The air grew thick with heat-his scent, my panic, the lingering ghost of a kiss.

Alpha Sean pulled me closer, his arms like iron bands around my waist.

I stirred from the nightmare, gasping as my eyes fluttered open to the bedroom ceiling.

For a heartbeat, the grief felt so tangible I thought Ellie's loss was a fresh wound, not a festering scar.

Then his presence hit me, overwhelming my senses.

Without thought, I shoved at his chest.

"Let me go, Alpha Sean."

For half a decade, he'd ignored my pain, my pleas, my very existence.

I'd swallowed my pride for Ellie, hoping to stitch together a family that was never meant to be.

Now our pup was ashes in an urn-what right did he have to ignore the bond I'd broken?

"Did you hear me? Let go!"

I thrashed harder, my wolf snarling at the violation.

When his mouth descended again, I bit down on his lip-hard.

Copper filled my mouth, his blood mixing with my tears.

He jolted back, stunned, and I seized the chance to shove him off, rolling free.

I scrambled to my feet, ragged breaths tearing at my throat.

Days without food left me dizzy, black spots dancing in my vision, but I held the blanket like a shield.

My stance must have been a sorry sight-half-starved, wild-eyed-but it doused whatever fire had flared in him.

He rolled out of bed, dressing in silence.

His phone slipped from his pocket, screen lighting up with a dozen missed calls from Lillian.

Without a backward glance, he was gone, the door clicking shut like a final nail in the coffin.

The moment he left, my legs gave out.

I collapsed onto the bed, then forced myself up, stumbling to the side room.

My fingers closed around Ellie's urn, cool against my skin.

"He's gone, pup," I whispered, tears spilling over.

"But we're still here."

Downstairs, his car engine rumbled to life.

I knew where he was going: to Rosewood Gardens, where Claire and Lillian waited.

I could almost hear Lillian's little feet pattering to meet him, her squeal of joy as he lifted her up.

My wolf howled silently.

Alpha Sean's pov

When Lillian saw me climb out of the car, she turned her nose up with a dramatic huff.

"My little princess is in a mood?" I walked over, scooping her into my arms.

She wrapped tiny hands around my neck, tilting her chin with a pout.

"Kiss me, Daddy, and I'll forgive you."

I pressed a kiss to her cheek, and her face lit up, giggles vibrating against my throat.

She nuzzled into my neck, all warmth and adoration.

This was how a pup should be-bright, quick to smile, her temper as fleeting as summer rain.

Claire had done well with her.

Not like Ellie, who'd learned from Olivia to brood over every missed promise.

"Dinner's ready," Claire called from the doorway, untangling her apron strings.

As I approached, she gave a helpless laugh.

"Lily heard me calling this morning and got excited. When you didn't come, she kept dialing-couldn't stop her. I hope we didn't interrupt..."

"Just got delayed," I said flatly, carrying Lillian inside.

Under the kitchen lights, Claire's gaze flickered to my split lip.

The bite mark was obvious.

Her smile wavered.

She thought Olivia had kept me there with her body.

Let her think what she wanted.

At nine-thirty, I tucked Lillian in with a bedtime story.

She burrowed into my arms, voice soft.

"Daddy, stay tonight. Sleep with me and Mommy, please?"

Claire emerged from the bathroom, frowning. "Lily, don't be rude."

The pup's lip trembled, tears welling.

"I'm not being silly! I just want to sleep with Daddy and Mommy."

Tears fell, plinking down her cheeks.

Sobbing, she asked, "Why can other pups sleep with their parents, but I can't?"

My heart softened.

Claire hurried to the bed, bending to soothe her.

Her focus was entirely on her crying pup, her voice gentle as she coaxed, "Lily, hush now, don't cry. The healer said you can't get too worked up, remember?"

Lillian shook her head wildly, tiny fingers clutching my sleeve.

"Daddy, please stay!"

Normally, I'd cave-her pouts were impossible to resist-but something held me back.

Claire's smile faltered, though she tried to hide it.

"Don't mind her, Alpha Sean. She's just tired."

When I pried Lillian's hands off me, her wails turned desperate, like a pup separated from its pack.

"Just one night! I'm begging you!"

Her little body shook, and I remembered the healer's warning: stress could relapse her condition.

"Fine," I relented, "I'll stay."

The air grew thick with heat-his scent, my panic, the lingering ghost of a kiss.

Alpha Sean pulled me closer, his arms like iron bands around my waist.

I stirred from the nightmare, gasping as my eyes fluttered open to the bedroom ceiling.

For a heartbeat, the grief felt so tangible I thought Ellie's loss was a fresh wound, not a festering scar.

