His Betrayal Shattered Me, My Fury Left Him Ashen and Hollow

I didn’t say a word. I simply placed the severance scroll...the dissolution of our mate bond...into his hand. Jareth accepted it with a soft smile, wolf-golden eyes filled with a sickeningly gentle facade. “Eirene… what is this?” he asked again. He was about to unroll it when his crystal communicator chimed. He tried to hide the glowing rune on the surface, but I clearly saw the name etched across the light: [My Moon] I stood right there. I didn’t need a seer to tell me who was calling. If I hadn’t uncovered the truth, I might’ve snatched the communicator and demanded answers like a naive, jealous mate. But now, I remained perfectly calm and tugged lightly at his sleeve. “Place your mark on it before you go.” His brows tightened. The false warmth in his eyes faded, replaced by reprimand. Yet he still attempted that coaxing tone. “Eirene, I have matters to attend to. I’ll sign it once I return, alright?” I didn’t move aside. I blocked the doorway, silent and solid as a stone guardian. Eventually, irritation twisted his brow so hard it looked painful. Without even reading the scroll, he slashed his signature across it in a single stroke. Before leaving, he glanced back coldly. “You’ve been absurd lately, Eirene. I won’t be returning to the den tonight.” I only nodded, watching him vanish down the corridor. Not long after, messages from Lucienne flooded into my crystal device. The she-wolf got my rune frequency as soon as she returned to Ashenwood and started sending me images of her and Jareth together. Them locked in a heated kiss beneath the lunar tide. Running hand in hand across sunlit cliffs. Attending gatherings like a flawless, radiant pair. At first, I thought she was some delusional imposter. Yet for reasons I didn’t understand, I never blocked her. Only after the ambush did I realize every image was real. Those countless nights when Jareth wasn’t at my side…he had been with her. With that in mind, I saved each image...every vile piece of proof. When he reached Lucienne, he swept her into his arms almost instantly. Image after image showed him gazing at her with the same tenderness that once belonged to me. Then, unlike before, Lucienne began sending actual messages. When I opened them, my blood iced over. [If I hadn’t stepped away back then, you never would’ve laid a finger on Jareth. Now that I’ve returned, walk away while you still can. Otherwise, I’ll take even more from you.] [And did you enjoy the gift I sent last time? Your parents’ deaths… and that pathetic unborn pup. My little welcome offering. If you refuse to leave, I’ll make sure you join them.] As I stared at her words, I could practically hear her venomous voice, see the smug curl of her lips. And all of it...every ounce of her daring cruelty...was power Jareth allowed her to wield. I gripped my communicator so tightly the crystal nearly cracked, wishing it were their throats in my hands instead. That night, Jareth never returned to our den.

(Eirene’s POV) The next dawn, Jareth didn’t come home. Instead, he sent a short mind-link message through the pack network: [Eirene, remember you’re visiting the Elder Den today. I’m tied up with Alpha duties, so I sent my beta aide to escort you. Take care.] I dismissed the link at once, refusing to respond. Two whole hours passed. No one came. His so-called “beta escort” was nothing but a lie. I nearly abandoned the trip altogether...until I remembered the two Moonbound relics from our arranged bond, still held at his parents’ manor. They were the last heirlooms left to me after my own parents’ deaths. Relics blessed under the Moon Goddess couldn’t simply be replaced. So I went. But the moment I stepped into the Darkhowl Elder Den, the air froze in my lungs. Lucienne was there. Laughing sweetly beside Nerielle, Jareth’s mother and the former Luna of the Darkhowl Pack. Lucienne wore shimmering spell-woven robes and resting against her collarbone was a gemstone pulsing with pale lunar light. I recognized it instantly...the enchanted Moonshard Jareth had fought viciously for at the Nightfall Auction. Before I could speak, Lucienne noticed me. Triumph flickered in her amber wolf-eyes. Then, with a voice dripping false innocence, she turned to Nerielle. “Luna Nerielle, I really shouldn’t stay here… Jareth and I were once promised to each other. If Eirene finds out, she’ll be devastated.” Nerielle snorted, folding her arms. “Don’t worry about that cursed she-wolf.” Her voice was as sharp as broken stone. “She brought doom to her bloodline...both her parents dead, her womb too weak to carry a five-moon pup. If not for her parents dying, I would have told Jareth to sever the bond long ago before she drags him into the grave with her.” Then her expression softened when she turned back to Lucienne. “The