Lucian's POV

For several moments, I simply stared at Allison, unable to fully process what she'd just said. The slap had sobered me somewhat, though my head still felt foggy from the whiskey.

*Is she serious?* Fenrir growled within me, surprisingly disturbed by her declaration.

*She can't be,* I responded internally. *It's just another emotional outburst.*

"What do you mean?" I demanded, my voice dropping to that dangerous timber that usually made lesser wolves cower.

She stood before me, chin raised, those amber eyes burning with a determination I hadn't seen in her for... had I ever seen it? Something about her seemed different-stronger, more resolute. It was almost attractive, if it hadn't been so irritating.

"Are you deaf? I said we're getting a divorce. Is that so hard to understand?!" she spat, her voice carrying a harshness I'd never heard before.

"Divorce?" I finally echoed, a disbelieving smirk forming on my lips. "Is this some kind of game, Allison?"

"No game," she continued, her voice steady despite the tears drying on her cheeks. "I want out of this marriage."

A strange, hollow feeling expanded in my chest, but I quickly dismissed it. This was clearly a ploy for attention-some desperate attempt to make me chase her after what had just happened. Women and their emotional manipulations were all the same, weren't they?

"Playing hard to get now?" I chuckled, loosening my tie further. "A little late for that strategy, isn't it? We've been married for two years."

"This isn't a strategy," she said, moving away when I stepped closer. "It's a decision."

*She's serious,* Fenrir growled within me, surprisingly upset. *Our mate is leaving us.*

*She's not our true mate,* I reminded my wolf. *Just a convenience.*

Yet something about her resolve made me uneasy. I was used to Allison being compliant, accommodating-the perfect silent partner who kept my home running smoothly while I built our empire. This defiance was new, and I didn't care for it.

"Don't be dramatic," I said dismissively. "You've had a perfect life here."

"Perfect?" She let out a sharp, brittle laugh, the sound cracking at the edges. "I've been nothing but a glorified housekeeper to you. And our-"

I saw her fall silent instantly. Our what? I felt Allison was hiding something, so I stared directly into her eyes, noticing they were wet with tears. Was she crying?

"Look, if this is about me being busy lately," I tried to soften my tone, "I have responsibilities to the pack and the company. You know that.I can make it up to you."

"I don't need anything from you anymore," she whispered. "You wouldn't understand anyway."

"Ok.And what exactly do you plan to do?" I asked with exaggerated patience, as though speaking to a child.

"Where will you go? How will you support yourself? You haven't worked in two years, Allison. You've been a housewife-and not even a particularly good one at that."

It was a low blow, and I knew it. Allison had tried desperately to fulfill the role of Luna, despite the pack's thinly veiled contempt for her common origins.

My mother had made her life especially difficult, constantly criticizing everything from her table manners to her inability to throw the lavish social gatherings expected of a Storm Pack Luna.

"That's none of your concern," she replied, her voice surprisingly steady. "I'm doing you a favor, Lucian. Do you really want her to remain your mistress forever? Wouldn't it be easier if I just stepped aside?"

"Who?" I froze, tension snapping through my body like a whip.

"Heidi Lawrence, your first love."

My blood ran cold. "How do you know about Heidi?" I demanded, anger masking my shock. "Have you been following me? Going through my phone?"

She laughed, the sound hollow and bitter. "That's what you think of me? A desperate, stalking wife?"

She shook her head. "This pack has eyes everywhere, Lucian. Did you really think your little rendezvous would stay secret?"

"That's not what I meant," I growled, running a hand through my hair. "Are you divorcing me because of Heidi? Don't be ridiculous. The Luna of the Storm Pack will only ever be you."

"I don't care about that position," she said coldly. "You want to know why I'm divorcing you? Let me ask you something first. Where were you the day I called you? Just tell me the truth, and I'll tell you my reason."

My mind flashed back to that day-I was with Heidi at the hospital. Guilt flickered through me, but I pushed it down.

"I already told you," I answered stiffly. "I was in meetings."

Allison's laugh was bitter, escalating until tears formed in her eyes. "You'll never know what you lost, Lucian. Never."

