When the Hidden Luna Rises novel Chapter 19

**Chained by Fate**
**Eliza Rowan**
**Chapter 19**

Ryan gingerly placed the marriage certificate on the table, his fingers quivering as if they were gripped by an unseen force. The weight of the document felt monumental, a tangible representation of the vows that had once bound them together in hope and love.

His gaze flickered to Kelsey, the shadows lurking in his eyes betraying the turmoil within him. His voice emerged as a mere whisper, barely breaking the silence that enveloped them. “Kelsey, can you find it in your heart to forgive me? You’re all I have left.”

Kelsey’s eyelashes fluttered momentarily, but a chill settled on her lips, forming a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Ryan, when I returned to the Mitchell family alongside you, you were all I had as well.”

The words sliced through the air, sharp and unyielding. “But how did you treat me?”

Her calm tone acted like a blunt knife, methodically cutting through the fragile defenses Ryan had built around his heart. He stood there, paralyzed, his throat tightening as he struggled to form a response. The silence stretched on, thick and suffocating, until he finally managed to utter, “I’m sorry.”

Kelsey lifted her gaze, and for a fleeting moment, sadness flickered across her features. Yet, it was quickly replaced by a quiet resolve that sent a shiver down Ryan’s spine. “Then let it be, Ryan. It’s over between us. I refuse to continue being your mate.”

As she reached for the marriage certificate, a desperate instinct surged within Ryan. He clutched it tightly, unwilling to relinquish the last vestige of their shared past.

Kelsey’s frown deepened, her voice turning icy as she pressed, “Ryan, how long are you going to keep this up?”

Those words echoed in his mind, a haunting reminder of the past. He recalled the first time he had uttered them to her, the weight of their meaning crashing over him like a wave. She had crumpled at his feet then, whispering, “I’m just so tired.”

He remembered gathering her in his arms, feeling her fragile form against his chest as he rocked her to sleep, his heart aching for her pain.

The second time he had said those words, it was amidst the chaos of scandal, her image plastered across tabloids, labeled a mistress. Frustration had bubbled within him, dismissing her tears as mere weakness.

And later, when the brutality of their reality transformed into a chilling normalcy, the weight of his heartache morphed into something darker—an oppressive weariness that dulled his spirit. Now, those memories tasted of ash and regret, bitter reminders of what had been lost.

He had become so entangled in pack meetings, stock fluctuations, and partnership banquets that he had forgotten the she-wolf who had once been his everything. Each moment of neglect chipped away at her spirit, eroding the love they had shared, piece by fragile piece.

Only when she had vanished completely did the true depth of his pain sink in. Ryan realized with a jolt that he had only come to understand suffering when it had pierced his own flesh.

Clutching the marriage certificate with both hands, tears began to fall, each drop landing like a silent plea on the cover. “Kelsey, no… don’t leave me.”

At that moment, Andrew’s voice sliced through the air, cold and unyielding. “Ryan, you have nothing left. Expelled from the Stormclaw Pack, your reputation in tatters—what can you possibly offer her?”

Many in the pack still spoke of her “night of reckoning” in hushed, reverent tones, recalling how she had risen from the ashes of despair. To witness her genuine smile now, a bright and carefree expression, filled them with an overwhelming sense of satisfaction. She had fought hard for this peace, and she had earned it.

That morning, a subsidiary of the Stormclaw Pack announced its IPO, inviting leaders from various packs to partake in the event.

Andrew, seated in his office, reviewed the materials with an air of concentration. As he took a sip of the coffee Kelsey had brewed, a small smile crept onto his lips. “You’re getting dangerously good at this.”

Kelsey glanced up from the files cradled in her arms, a quiet confidence radiating from her. “Couldn’t let my coffee skills fall behind, could I? Plus, I’ve been diving into reporting structures and project design. There’s always something new to learn.”

Andrew regarded her with a nod of approval, a hint of admiration in his eyes.

When Kelsey had first arrived at the Nightfall Pack, her heart had been a barren wasteland, stripped of hope.

He had envisioned placing her in a high-level position right away, wanting to showcase her true worth to everyone around her.

But she had declined, choosing instead to carve her own path, proving to the world—and to herself—that she was more than just a name on a certificate.