SOPHIA'S POV

I left the main house.

My wolf stirred restlessly in my chest, but my steps were firm. I refused to look back at that cold, imposing structure.

When I arrived at Damien's private residence-Ashley's current home-and stepped inside, her scent enveloped me immediately. A hint of milk and lavender, the shampoo I used to choose for her.

I hurried upstairs and pushed open her bedroom door.

She was sitting at her craft table, drawing. She looked up at the sound.

"Ashley!"

I rushed to her, pulling her into my arms. My daughter. The child I nearly died to bring into this world. I couldn't help but press a flurry of kisses to her cheek. Her scent was the only pure thing left in my life. I had missed her so much.

"Mom, that's gross." She wrinkled her little nose, wiping her cheek.

I smiled, though the comment stung. "I'm sorry, baby. I've just missed you so much."

She just shrugged, as if my longing were unnecessary, as if the months apart meant nothing.

My wolf whimpered low inside-a pup should crave her mother's scent, her warmth, her closeness. But Ashley simply sat back down and resumed sorting her crayons.

"How have you been?" I sat beside her. "Did you sleep well last night? Are you eating enough? You-"

"Mom." She cut me off, not even looking up. "I want to go to East Street Preschool. Aunt Tiffany says it's the best."

The words hit me like a physical blow.

Aunt Tiffany.

She said it so casually, so familiarly, as if... as if that woman were the one closest to her.

"If you want to go, I'll enroll you," I said, forcing a smile.

Ashley nodded, but showed no excitement. She didn't even smile at me.

I took a deep breath, choosing my next words carefully.

"Sweetheart... Mom was thinking... would you like to move back and live with me?"

I couldn't bring myself to be direct yet, not ready to tell her we were leaving this place for good.

She finally looked up at me, confusion in her eyes.

"Why?"

"Because..." My voice trembled. "Because I miss you. I want to see you every day. I want to read you bedtime stories, have breakfast with you..."

"But Aunt Tiffany reads to me," Ashley said. "Her stories are way better than yours."

Each word was a knife, precise and cruel.

"And," she continued, a hint of disdain in her tone, "you're always crying and sad when you come. Aunt Tiffany says it's because you're not well."

"Ashley..."

"Aunt Tiffany never cries," she interrupted. "She's strong. She says I have to be strong too, not weak like you."

Every syllable was a laceration. My wolf flinched violently, a growl rumbling deep in my consciousness. Tiffany had been poisoning my child, twisting her perception of me.

"Baby, that's not true," I said, struggling to keep my voice even. "Mom isn't weak. Mom is just..."

"Aunt Tiffany says you're afraid to have babies, that's why you won't give me a brother." Ashley's gaze turned cold. "She says you're selfish."

I froze.

"I'm not afraid." My voice shook. "Ashley, when I had you, I almost died. But I never regretted it for a second. I-"

"Aunt Tiffany says that's because you're fragile," Ashley cut in again. "But she says she's strong. She can give Dad a brother. She says if Dad marries her, I could have a brother."

My hands clenched into fists.

"Ashley, listen to me-"

Her smartwatch lit up. Tiffany's name flashed on the screen. Her eyes immediately brightened with an excitement I had never seen directed at me.

"It's Aunt Tiffany!" she cheered.

I reached for the watch. "Ashley, we're not finished talking-"

"It's important!" She clutched the watch to her chest, looking at me with a hostility that was almost alien.

I recoiled.

That look, that posture... as if I were a stranger trying to hurt her.

"Fine," I forced myself to stand. "You have five minutes."

I walked out of the room, closing the door softly behind me. Leaning against the hallway wall, I took deep breaths, trying to calm the storm inside me. But the pregnancy had heightened my hearing. My wolf senses, already sharp, were now nearly uncontrollable. Even through the door, I could hear Ashley's voice with perfect clarity.

"Aunt Tiffany, I miss you so much..."

My breath hitched.

"I want to hear the bedtime story you tell..."

"I like your hugs better..."

"Mommy said she might have a baby. But Aunt Tiffany, I don't want Mommy to have one. She said it hurts. You should have the baby instead, okay?"

My wolf convulsed as if kicked in the ribs. A hand flew to my mouth. I slid down the wall, sinking to my knees on the floor. Tears welled up, too fast to stop.

Ashley saw Tiffany as her mother.