only thing that matters now is the pup you carry. If Eirene dares cause trouble, I’ll cast her out of this den myself.” My breath lodged in my throat. Lucienne… pregnant? With Jareth’s pup? I stared at Nerielle, remembering how she once welcomed me as though I were her own daughter. When I mated into the Darkhowls, their pack was nearly ruined. My family had poured silver, territory rights and Moonstone resources into saving them. Lucienne, meanwhile, had fled the continent entirely. Nerielle used to greet me with open arms. Now, days after my parents’ funeral, she showed me her true face. Bitterness twisted inside me. I turned away, determined to ignore them and head upstairs. But I didn’t get far. A harsh grip yanked me back. Nerielle’s glare was venomous, her wolf rising behind her eyes. Lucienne stood beside her, smiling as though she were watching a show. “Hit her. Twice.” Nerielle snapped at the housekeeper. “Look at her...moping like a curse walking on two legs. You think we’re obligated to endure her attitude?” The housekeeper obeyed instantly. Two sharp blows cracked across my face. My cheek seared with heat. I ripped myself free, hatred burning in my chest like wildfire. Nerielle saw the look in my eyes and only grew more furious. “Wretched creature! How dare you glare at me? Planning to strike your Luna Elder? Beat her again...beat her until she learns her place!” The housekeeper stepped forward. But before she could hit me again, footsteps descended the stairs. Jareth. “Enough!” His voice sliced through the den. “Mother, she is my bonded mate. How can you treat her like this?” He reached for me, trying to pull me into his arms with feigned concern as he examined the marks on my face. I slapped his hand away. Lowered my gaze. Anything to hide the disgust clawing at me. Since learning the truth, every touch from him felt like poison. Jareth stiffened, then exhaled slowly. He turned to his mother. “Let it go. Lucienne is staying in the den tonight. Didn’t you prepare a chamber for her? Take her to see it.” Nerielle scoffed. “Keep defending that cursed witch. One day she’ll drag you to your grave.” She shot me one more hateful look before leading Lucienne toward the stairs. As Lucienne passed me, she paused...and smiled. A heartbeat later, with the grace of a puppet whose strings had snapped, she pitched backward... tumbling down the stairs.

Eirene’s POV Jareth’s eyes widened in shock. Without a word, he shoved me aside and lunged down the staircase. He knelt beside Lucienne, gathering her into his arms with trembling urgency. Panic clouded his wolf-gold eyes. “Lucienne...goddess, are you hurt? Is your womb hurting? I’ll get you to the healers right now.” Lucienne clung weakly to his sleeve, her fingers shaking, a whimper slipping from her lips as she pointed directly at me. “Jareth… I don’t know why Eirene pushed me, but… m-my belly… it hurts so much…” I stared at her, stunned. She had clearly fallen on her own...no one had touched her. Jareth turned toward me, his aura flaring, eyes blazing with fury. “Eirene! Do you even understand what you’ve done?” I forced myself to breathe evenly. “I didn’t touch her,” I said firmly. “The Elder Den has Moonstone wards...every corner is under scrying. Check the recordings.” But Lucienne...who had been sobbing in pain moments earlier...went utterly still. Then she suddenly threw her arms around him, her voice trembling with manufactured guilt. “Jareth, please… don’t argue with her because of me. Just… let it go. Maybe… maybe this pup really isn’t destined to survive…” Her voice cracked and she collapsed into him, crying even harder. I didn’t move. I didn’t look away. I simply watched Jareth. He refused to meet my eyes. His jaw clenched. Then, with Lucienne still in his arms, he said coldly, “I believe Lucienne. There’s no need to review the scrying stones. Eirene, you’ve crossed the line. If anything happens to this pup… I won’t forgive you.” Nerielle stood to the side, expression icy and full of contempt. She had been standing at an angle where she could clearly see I had not touched Lucienne. But she didn’t hesitate to choose her side. With a flick of her hand, she motioned to the butler. “Remove her from my sight. She’s poison...she returns here and nearly kills my grandpup? Throw her into the frost cellar. Let the cold purge her cursed aura!” The butler seized me by the arms. I struggled, twisting away with all the strength I had left. I turned toward the doorway and shouted: “Jareth! I said I didn’t push her! Just check the Moonstone scrying...why won’t you look?!” He hesitated. Just for a heartbeat. One step faltered as if he might finally turn around. But Lucienne let out a soft, pitiful moan. And that single sound erased me from his world. He rushed out the door with her cradled in his arms, not