His Discarded Mate

1: Ell

med to mock me from the pristine white tiles. My hands shook as I grippe

he child of the man who had just em

, reject you, Ella Montgomery, a

He said it at a pack meeting, with tons of people watching. His mist

y of this was happening. Nathaniel didn't have a clue. How could he? I f

a? The Alpha wants you in his office." It w

Not fo

ing to act tough. "Tell

wouldn't let Nathaniel see me like that, knowing that I

who used to be like family now looked away. Some even whispered about me. The rej

y child.

lders, which used to be my safe place. His dark hair caught the light. For a second, I remembered when his hands

not turning around. He sounded empty in

ld end our marriage. The rejection already broke the bond be

touching the papers. "Five years,

g my husband's face. Those gray eyes that used to look at me wi

e. "The Council wants me to have a stronger Luna. Someone who can help bring the

weak I sounded. "Someone without the rig

her will make the region more stable." He poured himself a drink,

t before I could stop it, and

a kid's story. Power is real. What you leave behind

s my heart broke, I felt protective and angry. He coul

ned my name carefully. "T

s eyes-surprise? Regret

you pack. You have t

g the pen down. "And Vivian? Whe

e Council will say we'

n before I felt us growing apart. The late nights, the mi

Nathaniel. I hope she gives

gh even though I wanted to cry. I was

ll

nd. I couldn't look at him aga

end like this, if t

t was too little, too late. I touche

" I said quietly

, carrying a secret that could destroy

one thing: Nathaniel Blackthorne just

didn't s

hours

packs. The wallpaper I used to like now seemed childish and silly. Everything looked smaller tha

have a place. Now I had a new fight: protecting my child from their fat

those futur

errupted my thou

blonde hair caught the light. She was ninet

said carefully. "He's... not

umped and divorced would hurt his reputation with the other p

minute," I said, st

y happened? The stories aren't making sense. You a

s and keeping up appearances. But behind closed

t was a lie, and it felt gross comin

e mates. R

s, that was one of the few things I was able to pack before Harrison esco

so sorry, Ella. I know

the man I thought Nathaniel was. The one who gave me wildflowers and wrote

happened to him on his way to becoming the cutthroat Alph

ugh, Ivy. Remember tha

atever speech he had waiting for me. I felt trapped, surro

ty-five and still intimidating-tall, with broad shoulders and some gray in his hair. But

said the secon

. Nathaniel dumped me. I si

this means for our pack? For our agreement with Crescent Moon? You were

new. I'd felt like I was never enough, I

thing. Nathaniel m

was that? What ma

he figured it was my fault. "I was m

Council is already wondering about my ability to lead. They're sa

ured me when I was nineteen, pushed me into marrying for p

to obey. It would have worked before, but I'd been Luna of a str

not a kid anymore, Father. I'm not your pawn. I

wn. But you're not going to

, but I didn't show it. "Is that you

't say

now maybe without their grandfather, too. But maybe that was for the best. Maybe we'd

ll

ed at t

re else to go. I don't want you her

ant, rejected, a

really great and that I haven't felt in a long time.

d won. My dad thought

re both

didn't-something that

me since I saw those

no clue wh