Chapter Five
Ava’s POV
I laughed bitterly. “As if you cared. You can’t stand the sight of me.”
The air in the room felt thick, weighed down by the pack’s whispers and the heavy stench of betrayal. I could sense every eye on me as I held Hunter’s gaze, feeling nothing but disgust for the man I once trusted with everything.
He looked down at the torn papers I’d thrown at him, disbelief turning into. anger as he tried to make sense of it. “Ava, what is this?” he demanded, his Alpha tone dark and laced with authority, as if that could intimidate me now. There was another paper attached to the post abortion appointment. It was a divorce letter.
I held my head high, forcing my voice to stay steady. “Divorce papers, Hunter. You promised me a wish if I came here tonight, and that’s my wish. Let me go.”
The muscles in his jaw tensed as he ripped the papers to shreds, tossing the pieces aside. “You think I’ll just let you walk away because of some piece of paper? We’re bonded, Ava. You don’t break a mate’s bond with a signature.”
I met his eyes, not a hint of fear in me. “The bond meant something to me, Hunter. But it’s clear it doesn’t to you. Not when you’re playing house with my
best friend.”
At that, Katherine, who’d been standing by his side with a smug little smile, flinched, trying to cover her shock. She quickly stepped forward, a forced smile plastered on her face. “Ava, please, let’s not fight. Hunter just brought me here because… because I didn’t have anyone else. You know that!”
I could barely look at her, anger burning hotter in my chest with every word she spoke. “You have no one else because you pushed them all away, Katherine. Don’t act like you don’t know exactly what you’ve been doing.”
Hunter’s gaze hardened as he glared at me, his voice sharp. “You’re acting like a jealous omega, Ava. Katherine ‘s my responsibility now, and I expect your to show her respect.”
I scoffed, disgust and heartbreak tangled together in my voice. “Respect? Like the respect you showed me by parading her around while your own mate suffered alone?”
For a split second, something like guilt flickered across his face. But he
The End Of An Era
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quickly masked it, his voice turning cold. “You’re making something out of nothing. Katherine needed help-”
“So did I,” I shot back, cutting him off. “But instead of helping your own mate, you decided to play savior to someone else. I lost our pup, Hunter, and you didn’t even notice.”
A collective gasp rippled through the pack, and silence fell as they processed my words. I could feel their gazes, their judgment.
Hunter’s face paled, his voice suddenly softer, almost disbelieving. “You… you lost our pup?” For once, he seemed shaken, as if reality had hit him.
Tears pricked at my eyes, but I held them back, refusing to show weakness. “Yes. And you weren’t there, Hunter. You were too busy with her.” I nodded toward Katherine, who now looked like a cornered animal, visibly trembling.
She stammered, her voice small. “Ava, I… I didn’t mean-”
“Save it,” I snapped, my voice harder than I’d ever heard it. “I let you into my life, trusted you as a friend, and you threw it all away.”
Hunter glanced between us, his expression caught between frustration. and shame. “So, what now, Ava? You want the whole pack to turn against me? You think you can just come in here and throw accusations?”
every na
I felt my fists clench, of me filled with a bitter resolve. “I don’t need to turn the pack against you, Hunter. You’ve done that yourself.”
Suddenly, Kane, Katherine’s supposed “boyfriend,” who’d been lurking in the back, sauntered over and grabbed her arm, his face twisted in anger. “So, it’s true then? You’ve been sneaking around with the Alpha?”
Katherine gasped, her eyes wide with fear. “Kane, please, I…
But he didn’t let her finish. “You thought I wouldn’t find out? That I’m just some fool?” His voice rose, loud enough for the whole pack to hear. “Well, congrats, Alpha. Seems your mate’s not the only one you betrayed.”
Hunter’s fists clenched, and he stepped forward, warning clear in his voice. “Hunter, don’t push me.”
Hunter only laughed, a bitter, mocking sound. “Or what? You’ll steal someone else’s girl, too?”
Katherine looked at Hunter, desperate and hurt in her eyes. “Hunter, please, say something…
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But for once, he didn’t jump to her defense. His voice came out cold and dismissive. “You brought this on yourself, Katherine. What did you expect?”
Katherine’s face crumpled, a look of shock and betrayal flickering in her eyes. “You told me you loved me! That you’d make me your true mate one day!”
I let out a harsh, bitter laugh that echoed through the room. “Oh, Katherine, did you really believe that? That he’d leave his Luna for you?”
Her face twisted with heartbreak, but I felt nothing for her. Every lie, every betrayal had drained me dry of any sympathy I might have felt.
Hunter turned back to me, “You think you’re blameless, Ava? You’re the one who let this pregnancy fail-”
Without thinking, I slapped him, the sound cutting through the stunned. silence. Gasps filled the room, and the world seemed to hold its breath.
“Don’t you dare,” I hissed, my voice shaking with fury. “I lost our pup because of you. Because you pushed me away and left me to fend for myself. I loved you, Hunter, but I won’t stay where I’m not wanted.”
His face reflected a mixture of shock and anger, but I turned away from him, addressing the rest of the pack, my voice clear and unyielding. “I will no longer be bound to an Alpha who cares more for his ego than his mate or hist pack. From this moment on, I renounce my title as Luna.”
Murmurs filled the room, some nodding in quiet agreement, others looking away, ashamed. I could feel the support and sorrow in their eyes, but I couldn’t bring myself to look at anyone.
Hunter’s voice, desperate now, broke through. “Ava, wait-”
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