“Hey,” Lance said softly. "For what it''s worth, I''m sorry that you''re dealing with this. It must be so difficult." I stared at him, genuinely taken aback by his concern. I couldn''t


    help but smile slightly.


    "Thank you, Lance."


    Third person POV


    He watched Ellie as she polished off her second strawberry daiquiri. She didn''t seem particrly drunk yet, but she did seem more rxed, which was the entire point of bringing her out tonight.


    He didn''t really want to think about why he cared so much about her mental health, but he found that he did. Knowing that she''d been locked up in her room since Nn pulled his little stunt at the dinner bothered him more than he cared to admit.


    "So, aside from the little stunt he pulled with his growling, how have things been with Nn?" Lance asked, breaking thefortable silence that had settled between them.


    A sh of anger crossed Ellie''s face, and her fork clinked as she set it down.


    "How do you think it''s going?" she asked, her voice strained. "This whole marriage is


    a joke. I don''t know why I''ve stuck around with him for so long.


    "}


    Lance''s eyes widened at the sudden and forceful confession "You say that like you''re nning on leaving."


    "He hasn''t told you?" Ellie frowned.


    Lance shook his head, his heart beginning to race at the implications of her words. "Told me what, Ellie?"


    "We''re getting divorced in three months," she confessed, Her expression unreadable. “Once the deal with the Moonstone pack is finalized, I''m leaving Nn."


    "I... I can''t believe what I''m hearing," Lance said, his voice stuttering as he struggled to get the words out." You''re getting divorced? That''s going to be a massive scandal."


    "You want to talk about scandals? Just wait until he announces his engagement to Felicity. They''ve already got it all nned out. As soon as I''m gone, she''s going to be the Luna,” Ellie said, taking a deep drink of her daiquiri.


    Lance could see the tension around her eyes, the firm set of her jaw as she struggled to hold back her anger.


    "He''s going to marry her?" Lance asked in disbelief. "After everything she''s done to embarrass you both in public? He really thinks that''s going to go over well with the pack-marrying his mistress?" He scoffed.


    "I don''t think he cares. And I know she doesn''t. She''s bragging about it to me every chance she gets,” Ellie said bitterly.


    "Is that why you''re not leaving your room?" Lance demanded. “Because she''s harassing you?"


    Ellie sighed and ran her finger along the rim of her drink.


    "I don''t know,” she admitted. "I just... I don''t feel like dealing with either of them.” "Well, that''spletely understandable. I mean, what kind of man even does that?” Lance''s face was the picture of disgust. All the negative feelings he''d ever had for Nn seemedpounded by the idea that he would betray his fated mate like that.


    Chap 41


    +25 Bonus


    “He doesn''t deserve you. He never did,” Lance said. “You know that, right?"


    Ellie looked at him with a slight smile. She almost looked relieved, as if she needed the external validation that his words provided.


    "You''re right, he didn''t. I''m not upset about the divorce. I might have loved him once, I don''t remember. But I know that now, I feel absolutely nothing for him other than anger for the way he treats me."


    Lance returned her smile, a sense of relief washing over him at her words.


    "Good. You deserve better. You deserve someone who sees you like I do." Chapter 27


    +25 Bonus