isn't over until it's over," suddenly set in with chilling clarity. I had naively thought Elara had simply vanished, but I had no inkling she was plotting her return, and now my heart lay in pieces. I knew Garrick had never truly desired me, but how far would he go to belittle and disrespect me?
Every day and night, I fervently prayed to the goddess, begging for Garrick to notice me, to love and cherish me. I yearned for our conversations to extend beyond pack matters, for him to confide in me and for me to share my own experiences. I longed to recount the details of my day to him, for him to request a special meal from me. I had really harboured hopes, believing the goddess would hear me someday but if these rumours were true, my spirit would be crushed beyond repair.
"Rose, you may go now," I stated, mustering every ounce of composure to keep my voice steady.
Rose nodded, slowly rose from her seat, and quietly exited my office. Once she was gone, I stood up, restlessness taking hold. My mind raced as I paced the confines of my office, grappling with the need for clarity. Confronting Garrick was vital before I could believe any of these disturbing rumours. Why would he allow the pack to believe I was barren and that this was the reason he impregnated another woman? My interactions with Garrick had been limited to breakfasts and occasional dinners when we shared the same table. Most of the time, he was away, leaving me and Canice to manage pack affairs together. Confrontation was necessary.
I couldn't go back to sleep after hearing the rumour. I went into my bathroom and sat in the bathtub until it was all bright outside. I consciously resisted the urge to take alcohol, so that Garrick would not have any reason to believe I was confronting him under the influence of alcohol.
A maid informed me that breakfast was ready as I finished applying a touch of makeup. I descended to the dining room with calculated ease, trying my best not to reveal the turmoil within me. What if it was true that he had impregnated Elara? What would be my course of action? What would happen next? Would he divorce and reject me, and where would I go? These questions haunted me until I reached the dining room, only to find it deserted.
Garrick was always seated before my arrival; they summoned him first. But today, the table was set for one, for me alone. Confused and seeking answers, I signalled for the butler, who promptly approached.
"Where is my husband?" I inquired.
"The Alpha did not return home last night, Luna," the butler informed me.
His words didn't come as a surprise. Garrick's absences had become a frequent occurrence, nights when he wouldn't return, offering no explanation, and I, in turn, asking none. There had been times when I earnestly endeavoured to make our relationship work. I sought his opinion on my attire, complimented him, and even went as far as preparing his favourite meals personally. Yet, it felt like a one-sided effort in our marriage. When his parents were still with us, Garrick at least engaged in conversation during meals and shared the same room with me, despite the distance of separate beds. I had clung to the hope that time would soften his demeanour and his resentment and anger would fade with time, that he might eventually recognise and appreciate who I truly was. But, as the rumour now suggested, such hope had been mere wishful thinking.
Finding no joy in the meal before me, I listlessly picked at the food and then decided to leave the table. As I checked my phone for the schedule of the upcoming Lunas' meeting, a notification caught my eye.
'Alpha of Eclipse Pack set to marry his true love.'
My heart sank as I tapped on the news, only to be confronted with images of my husband and Elara, both in wedding attire, smiling for the camera. The shock was compounded by the faces in the background— Canice, Candice, even Louisa, along with high-ranking pack members and other Alphas. Tears welled in my eyes, not just at the sight of my husband with another woman, but at the realisation of how alone I truly was. How had I been the only one oblivious to this? How was it that I was learning of my husband's marriage to another woman through social media?
