Page 7 of A Luna's Revenge

Compassion is absent here because I haven't received much, if any, myself. My emotions and feelings have been ignored in this situation. So, I’ve decided to prioritize myself. Right now, the only ones who matter are me and Lana—no one else, not even a pup.

Speaking of Lana, she is in much better spirits today, and I think she is coming to terms with the reality of our situation. You teach people how to treat you by whether you put up with their abuse or not. And, yes, this is emotional abuse.

If you love someone, you don't cheat. If they get away with cheating once, what's to stop them from doing it again and again? I am worth so much more than that. And if the skank will stoop to the level of cheating with a married man, she has no self-worth either.

Walking in the back door, I see groups of pack members talking and laughing. Barely anyone acknowledges me. Skank nor Jenson are here. I creep up to the apartment. Thank the Goddess, it’s now empty. The bedroom looks trashed, with Jenson's clothes strewn all over the floor. I open my nightstand and retrieve the bottle of poison ivy powder. I had neglected to get rid of it, so I do so now. I go to the destroyed bathroom to flush it down the toilet, along with the label.

Next, I get my office key out of the secret compartment in my nightstand drawer. No one knows about this, not even Jenson. I installed it myself for various SIM cards or SD cards I needed to keep confidential. I know I have a safe, but this keeps things handy, and my drawer does have a lock I can use if needed.

With the key in hand, I make it to the office without meeting anyone. Once inside, I put my next step in play. I opened my drawer and took out the new cell phone Ihadpurchased. It’s on a different plan and has no ties to Jenson or this address. Turning it on, I install the anti-tracking software I developed.

I connect my new hologram device and load it with the necessary software while I wipe the old device clean to the point that nothing can be retrieved. I enhance and update all network systems to ensure the pack’s safety.

Next, I send everyone the latest software to upload to their various devices to protect them from cyberattacks. I upload all critical files, emails, and anything else they will needin the future onto the network systems. I don’t want to leave them vulnerable.

I email our lead tech under me and advise him of where the emergency information folder can be found on the server and ask if he has any questions for me.

I set a timer on my new phone to remind me to schedule the deletion of my mailbox tomorrow.

Next, I completely clean out any personal items in my office and put them in the trash. Taking the bag out of the can, I toss it into the big cans in the office service room.

Taking the back exit out, I head to Mom and Dad's house. I won't leave them with much information, but at least they will have my number shouldtheyneed me. I will be available to no one else.

I walk up to my childhood home and sit on the swing, swaying gently back and forth. Here is where Jenson and I sat many nights, at first just being kids, and then later came the kisses and the plans for the future. If I could go back and warn that girl, would I? I don't know. It was bliss while it lasted, even though it’s soul-sucking torture now.

Mom opens the door. "Are you coming in?"

"Yeah. Just reminiscing." I reply sadly.

"Poor thing." Momma strokes my hair, and I am taken back to childhood. Moms always make things better, don't they? “What are you planning to do, Charlie?”

“I’ve decided to leave,” I simply state. “I am not going to stay with a male who cheats; I don’t care if he is Alpha.”

“I figured you would say that,” she remarks. “You do remember your great aunt Renalda?”

“Yes.”

“She was a great healer with magical powers.”

“I remember.”

“When you were just a pup, Aunt Renalda had a cheating mate.”

“I don’t remember her having a mate, nor do I recall her having a mate mark.”

“That’s because she used a spell to sever her bond, one that has been passed down in our family for generations in this,” Mom replies; walking to the bookshelf, she retrieves a tattered leather-bound grimoire. “The magic that has been handed down in our family is talisman-based. This is your inheritance.”

I take the ancient book from her; it tingles as it touches my palm. As I heft the weight of the book, it falls open to reveal a talisman nestled within its pages. “What do I need to do?”

Mom points to the grimoire that has revealed its pages filled with symbols and illustrations. “This talisman is specifically for you. With it, you can perform magic to sever your bond with your mateand other things. You only need to believe in it and yourself.”

I look at the talisman, a white wolf made of opal surrounded by intricate designs. It feels alive somehow, pulsating with power. “How does it work?”

“It’s a bit of a process,” she says, “You place the talisman around your neck and speak the words while focusing on your intentions.”

“Focus on my intentions?” I ask.

“You believe it will happen, and it will,” she says. “In this case, you will use the incantation to break a mate bond.” She flips through the grimoire until she finds the one she wants. “See here.” She points at the page.

---