Not me. Not the one who carried her for nine months, fought for her, nearly died for her.

Tiffany had taken my husband. Now she was taking my child.

My fingers pressed hard against my lower abdomen. The wolf within me whimpered, sharing my grief.

A suffocating feeling rose. I pushed myself up, staggering toward the balcony. I needed air. I needed to breathe.

With trembling hands, I pulled out my phone and dialed Damien.

He rejected the call.

I dialed again.

Rejected again.

A third time.

This time, he answered, his voice thick with annoyance.

"What is it, Sophia? I told you-"

"You need to come home. Now," I cut him off, my voice so cold it surprised even me. "It's about Ashley. This can't wait."

"I'm in a meeting. This can-"

"If you don't come," I interrupted again, enunciating each word, "I swear I will walk right up to the reporters outside your office and give them a front-row view of the father and Alpha you really are."

Silence.

Then, a low growl. "I'm on my way."

I hung up.

Standing by the window, I watched the driveway, my heart pounding.

Minutes later, a sleek black luxury car pulled in. I expected Damien to get out alone. But Tiffany stepped out of the passenger side first. She was holding Damien's arm, carrying herself like she already owned the place. Like she was the Luna of this pack.

My wolf bared its fangs.

This was deliberate. She knew I was here. She wanted me to see.

"Aunt Tiffany!"

Ashley's shriek came from downstairs. Before I could react, she had burst out of the house and thrown herself into Tiffany's arms.

The sheer joy, the unbridled delight on her face-it was something I had never seen directed at me.

Tiffany lifted her easily. Over Ashley's shoulder, her eyes met mine, a smile of pure victory curling her lips.

Something inside me snapped.

I rushed downstairs, striding toward them. "Put my daughter down."

"She came to me," Tiffany said sweetly, gently patting Ashley's back. "What was I supposed to do? Reject a child's affection?"

"You have no right to touch her!" My voice shook. "She is my daughter. Not yours!"

"Sophia, calm down," Damien finally spoke, his tone dripping with impatience.

"Calm down?" I whirled to face him, staring in disbelief. "You want me to calm down? Look at what she's doing! She's holding my child in front of me, and Ashley-"

"Ashley likes her," Damien stated coldly. "What's the problem?"

"The problem?" A hysterical laugh nearly escaped me. "The problem is she's replacing me! She's making Ashley believe she's the mother!"

"Perhaps," Damien's icy gaze locked on me, "perhaps she would be a better one."

SOPHIA'S POV

For a moment, I simply stood there, unable to breathe as Damien's words echoed in my ears.

"Tiffany will be a better mother to her than you ever were."

I stared at him, stunned. I could feel my wolf dropping to her knees inside me with a soft, wounded whine. My heart didn't just hurt. It cracked open. It felt like someone had driven claws straight through it.

"What. what did you just say?" I whispered. "Damien, what do you mean by that? How can you say something like-"

But he ignored me completely as if I were nothing more than an inconvenient noise. He placed a hand on Tiffany's lower back. He did it so casually, so intimately.

He guided her toward the villa's entrance.

Seeing him touch her like that, right in front of me, felt like being stabbed in the chest. My wolf's fur raised in anger and humiliation, but she was too injured to snarl.

"Damien," I called again, louder "Look at me. Explain what you meant."

He finally stopped, but he still did not look at me. Instead, he looked down at Ashley, smoothing her hair, the way he never did for me or for our daughter unless someone else was watching.

Tiffany smirked slightly, and Ashley leaned into her like she was the safest person in the world.

"What I meant," he finally said,, "is that Ashley needs someone dependable. Someone who is actually present. Someone who isn't always buried in work or too tired to handle her."

My lips parted in disbelief. "I work because you told me to! You said the family valued ambition. You said a Luna should contribute. Damien, you-"

He cut me off with a dismissive wave. "You're always busy. Always away. Ashley needs stability."

"I'm her mother," I snapped. "I'm her mother, Damien. You can't replace me with-"

"With someone who's actually here?" he shot back, finally turning to meet my eyes.

His eyes were hard, Alpha-cold. It pushed against my chest with the force of dominance, demanding submission. But I fought it. I had to.

Tiffany placed a soothing hand on his arm.

"Damien, let's calm down. I'm sure Sophia didn't mean to cause trouble. She's probably just overwhelmed."

