It had become a familiar sound in this house, a sound that twisted the knife deeper into my heart every time I heard it.
I gripped the edge of the bed, trying to steady my breathing. The pain was still there, sharp and raw, but it was different now. It wasn’t just grief—it was anger. Anger at Damon for abandoning me when I needed him the most. Anger at Leah for betraying me. Anger at myself for staying as long as I had.
“Enough,” I whispered to myself, standing up.
I was done being the silent, suffering wife! I had tried, for the sake of the pack, for the sake of the bond, but I couldn’t do it anymore. I couldn’t stay in a place where I was unloved and unwanted…
I took a deep breath and walked down the stairs, suitcase in hand. Damon was sitting on the couch, leaning back casually while Leah sat too close to him, her hand resting on his arm like she had any right to touch him. My stomach churned at the sight.
“Damon,” I called, my voice steady despite the chaos raging inside me.
He glanced up, barely paying me any attention. “Yeah?”
“I need to talk to you. Alone.”
Leah looked between us, her smirk faltering slightly, but she didn’t move. She never did. Always acting like she had more of a claim on him than I did.
“It’s fine, Luna. Whatever you need to say, you can say it in front of her,” Damon said, his tone dismissive.
I clenched my jaw, trying to keep my emotions in check. “No. It’s not fine. This is between you and me.”
Leah huffed, crossing her arms. “Oh please, Luna. You’re just going to whine about how Damon hasn’t been paying attention to you, aren’t you? Let me guess—you’re upset because he’s been with me?”
“Leah,” I said, my voice icy. “Leave. Now.”
Her smirk grew. “Make me.”
Damon glanced at her, then back at me, clearly uncomfortable with the tension. “Leah, just… give us a minute.”
She rolled her eyes, standing up but making a show of it. “Fine. But Damon, don’t take too long. We’ve got plans, remember?” She looked at me with that smug look, the one that made me want to scream. “Just hurry it up. I’m getting tired of waiting for you to make a decision.”
With that, she strutted out of the room, leaving me alone with Damon. I stared at him, heart heavy, but I couldn’t back down now. I had to do this.
“I’m leaving,” I said, the words finally out in the open. I’d imagined saying them a hundred times, but now that they were out there, they felt heavy, final.