sparing me so much as a backward glance. As for me? I was dragged to the frost cellar and thrown inside like discarded prey...no hesitation, no mercy. The heavy iron door slammed shut. Darkness dropped over everything. Cold seeped instantly into my bones, sharp enough to numb my heartbeat. I curled in on myself, trying to hold on to whatever warmth remained. A dull ache throbbed low in my abdomen...the lingering reminder of the pup I had just lost. Jareth had forgotten. Or perhaps… he simply didn’t care. He once vowed he would always place me first. Now, his heart belonged entirely to Lucienne. Hot tears slipped down my cheeks. And before my eyes finally fluttered closed, I could almost see the Jareth I once loved... the one who no longer existed.

Eirene’s POV Hours later, half frozen, skin numb and breath barely there...I was finally lifted out of the frost cellar by Jareth. His eyes were bloodshot, guilt heavy in them. “How could this happen? I thought Mother was only angry… I never imagined she would actually lock you inside that place.” I kept my eyes closed, refusing to give him even a fragment of a response. A few of his hot tears hit my neck, burning more painfully than the cold ever did. I knew then...I would never trust this male again. I was taken straight to the healers’ ward in the Lunar Sanctum. After a full day and night under warming runes and restorative spells, my eyes finally opened. Jareth sat beside me, watching with the same tender agony he used to show when he wanted forgiveness. He reached for my face, but I turned sharply away. He froze, then softened his tone, trying to coax me the way he always had. “You’re still upset. I understand. You shouldn’t have confronted Lucienne like that, but Mother also acted out of line. When we return home, I’ll buy you that Moonfire pendant you liked. Consider it an apology.” Those words...once enough to soothe me...now felt like venom. I stared at him, calm despite the anger simmering inside. “I told you already...I didn’t lay a finger on Lucienne. Your mother dared lock me in that ice chamber because you allowed her to.” His expression faltered, but I didn’t stop. “Return the marriage token my parents entrusted to you. We’re dissolving the bond. I’ll step aside...you can have Lucienne.” He shot upright, trembling, stunned beyond words. His voice cracked. “Eirene! How can you say that? Do you know what those words do to me? I will not sever our bond!” He leaned down, pulling me into a desperate embrace, his voice thick with emotion. “There’s nothing between Lucienne and me. If it hurts you this much, I swear I won’t see her again.” Internally, I laughed. Nothing between them? Then whose pup is she carrying? Before I could speak, Lucienne appeared at the doorway. She froze at the sight of Jareth holding me, her eyes immediately filling with tears. “Jareth… you...” She turned and fled. Jareth instantly released me and chased after her. As he passed, I looked directly at him. He clenched his jaw under my gaze. “Eirene, Lucienne is carrying a pup. Don’t blame her. I’ll explain everything to her.” And without another word, he ran. Something inside me urged me to follow. On the Moonspire rooftop, Jareth finally caught Lucienne and pulled her tightly into his arms. She sobbed into his chest, voice trembling. “Jareth, it hurts...my heart, the pup… Maybe I should never have stayed in the Darkhowl territory. Watching you be so gentle with Eirene every day… I can’t bear it. Maybe it’s better if I just end it all…” Jareth held her as if she were made of moonlight and smoke. “Don’t say that. You came back to me and now we have a pup. If you give up your life, you take mine with you. How could you ask that of me?” His eyes were full of tortured affection. And after her repeated sobs, he finally relented. “Fine. I’ll keep my distance from Eirene. Come down. This place is dangerous.” I stood where I was...cold, silent, watching him carry her gently down the stairs. They turned and finally saw me. Both froze. But Jareth did not let go of her. Instead, he tightened his hold. “Eirene…” His jaw strained. “We’ll discuss this later.” I let out a cold, humorless laugh. “Discuss what? That the pup she carries isn’t yours?” Pain flashed through his expression. He loosened his arms around her, reaching toward me... But Lucienne moved faster. She grabbed my hands, pretending to plead. “Eirene, Jareth isn’t at fault. It’s me. I shouldn’t have been near him. Please don’t punish him because of me. Don’t ruin your bond over me.” I tried to pull free, but pain shot through my abdomen as her claws dug straight into the half-healed wound near my stitches. My leg buckled from the sudden sting. Her eyes lit up with triumph. And then...like the deranged actress she was...Lucienne shrieked and threw herself backward…crashing onto the floor.

