Damien’s POV
The morning light hit my face like an accusation.
I’d fallen asleep on the couch. Again. My neck scread in protest as I sat up. My suit was wrinkled beyond recognition.
The house was too quiet.
I checked my phone. 6:47 AM. The kids would be up soon.
That’s when I saw it.
A piece of paper on the kitchen counter. Folded once. My na written on the outside in Sera’s handwriting.
My stomach dropped before I even touched it.
I walked over slowly. Like approaching a bomb. Picked it up with shaking hands.
Unfolded it.
Read the first line.
*I want a divorce.*
The words blurred. My vision tunneling until all I could see was those three words. Over and over.
*I want a divorce.*
*I want a divorce.*
*I want a divorce.*
I read the rest. Each sentence was a knife.
*Emma’s having your baby.*
*She deserves a chance at being your Luna.*
*Please just let go.*
The paper slipped from my fingers. Floated to the floor like a death sentence.
She knew.
My mind raced backward. Yesterday. The training facility. The way she’d looked at . That terrible emptiness in her eyes.
"Dad?"
I spun around.
Adrian stood in the doorway. Still in his pajamas. His hair ssy from sleep. His eyes red.
He’d been crying.
"Where’s Mom?" His voice was small. Careful. Like he was afraid of the answer.
I opened my mouth. Nothing ca out.
"She left, didn’t she?" Adrian’s face crumpled. "She promised she’d stay and she left anyway."
"Adrian—"
"I heard you guys fighting." His voice got louder. Angrier. "I heard everything. About that woman. About the baby. About how Mom can’t forgive you."
"I hate you!" The words exploded out. "I hate you and I hate that woman and I hate that stupid baby and I hate everything!"
He turned and ran. Up the stairs. His door slamd so hard the walls shook.
I stood there. Frozen. My son’s words echoing in my head.
*I hate you.*
Footsteps on the stairs. Lighter this ti.
Lily appeared. Her favorite stuffed bear clutched in one hand. Her face confused.
"Daddy? Why is Adrian yelling?"
I forced myself to move. To kneel down. To et her eyes.
"He’s just upset, baby girl."
"About Mama?"
My throat closed. "Yeah. About Mama."
"Is she coming back?" Those innocent eyes. So full of hope. "She promised she’d stay."
"I know, sweetie. But Mama had to go to work."
Lily’s face fell. "She always has important stuff."
"I know."
"More important than ?"
"No." I pulled her close. Held her tight. "Never more important than you. Mama loves you so much."
"Then why does she keep leaving?"
I didn’t have an answer. Just held my daughter while she cried into my shoulder.
---
I got the kids ready for school on autopilot.
Made breakfast. Checked howork. Packed lunches.
Adrian wouldn’t look at . Wouldn’t speak. Just ate his cereal in silence.
Lily was clingy. Kept asking about Sera. When would she see her? Could they call her? Would Mama pick them up today?
"I’ll pick you up," I said. "Mama’s busy."
"She’s always busy," Lily muttered.
The drive to school was torture. Lily talked the whole way. Nervous chatter. Filling the silence.
Adrian stared out the window. His jaw tight. His hands clenched.
I walked them to the entrance. Kissed Lily’s forehead. Tried to hug Adrian.
He pulled away.
"Adrian—"
"I have to go." He walked away without looking back.
I watched them disappear into the building. Two small figures carrying the weight of their parents’ failures.
I was destroying them.
My phone buzzed as I got back to the car. Lucas.
**Lucas: Where are you? We have the morning eting in 20.**
Right. Work. The thing I was supposed to be doing instead of having ntal breakdowns in school parking lots.
**: On my way.**
I drove to the office in a daze. Parked in my usual spot. Took the elevator up.
The executive floor was already buzzing. People moving with purpose. Important pack business that couldn’t wait.
Lucas t at my office door. Took one look at my face and frowned.
"You look like shit."
"Thanks."
"Seriously, man. When’s the last ti you slept?"
"I don’t know." I pushed past him into my office. "What’s the eting about?"
"Border security. The usual." He followed in. Closed the door. "But first, what the hell is going on with you?"
"Nothing."
"Damien." His voice got serious. "You’ve been a ss for weeks. Missing etings. Showing up looking like you slept in a dumpster. Sothing’s wrong."
I sank into my chair. Ran my hands through my hair. "Sera and I had a fight."
"What?"
"A bad one. She... she wants a divorce."
"I’m sorry, man." He sat down across from . "I know you love her."
"It doesn’t matter." I pulled up my computer. Started scanning emails I couldn’t focus on. "She’s done. She made that clear."
"So what are you going to do?"
I didn’t answer. Couldn’t answer. Because what could I do?
Sera thought I’d cheated. Thought I’d gotten Emma pregnant. Thought I’d chosen another woman over her.
And I had no way to prove otherwise. No mory. No alibi. No defense except "I don’t rember."
Which sounded exactly like what a cheater would say.
"I need you to do sothing for ," I said finally.
"What?"
"Get everything we have on Valerie." I looked up at him. "Every piece of intel. Every sighting. Every fucking rumor. I want it all."
---
Lucas returned an hour later. Dropped a thick folder on my desk.
"Everything we have on Valerie Knight." He crossed his arms. "It’s not much. She’s been careful."
I opened the folder. Started scanning.
Sightings near the northern border. Reports of her with a rogue pack. Whispers about her relationship with their leader.
Nothing concrete. Nothing I could use.
"This is it?" I looked up. "This is everything?"
"Like I said. She’s careful." Lucas sat down. "Why do you care so much about Valerie anyway? You’re divorcing Sera. You don’t need to catch Sera’s sister for revenge anymore."
I stared at the folder. At the scattered pieces of intel that didn’t quite add up to anything useful.
"Find Valerie," I said. "I don’t care what it takes. I don’t care how much it costs. Find her and bring her to ."
"You sure about this? Even if Sera don’t care about your marriage anymore?"
"Of course," I said quietly. "It’s just a misunderstanding between us. And I’ll never stop loving her."
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