Then his presence hit me, overwhelming my senses.

Without thought, I shoved at his chest.

"Let me go, Alpha Sean."

For half a decade, he'd ignored my pain, my pleas, my very existence.

I'd swallowed my pride for Ellie, hoping to stitch together a family that was never meant to be.

Now our pup was ashes in an urn-what right did he have to ignore the bond I'd broken?

"Did you hear me? Let go!"

I thrashed harder, my wolf snarling at the violation.

When his mouth descended again, I bit down on his lip-hard.

Copper filled my mouth, his blood mixing with my tears.

He jolted back, stunned, and I seized the chance to shove him off, rolling free.

I scrambled to my feet, ragged breaths tearing at my throat.

Days without food left me dizzy, black spots dancing in my vision, but I held the blanket like a shield.

My stance must have been a sorry sight-half-starved, wild-eyed-but it doused whatever fire had flared in him.

He rolled out of bed, dressing in silence.

His phone slipped from his pocket, screen lighting up with a dozen missed calls from Lillian.

Without a backward glance, he was gone, the door clicking shut like a final nail in the coffin.

The moment he left, my legs gave out.

I collapsed onto the bed, then forced myself up, stumbling to the side room.

My fingers closed around Ellie's urn, cool against my skin.

"He's gone, pup," I whispered, tears spilling over.

"But we're still here."

Downstairs, his car engine rumbled to life.

I knew where he was going: to Rosewood Gardens, where Claire and Lillian waited.

I could almost hear Lillian's little feet pattering to meet him, her squeal of joy as he lifted her up.

My wolf howled silently.

Alpha Sean's pov

When Lillian saw me climb out of the car, she turned her nose up with a dramatic huff.

"My little princess is in a mood?" I walked over, scooping her into my arms.

She wrapped tiny hands around my neck, tilting her chin with a pout.

"Kiss me, Daddy, and I'll forgive you."

I pressed a kiss to her cheek, and her face lit up, giggles vibrating against my throat.

She nuzzled into my neck, all warmth and adoration.

This was how a pup should be-bright, quick to smile, her temper as fleeting as summer rain.

Claire had done well with her.

Not like Ellie, who'd learned from Olivia to brood over every missed promise.

"Dinner's ready," Claire called from the doorway, untangling her apron strings.

As I approached, she gave a helpless laugh.

"Lily heard me calling this morning and got excited. When you didn't come, she kept dialing-couldn't stop her. I hope we didn't interrupt..."

"Just got delayed," I said flatly, carrying Lillian inside.

Under the kitchen lights, Claire's gaze flickered to my split lip.

The bite mark was obvious.

Her smile wavered.

She thought Olivia had kept me there with her body.

Let her think what she wanted.

At nine-thirty, I tucked Lillian in with a bedtime story.

She burrowed into my arms, voice soft.

"Daddy, stay tonight. Sleep with me and Mommy, please?"

Claire emerged from the bathroom, frowning. "Lily, don't be rude."

The pup's lip trembled, tears welling.

"I'm not being silly! I just want to sleep with Daddy and Mommy."

Tears fell, plinking down her cheeks.

Sobbing, she asked, "Why can other pups sleep with their parents, but I can't?"

My heart softened.

Claire hurried to the bed, bending to soothe her.

Her focus was entirely on her crying pup, her voice gentle as she coaxed, "Lily, hush now, don't cry. The healer said you can't get too worked up, remember?"

Lillian shook her head wildly, tiny fingers clutching my sleeve.

"Daddy, please stay!"

Normally, I'd cave-her pouts were impossible to resist-but something held me back.

Claire's smile faltered, though she tried to hide it.

"Don't mind her, Alpha Sean. She's just tired."

When I pried Lillian's hands off me, her wails turned desperate, like a pup separated from its pack.

"Just one night! I'm begging you!"

Her little body shook, and I remembered the healer's warning: stress could relapse her condition.

"Fine," I relented, "I'll stay."

The morning after Alpha Sean stormed out, my phone buzzed with a call from Claire. "

Let's meet at The Black Wolf Café," she purred, as if we were old confidantes.

I almost deleted the message, but something in her tone-too sweet, too calculated-pulled me in.

Ellie's urn sat on the windowsill, watching me like a silent judge.

I owed it to her to face this head-on.

The café's bell jingled as I stepped inside.

Claire waved from a corner table, her smile so bright it hurt my eyes.

"Olivia, darling! Over here!"

She acted like I hadn't backhanded her across the hospital corridor a week ago.

That's Claire for you-always the perfect actress, even with a slap mark still fading on her cheek.

