Athena's POV
I felt it before I heard it.
A shift in the air. A sharp, cutting sensation deep in my chest, like an invisible claw digging into my heart and twisting it over and over until there was nothing left.
The whispers in the pack had been growing for weeks, murmurs of Juliana's return—of her pregnancy. Of how Jesse had been spending more time with her, making sure she was comfortable, ensuring she lacked for nothing.
I had ignored it at first. Forced myself to believe the words were nothing but the gossip of bored wolves. But then, today, I heard the truth from the one person who had no reason to lie.
"She's giving birth today," Rachel had whispered, eyes darting around as if she feared Jesse himself would appear. "The Alpha is with her right now." "I thought it's something you've discussed with him."
My world spinned.
I had been mated to Jesse for nearly a year now, but it never felt like a true bond. From the beginning, there had been a silent presence lingering between us—her. Juliana, the love of his life. The woman he had planned to mark before she vanished without a word.
She was back now. And she was carrying his child.
I stormed toward his room, my body trembling with hatred. How could he do this to me!. My wolf howled in my head, clawing at my mind, desperate for retribution. But I held her back. I wouldn't let my emotions control me. Not yet.
The pack members I passed kept their heads down, sensing the anger brewing within me. They didn't dare stop me, nor did they offer their usual greetings.
When I reached Jesse's room, I didn't knock. I slammed the door open.
Jesse was sitting down, rubbing his temples. The moment he saw me, his expression hardened.
"Athena," he sighed, already irritated. "Not now."
Not now?
A sharp laugh escaped me. It was bitter, full of disbelief.
"You don't get to dismiss me," I snapped, my nails digging into my palms as I fought to control the storm inside me. "Not after what I just heard."
His jaw clenched. "I assume you're talking about Juliana."
"Don't say her name," I hissed. Just the sound of it made my stomach turn.
He sighed again, standing up slowly. "Athena, I don't have time for this right now."
"Oh, I know you don't." My voice trembled with anger. "Because you're too busy with her. With your first love. With the woman carrying your child!"
Jesse's eyes darkened, his irritation morphing into something more dangerous. "And what do you want me to do about it?" His voice was low and controlled, but I could hear the edge in it.
I took a step forward, my breath coming in sharp, shallow bursts. "I want you to acknowledge what this means, Jesse. To me. To us."
"There is no 'us,' Athena."
The words hit harder than any physical blow ever could.
I staggered back slightly, feeling as if the air had been knocked from my lungs.
Jesse ran a hand through his hair, exhaling heavily. "You and I both know this was never about love." His voice softened slightly as if that would lessen the sting of his words. "The bond chose us, not my heart. And you knew from the start who I—" He cut himself off as if saying it out loud would be too cruel.
But I already knew. I had always known.
Juliana had never truly left his heart.
Even as his mate, I had spent every day living in her shadow.
I felt my chest constrict, my throat tightening with unshed tears. "Do you even understand how much this hurts?" My voice broke, betraying me. "You're my mate, Jesse. You're supposed to be mine."
He scoffed, shaking his head. "Don't start with that possessive nonsense. You're being unreasonable."
Unreasonable?
I snapped.
With a growl, I lunged forward, slamming my hands against his desk. "Do not tell me I'm being unreasonable when you're about to have a child with another woman!"
Jesse's golden eyes flickered with something unreadable before he exhaled sharply and stepped away. As if the sight of me, of my raw emotions, was too much for him to bear.
"Juliana was here first, Athena," he said, his voice cold. "She was my choice. You were just…" He hesitated.
A replacement.
A bitter smile twisted my lips. "Go on, say it." My voice was quiet now, deadly. "Say what you really think."
He didn't. But his silence spoke volumes.
The ache in my chest spread, consuming me whole.
I had always known he didn't love me. But hearing him dismiss me so easily as if I was nothing more than an afterthought, shattered something inside me.
I took a slow step back. "I see." My voice was eerily calm now. "You'll always choose her, won't you?"
Jesse didn't answer.
He didn't need to.
I swallowed hard, forcing myself to stand tall even as my world crumbled around me. "I won't beg for something that should have been mine to begin with. The moon goddess bonded us for a reason, and I won't let you or her get away with this just like that."
With that, I turned on my heel and walked out of his office.
But I knew one thing for certain.
I might have been bound to Jesse by fate, but I would never let fate make me weak.
I barely made it back to my room before my legs gave out.
My heart pounded violently in my chest, my body shaking as I leaned against the door, gasping for air.
He had chosen her.
Again.
The bond meant nothing to him. I meant nothing to him.
I squeezed my eyes shut, willing myself not to cry. I refused to shed another tear over a man who never wanted me in the first place.
But as much as I wanted to convince myself I was fine, the raw pain in my chest told a different story.
A sharp knock on the door jolted me out of my thoughts.
I frowned, pushing off the door. "What is it?"
No answer.
The knock came again, harder this time.
Something felt off.
Cautiously, I stepped forward and turned the knob.
The moment the door cracked open, it was shoved inward with brutal force, sending me stumbling back. Before I could react, a pair of rough hands grabbed me, yanking my arms behind my back.
Panic surged through me. "What the—? Let me go!" I struggled, but there were too many hands on me, too much strength restraining me.
I whipped my head up and saw a group of Jesse's men standing before me, their expressions hard and emotionless.
Fear curled in my stomach. "What the hell is this?" I demanded, my voice shaking with anger.
The man in charge—Derek, Jesse's beta—stepped forward. "Alpha's orders," he said flatly.
My blood turned cold.
Jesse had done this.
He had sent his men to take me.
I thrashed harder, my wolf howling inside me, demanding to be let out. But they were prepared. One of them pulled out silver shackles, and before I could react, they snapped around my wrists.
A strangled cry left my lips as the burning sensation shot up my arms, searing my skin. My knees buckled, but the men held me upright, dragging me forward.
"You bastards!" I snarled, my voice hoarse with fury. "Let me go!"
Derek didn't even flinch. "We can do this the easy way or the hard way, Athena. Your choice."
I bared my teeth. "Go to hell."
His eyes darkened. "Hard way it is, then."
One of the men shoved a cloth over my mouth. A sharp, sickly-sweet scent filled my nostrils, and the world tilted. My vision blurred, and my limbs grew heavy.
When I woke up, my head dizzy, I scoffed, "How could he lock me up here?" This is where they keep prisoners!