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Natalie' s POV
With a deep breath, I whispered, âAdrian, letâs get a divorce.â
Alpha Adrian froze, stopping his kiss and lifting his head from my neck, âDo you even know what you are saying?â
I burst into tears and repeated, âLetâs get a divorce.â
He frowned, âBoring,â dismissively as he moved away and rose from the bed.
âIâm not kidding,â I said, pulling out the divorce papers. âIâve already signed them.â
Adrian snatched them from my hand, barely glancing at them before tossing them aside. His hand shot to my throat, his grip tight.
âYou think you can do whatever you want? You're the one who set me up to marry you! Itâs only out of my mercy that I let it go and took in a wolfless orphan like you!!â
Yeah, a wolfless orphan I am.
Thatâs why he never believed me when I denied setting him up. Thatâs why he never marked me. And thatâs why heâs been humiliating me by fooling around with Lynda for a whole year...
âI will leave the Crystal Blood Pack,â I kept my head high, choking out.
But as an afterthought, I decided to give him the last chance, âAnd just so you know, I only married you because I thought we could have a happy family with childrenââ
âChildren?â He sneered. âYou actually thought Iâd let you carry my heir? Foolish woman, stop daydreaming!â
I bit back my sobs. His reaction was not much different from what I imagined. I laughed at myself and my eyes fell on my stomach.
I couldnât let him know I was pregnant. My babies would never be his to claim.
Gathering my resolve, I challenged, âThen why donât you sign the papers?â
His eyes darkened with rage. âYou think I wonât?â He released me, signing his name with a dismissive flick of his hand as though he couldnât get rid of me fast enough.
Tossing the papers aside, he then slammed a bank card at me. âConsider this payment for your ânight servicesâ over the past two years.â
'Night services'...That was the final blow crashing any bit of emotion hidden deep in my heart for him.
My tears fell silently as he turned and left the room.
Slowly, I cradled my stomach, whispering,
âI am sorry. I have to take you both away from him to protect you.â
I left the bank card on the nightstand, packed a suitcase, and wiped away my tears.
"You mocked my love and reduced me to nothing more than ânight serviceâ. I will never forget that, Adrian Miller."
I gritted my teeth, taking one last look at the pack house I once called home.
Yet little did I know then, that was only the beginning of the Moon Goddess's plan for me...
-FIVE YEARS LATER-
"Come here, slow down. You'll get hurt." I called out to Noah and Aria with a wide smile.
As they ran towards me with giggles, I couldn't help but smile again.
Five years had passed since I escaped the pain of my old life, and I still couldn't believe here I was - living in a new pack, being surrounded by my real families - not only my twins, also my biological parents and brother.
It still felt like a miracle - to find I was actually the daughter of an Alpha, and my wolf reveal itself on the day I gave birth!
It was as if all the suffering had been leading me to this moment.
I couldn't be more grateful for the decision I made to leave that cruel man and his pack behind.
"Miss, Alpha Jason wants you in his office now." A maid's voice snapped me from my thought.
"I'm coming." With each hand holding one of my sweethearts, we returned to the pack house.
Jason was just hanging up a call when I arrived. He smiled, "Perfect timing, Natalie. Thereâs something important I need to discuss with you. The werewolf council is hosting a big party in a few days, and youâre invited. Iâd like you to attend."
âNo, brother, I canât.â Instantly I refused him. I didnât want any chance of running into the one person I hated most.
Jason smirked knowingly, his brow lifting. âThen you might miss meeting Doctor Max. What a pity!â
âDoctor Max?â My heart skipped at the name. Iâd always dreamed of becoming a healer, and learning from someone as skilled as him was a dream come true.
âFine, but only because of him,â I gave in quickly. âBut I have one condition.â
âAnd that is?â
"I want to keep my identity out of the public eye."
Adrian Millerâs name had become even more fearsome in the past five years, and I wanted no part of it. I couldnât let our lives cross again.
âAlright, little sister,â Jason agreed, pulling me into a hug. I smiled in return, but my eyes drifted to my carefree twins. I thought to myself,
âI have to protect you both from your father. Even if it means hiding who I am forever, Iâll do it.â
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Adrian' s POV
For five years, Iâd searched for Natalia, but sheâd vanished without a trace. I used to think sheâd return the next day after she left, but I was wrong. She had really boldy reduced herself to a rogue, and I couldnât help but wonder what had become of her now.
âAdrian.â A soft voice pulled me from my thoughts.
I looked up to see Lyndaâs innocent smile.
âLynda,â I muttered, rubbing my forehead.
I took the girl into my pack after finding she was the one who accidentally saved me a long time ago, and in the past five years she's been accompaying me, yet for some unknown reason I never made her my Luna.
She, however, accepted it without question, always understandingâmaybe too good for me.
âAdrian, I heard youâre leaving for the werewolf councilâs annual party tomorrow,â she said, lowering her gaze. âWill you take me this year?â
Her quiet request caught me off guard. I wanted to refuse, but her teary eyes betrayed her expectations.
âI will,â I said, surprising even myself. But come to think of it, it was the only request she's ever made these years...
She lit up, rushing over to thank me, but I raised a hand to stop her. âIâve got things to finish before we leave. Go pack.â
She nodded, a flicker of sadness crossing her face before she left.
It wasnât the first time I found excuses to avoid her. For some reason, I couldnât bring myself to get closer to Lyndaânot even to share a bed.
The next day,
I arrived at the hall with Lynda. The party was in full swing, but my purpose was clearâto fulfill my duties as Alpha.
This wasnât an ordinary gathering; it was the annual council where packs came to introduce themselves and strengthen alliances.
The moment I stepped in, the room fell silent, every gaze locking onto me. I commanded both fear and respect, a result of my power. Even council members dared not challenge me.
Alphas approached, most with their daughters, eager to gain my favor or secure an alliance. But I saw through their intentionsâsecuring a marriage to protect their packs.
Ignoring them, I scanned the hall. Thatâs when I saw her.
Natalia!
The woman I had searched for relentlessly over the past five years was standing before me!
My heart pounded, my wolf stirred restlessly, and I almost forgot about Lynda as I rushed toward Natalia.
âAdrian?â Lyndaâs voice reached me, but it faded into the background. All I could focus on was Natalia.
She was standing with some women from my pack, her black satin dress catching the light, accentuating her curves in a way that drew every eye.
She had changedâbecome even more captivating, radiating a beauty that was impossible to ignore.
When our eyes met, something dark stirred within me. Rage simmered inside me. Where had she been? Why didnât she come back? Who had given her shelter? And how did she get in such a high-level party?
As for the last question though, I already had my answer.
As she moved to walk away, I stepped forward, my voice cold and cutting,
âHow dare you get in here using my name?!â ...
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