Jareth shoved me aside in a burst of panic. My heel scraped the edge of the rooftop...one more step and I would’ve toppled straight off the Alpha Keep. But he didn’t spare me even a glance. All his attention snapped toward Lucienne sprawled on the stone floor. He crouched beside her, checking for injuries with frantic hands. Then his gaze cut back to me...feral, enraged. Before I could speak, he stormed across the rooftop and struck me. The slap echoed like a whip-crack beneath the moonlight. I stood there frozen, cheek burning, heart going numb. Jareth suddenly stiffened, as if my expression startled him. He stared at his own hand, as though only now realizing what he had done. A flicker of guilt passed through his eyes, lips parting as if to explain... But Lucienne’s sharp cry broke the moment. In an instant, all remorse drained from his face, replaced by cold, ruthless fury. He whirled back toward me. “Eirene,” he growled, voice edged with Alpha command. “Why would you harm Lucienne again? Sometimes I truly regret choosing you as my Luna! Pray to the Moon you haven’t caused her real harm. If anything happens to her or the pup, I swear you’ll answer for it!” With that, he rushed back to her side, leaving me rooted where I stood, stunned into stillness. *** Hours later, I forced myself out of the Moon Healers’ Hall. My limbs felt heavy, my chest tight. But as soon as I reached the entrance, Jareth’s warriors stepped forward, blocking my path. Without a word, they grabbed my arms and dragged me back inside. They shoved me into Lucienne’s recovery chamber. She lay in bed, looking pale and fragile beneath the soft glow of moon-crystal lanterns. Jareth’s glare was icy enough to freeze the air. “How dare you try to leave?” he snarled. “Do you even understand what you’ve done? You almost cost a life!” He didn’t bother seeking truth...his judgment was already set. “Apologize to Lucienne,” he ordered, voice like iron. “If you refuse, you’ll regret challenging me.” His hostility pressed down like a physical weight. My nails dug into my palms as I held his stare. Looking at Lucienne’s smug expression, barely hidden beneath her feigned frailty, something inside me hardened. “I didn’t attack her,” I said, voice sharp and steady. “This is her staging. If you doubt me, check the moon-warded surveillance crystals.” I lifted my chin. “I won’t apologize. If anything, you’re the ones who should.” My words sliced through the room. Jareth actually flinched, as if it had never occurred to him that I could look at him with such hatred. For a heartbeat, pain flickered in his eyes. Sensing the shift, Lucienne quickly changed her act. She tugged softly on his sleeve, voice trembling. “Jareth… let it be. I’ll stay away from both of you. As long as the child is safe… I don’t care if I have to watch you from afar.” His brows knitted, confusion and frustration crossing his features. Then he faced me again. “Eirene, I don’t know what madness has consumed you, but you will apologize.” A cold smile touched my lips. “I won’t. But I will end our bond. Lucienne would prefer that, wouldn’t she?” Her eyes gleamed...for a split second. Then she quickly masked it, swiping away the tiny smile. And then...with shocking intensity...she slammed her fist into her own stomach. “Lucienne!” Jareth lunged to grab her wrists, horrified. Tears streamed down her cheeks. “She won’t stop until she destroys my pup! If she wants the pup dead so badly… then I’ll end this myself!” She began hitting herself again, viciously. Jareth’s face twisted with anguish. He pulled her close, shaking with rage and desperation. “Don’t do this… I’ll protect you,” he whispered fiercely. “I won’t let anything happen to the pup. I’ll keep you safe...no matter what.” His voice broke. “Eirene will pay for every last threat. She won’t come near you again.” I turned away. I didn’t want to hear the words meant for her. I took one last glance at them...Lucienne clinging desperately, Jareth holding her as if she were his whole world...and walked toward the door. But before I could leave, Jareth stepped into my path. His presence loomed, dark and storm-like, blocking every escape.

