Chapter 4: The Price of Betrayal
Azaria's Point of View
I let his words wash over me like a distant echo, focusing on a different battle raging within myself. Ethan's voice, smooth and calculated, reminded me of the way my father used to speak—cold, manipulative, and quick to use me when it suited him. My father had been the architect of my misery, and Ethan, in many ways, had become a mirror reflection of him. He understood the mechanics of control but lacked the depth to truly grasp the damage he inflicted. Or perhaps he simply didn't care.
As Ethan's smirk widened, I felt a shiver run through me. The expression was a reminder of the control he wielded over me. It was only then that I fully snapped back to reality, realizing that I had been drifting in and out of a mental haze, caught between anger and resignation. Ethan's gaze was piercing, probing, and I could feel his satisfaction in my turmoil.
"Aria, what are you thinking?" he asked, his tone turning mocking. "This isn't like you. You know your mine and the renewal is in no way your decision. You're usually so docile, so obedient and..."
Before he could finish his thought, I cut him off sharply. "Don't go there, Ethan. Or I won't be able to hold my tongue."
He chuckled darkly, leaning back with an air of superiority. "I'm just saying, you're letting your emotions get the better of you. You know…"
I stopped listening to him, my thoughts growing darker. The sterile, clinical environment of the hospital room seemed to close in on me. I had been the perfect Luna for over five years, embodying every expectation placed upon me. But now, the anger bubbling beneath the surface threatened to consume me. I had been used, manipulated, discarded. For what? His amusement? His status? The realization of my own worthlessness in his eyes stung sharper than any physical injury I had ever sustained.
No longer.
"Go to hell, Ethan," I whispered fiercely, trying to keep my voice low enough that no attendants would overhear. The words felt foreign on my tongue, but they carried the weight of my pent-up frustration and betrayal.
His smug expression didn't falter. "You know it's all your fault," he said smoothly. "After all, you're Luna. Shouldn't you be the one seducing me since an heir has yet to be produced?"
His words slithered around me like a venomous snake, sinking deeper with every syllable. Each accusation seemed to peel away a layer of my resolve, exposing the raw, painful truth beneath.
For the first time since marrying him, I felt something unexpected—pure regret. The path I had chosen, the sacrifices I had made, all seemed like a cruel joke. How had I let myself fall into this trap? How had I allowed myself to become a pawn in his twisted game?
I pushed Nyrie, my inner wolf, to the back of my mind. She had been raging for release ever since the conversation began, her frustration and anger mirroring my own. But I couldn't afford to let her take control. Not yet. I needed to face this confrontation with clarity, not driven by primal rage.
Seeing my composure crack, Ethan chuckled. "You're done hiding, aren't you? What happened to all that 'special' power of yours? All you can do is run."
His goading didn't affect me the way it used to. Instead, I looked at him calmly, a chilling serenity settling over me. "I was letting Nyrie express herself. She deserves it after years of neglect and gaslighting. I will spend the rest of my life repaying her for my stupidity."
Ethan's face registered a flicker of confusion, as if he were struggling to comprehend the depth of my words. But I wasn't finished. There was more I needed to say, a final act of defiance to reclaim my dignity.
"Oh, dear husband, I see your head is so far up your own ass, it's causing a lapse in your memory. No worry, being the dutiful wife I am, I'd gladly share my memories with you." His eyes bulged, never had I used profane words when speaking with him.
"There once was a princess…" I began, my voice soft yet sharp like a knife edge, my voice growing steadier, more determined.
He opened his mouth but before he could interject, I started again, "There once was a princess- if we can even call her that. She was of royal blood and highly respected, even though she was only 13, simply because she was brilliant. Any task her father gave her, she completed easily whether it was wars plans or diplomatic events. This particular event, the Alliance meeting, was held in the new alliance center she had come up and designed with her father's help. Because of that, it was the most important by far, since she would actually be allowed to attend the ball instead of being sent with the other children. She was so excited until she heard the whispers of the adults who didn't care if children where near or not. Apparently, there was an Alpha who gave his title to a 17-year-old omega he had adopted only a few years prior, over the legitimate child of adult years he had with his Luna. They even talked about how the legitimate son was so angry, he left the pack with a few older members and the members who remained are suffering since no one respects their Alpha enough to even offer him a far exchange rate."
I briefly paused to sip from the water sitting next to my bed before placing it back while continuing. "After hearing stories like this over and over, from every corner of the ball, she was finally able to escape outside, shocked to see another young person at the ball. He sat on a bench, head dropping as if he was completely defeated. She sat beside him, offering him friendly conversation. They talked and laughed until she asked for his name and he became gloomy. That's when she realized what was happening and she decided to befriend him, not out of pity as many thought, but out of relatability. After that they became friends. She helped him gain respect, even showed him how to act as a younger Alpha and he became her spare ears. Anything she wanted to say, she could without fear of repercussions. She trusted him, even told him the truth behind her life. They became so close; her brother would help him sneak in to see her after she was beaten so badly with a silver whip it would leave her unable to move. This friendship lasted a little over a year. That was, until one day, he asked her to be with him, as luna so she can be free. She laughed, and told him honestly, she didn't see him like that but she did apricate the offer."
I stopped again, drinking another sip while glancing at Ethan. His eyes looking downward, a little glossy and shoulders slump. Not surprising, at time I wanted to bring up what happened, he always found a way to avoid the topic or just left. He's never heard the details from my point of view.