Unease crept up my spine. "What are you talking about?"

She shook off my hands and turned away, moving toward the closet to begin packing.

Fenrir stirred within me, restless. *"Don't let her go, " *he growled. *" Say something. Stop her."*

But my pride held me still-until I realized she'd already folded two sweaters and tossed them into her suitcase.

I decided to change tactics. "What about your mother? Who will pay for her care if not me?"

She paused for a heartbeat, her back still to me. Then she resumed folding. "I'll find a way," she replied quietly.

"What way?" I countered. "The specialized facility, the round-the-clock nurses-do you have any idea what that costs? Where would a housewife like you get that kind of money? Without me, she'd be in some state facility within weeks."

She turned to face me, and the naked hatred in her eyes made something in me recoil. "You're despicable! I regret ever loving you, Lucian," she said, her voice like ice.

"Allison! Watch your tone. I am your Alpha."

"Not anymore. "Then her eyes suddenly blazed amber as Jasmine surfaced, and the words that followed sent an arctic chill through me.

"I, Allison Carter, reject you, Lucian Storm, as my mate and Alpha. I sever our bond and withdraw my loyalty to you and your bloodline."

The ritual words of mate rejection hung in the air between us like jagged shards of ice. A sharp pain ripped through me as Fenrir howled in agony within my mind.

I stumbled back, clutching the doorframe for balance, but Allison didn't even flinch. She turned back to her packing, methodically filling her suitcase with clothes and personal items.

Once the last piece was tucked in, she snapped the zipper shut with a decisive click and lifted the suitcase from the floor.

As she passed by me, her voice dripped with venom:

"And let me give you something to chew on before I go. You really think you've ever satisfied me?"

My breath caught.

Uh-oh.

" The nights I melted in your arms? They were an act.Pretending that I enjoy our pathetic excuse for intimacy. Lucian. You can't please a woman with that undersized equipment and your two-minute performance."

That cut deep, deeper than I admitted-to even myself.

Fenrir howled in humiliation.

"You lie," I growled, teeth half-shifted now. "Watch it, Allison."

She tilted her head. "No. I don't answer to you anymore. I don't fear you. Hell, I don't even pity you. Keep your little porcelain heiress. See how long she entertains you once your empire starts cracking."

"You'll regret this," I snarled "Don't come crying back when you realize what you've thrown away."

"I already know exactly what I'm throwing away," she said, eyes glinting with razor-sharp finality. "Nothing of value."

With that final barb, she turned and walked out-no hesitation, no backward glance. Just the sound of her heels echoing down the hall, and the silence she left behind.

*Go after her!* Fenrir demanded. *She is OURS. We cannot let her leave!*

But my pride held me rooted to the spot. Was she trying to threaten me with divorce? Or was this some ploy to attract my attention?

I wasn't going to fall into her trap. No one could disrupt my plans. Let Allison have her little tantrum.

She'd be back, tail between her legs, once she realized what life without the protection of the Storm Pack would really be like.

That would definitely be the outcome.

As I heard the front door slam downstairs, my phone rang. Heidi's name flashed across the screen.

I answered the call, pushing away the hollow feeling in my chest and the desperate howling of my wolf.

"Heidi," I purred into the phone, "I was just thinking about you."

Allison's POV

The cold night air hit my skin as I stood at the edge of Storm Pack territory, my small suitcase beside me. I had made it out-actually walked away from the life I'd built for two years, from the man I thought would be my forever.

*We did the right thing,* Jasmine reassured me, her presence warm in my mind despite the chill of the late hour.

"I know," I whispered, pulling my jacket tighter around me. The street was deserted, not a single car passing by at this ungodly hour.

I pulled out my phone and opened the rideshare app, desperately hoping for a driver nearby. Nothing. Not a single car available in this area.

Of course-who would be driving around the outskirts of wolf territory at 1 AM? I tried a second app, then a third. Still nothing.

A bitter laugh escaped my lips.

*Call Bella,* Jasmine suggested. *She's always there for us.*

With trembling fingers, I dialed her number. One ring, two rings...

