Chapter 2

The ballroom was decked out in luxury, with crystal chandeliers that practically blinded anyone who glanced up.

I stood in the corner, wearing the black dress Darian had picked out for me. It was so tight that I could barely breathe.

Darian was in the middle of the crowd, glass in hand, laughing and charming everyone. He was the Alpha of the Blackwood Pack: young, accomplished, and handsome.

Everyone said I was lucky to be the Alpha's mate. But only I knew how much it hurt. This honor cut me to pieces inside.

"Luna Blackwood, why aren't you over there chatting with everyone?" A woman in a red dress walked up to me.

It was Sophia. She'd gone to the Undergraduate Academy with Darian, worked as his most trusted right-hand person, and was the one he'd always had a soft spot for.

"I'm not feeling well," I said, shrinking back a little.

Sophia flashed a dazzling smile. "Are you not feeling well, or can't you fit in with the pack? Ella, I kind of admire you.

"After everything Darian has put you through, you still shamelessly hang onto that mate status."

"We're still mated."

"Not for much longer," Sophia said, swirling her wine glass. "Darian told me you're driving him up the wall.

"Every night, he comes home to a high-strung mess who keeps staging fake suicide attempts. He said the sight of you makes his skin crawl."

My chest felt tight. The pain was so sharp that I could barely breathe. "D-Did he really say that?"

Sophia leaned in, her strong perfume stinging my nose. "What do you expect? You think he still loves you? Don't kid yourself. He only mated you because he felt sorry for your home pack. That sympathy has long gone, all thanks to you.

"Ella, let him go. And set yourself free, too."

I shoved her away. "Get away from me!"

My voice was a bit too loud. Everyone nearby stared at us.

Sophia stumbled back, her wine glass hit the floor, and red wine splattered all over her.

She let out a gasp, her face twisted into a wronged expression. "Ella, I only tried to check in on you. Why would you push me?"

Darian strode over, catching Sophia before she could fall. Then he turned to me, his gaze icy. "Ella, what the hell is wrong with you?"

"I didn't push her. She fell on her own..." I said.

"Enough!" Darian cut me off. "I saw you do it. Are you going to keep lying?"

"You'd rather believe her than me?"

"Believe you? You're nothing but a lying lunatic," Darian sneered. "Apologize to Sophia."

"I won't."

"Apologize!" he barked, his voice rising.

Everyone nearby started whispering.

"Is that Alpha Darian's crazy mate?"

"I heard she's bipolar. Guess it's true."

"She's scary. I'm staying away from her."

Those voices buzzed in my ears.

My nerves prickled, and my breath came in ragged bursts. My hands shook uncontrollably. I wanted to claw at my hair and scream my guts out. My wolf spirit was on edge.

Sophia whispered, "See? Her wolf spirit is about to lose it again."

Darian grabbed my wrist, his grip so hard it felt like he was about to crush my bones. "Quit embarrassing yourself. Come with me." He dragged me out of the hall.

I stumbled after him, my heel twisting and sending a jolt of pain through my ankle. "Darian, my foot hurts."

"Suck it up," he snapped, not glancing back as he picked up the pace.

He dragged me all the way to the parking lot and shoved me into the passenger seat. "Ella, do you think I haven't embarrassed myself enough?"

"She started it," I shot back.

"She started it? What could she want? Your crazy drama? The fact that you're useless?" Darian fired up the engine and slammed his foot on the gas.

The car shot forward.

I gripped the armrest, my stomach churning. "S-Stop the car. I-I'm gonna puke."

"If you puke in my car, you'll lick it up yourself," he said.

The car sped up even more. Outside, everything blurred into wild streaks of color.

I closed my eyes, tears slipping down my cheeks. "Darian, would you be happy if I died?"

"Yes," he replied without hesitation. "If you died, I'd throw a party for the pack. Finally free of you, my dead weight."

The silence in the car was suffocating. Only the wind howled outside.

I turned to stare out the window. My pale face stared back at me from the glass. I looked hideous, nothing more than dead weight to everyone around me.

I remembered what the healer had said. "Ella, you're on the edge of a breakdown. Your wolf spirit is getting restless. If your family can't support you, things could get really bad."

Support? I glanced over at the cold-faced man beside me. He was the one pushing me over the edge.

The car screeched to a halt. We'd arrived.

Darian unbuckled his seatbelt, didn't spare me a glance, and slammed the door as he got out.

I sat alone in the dark for a long time before I finally moved. My ankle had swollen up.

I kicked off my heels and walked barefoot across the cold concrete. The chill seeped into my feet.

It felt good. This kind of real pain was way better than the ache inside.