Felix Axeford sat on the couch in the villa, cradling a trembling she-wolf in his arms, Portia Smith.
Portia was his fated mate, but he had exiled her from the pack five years ago.
I was the chief warrior and Felix's current mate. I stood at the bottom of the stairs in my armor that was covered in mud.
"Selena Lunaro," Felix said, "I want you to move out of the master bedroom."
I was stunned by his words, wondering if my ears were playing tricks on me.
"What did you say?"
"I said I want you to move out of the master bedroom," Felix repeated.
He raised his head, glaring at me with impatient eyes that used to look at me as if I were his entire world.
"Portia can't stay in a damp place because of her leg. The master bedroom has the best sunlight. It's perfect for her to stay in during her recovery."
"Where am I going to stay?" I asked.
"The guestroom or the warriors' quarters," Felix answered flippantly. "You're a warrior. You can sleep anywhere. Don't be so difficult."
The warriors' quarters?
It was a large space where the young and unmated wolves lived.
I was Felix's mate and the pack's future Luna, and yet he wanted me to live with the other wolves in that cramped space.
"Do you hear yourself, Felix?" I demanded while suppressing my anger. "I'm your mate. We've stayed together in the master bedroom for the past five years."
"That's in the past now," Felix said, looking down at Portia.
Portia let out a pained moan right at that moment. She tightly gripped Felix's clothes with pale fingers.
"My leg hurts so much, Felix," she whimpered. "Am I going to be crippled?"
"You won't. I'm here," Felix replied gently.
It had been months since I heard Felix speak in that tone.
His gentle expression disappeared the moment he looked at me and gave his order. "You took Portia's place for the last five years, Selena. You should be more understanding."
More understanding?
For the last five years, I accompanied Felix during all his conquests, collecting up to 18 scars all over my body. I helped him eliminate the traitors in the pack, expand his territory, and turn his pack, which was on the brink of destruction, into the biggest clan in the north.
I kept vigil by his bedside every time he got hurt. I even sacrificed one of my kidneys for his sake.
From the very beginning, Felix was the one who told me that he didn't want his fated mate, who was assigned by the Moon Goddess. He told me that the only she-wolf he wanted was me.
However, at that moment, he was telling me that Portia, a she-wolf who only knew how to cry, was the true Luna of the pack.
"And what if I refuse?" I asked, tightening my grip on my sword.
Felix's expression darkened. "This is an Alpha's command, Selena. Are you going to go against me?"
My knees started throbbing painfully.
Felix was trying to force me to submit to him with his Alpha's command, but I powered through the pain and didn't kneel.
I was the chief warrior of the Silvermoon pack. I only kneeled to heaven, earth, and my fallen comrades. I refused to kneel to such a preposterous order.
"You dare to challenge an Alpha's command? I heard that many wolves in the pack listen to your orders, Selena. Some of them even think that you'll be a better leader. Is that true?"
I was shocked upon learning that such a ridiculous rumor was circulating through the pack. My heart turned hollow, and I felt immensely disappointed.
I had put my life on the line countless times for Felix's sake in the last few years, giving everything I had to him. However, in the end, from his perspective, I wasn't even worth his trust, even though I had sacrificed everything for him.
I barked out a self-deprecating laugh. "Is the answer that important to you? Remember this day, Felix. You're the one who forced me to move out."
I turned around and left after I was done speaking, not bothering to spare them another glance.
"Is Selena angry, Felix?" Portia asked timidly. "Maybe we shouldn't ask her to move out of the master bedroom. I don't mind staying in the basement…"
"Don't worry about her," Felix replied. "She has thick skin. She's used to it."
…
I returned to the master bedroom and looked around at the place I had lived in for the last five years.
My photos with Felix were still hanging on the wall. The bone teeth necklace that he had given me was sitting on the bedside table.
I grabbed a trash bag and started dumping all the clothes, photos, and presents into it.
Since Felix wanted me to move out of this room, I was going to erase every single trace of my presence.
Just as I dragged the trash bag out of the room, I bumped into Felix, who was carrying Portia up the stairs.
Felix frowned as he looked at the trash bag and asked, "What are you doing?"
"Moving out of the room," I replied. "I'm taking out the trash."
"Do whatever you want."
Felix averted his gaze and carried Portia into the master bedroom—the room that had once belonged to us.
The door slammed shut behind him.
I headed out of the villa and dumped the contents of the trash bag onto the ground. I then pulled out a lighter and lit up the only photo I had with Felix.
The flames immediately swallowed Felix's smiling face in the photo.
I left the rest of the things that were filled with memories to an Omega maid, saying, "Burn everything. They're filthy. It's disgusting."
I turned around and left the place after I was done speaking, not bothering to spare a single glance back at the items.