"Ally? Do you have any idea what time it is?" Bella's voice was thick with sleep, but instantly concerned.

"Bella," I whispered, my voice cracking. "I left him. I left Lucian. I need... I need somewhere to go."

"I'm at the edge of-" I froze mid-sentence as headlights flared behind me, washing the road in sudden brightness.

A sleek black Bentley glided up from behind-Lucian's car. My heart stopped as it slowed beside me, and I instinctively stepped back into the shadows.

Had he come looking for me? Was he going to try to drag me back? Or perhaps. apologize?

But it didn't stop. Through the tinted windows, I could make out Lucian's profile, his phone pressed to his ear, looking straight ahead as if I were invisible.

A bitter smile crossed my lips. Even now, he couldn't see me.

"Ally? You there?" Bella's concerned voice pulled me back.

"Yeah, sorry. I'm at the northern boundary of Storm territory, near Crescent Road. Can you come get me?"

"Already grabbing my keys. Sit tight, I'll be there in fifteen minutes."

True to her word, Bella's bright red Jeep came bouncing down the road exactly fourteen minutes later. She threw open the passenger door and jumped out, enveloping me in a fierce hug before I could even speak.

"I'm so proud of you," she whispered fiercely into my hair. "So damn proud."

The drive to Bella's apartment in the neutral territory between pack boundaries was filled with her animated cursing of Lucian Storm's character, ancestry, and probable future.

Her wolf, Pixie, occasionally surfaced, making her eyes flash a vibrant green as she spat particularly creative insults.

"That narcissistic, self-absorbed knothead! I hope his dick falls off and Heidi uses it as a doorstop!"

Despite everything, I found myself laughing through my tears.

Bella's apartment was small but cozy-a colorful two-bedroom on the third floor of a converted warehouse. Warm lights bathed the eclectic furniture, and the walls were covered with photographs and artwork that reflected her vivacious personality.

"Home sweet home," she announced, dropping my bags by the spare bedroom. "It's not a mansion, but at least no one here will treat you like a servant."

"It's perfect," I whispered, genuinely meaning it.

After settling in, Bella made us tea and joined me on the couch, tucking her legs beneath her.

"So," she said gently, "you finally did it. Want to tell me what pushed you over the edge? I mean, I know you've loved that asshole forever, even when he didn't deserve it."

I stared into my tea, watching the ripples form as my hands trembled. "He was with her that day. With Heidi. While I was..."

The words stuck in my throat.

"While you were what, honey?" Bella prompted softly.

"I was pregnant, Bella," I finally whispered, tears streaming down my face. "Three months along. I never told him because he was always too busy. And that day... that day I lost the baby. Our baby. And when I needed him most, he was off with her."

Bella's face transformed from shock to fury in seconds.

"That absolute fucking MONSTER!" she exploded, her wolf eyes blazing. "I'll kill him! I'll rip his throat out and feed it to the rats!"

"It doesn't matter now," I said quietly. "It's over."

"Why didn't you call me?" she demanded, grabbing my hands. "Goddamnit, Ally, why do you always shoulder everything alone? I would have been there in a heartbeat."

"I know," I said, squeezing her hands back. "I just... I was scared. And ashamed. I thought I could fix my marriage if I just tried hard enough. If I was perfect enough."

"Oh, honey," Bella's anger melted into compassion. "You can't fix something when you're the only one trying. Marriage isn't a solo sport."

We sat in silence for a while, the weight of everything that had happened settling between us.

"So what's your plan now?" she finally asked. "You know you can stay here as long as you need."

"I need to see my mom first," I said. "She's at Starlight Care Center-you know, that specialized facility that Lucian invested in."

"Will that be a problem? Him being an investor?"

"Yes, he tried to use my mother's care to threaten me into staying," I admitted bitterly. "But my mother's care is paid up for the next six months. By then, I'll figure something out."

"That manipulative bastard," Bella growled. "Using your mother as leverage! I always knew he was cold, but that's a new low. Did he offer to throw in a dental plan if you agreed to stay and be his doormat for another year?"

"Bella!" I couldn't help the small laugh that escaped me.

