DAMIEN'S POV

I sat at the head of the table, flipping through quarterly reports, pretending to focus while my wolf paced under my skin.

Numbers bored him. Meetings infuriated him. But I forced both of us to sit still.

My phone vibrated once on the table. I ignored it. Then it vibrated again and again. The receptionist would never call me repeatedly unless something was wrong.

I lifted the phone, glanced at the screen, and froze.

East Street Preschool calling.

My chest tightened. Ashley.

I answered instantly. "What happened?"

A timid female voice came through. "Alpha Damien, sir. This is Ms. Mara from the preschool. We. we tried reaching Luna Stone, but-"

"She's no longer my Luna," I cut in automatically, grumbling, then clenched my jaw. "What's wrong with my daughter?"

Ms. Mara hesitated, then spoke quickly. "It's Family Fun Day. Ashley is the only pup whose mother didn't attend. She's very upset, sir."

The room around me blurred. A low growl escaped my throat before I caught it. Sophia. She was supposed to handle this. Tiffany couldn't, fine but Sophia?

I didn't even excuse myself. Chairs scraped the floor as every board member jumped to their feet in submission. Their wolves were reacting to mine.

I walked out.

"Cancel everything for the rest of the day," I ordered my assistant without slowing down.

"Yes, Alpha!"

By the time I reached my car, my pulse was hammering.

My wolf was restless. His ears were pinned back. He was pacing, confused and irritated. Why wasn't she there? Why didn't she call?

I pressed a hand to my temple as I drove.

Sophia had been distant for months. I hadn't heard a thing from her but she always showed up for Ashley. Always.

At the preschool, I found Ashley sitting alone on the swings. Her little shoulders were stiff. Her eyes were red. When she saw me, she didn't run into my arms.

She glared.

"You didn't come either," she muttered.

My heart squeezed. "I had a meeting, baby. But I came as soon as they called me."

She kicked the dirt. "Where's mom? Everyone else's mom came."

I took in a deep breath. My wolf growled.

The truth was that I had no idea where Sophia was. Not really. I'd been trying to call her since last night. No answer. No texts. Her number felt like a dead line. But I couldn't tell Ashley that. She already felt abandoned enough.

So I knelt in front of her and brushed her hair behind her ear. "Mom is. at home preparing a big surprise."

Ashley frowned. "A surprise?"

I forced a smile. "Your grandpa's birthday dinner is today. She wants it to be perfect."

She stared at me suspiciously. "Then why didn't she tell me?"

I swallowed the frustration burning in my chest. "She wanted it to be a secret. You know she loves surprising people."

Ashley softened, but only a little bit. "Okay."

I lifted her into my arms, kissed her forehead. My wolf calmed, if only a little.

Just then, my phone rang again. This time, it was my mom.

I exhaled through my nose before answering.

"What."

She clicked her tongue in annoyance. "Is that how you greet your mother? Listen, tomorrow is your father's birthday. We're meeting at Alena Mall so we can drive together to the estate. Bring Ashley. She needs to look presentable as always."

"I know it's his birthday," I replied tightly. "I'll bring her."

"And don't forget Sophia," she added sharply. "She'd better not embarrass us again."

The muscles in my jaw twitched. "Sophia will be there."

The call ended and I lowered the phone slowly, trying to suppress the irritation I felt.

Sophia was not reachable. And I had no idea why.

Ashley tugged on my sleeve. "Daddy, can we go home now?"

"Yes, baby. We'll get ready for tomorrow."

But even as I drove home with her, my mind wasn't in the car. It was with Sophia. Her silence. Her absence.

*

By the time we reached the estate with my mom the next day, a knot had already formed in my stomach.

The villa was dark.

No light came in from the windows. No scent of cooking filled the air. There were no footsteps, no movement.

My mom stormed inside first.

"Sophia!" she shouted. "Sophia, where the hell are you?!"

Silence answered.

I walked through the kitchen. The place looked untouched. The counters were spotless. No pots. No ingredients. No preparations.

My heartbeat slowed. Sophia wasn't even here. Had she forgotten what today was the same way she had forgotten to be at Ashley's school.

My mother pulled out her phone.