His voice sounded soft, almost gentle...yet his eyes held the chill of a winter moon. “Eirene,” Jareth murmured, “this is for your own good… and for Lucienne’s safety. Don’t worry. The Moon-Healer’s procedure won’t hurt much.” Something in his calm expression made dread coil in my chest. I narrowed my eyes. “Jareth… what are you planning?” He met my stare with eerie stillness. His words, however, were sharp enough to cut flesh. “As long as you’re unable to carry a child, you won’t be a danger to her unborn pup,” he said evenly. “It’s a small rune-binding, nothing more. Once her child is born and thriving, I’ll have the Healers remove it.” His tone softened, almost coaxing. That was when the truth struck me like a blow. He wanted to have the Moon-Healers bind my womb... a forced infertility sigil! My blood ran cold. “You’re out of your mind!” I shouted, voice raw. “Jareth, you’ve lost every shred of sense!” I tried to push past him, but his warriors stepped forward, blocking the door with their towering forms. In the end, they dragged me across the Moon-Healer wing, my cries echoing against the stone and pinned me onto the cold ritual slab. Tears blurred my vision as I glared up at Jareth. “Jareth! Let me go!” I screamed. “I’ve told you...I’m innocent! If you do this, I’ll never forgive you. I’ll walk away!” But my words meant nothing. He simply gave a quiet, humorless laugh. “You adore me too much, Eirene,” he said softly. “You’d never truly leave.” My entire body trembled. The next moment, cold moon-infused anesthesia seeped into my veins like liquid frost. Right before darkness took me, I heard the Moon-Healer’s hesitant whisper. “Alpha… she miscarried only days ago. If I place the sigil now, even removing it later may not restore her ability to bear a pup. Are you certain?” Jareth didn’t hesitate. “Proceed,” he commanded, voice like ice. “It doesn’t matter if she can’t have children. She can raise Lucienne’s pup.” A single tear slipped down my cheek. In that moment, the last fragment of love I had left for him died. *** When consciousness returned, I lay still, staring blankly at the ceiling. Then, without looking at Jareth, I slowly turned and reached for my communication crystal. I sent a message to the Silverhart Holdings steward. His reply came quickly: Two days. In two days, I could finally escape this nightmare. A small, faint smile touched my lips. Jareth noticed immediately...the way I didn’t glance at him, the quiet smile as I studied the glowing crystal. His expression darkened. He snatched it from my hand. “Who are you speaking to?” But the crystal had already dimmed. He demanded the unlocking sigil again and again, irritation sharp in his voice. Tired of his persistence, I finally replied, “The night we first met.” He went still, caught off guard. His brows twitched as he tried to recall the memory... but even with Lucienne hovering beside him, he couldn’t unlock it. I tilted my head slightly, a cold smirk curving my lips. A flicker of guilt crossed Jareth’s eyes. Lucienne stepped forward, looping her arm through his. Her voice chimed sweetly, but her gaze shone with triumphant fire. “Eirene,” she said, “Jareth has asked me to move into the Moonridge Villa you two shared. He wants me close so he can protect me and the pup. We’re hosting a gathering there tonight...you don’t mind, do you?” I turned away from her, my expression calm, unreadable. Then I slid off my wedding ring...our Luna-Bond band...and placed it on her palm. “I don’t mind,” I said quietly. “Take the villa. Take Jareth. I’m finished.”

