Eleanor POV:

I woke to the sterile beep of machines. My body felt like it had been put through a meat grinder.

"You're awake."

Liam sat by the bed. He looked pristine, untouched by the fire that had nearly killed me.

"You left me," I rasped.

"I had to," he said, staring at his hands. "The Law states the heir comes first. Always."

"Law," I spat. "Is that what you tell yourself to sleep at night?"

He placed a thick envelope on the table.

"The Elders," he said, his voice dead. "They say the fire was an omen. Bad luck brought by a barren Luna. They want a separation. Just... on paper. Until the child is born."

"And then what? I become the mistress in my own house?"

"It buys us time, El. Please. Just sign it. If you don't, they'll move for a forced rejection."

I looked at the papers. Separation Agreement.

Something inside me snapped. Not a bone, but the last thread of hope.

"Give me the pen."

I signed it. I didn't read the fine print. I just wanted him out.

"El..."

"Get out," I said. "Go to your breeder."

He left. As soon as the door clicked shut, I ripped the IV from my arm.

I limped down the hall, clutching the wall for support. I heard voices from the nurses' station.

"Heartbeat is strong," the doctor was saying. "Alpha Liam is relieved."

"Have they picked a name?"

"Lily," Liam's voice drifted out. "If it's a girl... Lily."

I froze. Lily. The name I had whispered to him on our wedding night. He gave my dream to her.

I pushed through the exit doors into the cold night. I wasn't just leaving the hospital. I was leaving the life.

*

I went to the immigration office the next morning. A dull, gray building full of humans.

"Name change?" the clerk asked.

"Yes," I said. "And renounce my citizenship to the Pack lands."

I signed the forms. I was a ghost now.

I drove back to the house one last time to grab my things. Most of the pack was out repairing the fire damage.

I slipped into our bedroom. It smelled of rotting peaches.

I grabbed my sketchbook and the silver locket my mother gave me. I found the dried flower from our first date on the nightstand. I crushed it in my hand, letting the dust fall into the trash.

"Going somewhere?"

Liam leaned against the doorframe. Sarah stood behind him, smirking like the cat that ate the canary.

"I'm leaving, Liam."

"You can't," he stepped forward. "You signed legal papers, not Pack papers. You are still mine."

"Yours to burn?"

"We need you," Sarah chimed in. "The doctor says I need... specialized care. Who better than the former Luna to serve the future one?"

Her audacity was breathtaking. And then, she released it—a wave of pheromones. Not maternal. Aggressive. Dominant.

My dormant wolf didn't stir, but my instincts flared. I glared at her.

Sarah gasped, clutching her belly. "Ow! Liam! She's using her aura! She's attacking the baby!"

It was a lie so obvious a child could see through it. But Liam was paranoid. The Elders had terrified him about losing the heir.

"Eleanor!"

The Alpha Command hit me like a sledgehammer.

*Boom.*

My knees cracked against the floor. I couldn't move.

"Stop it," Liam ordered, sweat beading on his forehead. "Submit."

He scooped Sarah up. "Stay here. Do not leave this room."

He carried her out.

As soon as the pressure lifted, I collapsed. He had used the Voice on me. On his mate.

I dragged myself up. I didn't take the suitcase. I just took the locket.

I climbed down the trellis, ignoring the screaming pain in my back.

I limped to the barrier. One step. Two.

"Goodbye, Liam."

I crossed the line. The static in my head—the pack link—went silent.

Eleanor POV:

I made it to a motel on the outskirts. The room smelled of stale smoke and bad decisions.

*Eleanor.*

Liam’s voice invaded my mind. He was forcing the link open.

*Where are you? Sarah needs the herbal soup. The one you make.*

I laughed, a dry, cracking sound. *I am not your servant, Liam.*

*The Warriors are tracking you. Don't make them drag you back.*

Ten minutes later, the door was kicked in.

Two warriors—men I had grown up with—grabbed me. They weren't gentle.

They hauled me back to the estate. Not to the kitchen. To the tribunal.

Sarah sat in a wheelchair, her leg bandaged. The Elders sat in a semi-circle, looking like vultures waiting for a meal.

"Eleanor Vance," Elder Thomas intoned. "You are accused of attempted murder."

"What?" I blinked, disoriented.

"Sarah fell down the stairs," Liam said, his voice tight. He wouldn't look at me. "She says you pushed her."

"I wasn't even here!"

"We found your scent," Thomas said. "And Sarah saw you."

"She's lying!" I screamed.

"The punishment is death," Thomas declared.

"No," Liam interjected quickly. "No death."

"She harmed the heir, Alpha," Thomas countered. "Blood for blood."

"I said no!" Liam roared, his aura flaring. "She is still my mate. But... discipline is required."

"The Whip," his father suggested coldly.

Liam paled. He looked at me, then at the Elders. He was outnumbered. If he refused, they would demand a vote of no confidence. They would kill me.

"Fine," Liam whispered. "Five lashes. No more."

"Liam," I begged. "Don't."

He closed his eyes. "Proceed."

They dragged me to the courtyard. They stripped my shirt, exposing the scars from the bullet I took for him.

*Crack.*

The silver-tipped lash bit into my skin. It wasn't just pain; it was poison.

*Crack.*

I bit my lip until copper filled my mouth.

I looked up. Liam stood on the balcony. He was gripping the railing so hard the stone was crumbling. He was watching, but he wasn't stopping it.

*Crack.*

Darkness took me.

Eleanor POV:

I woke up in the Shrine. The air was filled with silver dust—a torture method to prevent healing.

Liam entered. He held a handkerchief over his nose.

"You're awake."

He placed a velvet box on the floor.

"Diamond earrings. For the charity gala tonight."

"You whipped me yesterday," I whispered. "Today you want me to play dress-up?"

"Appearances, Eleanor. The investors are human. They don't know our laws. If you don't show, Sarah will have to take your place."

He knew exactly which buttons to push.

*

The gala was a blur of pain. I smiled until my face ached. Liam held my waist, his grip keeping me upright.

Then came the auction.

"A rare pink diamond," the auctioneer announced.

"Two million," Liam bid.

He won. He took the microphone.

"This is for the woman who carries the future," he said.

He walked past me. He gave the necklace to Sarah.

The room applauded politely. I felt like I was drowning on dry land.

I walked to the terrace for air. I stood by the infinity pool, staring at the black water.

"Lovely night."

Sarah. Wearing the diamond.

"Leave me alone," I said.

"You look pathetic," she whispered. "Why don't you just die? Liam is too weak to finish the job."

"You're faking it," I said. "I don't know how, but I smell the lie on you."

Her eyes narrowed. "Prove it."

She grabbed my arm and threw herself backward, screaming.

"Help! She's drowning me!"

We hit the water. The cold shock seized my injured muscles.

*Splash.*

Liam jumped in.

He swam past me. He didn't even look.

He grabbed Sarah. He used my shoulder as leverage to push off, sending me deeper.

I watched the bubbles rise. He carried her out.

I realized then: The bond wasn't just strained. It was dead.

A young Gamma pulled me out. I lay on the concrete, shivering.

Across the pool, Liam was wrapping a towel around Sarah, kissing her forehead. He hadn't even checked to see if I surfaced.