Marked by Loss Chapter 02

Marked by Loss Chapter 02

The next day, I returned to the coffee shop. The place was eerily quiet.

Landon sat inside, tense and cold, his eyes fixed on me.

“My son got sick after eating your cake. My Luna’s not happy.”

The manager kept wiping sweat off his forehead, bowing and apologizing profusely.

“I’m so sorry, Alpha Landon. This is all our fault…”

Before he finished, Landon glanced at me.

Our eyes met.

That was enough. I knew he was here for me.

I gritted my teeth and pushed my wheelchair up to him.

“Landon, what do you want?”

“What, you’re gonna make me beg in front of Genevieve and kiss her shoes again—just like three years ago?”

His expression changed abruptly. A flicker of struggle and guilt surfaced in his eyes.

Three years ago, he had looked at me the same way.

Back then, he had pretended his family had gone bankrupt and that he had been driven out of the pack.

To help him pay off his debts, I worked five jobs. I was so exhausted I could fall asleep on my feet.

On Christmas Eve, I even sold my blood through an illegal clinic just to afford a decent Christmas dinner for him.

Our daughter, Harper, stared at the discounted lobster on the plate, repeatedly saying she was hungry.

My stomach was burning, but I gently patted her head.

“Be good, Harper. We’ll wait for Daddy and eat together.”

We waited all night. He never came back.

The next morning, the headlines broke the news.

Alpha Landon had spent three hundred million on a lavish Luna coronation for his future Luna, Genevieve Harlow.

The scale of the ceremony was second only to that of an Alpha Queen.

The face on the screen was painfully familiar.

Harper tugged timidly at my sleeve.

“Mommy, isn’t that Daddy?”

It felt like a cold shock hit me. I went numb all over.

At the Luna Coronation, he held Genevieve’s hand, smiling as he raised a toast.

Alphas and Lunas from different packs praised Genevieve for her elegance and grace, calling her the perfect Luna.

I didn’t even know how I had rushed in. All I remembered was standing there, eyes red with fury, demanding answers.

“You said you were bankrupt. You lied to me the whole time!”

“I am your mate. I am your Luna. Why are you letting another woman take my place?”

The entire venue fell silent.

Genevieve’s face turned pale with fear as she shrank into his arms, her voice trembling.

“Landon… is what she said true?”

He wrapped an arm around her and soothed her gently.

When he looked at me, a trace of guilt flashed in his eyes before his expression hardened.

“Where did this crazy woman come from? Get her out of here!”

That one sentence hurt more than anything.

As I was dragged away, whispers and laughter rippled around me.

“This omega must be trying to climb her way up.”

“Everyone knows they grew up together. Alpha Landon has always spoiled his mate. Who does she think she is?”

Afterward, he held me and apologized over and over. He said the bankruptcy had been a test of my sincerity.

He said the person he loved most had always been me, and that I was his only Luna.

He also said that Genevieve had leukemia, and he was only fulfilling her final wish.

“Just hold on a little longer. When she’s gone, I’ll bring you back to the pack and acknowledge you as my Luna in front of everyone. I’ll make it up to you.”

I shoved him away. Tears hit the ground as the pain in my chest made it impossible to breathe.

“Do you know how much blood I sold to repay your debts?”

“Harper hasn’t had a single new piece of clothing in three years!”

Harper’s clothes were always patched up. Her sleeves were too short, her pant legs too short.

She said Daddy worked hard on a construction site, so they had to save money so he could eat well.

Landon froze in place, guilt flickering in his eyes.

“Elena, I…”

Before he could finish, the sound of shattering glass came from behind him.

Genevieve stood at the doorway of our home, her face pale.

“Landon… why is she here?”

His expression changed instantly. He shoved me away.

“Genevieve, don’t get the wrong idea. This crazy woman’s been harassing me!”

He pulled her into his arms and comforted her softly. Then he turned to me, his voice suddenly cold and furious.

“You shameless Omega. Stop reaching for what isn’t yours!”

“You scared Genevieve. Apologize to her right now!”

His beta and warriors pinned me down at the bedroom door, forcing me to kneel outside all night.

I stood there, listening to the sounds of their intimacy echoing through the room—the room that was supposed to be ours.

My heart crushed over and over. My wolf whimpered in agony.

The betrayal burned through my entire body like fire, until I had no tears left.

The next morning, he opened the door, his body marked with traces of the night before.

I lifted my eyes to him, my voice dry and hoarse.

“Let’s break the mate bond.”