I couldn’t breathe. Seraphine had always been in the background, but lately, she seemed to be moving more and more into the center of Aldric’s world. The pack worshiped her, and now they were openly questioning why Aldric would waste his time with someone like me.
The worst part? Aldric didn’t even seem to care.
I scrolled through more pictures—there was Aldric, smiling with Seraphine. Laughing with her in a way he never did with me. His usually cold, serious demeanor had melted away in her presence.
A part of me had always feared this day would come, but seeing it play out so publicly, so blatantly, was unbearable.
*Ping.*
My phone buzzed, and a message from Aldric appeared on the screen.
"Selene, something came up. Don’t wait for me."
It was sent hours ago.
I stared at the message, my hands shaking. He didn’t even have the decency to lie, to make an excuse. It was clear where his priorities were, and they weren’t with me.
Tears welled up in my eyes, but I forced myself to take a breath. I couldn’t keep doing this to myself. I had been holding onto a bond that Aldric no longer respected, clinging to the hope that things might change. But I was wrong.
I picked up my phone and, with trembling fingers, dialed his number. He answered on the first ring, his voice cold and distant as always.
“What is it, Selene?”
In the background, I could hear the sounds of laughter, of music and voices. He hadn’t even tried to leave the gathering.
"Where are you?" I asked, my voice shaking despite my best efforts to stay calm.
“I’m handling some pack business. What’s wrong?” His tone was detached, as if the answer didn’t really matter.
"Pack business?" I scoffed, unable to stop the bitterness from spilling out. "You mean another night with Seraphine?"
There was a brief silence on the other end before Aldric spoke again, his voice even colder. "Selene, you’re being unreasonable. I’ve told you before, Seraphine is just a friend. You’re overreacting."
My heart twisted painfully. I had heard this before, time and time again. His excuses, his indifference, the way he made it seem like I was the one in the wrong.
"I can’t do this anymore, Aldric," I whispered, barely able to keep the tears at bay. "I can’t keep pretending like everything is fine."