Chapter 4 Unbroken Stare

Luna Lorraine's kindness hurt more than Eugene's cruelty.

Because even after everything her son had destroyed...

She still looked at Irene like a daughter.

The moment Luna Lorraine smiled at her, pain tightened inside Irene's chest.

She had done nothing wrong.

That was the worst part.

She still looked at Irene with the same warmth she always had, even after everything Eugene had destroyed.

Hearing Skylar's words eased some of the tightness in Irene's chest.

At least someone understood how impossible this felt.

Skylar noticed the change in her expression and smiled with quiet relief.

"I've been telling her the same thing, Luna Lorraine," she said lightly.

But Irene heard the sadness beneath her teasing voice.

She could not bring herself to refuse Luna Lorraine's offer.

Not when the woman had always treated her with kindness and patience.

Like the mother Irene never had.

"Look," Luna Lorraine said softly, lifting the dress higher. "You'll look beautiful in this, Irene. It's even the same color as your name."

Her eyes warmed.

"I picked it just for you."

The words hurt more than they should have.

The dress was beautiful.

Soft and elegant.

Carefully chosen.

And somehow, that made everything worse.

There had been a time when Irene secretly imagined this becoming her life forever.

She had dreamed of a future where Luna Lorraine truly became her mother after Irene and Eugene completed their bond.

A home.

A family.

A place where Irene finally belonged.

But that dream was dead now.

Luna Lorraine would become Ruby's mother instead.

The thought hit Irene so hard that she almost forgot to breathe.

Bitterness twisted inside her.

She hated Ruby.

She hated hearing her name.

Hated knowing she existed.

Hated that Ruby had stepped into the place Irene once believed was hers.

But Irene's anger toward Eugene was worse.

Far worse.

Because Ruby had never promised Irene forever.

Eugene had.

How could he throw everything away so easily?

How could he lie to her, betray her, and somehow make Irene feel like she was the problem?

Every memory of him felt poisoned now.

"Come here and try it on," Luna Lorraine said gently.

Her voice pulled Irene from her thoughts.

Irene looked at her.

And there it was again.

Concern.

Tenderness.

None of it was fake.

None of it was forced.

The guilt settled heavily in Irene's stomach.

This was not Luna Lorraine's fault.

She was only trying to help Irene breathe through the pain her own son had caused.

So Irene accepted the dress from her hands.

Then she forced herself to prepare for the party that night.

But with every step she took, her body felt heavier.

As if some part of Irene already knew...

That tonight was going to hurt.

...

The moment Irene entered the pack house, the noise hit her all at once.

Music.

Laughter.

Glasses clinking.

It was too loud.

Too alive.

Her chest tightened.

The celebration was meant to welcome the lycan pack.

The same lycans who had once fought them near the borders.

The same warriors responsible for deaths Irene still remembered too clearly.

Men she had laughed with.

Men she had trained beside.

People who never came home.

The celebration felt wrong.

Everyone was pretending peace already existed while old hatred still burned beneath the surface.

Irene could feel it everywhere.

Behind the smiles.

Behind the drinks.

Behind every forced conversation.

Alcohol flowed freely across the room. Food covered the long tables. Music filled the pack house.

But none of it reached Irene.

The grief inside her was louder.

"You look so gorgeous," Skylar said brightly after finishing Irene's makeup.

She stepped back with a proud smile, trying so hard to cheer her up.

Irene knew she meant it.

That only made her feel worse.

People had always called Irene beautiful.

Tonight, the word meant nothing.

The dress fit her perfectly. The makeup softened her pale skin.

She should have felt confident.

But sadness had ruined everything.

Irene could see it in her own eyes.

No amount of makeup could hide how broken she felt.

Skylar continued to compliment her, determined to pull Irene out of her sadness.

But Irene barely recognized the girl staring back at her.

She looked beautiful.

And completely devastated.

"Don't make that face," Skylar said softly.

She cupped Irene's cheeks and gently pulled at them, trying to force a smile from her.

It should have been funny.

Instead, Irene almost cried.

"You've mourned him for an entire week already," Skylar said firmly. "At some point, you need to let Eugene regret what he lost."

Her eyes sharpened with protective anger.

"He should be miserable right now, not you. It's his loss for throwing away his future Luna."

The words were meant to comfort Irene.

But Eugene's betrayal was still too fresh.

Too painful.

Every reminder of him felt like someone pressing against a bruise that refused to heal.

Still, for Skylar's sake, Irene forced a small smile.

Weak.

Tight.

Painfully fake.

But it was enough to ease the worry in Skylar's eyes.

Irene followed her out of the room, even though every step felt heavy.

A part of her still wanted to hide behind a locked door.

Somewhere no one could stare at her with pity.

Because the rumors had already started.

Of course they had.

People noticed everything inside a pack.

They noticed when Irene suddenly stopped leaving her room.

They noticed how she avoided gatherings.

How Eugene no longer came near her.

It did not take long for the whispers to spread.

Questions.

Stares.