"What?" She shrugged unapologetically. "Just saying what everyone thinks. And after that?"

I hesitated, then pulled out my phone and showed her the email I'd received from Professor Jenkins. "I applied to the research program at Northridge University. They accepted me."

Bella's eyes widened. "That's amazing! When do you start?"

"In a month. I told them I needed time to... wrap things up here."

"Like divorcing your Alpha husband?" Bella supplied with a raised eyebrow.

"Among other things," I agreed with a weak smile.

"Well," she said, clinking her mug against mine, "here's to new beginnings. To Allison Carter, version 2.0."

"To new beginnings," I echoed, hoping I sounded more confident than I felt.

Allison's POV

I allowed myself to sleep in this morning. Partly because I'd stayed up late talking with Bella, but also because it felt liberating not having to rush to the early farmers' market for the freshest produce.

No need to prepare Lucian's elaborate breakfast--always his favorite eggs benedict with homemade hollandaise sauce, fresh fruit, and imported coffee brewed to precise strength. There was no Alpha husband expecting his perfectly pressed suit laid out, no pack protocols to follow.

The warm sunlight filtering through unfamiliar curtains was my first reminder that everything had changed. I stretched luxuriously, feeling Jasmine stir contentedly within me.

*We're free,* she whispered, her voice tinged with satisfaction.

"Yes," I murmured, "we are."

I found a note from Bella on the kitchen counter beside a plate of muffins covered in plastic wrap:

"Had to run to the office-breaking story on Hunter Pack territory disputes. Help yourself to anything in the fridge. We'll celebrate your independence tonight! PROUD OF YOU! -B"

A small smile tugged at my lips. Bella's chaotic energy was exactly what I needed right now-her unwavering support without the suffocating concern I'd get from anyone else.

After a quick breakfast and shower, I dressed in simple jeans and a blouse. No designer labels, no carefully curated outfit to meet the Storm Pack Luna standards. Just comfortable clothes that felt like me.

There was only one place I needed to be today.

My mother's care situation had to be addressed immediately, before Lucian could use it against me.

The Starlight Care Center gleamed in the morning sunlight as I pulled into the visitor parking lot.

The modern building housed some of the best long-term care facilities in the region-and some of the most expensive.

It wasn't part of Storm Pack territory, but it was one of Lucian's many business investments-a high-end facility for long-term patients requiring specialized care.

My mother had been transferred here shortly after my marriage to Lucian.

Her health had already been fragile, but a devastating virus two years ago had left her in a persistent vegetative state.

The doctors held little hope for recovery, but I visited faithfully every week, sometimes more.

"Good morning, Luna Allison," the receptionist greeted me warmly.

"Just Ms. Carter, please," I corrected gently. The name change tasted like freedom on my tongue. Her eyes widened slightly, but to her credit, she simply nodded. "Of course, Ms. Carter. Your mother's doing well this morning. Her vitals are stable."

"Thank you. Is Dr. Humphrey available today? I'd like to discuss some changes to my mother's care plan-after I visit with her."

"He should be making rounds shortly. I'll let him know you're here."

I thanked her and made my way down the familiar corridor to my mother's private room.

The steady beep of monitors and the soft hiss of oxygen were the only sounds. My mother lay peaceful and still, her once vibrant face now slack, her dark hair streaked with premature silver.

Amelia Carter had once been the most dynamic woman I knew-a single mother who'd raised me with fierce determination after my father's death, who'd worked two jobs to put me through college, who'd never once complained about the hand life had dealt her.

"Hi, Mom," I whispered, taking her limp hand in mine. "I'm sorry it's been a few days.I have something to tell you."

The tears I'd been fighting all evening finally spilled over. Even though she couldn't hear me, couldn't respond, I needed to tell her."I'm leaving him, Mom.I know how much you wanted me to have a happy marriage, but... I can't stay with him anymore."

I rested my forehead against our joined hands. "I lost our baby, Mom. Lucian wasn't even there. He was with another woman-his ex. The one he never stopped loving."

I stayed for another hour, telling her everything-the pregnancy I'd lost, Heidi's return, Lucian's betrayal.Though she couldn't respond, just being in her presence gave me strength.