"She'll answer me," she declared, more to herself than to us. "She knows better."

She dialed. The ringtone echoed through the quiet villa.

Sophia didn't answer. Helen tried again but she got no response.

Then again. Nothing.

Her temper snapped. She screamed and threw her phone away. It shattered into pieces on the wall.

"She dares to humiliate us on your father's birthday?!" she shouted. "That useless BITCH-"

Ashley hid behind my leg. I felt her trembling. My wolf snarled silently, ready to tear into anyone upsetting my daughter.

But on the outside, I remained calm.

Inside, though. something cold slid down my spine.

Sophia had never failed. She had never forgotten any event. She would never disobey a direct instruction, especially not on a day like this.

Something was wrong.

Ashley's voice cracked as she looked between us.

"Daddy. why didn't mom come? She always cooks for Grandpa."

Helen crossed her arms. "Because she's ungrateful."

Ashley's little eyes filled with tears, and she whispered, "Tiffany would've come. Tiffany always wants to be with me. Mom doesn't even like me. She embarrassed me on purpose."

Her words stabbed deeper than they should have.

I crouched down, taking her hands. "Ashley. Look at me."

She sniffed.

"Your mom would never embarrass you," I said firmly. "Never. Something must have happened."

But as I said it. doubt crept in.

Because for the first time in years, Sophia felt completely. gone. She had no presence in the house. No scent in the halls.

My wolf lifted his head and growled inside me.

She's not here. She hasn't been here for a long time. She's slipping away.

And I felt it..too late.

SOPHIA'S POV

Dinner at my parents' house always smelled like home.

My father sat at the head of the table with my mother beside him. My brother, Marco, and his wife, Patricia, were there too. She had their daughter, Klara bouncing excitedly on her lap.

I hadn't been surrounded by this much warmth in years. It felt almost too good.

The laughter around the table made me smile.

We ate slowly, talking over each other like we always did.

My wolf lay curled peacefully inside me, something she'd never been able to do at the pack house or even at Damien's private villa.

Here, she didn't have to brace for Damien's alpha aura or Helen's harsh voice. Here, she could breathe.

Halfway through the meal, while sipping hot broth, I realized I couldn't hold it in anymore. They deserved to know the truth. And I needed to say it out loud, to finally claim my freedom.

I set my spoon down. "I have something to tell you."

Every head lifted. My father's brows furrowed.

"Sophia? You're pale. Did something happen?"

I inhaled deeply. "I'm divorcing Damien."

Forks froze mid-air. Even the old wall clock seemed to stop ticking. Everyone was silent. They stared at me in shock for a while.

Patricia blinked hard. "Wait, what? You're serious?"

Marco leaned forward. "You're leaving the Royal family? For real?"

My mother covered her mouth with her hand. "Sophia."

I nodded. "Yes. I can't do it anymore. The insults, the pressure, the expectations. they don't see me. They never did. And I'm giving up custody of Ashley"

My father's chair scraped loudly as he stood. "You're giving up custody?"

His voice wasn't angry, just shocked.

I looked down at my hands. "Ashley doesn't want me. She's made that clear for a long time. And they'll never allow me to raise her outside the estate. She'll be happier with them."

The silence that followed felt heavy, but not suffocating. It was just full of disbelief.

Then Patricia exhaled loudly and slapped her hand on the table. "Finally!"

I looked at her in shock. "Huh?"

She grinned. "Sophia, we've all been waiting for the day you'd come to your senses. That family drained you dry! You used to glow, now you look like an old soul stuck in a twenty-something-year-old's body."

She nudged Marco. "Tell her."

Marco raised his cup. "Honestly? I thought you'd keep suffering forever. I'm glad you're done."

My mother blinked tears away but she smiled. "Sweetheart, we just want you happy. If this is your choice, we stand with you."

My father nodded slowly. "You were never meant to be a servant, Sophia. Not even to an Alpha."

And just like that, the heaviness I'd been carrying cracked open. Laughter followed. They cheered me up with their words. They even made jokes about how I should find a nice local wolf, maybe even someone who actually used the word please.

Klara wrapped her tiny arms around my shoulders and shouted, "Auntie is free!"