Eirene’s POV Jareth’s eyes flashed with sudden panic. He snatched the Luna-bond ring from Lucienne’s hand and tried to force it back onto my finger. But my body had grown too thin. The ring slipped again and again...just like our mate bond slipping beyond repair. Seeing this, he curled his fingers around the ring, a cold, humorless smile twisting his lips. “You’re alone now, Eirene,” he said softly, mockingly. “No family, no pack of your own. I’m the only wolf you can depend on. Where else do you think you’ll run?” Then he pulled Lucienne against his chest, arms wrapping around her deliberately. He watched me as though waiting for jealousy to tear me apart. “You’ll attend the gathering tonight,” he declared. “But the position of Luna… will not be yours.” He let the words freeze the air before turning away. *** That evening, I straightened my clothes and returned to Moonridge Villa. It glowed with warm lights, festive and loud. Even though I’d been gone only a few days, the entire place felt… foreign. The enormous wedding portrait that once covered the living room wall had been replaced... with an image of Jareth and Lucienne beneath moonlit blossoms. The decorations I had chosen were gone, exchanged for pastel colors and delicate florals. I turned away, trying to remain calm...until I glanced toward the garden. My breath caught. The lunar roses were gone. All of them uprooted. Those roses… a rare breed grown only under sacred moonlight, each worth a fortune. Jareth had planted them for her, each one tended by elite horticrafters. Once, he told me the garden would never die as long as he lived. He kept his promise... just not for me. I let out a humorless laugh and headed toward the staircase. That was when Lucienne appeared, grabbing my wrist and dragging me to the center of the hall. Her face glowed with triumph. “You actually came back,” she said with a glittering smile. “Good. Now you can watch just how deeply Jareth cherishes me.” I kept my gaze steady. “What do you want from me?” “I want the Luna title,” she answered instantly. “And I want Jareth.” I stared at her. “You already have both. What else do you want? Everything that belongs to him...take it. I don’t want any of it.” She froze. Then, without warning, she slapped herself. Hard. In the next breath, she clawed at her own dress, tearing it open. Before I could react, she grabbed my hands, tears welling in her eyes. “I know you’ll never let him go,” she whispered shakily. Just then, Jareth strode out of the hall... right in time to see Lucienne crying, her dress torn, handprints blooming across her cheek. His eyes widened, then darkened with fury. “Eirene!” he roared. “Did you learn nothing? I only just let you out of confinement!” “It wasn’t me...she did it to her...” Before I could finish, Jareth’s hand clamped around my throat. Cold. Unyielding. Alpha-level strength. “If you’re about to tell me to check the scrying stones again, don’t bother,” he hissed. “Lucienne carries my pup. Why would she harm herself? Eirene, you sicken me.” His eyes burned with hatred. “Let… go…” I choked out. Right before I blacked out, he released me, tossing me aside. Only then did Lucienne rush to him, whimpering, “Jareth, please… stop. I’m all right. I’ll endure it.” He wrapped his jacket around her shoulders, brushing a thumb over her bruised cheek with tenderness. Then he turned to me... and in one violent motion, he ripped my dress apart and struck me twice across the face. “From today onward,” he said coldly, “anything you inflict on Lucienne, I’ll repay upon you tenfold. Now get out. This den is no longer yours.” My cheek burned, my vision blurred. Pack members began gathering, murmuring in shock as I stumbled away, clutching the torn fabric. I ran upstairs. But before I could change, Jareth’s guards burst in and dragged me out of the villa. He stood outside, expression blank and merciless. I didn’t speak. I simply turned and walked away. Moments later, a car pulled up to fetch me. I changed into the clothes my assistant brought and called my secretary. “The Valemont Consortium’s deal is set for tomorrow,” I said. “Release an official statement that Silverhart Holdings is withdrawing... and drag the Darkhowl Pack’s businesses with it. I want Jareth’s entirely in ruins.” After hanging up, I glanced at the plane ticket glowing on my communication crystal. Starting tonight, I was finally free. And Jareth? He would pay in blood.