When Raiden turns to speak to me, his face is impossibly close, too close. His breath is warm against my skin, and I feel the heat of his presence radiating from him. My heart stutters, skipping a beat, and then racing uncontrollably. There’s something about the way he moves, the way he holds himself, that pulls me in. I try to steady my breath, to calm myself down, but it’s as if his mere presence disrupts everything inside me.
But just as my heart begins to race faster, a familiar figure behind him catches my eye. The fluttering in my chest halts, replaced by a sharp, cold twist in my stomach.
Lila.
She’s following behind him, always in his shadow, never far from his side. As a Delta, she’s always there when the pack needs diplomatic representation. She’s perfect for that role. Elegant, poised, graceful. Everything I’ve never been. I watch her, feeling the familiar sting of jealousy surge in my chest, but this time, it’s different.
I don’t feel the fury that used to burn inside me when I saw them together. The rage that used to consume me, making my world spin out of control, is absent. Instead, there’s just a deep, gnawing ache.
I swallow hard and try to push the thoughts away, but they’re persistent. In the past, seeing Raiden with Lila would have set off a storm inside me–jealousy, resentment, the belief that I wasn’t enough. But now? Now, I’ve made up my mind. I want a divorce. I don’t need to be tangled up in this anymore. I’ve had enough.
Raiden’s voice breaks through my thoughts, his tone teasing, but there’s a hint of something else there too. “It’s your turn now, fake wife,” he whispers in my ear.
