Chapter 2 A Shattered Wolf

Lena’s body felt weightless, drifting between the void of unconsciousness and the sharp sting of reality. The last thing she remembered was Damian’s cold voice, his rejection slicing through her like a blade. "You are not my mate." She should have woken up screaming. Instead, there was only silence. A hollow ache sat in her chest, but her wolf did not stir. It was as if a part of her had already died. When she finally opened her eyes, she found herself in her bedroom. The curtains were drawn, the scent of lavender lingering in the air, but nothing felt comforting. She pushed herself up, her body aching as if she had been in battle. A movement caught her eye. Her mother sat across the room, arms crossed, her expression unreadable. “You’re awake.” Lena swallowed, her throat dry. “How long?” “Since the ceremony,” her mother said stiffly. “Two days.” Two days? The weight of it pressed against Lena’s chest. She had lost two days to unconsciousness while Damian… A lump formed in her throat. “Did he—” “He announced his union with Selene yesterday.” The words were meant to be factual, but the slight curl of distaste on her mother’s lips told Lena that even she found it humiliating. Still, there was no warmth, no concern. Her parents had always been distant, but this—this was different. Her father stepped into the room then, his gaze heavy with something Lena couldn’t name. Disappointment? Frustration? He exhaled sharply. “Get up. If you lie here wallowing, you’ll only bring more shame to yourself.” Lena’s chest tightened. She had always known her parents weren’t the affectionate type, but she never thought they’d be so indifferent to her pain. “I need to speak to him,” she said, forcing herself to her feet despite the weakness in her limbs. Her mother’s gaze hardened. “Don’t make a fool of yourself, Lena. He made his choice. Learn to live with it.” Her father crossed his arms. “You were never strong enough for him. Accept that.” The words hit her harder than Damian’s rejection. She staggered slightly but steadied herself. Her parents wouldn’t fight for her. No one would. But she needed to hear it from Damian one last time. The pack house was alive with celebration when Lena arrived. Wolves moved in and out of the grand hall, congratulating Damian and Selene on their upcoming mating ceremony. Laughter and chatter filled the air, but it felt suffocating to Lena. Eyes turned toward her the moment she stepped inside. Some held pity, others amusement. A few whispered behind their hands. "Poor thing." One person said "She actually showed up?". A second voice Lena heard "Pathetic." A woman said while staring at her Lena ignored them, her steps determined even as the humiliation curled in her gut like a living thing. She found him near the balcony, his posture relaxed as Selene leaned into him. Her laugh rang through the space, light and victorious. Lena’s stomach twisted and got upset, but she stepped forward. “Damian.” He turned, his expression unreadable. If there was any regret, any hesitation, he hid it well. “What are you doing here?” Damian asked angrily “I need to understand.” she replied Damian sighed and moved his fingers through his hair “There’s nothing to understand,” he said coldly. “I chose Selene, it's that simple. Lena’s hands clenched into fists. “You rejected me like I was nothing. Why?” Selene smirked, looping her arm through Damian’s. “Because you are nothing, Lena.” The words landed harder than she expected, but it was Damian’s silence that hurt the most. He didn’t correct Selene, didn’t so much as glance at Lena with remorse. Lena turned to him, her voice trembling. “Did I ever matter to you? Was I a joke to you all along?” Damian exhaled sharply, as if she were an annoyance. “Lena, please stop this.” “No. Answer me.” Something flickered in his eyes—something dark. “You were a duty. That’s all.” Lena felt like the floor had been ripped from beneath her. Selene chuckled. “This is just embarrassing. You should probably leave.” Lena couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe. Then, a voice—soft but steady. Memories of a Love That Never Was Lena stood frozen, the weight of Damian’s words crashing over her “ You were a duty. That's all .” Her heart clenched, and for a moment, she forgot how to breathe. The world blurred, but through the haze of pain, memories clawed their way to the surface—memories of a time when she believed Damian was meant to be hers. She had loved him for as long as she could remember. Before he was the powerful Alpha, before the coldness in his gaze, he had been hers in a way no one else had. “Stay close, Lena,” Damian had once told her when they were just pups, his fingers wrapping around her wrist as they ran through the forest. “I’ll always protect you.” She had believed him then. He had been her shelter, her home. Lena squeezed her eyes shut, willing the past to disappear, but it only came rushing back stronger. She remembered the way his golden eyes softened whenever he looked at her. The way his touch, even in the smallest gestures, had sent shivers down her spine. “You’re everything, Lena.” Hadn’t he whispered those words against her skin once? The first time they snuck out past the training grounds, lying beneath the stars, he had traced patterns on her palm absentmindedly. "What if we’re not fated?" she had asked, half-teasing, half-fearful. Damian had turned to her then, his face barely illuminated by the moonlight. His gaze had burned into her. “Then I’ll fight fate.” She had believed him. She had held onto every stolen glance, every lingering touch, every whispered promise. She thought of the way he used to pull her close during pack runs, his breath hot against her ear as he murmured, "Keep up, little wolf." How he would bring her wildflowers after patrols, smirking as if it meant nothing. How his touch would linger a little too long whenever they sparred, his fingers brushing against her waist before he stepped away. Had it all been a lie? Had she been nothing more than a fleeting moment of amusement before he tossed her aside? Lena gritted her teeth, the pain morphing into something sharper—something that burned. She opened her eyes and looked at Damian now, standing beside Selene, his expression unreadable. Was he remembering, too? Or had she always been the only one holding on? The memories shattered all at once, crumbling into dust as Selene curled her fingers around Damian’s arm, pulling him closer. The meaning was clear—he was hers now. And Lena? Lena was nothing. A howl tore through her chest, but it never left her lips. Her wolf screamed inside her, the agony unbearable, and before she could take another breath, darkness consumed her. "Now you understand." Lena gasped, her legs giving out beneath her. She collapsed onto the cold stone floor, the weight of realization crushing her. The voice… it wasn’t some foreign presence. It wasn’t her wolf. It was herself. The part of her that had always known—deep down—that Damian had never truly loved her. That she had spent her life trying to prove she was worthy of someone who had neve r seen her as enough. Tears burned her eyes, but she didn’t let them fall. For the first time, she wasn’t just heartbroken. She was awake.