"I'll make sure you're taken care of," I promised as I kissed her forehead. "No matter what happens with Lucian, you'll stay here. I promise."

___

At precisely two o'clock, I walked into the elegant offices of Wells Legal Services, located in a high-rise building downtown.

The reception area was tastefully decorated in muted grays and blues, projecting both confidence and discretion.

"I have an appointment with Katherine Wells," I told the receptionist. "Allison Carter-Storm."

The young woman's eyes widened slightly at my name, but she quickly recovered her professional demeanor. "Of course, Mrs. Storm. She's expecting you."

"Ms. Carter, please," I corrected gently.

She nodded, understanding immediately. "Ms. Carter. Right this way."

Katherine Wells was everything I'd hoped for-a striking woman in her fifties with salt-and-pepper hair cut in a sharp bob, piercing eyes, and an air of absolute competence. She rose from behind her imposing desk when I entered.

"Luna Storm," she said, extending her hand.

"Just Allison Carter now," I replied, shaking her hand firmly. "Thank you for seeing me on such short notice."

"Please, have a seat." She gestured to a comfortable chair across from her desk.

Once we were both seated, she folded her hands and fixed me with a penetrating gaze. "So, you want to divorce Alpha Lucian Storm. That won't be a simple process."

"I'm aware," I said, meeting her eyes steadily. "But I'm prepared for whatever comes."

For the next hour, we discussed the complexities of my situation-the considerable assets involved, the pack dynamics, and the potential challenges Lucian might present.

"You realize, of course, that as Alpha of the Storm Pack, your husband has significant resources at his disposal," Katherine said. "And werewolf divorce cases involving Alphas are notoriously complicated due to the mate bond."

"Our bond was never fully formed," I admitted quietly. "Lucian never completed the claiming ritual."

Katherine's eyebrows rose slightly-the first sign of surprise she'd shown. "That's... unusual for an Alpha. And potentially advantageous for our case."

"Will that make things easier?" I asked.

"Legally, yes. Practically..." she shrugged. "Alphas are possessive by nature. Even without a completed bond, he may not let you go easily."

I thought of how Lucian had threatened me with my mother's care, how he'd tried to manipulate me. "He'll fight dirty."

"Then so will we," Katherine said, her lips curving in a determined smile. "Now, let's discuss your mother's situation. You mentioned she's currently at Starlight Care Center?"

"Yes. It's one of Lucian's investments, though not part of pack territory."

"We'll need to secure her continued care there, regardless of the divorce outcome. I assume that's a priority?"

I nodded emphatically. "The most important one."

We continued discussing strategy for another hour-what assets I would claim, what concessions I might make, how to approach the division of property.

"I don't want his money," I said firmly. "Just enough to care for my mother and start over."

"That's a refreshing attitude," Katherine remarked, "but don't sell yourself short. You've been his Luna for three years. Under pack law, you're entitled to significant compensation."

By the time our meeting concluded, I felt both exhausted and relieved. There was a plan now, concrete steps to take.

"I'll have the preliminary divorce papers drafted by tomorrow," Katherine promised as she walked me to the door. "Once you approve them, we'll serve them to your husband."

"Thank you," I said sincerely. "For taking my case, and for not treating me like a naive little wolf in over her head."

"You're stronger than you give yourself credit for," she replied with a knowing smile. "Most she-wolves would've crumbled long before reaching this point with an Alpha like Storm."

As I rode the elevator down to the parking garage, I felt lighter than I had in years. There was still a mountain to climb, but at least now I had a path.

My phone rang just as I reached my car. Leo's name flashed across the screen. Lucian's Beta, his right-hand man and enforcer. Why would he be calling me?Did Lucian send him?

Jasmine growled softly in my mind. *Ignore him.*

And I did, setting the phone down and starting the car. By the time I pulled away from Wells Legal Services,not even two minutes later, it lit up again-Lucian.

I stared at his name glowing on the screen, then turned it face-down without a word.

For the first time in our marriage, he was chasing me. But it was too late-far too late.