Speculation hidden behind fake concern.

Irene hated all of it.

"Don't worry," Skylar said, squeezing her hand. "There are too many people tonight. We probably won't even run into Eugene or Ruby."

The moment their names left Skylar's mouth, something sharp twisted inside Irene's chest.

She hated that they still affected her this much.

Irene quickly buried the feeling as they stepped into the garden.

The noise from the party softened behind them.

Cool night air touched her skin. Distant laughter drifted around them.

But the calm outside did nothing to quiet the storm inside Irene.

Because this was no longer just heartbreak.

It felt bigger now.

The future she had spent years believing in had been ripped away so suddenly that her mind still could not accept it.

The garden was beautiful that night.

Lanterns glowed between the trees. Stars filled the dark sky. Music drifted softly through the air.

But beneath it all, tension remained.

The lycans moved through the crowd with effortless confidence.

Whenever one of them passed, conversations changed.

People watched them carefully.

Some with fear.

Others with resentment.

Old wounds still lived here.

Irene could see it in the way shoulders stiffened whenever a lycan walked by.

This was her first time seeing them up close.

And somehow, the stories had not been exaggerated.

They were enormous.

The male lycans towered over almost everyone around them.

Even while casually walking through the party, they looked like warriors.

But the women surprised Irene even more.

They looked just as dangerous.

Strong.

Beautiful.

Confident in a way that made ordinary werewolves seem almost fragile beside them.

Irene remembered the stories about female lycan warriors.

There were fewer of them, but they fought beside the men without hesitation.

Looking at them now, Irene believed every story.

"I can't believe people can actually be that tall," Skylar whispered dramatically as a male lycan passed them.

Even Irene barely reached his shoulder.

She glanced at him for only a moment before looking away.

Her thoughts were too heavy for curiosity tonight.

They continued through the crowded streets around the pack house.

Stalls lined the paths, selling drinks, jewelry, roasted meat, handmade weapons, and many other things.

The noise quickly became overwhelming.

Too many voices.

Too many eyes.

Too many people pretending not to stare at Irene.

Her chest tightened.

"I'm tired," she admitted quietly.

Dizziness was slowly settling in.

"I want to sit down for a while. You can keep walking if you want. I'll wait here."

Skylar immediately looked worried.

For a moment, Irene thought she might refuse.

But Skylar's expression softened when she saw how exhausted Irene really was.

Irene pointed toward a nearby drinks stall.

Only two people stood there.

Far from the crowd.

Far enough for Irene to breathe.

"Oh," Skylar said, trying to hide her disappointment. "Okay."

Then she hesitated.

"Are you sure you'll be fine alone?"

Irene forced another smile.

This one hurt more than the first.

"Go," she said gently. "Or you'll miss all the fun."

Skylar studied Irene's face as if she did not fully believe her.

Then she scrunched her nose playfully.

Finally, she nodded and disappeared into the crowd.

Irene waited until Skylar was completely out of sight.

Then her smile vanished.

Just like that.

The loneliness hit her all over again.

Exhaustion followed so quickly that it almost felt physical.

Her chest ached.

Her head felt heavy.

Even pretending to be okay for a few minutes had drained the little strength she had left.

Irene slowly walked toward the drinks stall.

She only wanted somewhere quiet.

Somewhere no one would ask questions.

"Oh, Irene!"

The old man behind the stall greeted her warmly the moment she sat down.

His kindness made guilt flicker inside her.

Everyone had been so gentle with Irene lately.

As if they were afraid she might fall apart if they spoke too loudly.

The old man started making small conversation while preparing drinks.

But his words slowly blurred together in Irene's mind.

"Do you have anything sweet?" she asked quietly.

Her voice sounded rough.

Worn down by too many nights of crying alone.

"Of course."

The old man quickly handed her a large glass filled with bright red liquid.

Irene could smell the sweetness before she even tasted it.

"Thank you," she murmured.

Then silence swallowed her again.

Irene stared down at the drink without really seeing it.

The crowd around her became distant noise.

Laughter echoed nearby.

Music drifted through the night.

Voices rose and fell around the stalls.

But none of it reached her.

Irene was too lost inside her own mind.

Too trapped in memories she no longer wanted.

Eugene's smile.

His promises.

The way he used to look at her as if she were enough.

Irene's fingers tightened around the glass.

Irene hated that part the most.

Because somewhere deep inside her...

Her heart still remembered the version of Eugene who had loved her.

And that made moving on feel impossible.

Then...

A strange feeling crawled across her skin.

Irene went still.

Awareness.

Silent.

Sharp.

The unmistakable feeling of being watched.

Slowly, she lifted her head.

And froze.

Across the stall, someone was staring at her.

Irene's stomach tightened.

She shifted slightly in her seat, keeping her face calm.

Maybe she was imagining it.

Maybe she was simply tired.

But the feeling did not disappear.

Because whoever was watching her...

Had not looked away.

Not even once.

And when Irene finally met his eyes...

The stranger kept staring.