Chapter 3
Sera's POV
Tristan stood in my doorway with Willow pressed against his chest, her tears soaking into his jacket.
"What happened here?" He growled.
Willow pulled back just enough to look up at him, her lower lip trembling. "I came to pay my respects to your Luna," she said, her voice wobbling. "I thought it was the right thing to do. But she..." she let out a choked sob. "She attacked Mira. Your Luna had her dragged outside and beaten. She would have done the same to me if you hadn't arrived."
I stared at her, my hands still clenched at my sides.
She was such a good actress, I would give her that.
Tristan looked at me and something shifted in his eyes. He looked like he was disappointed in me.
"Sera," he called out my name. "Is that true?"
"Some of it." I wouldn't lie to him, not about this. "She didn't come to pay her respects. She came to tell me I was old and used up and that you settled for me. She sat in my armchair like she owned the place. She..."
"Did you have Mira beaten?"
The question cut me off mid-sentence.
I paused. "I had Renee teach her respect after she disrespected me in my own home. That's pack law, Tristan. Any omega who speaks out of turn to a Luna..."
"Sera." He shook his head slowly. "Mira is Willow's personal omega. You had no right."
"No right?" A laugh escaped me before I could stop it. "An omega walked into my home and called me pathetic... and you're standing there asking me why I punished her?"
Willow sniffled against his chest. "She's lying, Tristan. She never said any of that. I came here to be kind. I wanted to show respect and she just..." She let out another sob. "She just attacked us."
My wolf snarled inside me irritatedly but I forced her down.
"Get her out of my house," I said. "Now."
Tristan's jaw tightened. "Sera, you need to calm down."
"I am calm." I was not calm. My hands were shaking and I pressed them flat against my sides. "I am asking you, as your Luna, to remove this woman from my residence. She has no business here. She was never invited, and if you want to talk about pack law..."
"Sera, listen to me." He stepped closer and Willow stayed pressed against his side, her fingers curled into his sleeve. "I am telling you that Mira is Willow's omega. You had no authority to discipline her. That was an overstep, a serious one."
I stared at him, my jaw dropping. "She disrespected me in my own home. And you're telling me I overstepped?"
"I'm telling you that you humiliated Willow's staff in front of her." He paused and his voice dropped lower. "You need to call Renee back here. She needs to kneel and apologize to Mira, right now."
The words hung in the air between us.
"Excuse me?"
"You heard me." His voice was final.
I looked at him, and then I looked at Willow. She was still crying but her eyes were watching me with something sinister.
Tristan pulled Willow closer, his arm wrapping around her waist, and he looked at me with cold eyes.
"No," I spat.
"Sera, I am instructing you as your Alpha. You need to apologize to her for what you did to her omega."
I stared at him.
"She's my mate. She's scared and she doesn't know how things work yet. She made a mistake coming here but you made it worse by punishing her omega." He shook his head. "I need you to suck it up, Sera. For the pack and for me. Just... suck it up and apologize."
The words hit me like a slap.
"She came into my home and insulted me, for goodness sake, Tristan!"
"I do not have time for your jealous antics. This is her home too now, Sera. She's going to be living here, in the guest house. She's going to need access to the main residence. That's why I gave her a key."
"You're bringing another woman to our matrimonial home?" My throat went tight.
I couldn't believe this... I simply couldn't.
It felt like I was in a bad dream.
"You need to accept that."
"And if I don't?"
"Then you move out."
I looked at him, this man I had loved for ten years, and I realized I didn't recognize him anymore.
"Get out," I said.
"Sera..."
"Get out of my house. Now!"
He didn't move. "I'm not leaving until we resolve this."
"There's nothing to resolve. You've already decided she's the victim and I am the problem." I laughed and it came out bitter.
"I'm trying to keep the peace."
"Then keep it somewhere else." My hands were shaking. "Take her and get out. And if you don't take back the key you gave her to this residence, I will have the locks changed and have the guards replaced. I will make your life so difficult that you will regret ever bringing her here."
He rolled his eyes, like he was dealing with an annoying child. "You're being unreasonable."
"Get. Out!" I yelled, my wolf flaring.
Willow shuddered as she looked at me in fear.
Tristan simply shook his head. He wrapped his arm around her waist before they both walked out of the living room.
Sera's POV
I was still packing three hours later.
I decided that I was going to pack up everything because I couldn't bear to be in the same house where my mate was too busy loving another woman.
Suddenly, I heard noises outside.
There were sounds of engines and voices calling out. I headed to the curtain and when I peeped, I felt my stomach drop.
There were trucks lined up in the driveway and pack omegas were carrying boxes and crates.
There were so many beautiful and expensive things that I could see them shining all the way above.
Who were those for?
Did they have the wrong address?
I quickly got dressed and went outside. I saw the first guard standing there, gesturing to the omegas about where to put the crates.
"What is this?" I asked.
He turned and he looked at me and something in his eyes flickered. "These are gifts, Luna. From the Alpha."
"Gifts?" I looked past him at the trucks. "For who?"
The guard hesitated.
"For the second mate, Luna. The Alpha just spent 500 thousand dollars on lavish gifts for Willow's mating ceremony."
