Our life together unfolded with the passage of time. We had known each other since we were eighteen, began dating at twenty, married at twenty-six, and welcomed our daughter Lyra into the world when we were twenty-nine. Lyra was just six years old.
For years, I followed Orion with unwavering devotion. My gaze never left him, always burning with love. I spent my youth and the prime of my adulthood by his side, believing that one day I would hold a cherished place in his heart. But I was wrong. To him, I was never more than a second-best option. While he basked in the affection of others, I grew accustomed to being humble and making sacrifices.
Despite being mated and sharing a child, I never dared to ask too much of him. He was constantly busy leading the Blood Rose Pack, and I knew better than to disturb him. Whether it was dealing with illness, attending prenatal check-ups, or even giving birth, I bore everything alone, afraid that my needs would annoy him. I never wanted to be a burden.
The only time I had ever personally asked him to come for us was when I heard rumors of rogue sightings at the border. I feared for our safety, for Lyra's safety. But even then, because of Lilith, he abandoned me—his Luna—and our daughter. His decision led to Lyra’s death. She was only six, full of potential and dreams.
Does he even know how excruciating it was to watch our daughter die in front of me? Does he understand that a part of me died with her? Those mornings and nights lost their meaning after her death.
I knelt at Lyra’s grave, sobbing until there were no more tears left to shed. My body felt as empty as my heart. When I finally rose, I left with a heart that felt as though it had died.
Not long after, I saw Alpha Orion and Lilith approaching. He held her shoulders tenderly while she cradled an urn in her hands, her face haggard and grief-stricken. My mate looked at her with eyes full of pity and tenderness—a gaze he never spared me.
"The cemetery is beautiful, full of birds and flowers," Lilith said softly. "Farrow would have liked it, right?"
Farrow was Lilith’s poodle. I felt a bitter pang of irony at the thought.
Orion’s expression was one of deep concern as he looked at Lilith. But when his eyes met mine, his gaze hardened, the pity replaced by a cold indifference.