I slid into the chair across from her, keeping my expression blank.

The scent of cappuccino wafted up, but I didn't touch it.

"Cut the crap," I said, voice flat. "Why am I here?"

Claire didn't flinch.

She reached under the table and pulled out a designer shopping bag, pushing it toward me with manicured nails. "Alpha Sean left these at my place last night," she said, lips curving into a smirk.

"Thought you might want them back."

My gaze dropped to the bag.

A pair of men's boxers peeked out from the top-Alpha Sean's favorite brand, the ones he'd worn when we used to lie in bed together.

The fabric still held a faint trace of his scent, now mingled with Claire's floral perfume.

My wolf snarled inside me, but I forced her down.

"Funny," I said, pushing the bag back.

"I don't remember Alpha Sean ever leaving his clothes at my place after spending the night with you."

"If he left them, you should return them to him. I don't take hand-me-downs from mistresses."

Claire's smile faltered for a second, but she recovered quickly.

"Oh, Olivia," she sighed, twirling a lock of hair. "Still so defensive. I just thought-"

"You thought wrong."

I stood up, knocking the chair back. "Next time you want to flaunt your conquest, do it somewhere else. I have better things to do than look at your leftovers."

Before she could retort, a familiar chill prickled the back of my neck-a warning from my wolf instincts.

I didn't need to turn to know who'd arrived.

Claire spun around, her voice suddenly breathless.

"Alpha Sean, what are you doing here?" She sidled up to him, pressing close as if staking a claim.

But his gaze burned into me, colder than the Arctic winds that haunted our pack's northern borders.

Claire's lips curled into a smirk, and I could almost taste the triumph on her breath.

She reached for Alpha Sean's sleeve, her touch feather-light, voice dripping with false concern.

"Alpha Sean, don't be mad. Olivia didn't do anything to me this time."

I watched him tense, his gaze still locked on me like I was the enemy.

He'd always been so quick to believe Claire, to side with her without a second thought.

Eight years ago,Claire appeared out of nowhere, and overnight, she became the center of his universe.

In his eyes, I was nothing but the villain in their love story.

The conniving she-wolf who'd drugged him on their anniversary, the jealous rival who'd slandered Claire at every turn.

Every accusation, every misunderstanding, had once felt like a silver blade to my heart.

I'd begged him to listen, to see the truth, but his mind was sealed shut, clouded by his devotion to her.

But that was then.

I needed this to end,like severing a rotten limb.

"Claire," I said, voice steady as stone,

"Alpha Sean and I dissolved our bond. Keep whatever he leaves at your place. Trash belongs in the dump."

I turned to go, refusing to let my gaze linger on his stormy eyes.

But the moment I brushed past, his hand clamped around my wrist.

"Let go!" I snarled, yanking against him.

Pain shot up my arm, but he only squeezed harder, his expression a mask of ice.

"Didn't you hear Claire? I didn't lay a hand on her!"

He dragged me toward the door, ignoring my protests.

So I stopped struggling, matching his stride.

In my head, I started counting. One... two...

Before I reached three, a frail voice whimpered behind us.

"Alpha Sean..." followed by a thud.

Claire lay crumpled on the floor, looking as fragile as a broken bird.

His hold on me vanished instantly.

He spun away, all focus on her. "Claire!"

I stood there, rubbing my bruised wrist, watching him kneel at her side.

I didn't need to turn around to see the panic on his face.

My gaze dropped to the red welts on my wrist, where his fingers had dug in.

A humorless smile tugged at my lips.

How many times had he chosen Claire over me?

Too many to count. But this?

This was the final straw.

No more tallying, no more hoping for a different outcome.

After storming out of the café, I drove to the mall, gripping the steering wheel until my knuckles ached.

I needed paper, pencils-anything to lose myself in the fashion design competition.

For the past week, I'd been haunting graveyards across Joravia, searching for a plot for Ellie.

The good ones, with alignment to the moon's energy, cost a fortune-at least a million.

Money. That's what Alpha Sean had always thrown at problems.

For years, he'd given me ten grand a month, like pocket change.

At first, it felt like a lifeline.

I saved what I could, lived frugally.

But then Ellie got sick. The hospital bills started piling up: enchanted scans, rare herbs, specialists who only took payment in moonstones.

Ten grand became a drop in the ocean.

I remember the first time I asked him for more.

He was in his study, signing off on a packdeal that probably cost more than Ellie's entire treatment. "She's your pup too," I'd said, voice shaking.

He'd looked up from his papers, eyes blank. "Olivia, don't be dramatic. I provide for you."