Her voice was soft and sweet. She petted his arm like she tamed him. My wolf growled in my chest.

"Damien," I said again through clenched teeth, "you still haven't answered my question. What do you mean Ashley needs someone dependable once I get pregnant again? Why would that even be Tiffany's responsibility-"

Tiffany stiffened. Damien's silence was enough of an answer.

Something cold slid down my spine. "What did you do?"

Damien let out a breath as if bored by my confusion.

"I moved Tiffany Stonewall Villa temporarily."

My eyes widened. "You what?"

"She'll be staying here full-time," he continued. "As Ashley's guardian."

Ice flooded my veins. "Where is Ms. Dale? The nanny I hired?"

"Fired," he said bluntly. "Tiffany will take her place."

It felt like the ground tilted under me. "Without asking me? She's my - she's our daughter! How dare you make decisions without consulting-"

"My decisions are final," he said flatly. "This arrangement is what's best for Ashley."

"No," I whispered. My voice was shaking violently now. "This arrangement is what's best for you and Tiffany."

Tiffany opened her mouth, probably to offer another sickeningly sweet line, but something inside me snapped.

I stepped closer, breathing heavily.

"Stay out of it, Tiffany. I swear to the Goddess, stay out of-"

"Sophia," she said with feigned gentleness, reaching out as if to comfort me, "I'm not trying to replace you. I'm only trying to help. Ashley deserves-"

My hand moved before thought could catch up.

I slapped her.

The sound echoed in the hallway. Tiffany's head snapped to the side. She stared at me, stunned.

She had her hand pressed to her cheek. For the first time, her mask slipped. She wasn't sweet. She wasn't gentle. She was furious.

Ashley gasped and immediately ran to her, shielding Tiffany with her tiny arms as if I were the villain in her story.

"Mommy!" she cried. Her eyes were filled with tears. "You're a bad mom! Why would you hit Aunty Tiffany?"

My wolf was stunned. Bad mom. The words echoed in my skull.

"Ashley. no, baby, listen-" I reached for her.

She slapped my hand away. It was hard enough that my wrist stung.

"Don't touch me! You don't even love me! Aunty Tiffany said so!"

I froze. Tiffany said what?

But before I could react, Ashley hugged Tiffany tightly, glaring at me with hurt and anger no child her age should ever carry.

Damien wrapped an arm around both of them. His posture was protective and something inside me shattered so deeply I felt it physically, like my chest was caving in.

They stood there together. They looked like the perfect little family: Damien, Tiffany, and Ashley.

They looked fitting and complete.

And I wasn't part of it. Not anymore.

Not ever again.

Everything fell silent around me, including my wolf. She lowered herself inside my chest. Her ears went flat with heartbreak.

I realized that nothing I did, nothing I begged for, nothing I sacrificed would ever be enough for this man or this pack. My place had been erased. I had been replaced.

I turned away because I couldn't bear the sight. I couldn't breathe near them without feeling like I was suffocating.

I walked back to the pack house in a numb haze.

Once inside my study, I pulled out the divorce agreement with shaking hands. The ink I had written earlier was still fresh, still hopeful in its own way.

Half the assets. Custody. Child support. All of it meant nothing now.

Slowly, painfully, I crossed out the entire custody section.

I wrote clear, decisive words: Full custody to Damien Stone. No visitation. No intervention. No rights.

My pen hovered for a long moment as something inside me howled in grief. But I forced myself to sign it.

My signature looked lifeless, like someone else's hand wrote it.

For the final time, I placed a trembling hand on my stomach. My wolf whispered weakly inside me. She was just as sad as I was.

"I can't bring you into this," I murmured to the life barely forming inside me. "I can't do this to another child."

Tears blurred my vision, but I kept moving. I put on my coat. I grabbed my bag. I walked out of the villa and headed straight to the hospital.

I was determined - painfully, desperately determined - to terminate the pregnancy. to sever every remaining tie to Damien, to Tiffany, to this life that kept breaking me.

SOPHIA'S POV

I went ahead with the procedure.

Even though my wolf whimpered inside me, I kept my jaw tight and my eyes forward. I signed the final consent form with a steady hand, refusing to show fear.

My wolf flicked her tail in agitation, begging me to reconsider, but I silenced her with a single, pained command in my mind: We survive on our terms.