I couldn't stop laughing. For the first time in years, my heart felt light. My wolf even wagged her tail.

Just as I reached for another piece of grilled fish, my phone buzzed. I glanced at the screen, expecting maybe Laurel to be the one calling but the caller ID froze my blood.

Damien.

A chill slid down my spine. He never called me unless something was wrong. My wolf lifted her head instantly.

I stepped away from the table and answered.

"Hello?"

His voice came harshly. "Where the hell are you?"

I frowned. "Why? What happened?"

"It's Ashley." His breathing was uneven, frantic in a way I'd never heard from him since Ashley was a baby. "She ate mango at the mall. She's in the hospital. Allergic reaction."

My heart raced "What? She's allergic to that. How severe?"

"She couldn't breathe," he snapped. "Get to the hospital. Now."

The call ended abruptly.

I didn't have time to think. I grabbed my coat, barely managing to keep my voice steady as I shouted into the dining room, "Ashley's in the hospital. I have to go."

Patricia dropped her chopsticks. "I am coming with you."

Klara was already pulling on her tiny slippers. "Me too!"

The three of us rushed out the door.

I could feel my wolf sprinting ahead of me emotionally. I felt her instinct to protect overriding everything else. Damien might have wronged me but Ashley was still my daughter.

When we reached the hospital, the smell hit me first.

Then the sight of Ashley lying on the bed, pale and exhausted, made me weak. She had a small oxygen mask resting beside her.

I moved to her side immediately. "Ashley."

Her eyes opened. I felt relieved..until her expression froze into something cold.

"Oh. It's you." She muttered.

I swallowed. "Are you okay? Does your chest still hurt? Your throat?"

She turned her face away. "Why are you even here? You didn't come for me today. Or yesterday. Or ever."

My throat tightened. "Ashley-"

Klara stepped forward, crossing her arms. "Hey! That's not fair! Auntie Sophia takes care of you all the time. You are the one who doesn't appreciate her and just because she didn't come yesterday you don't get mad at her."

Ashley's lip trembled. "You don't know anything. She doesn't like me."

"I do," I whispered, but my voice sounded small "I love you so much."

"No you don't!" she cried, tears spilling. "Tiffany loves me. You don't show up. You don't care. You disappeared!"

Patricia opened her mouth, furious. "Ashley-"

But before she could continue, the door opened and Damien walked in.

He looked at Ashley first. He saw her crying and his entire face hardened. Then he turned to me with a glare.

"What did you do to her?" he asked me.

I rose slowly. "Damien-"

"You disappear for days, and now she's crying the moment you walk in."

Ashley sniffed, still upset. "Daddy. Tiffany wouldn't have let me get sick."

Damien clenched his teeth and threw the dagger without hesitation. "Maybe because Tiffany is a better mother than you'll ever be."

Something inside me went still. Completely still. My wolf whimpered inside me.

I nodded. "You're right."

Damien gasped. "Sophia-"

I gently placed my hand on Ashley's blanket. "But since Tiffany is the better mother. tell me something." I looked directly at Damien. "Did either of you know Ashley is allergic to mangoes?"

He stopped. He blinked repeatedly. He looked so confused.

Ashley looked between us, sniffling. "Daddy didn't know?"

I continued. I kept my voice calm and professional, even though my heart felt like it was tearing.

"She has multiple dietary restrictions. No mango. No red food dye. No tree nuts. She hates strawberries unless you slice them thin. She gets itchy when she eats too much bread. She can only sleep with a night-light shaped like a moon."

They both stared at me.

I added softly, "You never asked. You never noticed."

Damien's jaw tightened, but he didn't argue.

I stepped back from the bed, smoothing Ashley's hair gently. "She'll be fine now. Don't give her anything except warm broth tonight. And make sure the nurses check her oxygen levels every two hours."

I turned to Patricia and Klara. "Let's go."

Ashley whispered behind me, "Soph. Mom. are you coming back?"

My heart twisted but I didn't turn around.

"No," I said quietly. "Not anymore."

With that, I walked out of the hospital, cutting the last fragile thread tying me to Damien and his family.