I continue, a new sense of calm and resolve coming over me, "After that, he stopped coming to see her, she waited on him, missing her best friend. Months passed before she heard word of him again. Being slapped awake in the middle of the night by her father while he's yelling and screaming profanities at her. She had never been struck by him before in her life. To her surprise, her stepmother stepping in to stop him. After an hour of dodging objects, and verbal abuse from her father, her stepmother informed her of a war that was waged against her pack and their allies. The lead opposing pack, was that of her old friend. He had used his knowledge to create situations that made some packs question the alliance and switch sides before her father even knew there were sides. The only thing was, through all the conversations they had, nothing of importance ever came up. She only complained about her stepmother and sister to him. And although she tried her best to get her father to understand this, he wouldn't listen to her. In the falling months, they prepared for war, while dealing with small attacks here and there. Within Five months, she was no longer heir, but her sister was. This almost broke her. Not that a noble pack be led by a non-noble, but by the fact that it would be ran by her half-sister. The selfish and spiteful she wolfs who helped torture her. All of this came to a head when an envoy was sent to each pack with the same letter. 'Peace will be achieved once Bloodwolf gives their most prized gem to Alpha Ethan Thorne of Thornwolf pack and only then will we sign a new alliance contract.' All the Alphas agreed, seeing it as a peaceful way to end the war before it truly began and there was real bloodshed. Until then, only a few guards here and there have been hurt, but all had recovered. And so, this so-called alliance meeting took place, there was two objectives brought up, the treaty and the contract. The treaty, alliancing 62 packs creating one of the biggest exchange routes was signed. There was still a good number of packs that did not agree with the contract, or selling a child for peace, since the contact promised the 'gem' Azaria Millo to Alpha Ethan Thorne. A marriage contract with a time stamp. Stating that after the first five years, a renewal contract will be signed during the alliance yearly meetings, only then can the alpha plead his case to retrieve a divorce and choose a new luna. There were only three clauses added to 'protect' the young girl. One. She would not be mated until of age, meaning sixteen. Two. She will not be marked until she approves. The removal is quite painful and only the goddess knows if she will remove the mark as well as the bond. Only the bond is an absolute removal. Three. The girl is allowed one servant to take with her. Quite gracious of the alpha to agree right? The girl thought so too. If this meant her people living peacefully, she would gladly be the sacrifice. And so, at the tender age of fifteen, she was married of at the being of the alliance's winter ball that year."
I go quite momentarily as a single tear escape my eyes, burning its pathway down my cheek. I swallow the lump, now looking at him again ready to continue, "Once she arrived, he convinced her that she was holding her friend back, and helped get her friend into the best medical school, essentially helping her become the head doctor in their pack. Although the girl was grateful, she had to suffer quietly while her friend was gone. The night her friend left, she was marked and mated. Funny enough, a few nights later, when she marked him, she learned his true age. For you see, when she marked him, Selene let her glimpse into his past. The supposedly seventeen-year-old boy was actually a twenty-three-year-old man who had not been banished from his prior pack, but yet the oldest illegitimate son of the prior Alpha. All the 'help' he received from the princess was just to learn the best way to control the loveless princess. A princess, once loved and cherished, betrayed by those she trusted. A life, once filled with hope and promise, has been marred by deceit and cruelty."
The story was a metaphor for our twisted romance—a tale of betrayal and deception warped into a painful love story.
The tale was not just a story but a reflection of my own journey. The lies, the manipulation, the betrayal—I laid it all bare for Ethan to see.
I watched as Ethan's face paled as I delved deeper into the narrative. His composed exterior cracked, revealing a glimpse of the unease that had been simmering beneath his confident facade. The more I spoke, the more his confidence wavered, replaced by a growing sense of apprehension.
By the time I finished recounting the story, the room fell into an uncomfortable silence. Ethan's eyes, once so full of arrogance, now reflected a mixture of guilt and fear. But instead of addressing his expression, I focused on me—on reclaiming my sense of self and asserting my power.
"I'm leaving you, Ethan," I stated, my voice unwavering. "You will divorce me at the hearing for the contract renewal, the alliance will have to be renegotiated without me or my cooperation. Even if I stay, I will never let you touch me again, and you do need an heir, do you not?"
The declaration hung in the air, heavy with the finality of my decision. Ethan's mouth opened and closed as if searching for words, but nothing came. His carefully constructed world was crumbling, and he was left to face the consequences of his actions.
At that moment, Dr. Lillian entered the room. Her presence was a welcome distraction from the tense confrontation. I couldn't help but smile, a mixture of relief and triumph coursing through me. My time as Luna was officially over, and the chains that had bound me to this oppressive role were finally breaking.
Dr. Lillian approached with a professional demeanor, her eyes flicking briefly between Ethan and me. "Luna Azaria, how are you feeling?" she asked, her tone a stark contrast to the emotional turbulence of the previous moments.
I nodded towards her. "Better."
Dr. Lillian's gaze softened, but her professionalism remained intact. "Good to hear. Alpha, I'm going to have to ask you to step out, I have a few more things I need to do know that the Luna is awake."
Ethan. His figure, once a towering presence in my life, now seemed diminished, almost pitiable. The balance of power had shifted, and I was no longer the pawn in his game.
With a final, resolute nod, I turned away, ready to step into a future defined by my own choices, free from the shackles of betrayal and manipulation. The road ahead was uncertain, but for the first time in a long time, I felt a glimmer of hope.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone