Divorce ~Laila I shared my husband, Alpha Cameron Blackwood, with another woman for 3 years. Most people think I'm in the dark and he's cheating on me, but the truth is, I've always known. It's not something I'm proud of. But only one in a thousand people are ever blessed with a true mate. And when my husband became a part of that statistic a few months into our arranged marriage, I made the sacrifices I believed were right. Sacrifices I believed were necessary to keep our marriage. To keep his happiness. But all of that has come crashing down, because right now, we're standing in the corridor of the private wing of St. John Memorial Hospital, and my husband's Beta is the only thing keeping him from pouncing on me. "You poisoned her, Laila! Admit it!" The words hit me like a punch in the gut. Harsh enough to make my knees buckle. I stare up at him. The man I call my husband. The man I swore my life to. The man who now accuses me of poisoning the daughter he had with the 'other' woman. His tailored suit is drenched from the rain. His eyes are dark with hatred and accusations, his muscles are taut, and his fists are clenched. Blood trickles down my hand from where he ripped the needle out, in the middle of the emergency transfusion. "You poisoned her, Laila. Admit it." He says it again, louder. Each word echoes down the sterile hall like a death sentence. I want to speak, but no sound comes out. I'm still shaken from what has just happened. Behind him, the hospital ward is in chaos. The beep of monitors is deafening. Nurses are rushing in and out of the pediatric ICU. The air smells of panic and antiseptic. Somewhere beyond those doors, his daughter...my daughter by bond, though not by blood, is fighting for her life. "She was stable until your blood touched hers!" Sarah, his true mate, cries out from behind him, her face is smudged with mascara from how much she's been crying. "You've always hated her! You've always wanted her gone! You want me gone!" I did. But I would never stoop this low. "I saved her!" I finally speak, my voice hoarse from hours in the blood bank. "As always, I just gave her my blood like you told me to..." "And conveniently, she starts convulsing the moment your blood enters her veins?" Cameron snarls. "You think that looks like a coincidence to anyone here?" The doctor comes into view, pale and silent. He hands Cameron a clipboard. "Trace amounts of wolfsbane were detected in the donor's blood. Harmless to an adult, but for a child..." It shouldn't have been possible. I've been her donor since she was born. For three years, I've given my blood to preserve her life without any thoughts for myself... for my own health. All because I couldn't bear to see Cameron lose the one thing that brings him so much joy. My knees buckle. A nurse reaches out to steady me, but Cameron barks, "Don't touch her!" My heart is pounding so loudly, that it drowns out the chaos. My vision blurs. Cameron takes a step forward. "You're finished, Laila. I'm done tolerating you. I want you out of my home. Out of my pack. Out of my life." - An hour later, the divorce paper stares back at me from the nightstand. "Sign it. And your father's debt to me is settled." Cameron stands by the door, arms folded. "If you refuse, and insist on making a big deal out of this. Your pack will pay for it." His tone is cold. A chill of terror runs down my spine. I know better than to doubt his words. The Blackwood Pack is one of the most powerful packs in the continent. A word from Cameron and my pack will be in ruins. My father owed a debt to the Blackwood Pack. The repayment? Me. My marriage to Alpha Cameron Blackwood was the will of both our families. And for three years, we honored our vows. At least, I did. "I thought... I meant something to you." I whisper. "You should never have touched Kelly." He spat. Kelly, Cameron's daughter was born a year into our marriage. And I should have been brave enough to request a divorce then... brave enough to refuse when he insisted we continue with our sham of a marriage. He made it seem like he was saving my face. In reality, Kelly was born with a rare ailment and my blood was the only thing keeping her alive. His wife in name, an exclusive blood donor in truth. But still, I stayed. For a wedding that had taken almost a year to plan, with an arrangement made between our families for years, the divorce takes barely a few minutes. The minute I sign the papers, three years went out the window. And he doesn't even flinch, not once. "A car is waiting for you outside." Cameron says coldly. "You can keep it. It's good enough to take you wherever you need to go. But I want you gone from Thorneville." Not only is he divorcing me. He's banishing me from the city. And Cameron Blackwood is not a man to be disobeyed. "I didn't harm Kelly." I say it, even if I know my words don't matter to him. "And somewhere deep down, you know that. But the truth is... you've wanted me gone. You only needed justification." Sarah comes into view beside Cameron. She must have been within earshot all along. "I don't know what I ever did to you, Laila. I just want to be with him... with my mate. Is that such a crime?" She sobs He immediately reaches for her and takes her into his arms. Her sobs echo through the quiet mansion and he whispers words of comfort and reassurances. The sight is nauseating. A bag has been packed for me and the keys to the car are on the nightstand, but I don't reach for either as I walk out. Everything here, belongs to Camero n. I won't take any of it with me. Let him keep his city. His surname. His pack. His throne.