When the Hidden Luna Rises novel Chapter 2

**TITLE: Chained by Fate**
**Eliza Rowan**
**Chapter 2**

In that fleeting moment, the last fragile thread that held Kelsey’s heart together snapped with a deafening finality. The agony was so piercing it stole the very breath from her lungs, leaving her gasping for air.

Stunned and disoriented, she stumbled out of the Pack House, her feet carrying her to the street as if they had a will of their own. The world around her blurred, but one thing stood out starkly against the haze—a giant screen hovering above, broadcasting an interview with the Stormclaw Group.

There, on the screen, sat Ryan, his presence exuding an air of noble detachment, his handsome features strikingly cold. Next to him was Claire, radiant and poised, her elegance almost ethereal. Together, they looked like a perfect couple, a match crafted in the heavens above.

Kelsey’s eyes were drawn to their smiles, bright and infectious, yet they felt like daggers piercing her heart. She stood there, a mere shadow, feeling like an unwelcome intruder in a world that had never truly embraced her.

How utterly ridiculous, she thought bitterly. Her entire existence had devolved into a cruel joke, one that only the universe seemed to find amusing.

Suddenly, she felt a jolt as someone collided with her, sending her sunglasses clattering to the pavement. The sound of recognition rippled through the crowd, a wave of whispers washing over her.

“Isn’t that the home-wrecker who was exposed last time for trying to seduce the Alpha at Stormclaw Group?” one voice sneered.

“Look who’s crawling back. Got a death wish or something?” another chimed in, dripping with disdain.

Before she could process the venomous words, a sharp slap resonated against her cheek, the sting blooming like a wildfire. Kelsey staggered back, her grip tightening around her bag as she tried to gather her thoughts. “I’m not the other she-wolf… I’m Ryan’s real mate,” she managed to croak out, her voice hoarse and trembling.

“Shut up! Stop dreaming! How could someone like you be worthy?” a voice spat back, filled with scorn.

In an instant, the crowd descended upon her, a throng of she-wolves whose fury was palpable. They slammed her to the ground, their nails raking against her skin, hair being yanked with merciless force. Each blow felt like a brutal stripping away of her last vestiges of dignity, leaving her exposed and vulnerable.

The cold ground pressed against her, and the metallic tang of blood filled the air. Her body throbbed with pain, while her heart felt as though it were being torn apart, piece by agonizing piece.

“Say you’re the Alpha’s mate again, and I’ll rip your mouth open!” one of them threatened, her voice a low growl.

In that moment, Kelsey was flooded with the memory of the bright red invitation to the bonding ceremony, the elegant script of Ryan and Claire’s names glaringly bold for all to see. Alongside it, the pack inheritance document loomed in her mind, a reminder of her lost status. She realized, with a sinking feeling, that she no longer had any proof to back her claims.

Bail? The word echoed in her mind, almost making her laugh out loud. Wasn’t all this humiliation his doing?

“Ryan, let’s get a divorce. Break the mate bond,” she stated, her tone eerily calm, betraying none of the turmoil roiling within her.

Finally, he looked up, his grey-blue eyes sweeping over her face with a detached scrutiny that felt like ice. She instinctively turned her head away, unwilling to let him see the misery etched across her features.

He closed the file with a decisive snap, his tone growing colder still. “You’ve made a mess of yourself again? Didn’t I tell you to stay out of sight when you go out?”

Kelsey held his gaze for a long moment, the weight of his annoyance pressing down on her. There was no concern in his eyes, only irritation and blame. In that instant, the truth struck her like a lightning bolt.

The man before her was no longer the Ryan who had shared instant noodles with her on the roadside, who had sheltered her from the rain with his old jacket.

She lifted her chin, her voice trembling but resolute. “Ryan, I said, I want to sever the mate bond with you.”