Chapter 5 Chapter 0005
•MASON•
“Thank you, baby. You won’t regret this,” Nadia whispered in my ear as she slid her hand into mine. Her fingers tightened, reassuring… or claiming. I couldn’t tell which. We walked out of the hall after the annual meeting, her smile bright, and confident.
But as the door closed behind us, Cassandra’s face flashed through my mind—confusion first, then hurt.
She hadn’t expected it when I announced Nadia would be overseeing the new medical school.
No one had. Especially not the woman who had worked herself to exhaustion to get it ready.
A strange knot formed in my stomach, and I felt as if I had betrayed her.
But Nadia was more experienced, decisive, and suited for leadership. She was what the pack needed.
What I needed.
That was the truth I kept repeating, even if it hurt.
“I know you’ll make me and the pack proud,” I told her as we stepped inside the pack house.
The house was quiet. Rowan was already asleep. Cassandra’s absence hung in the air like something I shouldn’t notice but did anyway.
Nadia didn’t give me time to linger on it.
The moment we reached my bedroom, she kissed me fiercely and possessively, pulling me into her familiar heat.
She undressed me quickly, pushed me onto the bed, and got on top of me.
Nadia and I had been together long before Cassandra entered my life. She wasn’t my mate, but she was the woman I’d chosen. The woman I loved. The one who fit into my life without effort.
My marriage to Cassandra had never been about love. It was political. A symbol of peace after two hundred years of war between Silvercrest and Goldenmane Court.
And yet… Cassandra had tried. I knew she had. She’d been gentle when I didn’t ask her to be. Respectful when I didn’t show her the same. She had tried to be a Luna even when half the pack whispered she wasn’t fit for the role.
But still… she wasn’t Nadia. She wasn’t strong enough, bold enough, or commanding enough to carry the pack with me.
She wasn’t the woman my heart wanted.
Nadia lay beside me now, her finger tracing slow circles across my chest. “You did the right thing today,” she murmured. “The school needs strong leadership. Cassandra would’ve struggled.”
Her pause wasn’t insulting. It was careful.
“She isn’t weak,” I replied, swallowing. “She’s softer than you.”
“And softness is beautiful,” Nadia replied, brushing her thumb against my jaw. “But not for a Luna.” Her voice lowered. “You know that better than anyone.”
I didn't answer, not when my stomach still twisted at the thought of Cassandra’s face at the annual meeting.
“Mason, there’s something I wanted to tell you earlier, but the ceremony was hectic, and I didn’t want to worry you.”
My entire body tensed. “What is it?”
She hesitated. “It’s about Cassandra.”
My throat tightened.
Nadia exhaled softly. “She’s been distant. You’ve noticed that. And lately I’ve overheard things. Things I really wish I hadn’t.”
My heart beat once, hard.
“She’s been talking to someone online,” Nadia said slowly. “A man. Maybe more than one. At first, I thought I misunderstood, but the way she’s been having secret walks, and always on calls, really tells me she's been keeping herself busy.” She bit her lip. “I thought it wasn’t my place to tell you.”
There was silence between us as I tried to comprehend what she had just told me. Cassandra, talking to someone?
“I’m not accusing her,” Nadia added quickly. “Maybe it’s innocent. Maybe she’s just lonely. Everyone knows how isolated she feels here.” She hesitated. “I just… don’t want you blindsided.”
A hollow ache formed in my chest. Loneliness? Yes. I’d seen that.
She and I weren't spending time together like we used to when we first got married.
“And that’s not the worst part,” Nadia whispered. “She even tells the young she-wolves that loyalty is outdated. That it’s fine to ‘explore’ while their mates are away. That they shouldn’t tie themselves down to a single bond.” Nadia scoffed. “Our Luna, teaching infidelity? Is that the example you want for our pack?”
My jaw clenched. Cassandra would never — but would she? I didn’t know anymore. Not really.
Nadia touched my shoulder gently. “Maybe it’s all a misunderstanding. I hope it is.”
She gave a small, sad smile. “But Mason… people are talking. And if even half of what they think is true, it reflects on you. She makes you look weak,” she whispered. “Like you can’t control your own household.”
The thought made my stomach tighten.
A Luna’s conduct reflected directly on her Alpha. If she were truly spreading such ideas or talking to other men…
It wasn’t just disrespect. It was public, pack-wide humiliation.
I let out a long exhale and rubbed a hand over my face. “I don’t want to make a decision out of emotion.”
“Then make it out of logic.” Nadia sat up, her voice calm, almost clinical. “You don’t love her, and you don’t want her. You already chose me.”
"I did," I sighed. "But this will affect our relationship with the Goldenmane Court."
"We have the strongest warriors to protect us against threats," she answered. "You know her pack is no match against us, not after her father's death."
I sat up and tried to steady my breathing. "You're right."
Nadia smiled as she rested her head on my shoulder. “I care about the pack. And I care about you. You deserve a partner who strengthens you, not someone who makes you question yourself.”
My throat felt tight.
I didn’t want Cassandra hurt. However, I didn’t want the pack to be jeopardized. And I didn’t want to keep living under suspicion.
The decision didn’t come fast. It came slowly, and painfully. I reached for my phone.
My lawyer answered immediately. “Alpha Mason?”
My voice felt heavier than I expected. “I need divorce papers drawn up. Have them delivered to Cassandra in the morning.”
“Of course, Alpha. I’ll prepare them for dawn.”
“Thank you.” I hung up the call and exhaled.
Nadia curled closer, but I barely felt her. My mind was elsewhere—on Cassandra’s expression earlier, on her tired eyes, on the quiet spaces between us I never tried filling.
Tomorrow she would receive the papers, and everything would change.