Kaci Reynolds POV:
The heavy carved oak doors clicked shut behind me, but they couldn't entirely block out the roaring laughter from the VIP lounge.
"I bet she won't last the night! She'll be mind-linking you, crying and begging for forgiveness before midnight, Alpha!" a Beta's voice mocked loudly.
Then came Damien's familiar, cold scoff. "Let her. I'm not humoring her pathetic games this time. Let's see how long she can hold out before crawling back."
Hearing those words, a faint, mocking smile touched my lips. My steps, however, were lighter than they had been in three years. I left the club and took a cab straight back to the Pack House, heading to my room.
It wasn't the luxurious Luna suite. It was a cramped, plain attic room next to the servants' quarters. For three years, in order to atone for the sins my biological mother committed against Damien's family, I had punished myself by living here, stripping away all my dignity.
But today, after completely shredding my pride to pay off a debt that wasn't even mine to begin with, I realized something. I was human, too. I had a heart that bled and broke. I had suffered enough. The debt was paid in full.
I pulled a beautifully wrapped velvet box from my drawer and tossed it directly into the trash can. Inside was a protective amulet I had spent three months making. I had endured the excruciating pain of plucking the softest fur from my inner wolf's chest, weaving it with threads for our anniversary. Now, it was nothing but garbage.
I didn't have much. Two suitcases held everything I owned.
Just as I was about to leave, a firm knock came at the door. I opened it to find Damien's Beta, Caleb. Caleb looked at me with a complex mix of pity and awkwardness.
"Miss Reynolds, the Alpha asked me to bring you... a severance package." He handed me a thick manila envelope. "The Alpha said this thirty million dollar check is for your relocation. There are also the property deeds to a villa on the edge of the territory. He hopes that from now on... you won't disturb his life anymore."
Hearing Caleb's words, I couldn't help but let out a bitter laugh. Damien wasn't just unconcerned about my departure; he was actually afraid I would cling to him. He must have been waiting for this day for a long time.
Caleb opened his mouth, trying to offer some comfort. "Miss Reynolds, please don't be too sad. The Alpha can be harsh with his words, but..."
"Enough," I interrupted him calmly. I reached out and took the envelope and the check. If I didn't take the money, Damien would just assume I was planning to use it as an excuse to pester him later. I wasn't a naive, overly proud heroine in a soap opera. Starting a new life required capital. I had lowered my head in the past, and I could certainly accept this money now.
"Thank you, Caleb. I'll take the money. Please assure Damien that he has nothing to worry about. I will never disturb his life again."
Caleb looked at my peaceful smile, sighing heavily. "Take care of yourself, Miss Reynolds. I'll go report back to the Alpha."
After Caleb left, I stared at the thirty million dollar check. I knew that by accepting this, the past was completely severed! I put the documents away and immediately pulled out my phone, contacting a real estate agent outside the territory. The villa Damien gave me was in a prime location.
"List it for immediate sale. Cash only. Set the price lower than the market value, I just want it sold fast," I told the agent over the phone. I was efficiently purging everything related to Damien from my life.
With money in my account, I booked a room at a five-star hotel in the human city center. After a hot shower, I curled up on the soft bed with my laptop. For the past three years, I had suppressed all my own preferences to cater to Damien. I hadn't told anyone that I used to be an award-winning photographer in the human world.
Now, it was time to find myself again. I placed an order for the top-tier Leica camera I had sold three years ago. It wasn't the exact same one, but it symbolized my rebirth. Then, I picked up my phone, scrolled to a number I hadn't dared to contact in three years, and dialed.
The call connected almost instantly. A vibrant, energetic voice burst through the speaker. "Kaci? Oh my goddess, you finally remembered I exist!"
Hearing my best friend Chloe's voice, the tension I hadn't even realized I was holding finally began to melt away. "Chloe," I said, a real smile touching my lips for the first time all day. "I'm free."
After a long, tearful, and joyous conversation, I hung up the phone and walked to the window, looking out at the vast, open city skyline. A new world was waiting for me. I raised my phone, took a selfie with the dazzling night view as my background, and posted it on my social media.
The lighting in the hotel room was dim, but the long-lost, brilliant light in my eyes shattered the limitations of the pixels. It was dazzling.
Damien Knight POV:
The air in the VIP lounge felt thick and suffocating. The moment Kaci accepted my rejection, a searing agony ripped through my chest. It felt as if a rusty blade was violently scraping against my soul. The backlash of a broken fated mate bond was far worse than the legends described.
Carly noticed my pale face and rushed over, her sweet gardenia scent suddenly making me nauseous. "Damien! Are you okay? What did that crazy woman do to you?"
I gritted my teeth, violently shoving her hand away. "I'm fine!" I snapped, trying to use my Alpha will to crush the pain.
At that moment, the door opened, and Caleb walked in. I leaned back into the sofa, rubbing my throbbing temples, forcing a look of absolute indifference. "Is it done?"
"Yes, Alpha. Miss Reynolds accepted everything," Caleb replied.
"Hmph." I let out a cold snort. A strange silence fell over the room. I lifted my eyelids, a trace of undetectable mockery flashing in my grey eyes. I knew she couldn't keep up her act for more than a few minutes. She had no right to play hard to get with me.
"Did she ask you to pass on a message?" I asked lazily, waiting to hear her desperate pleas.
Caleb hesitated for a second before answering. "Yes. Miss Reynolds asked me to assure you that she will never disturb your life again."
My sneer froze slightly. "What else?" I demanded, my voice dropping dangerously. "Did she cry? Did she throw a fit?"
Caleb swallowed hard, avoiding my gaze. "No, Alpha. She was... very calm. In fact..." Caleb took a deep breath. "Miss Reynolds immediately contacted a human real estate agent. She listed the villa you just gave her for emergency sale. Cash only. She's liquidating it."
The words struck me like a physical blow. She sold the house? Immediately?!
A surge of inexplicable, violent fury erupted in my chest. I snatched the crystal glass of whiskey from the table and hurled it violently against the wall. The glass shattered into a thousand pieces, making Carly shriek in terror.
"Good! Very good!" I roared, my chest heaving. She was playing a game. Yes, that had to be it! She thought selling the house would provoke me, that it would make me pay attention to her. It was a pathetic, desperate tactic!
I turned to Carly, who was trembling in the corner, and deliberately raised my voice, making sure my Alpha command echoed through the halls. "Carly! Prepare yourself. We are holding our official Mating Ceremony this weekend!"
Carly's eyes widened in pure ecstasy as she threw herself into my arms. "Oh, Damien! Yes!"
I stared at the closed door, a cruel smirk twisting my lips. Let's see how long you can keep up this little act, Kaci. When you hear about the Mating Ceremony, you'll come crawling back on your knees.
Hours later, late in the night, the suffocating void in my chest refused to fade. I paced the study like a caged beast. Driven by a restless impulse I refused to acknowledge, I opened my phone and checked the Pack's social network.
My thumb froze over the screen. It was a new post from Kaci. A photo of her, looking breathtakingly beautiful, her eyes shining with a radiant, untamed light I hadn't seen in three years. There were no tears. There was no despair.
The caption read: "End of the debt. Reborn."
A sudden, icy panic seized my heart. The phone in my hand let out a sharp crack as the screen shattered under the crushing grip of my fingers.
