Chapter 3: The Meeting With the Elders

Trista’s POV        

“He’ll reconsider, I know he will,” Hazel said.

Hazel and her dad, Beta Jack, walked with me to meet Liam at the elders on Monday morning.

“You’ve been a good Luna, Trista,” Jack assured me. “There’s no reason for him to divorce you.”

We got to the elders but Liam wasn’t there yet. I hadn’t seen him since he told me he wanted the divorce.

The elders instructed us to take a seat and wait.

“Do you know where he’s been staying?” I asked Jack. Jack shook his head.

“But it looks like you can ask him yourself, because here he is,” Jack said.

Sure enough, Liam had entered the room…with another woman on his arm!!!

I blinked in disbelief. Another woman? But who?

“Trista,” he said snidely. “Meet the NEW Luna, Lucy.”

New Luna? But we weren’t even divorced yet! I squinted, trying to make out the woman’s face. But I couldn’t see her clearly. They took their seats across from us. The elders stood. The woman looked at me smugly. Was she…was she the reason he wanted a divorce?

“We are ready to hear your case,” the elders told Liam. Liam wasted no time with formalities.

“I have come here today to initiate a rejection.”

“Have you asked for a divorce?” one of the elders asked.

“Yes, but Trista will not sign the divorce papers. This is the only way now.” Liam’s tone was blunt.

Hazel squeezed my hand. His words stung. He was making it sound like this was my fault! All I wanted to do was stay married! Was that so wrong?

“I have come on Trista’s behalf,” Jack said, stepping forward.

“You may speak on Trista’s behalf, Beta Jack,” the elders said. Liam shot Jack a nasty look. Jack ignored it. “I feel that Liam is making a mistake,” Jack said. “Trista has done nothing wrong.”

“Nothing wrong?” the woman, Lucy, blurted out. She stood up. “Her wolf is blind! And she’s pretty much blind too. She hasn’t provided Liam with any heirs. He tried to be kind and offer her a divorce. But she wouldn’t accept it!”

“And who are you?” the elders asked.

“I am Omega Lucy, of Red Moon Pack,” she said boldly.

Omega? So it was true! Liam was leaving me for an omega? This just kept getting worse. “Liam and I are in love,” she continued. “We have been for years.”

For years? I felt like I couldn’t take any more. This was too much…

“If not for his marriage to Trista, we would have been together years ago. I am here on Liam’s behalf. He doesn’t love her. He loves me. He wants me to be the new Luna.”

I could hear the hate in her voice. She despised me. But why? I didn’t even know her.

“I see,” the elders sighed. “Alpha Liam, is this true?”

“Yes,” Liam said. “The Alpha of the Red Moon pack has been abusing her. She isn’t safe there anymore. I love her and I want her to be my Luna. She will be a strong Luna for this pack.”

“Even so,” Jack said, glaring at Lucy, “I urge Liam to reconsider. Our pack already has a strong Luna. Trista.”

The elders were silent for a moment. I held my breath. Then one of them spoke in a calm, steady voice.

“We agree,” he said. “Trista has been a strong Luna for this pack. We too urge you to reconsider.”

“I have given this a lot of thought,” Liam said. “I do not love Trista. I am adamant. If she won’t sign the divorce papers, then I will initiate the vow of rejection alone.”

Clearly, he wasn’t going to change his mind. Lucy flashed me a smile of victory. I hung my head. She had won. It was over. He was going to reject me.

Liam opened his mouth to begin the rejection, but I cut him off.   

“There’s no need to initiate a rejection,” I said calmly. “You clearly want to be with this other woman, and you’re not going to change your mind. Your wolf will be weakened if you do this and I don’t want to put the pack at risk. I will protect our pack as my last act as Luna. I accept your divorce.”

Hazel gasped beside me. She pulled me aside.

“Are you nuts?” she asked. “What are you doing? You’ll be a rejected Luna! You’ll have to leave our pack! You’ll be exiled as a rogue, Trista.”

I appreciated her concern, but the past few days had been mental torture. I was exhausted. I couldn’t take it anymore. I just wanted it to be over and I told her that.

“Beside,” I smiled weakly. “Rogue life isn’t so hard anymore. I can return to human society. I lived with humans all through college. I have experience. It’s not so bad.”

“No Trista,” she said, her eyes wide. I could see tears forming. “I’ll be okay,” I assured her. “I have no family here anyway.” It was true. My mother died when I was young and my father left years ago. “If I lose Liam, my husband, there’s nothing left for me here. What’s the point in staying?”

“Luna Trista?” the elders asked. “Is that your final decision?” I nodded at Hazel and walked back to the table.

“Yes,” I said, lifting my chin and blinking back the tears. I felt the moisture on the lenses of my glasses. No way I was going to let them see me cry. “I, Trista Moonlar, accept Alpha Liam Stonewood’s rejection.”