When I woke up afterward, I felt an ache in my abdomen.

The pain wasn't just physical. It was emotional too. Even my wolf's spirit felt it.

Yet beneath the ache, there was something else. a strange kind of calm. This was my choice. It was my territory. My body. My future.

Dr. Nancy sat beside me, looking at me with concern.

"Sophia," she said carefully, "you're strong, but strength isn't about doing everything alone. That pup. you could have kept it. You still had time to reconsider."

I shook my head and stared at the window, watching the moon climb slowly into the sky.

"Strength," I whispered, "is choosing the life that keeps you sane. I did what I needed to do. I won't bring a child into a home where their existence is used as leverage." I felt my throat tighten, but I didn't look away. "Or into a world where the father already chose someone else."

Her expression softened. "Your wolf will mourn for a while. You must let her."

"I will," I said quietly. "But mourning isn't the same as regret."

For the next day and a half, I stayed in the hospital, recovering.

I slept, drifted in and out, felt my wolf curl around me protectively. I allowed myself to feel the pain - not to break me, but to cleanse me.

When I was finally discharged, I followed the doctor's instructions carefully. I rested. I ate. I healed slowly, inside and out. But eventually, the need to confront everything I left unresolved hit me.

Three days later, I drove to the Stonewall Villa to formally discuss the divorce.

As I approached the gates, my wolf growled at the familiar scent markers. I could still feel Damien's alpha aura around the property. The guards recognized my car and let me in.

Inside the villa, I waited.

Minutes stretched into nearly an hour. I was exhausted but I was also determined. I had to do this.

Finally, the butler – Cherry - walked toward me with an apologetic look on her face. She looked nervous.

"Luna Sophia. Alpha Damien isn't returning today. He said." She hesitated. It was either she was unwilling or afraid to repeat his exact words.

"Say it," I said calmly.

She swallowed. "He said the two of you should 'try again next month.'"

For a moment, my breath simply. stopped. My wolf went silent. She was stunned.

Try again next month.

As if nothing had happened. As if my entire world hadn't shattered. As if he owned my womb. As if I were a vessel he could schedule like a business appointment.

Cherry looked down. "He told me to give you that message."

"And the message was delivered," I said coldly.

I placed the signed divorce agreement on the coffee table. "Tell him this is the last message he'll ever receive from me."

Then I walked out.

Outside, I heard the sound of approaching footsteps.

Laughter floated in the air - a family's laughter.

I stopped dead. In that moment, I could feel every muscle in my body tightening.

There they were. Damien, Tiffany, and Ashley. It was a picture-perfect scene.

Ashley held on to Tiffany's waist, babbling excitedly. Tiffany knelt to adjust the child's jacket, smiling with a warm, maternal glow that used to belong to me. Damien stood beside them. He had his hand resting on Tiffany's back. He looked protective and affectionate in a way he had never been with me.

My wolf whimpered. Something inside me cracked.

It was a slow break. like ice finally giving way after holding too much weight.

Tiffany whispered something to Ashley, and Ashley laughed. She didn't even notice me standing there. None of them did.

They looked like a perfect family.

That was the moment the last thread snapped.

I finally and truly...let go.

My phone buzzed.

It was Laurel. My supervisor at the shelter I sometimes worked at when I was done with my Luna duties.

I wiped my face quickly and answered.

"Sophia?" Laurel's voice came through "Your evaluations came back excellent. If you want, we can fast-track your training. You can begin full shifts next week."

"Next week?" My voice was hoarse.

I had totally forgotten about the training I had done some weeks ago.

"Yes. And there's more. We're short on volunteers for the rural children's health-screening program. It's demanding, but. I thought you might be interested. You always said you wanted meaningful fieldwork."

For the first time in what felt like ages, something inside me lifted.

"Yes," I said. "I want it. Please sign me up."

"Consider it done."

When the call ended, I stood there for a long moment, breathing deeply.

My wolf lifted her head inside me. It was as if she finally sensed a road that belonged to us-not Damien, not Tiffany, not the expectations of a pack that would never choose me.

I walked to my car without looking back.

Not at Damien. Not at Tiffany. Not even at Ashley.

Some losses can't be reclaimed. Some bonds die before you realize they were already gone.

And some women, some wolves, must learn to survive by shedding every part of the past that poisoned them.

I drove away.