The Best Anniversary Gift for My Ex-Alpha

I decided to go to the pack’s business tower.

Aside from being Jareth’s mate, I was also an architect who helped design many of the pack’s territories. I told myself I only wanted to deliver the revised plans for the seaside pack settlement.

But deep inside, another instinct pushed me forward.

I needed to see him in his own domain. I needed to know if the corruption I discovered in my home had also poisoned the empire we built together.

I walked through the tall crystal doors of the tower, holding the rolled architectural scrolls like a shield.

Usually, when I arrived, the wolves in the building greeted me warmly. Smiles and respectful nods followed me through the lobby.

But today, everything changed the moment my heels touched the marble floor.

The receptionist, a young she wolf named Celene who normally praised my dresses, froze while typing. Her eyes widened and quickly moved from me to the private elevators and back again.

“Luna Warhowl,” she said nervously, rising halfway from her seat. “We did not expect you today.”

“I came to see Jareth,” I replied, forcing a gentle smile that felt stiff on my face. “Is he in his office?”

“Alpha is in a meeting,” she said quickly.

The lie was obvious. She was terrible at hiding it. Her eyes kept flicking toward the communication crystal on her desk, as if she wanted to warn him.

“It’s alright,” I said as I walked past her before she could stop me. “I have a key to the floor. I will wait.”

I stepped into the executive elevator and rose to the top level of the tower.

The Alpha suite was quiet. Thick carpets swallowed the sound of my steps. At the end of the corridor stood the heavy double doors leading to Jareth’s office.

I raised my hand to knock. Then I heard it.

At first the sound was faint behind the wooden doors. But it was clear enough.

A deep groan. Then a soft laugh.

My hand froze in the air.

“Lower your voice,” Jareth whispered inside, his tone tight with breath. “Someone might hear.”

“Let them,” Luvena answered smoothly. A heavy object thudded against the desk. “I am tired of hiding, Jareth. You are the Alpha of this council. You can do whatever you want.”

“Not yet. Just wait a little longer. Now turn around.”

The sounds that followed made my chest tighten. Soft gasps. Movement against the desk. Their breaths mixing together. Each sound cut deeper than any blade.

I could not breathe. The hallway spun around me.

I wanted to burst through the door. I wanted to scream until the entire tower shook. But humiliation weighed on me like chains.

If I walked in now, I would not just be the betrayed mate. I would become the mad woman who caused a scene.

Slowly I stepped backward. My legs felt weak but I forced myself to move.

Instead of going to the elevator, I walked down the hall toward the women’s restroom. Inside, I pushed open the largest stall and locked the door behind me.

I leaned my forehead against the cold metal wall and tried to breathe. My hands shook violently.

A minute later, the restroom door opened. The sharp sound of heels clicked across the floor.

“Did you see her?” one woman whispered.

“I did,” another answered. “It’s Luna Warhowl. She walked past my desk earlier. She looked completely unaware.”

“This is so awkward,” Shaelyn said. I heard the water running in the sink. “Do you think she knows? About Luvena?”

“How could she not know? Luvena sits almost on his lap during meetings. She walks through this office like she owns the whole tower. Tight skirts. Laughing at every word he says.”

“Poor Luna,” Shaelyn sighed. The pity in her voice hurt more than anger. “She just lost her pup, right? And now her mate is sleeping with his secretary during work hours.”

“Males are terrible,” the second woman said. “But honestly Luna Ashara seems kind of weak, doesn’t she? Everyone in this building knows, even the interns and the guards. If it were me, I would have destroyed this place already. But she just smiles and brings him lunch.”

“Maybe she’s just pretending not to see it. Or maybe she only cares about the money.”

“Should we warn Alpha Jareth?” Shaelyn asked quietly. “His Luna might walk in on them.”

“Hell no!” the other woman whispered sharply. “Are you crazy? We would lose our jobs. Alpha Jareth would blame us for letting her come upstairs. Let’s just wait. Luna Ashara seems too soft anyway. She passed the office earlier and did nothing. She probably heard them and ran away.”

Then they laughed. The sound echoed against the tiled walls like sharp claws.

Soon the restroom door closed and silence returned.

While I sat there, staring at the floor.

They said I was weak and unaware while everyone actually had known the truth…

The shame burned through my body stronger than grief.

I was not only a victim. I was entertainment. My entire life had become gossip for the wolves who worked for me. They laughed about my tragedy. They waited to see when I would finally break.

Slowly I stood up, wiping my tears with a rough paper towel then walked to the mirror.

My eyes were red but no tears remained.

The woman staring back at me did not look weak anymore. She looked dangerous.

I did not return to Jareth’s office. I did not scream. I just walked out of the restroom with my back straight and my head high.

When I passed the reception desk, Celene looked at me with panic.

“Tell Jareth I came by,” I said calmly. My voice carried no emotion. “Tell him I left the plans. And tell him to enjoy his meeting.”

Then I left the tower and stepped into the bright afternoon sun.

I called for a carriage and gave the driver an address I had searched weeks ago, back when I believed my worries were only suspicion.

The law firm stood inside another tall crystal tower across the city.

Soon I was guided into the office of Rayan Rageclaw, a lawyer famous for destroying mating contracts and wealth agreements.

He looked up from his desk in surprise when he saw me without an appointment.

“Luna Warhowl,” he said as he stood. “This is unexpected. Is everything alright?”

I sat in the chair across from him, then placing my hands on the desk. They were steady now.

“I want to end my mating bond with my mate,” I said quietly.

The words tasted like freedom.

“I don’t care about his wealth or his lands. File the unbinding decree immediately. I want everything finished within three days.”