Aura POV:

I carefully folded the marriage certificate and tucked it deep inside my purse. The paper felt both like a shield and a shackle. In Pack law, a registered marriage could be challenged, investigated, even torn apart if the wrong wolf decided it looked fraudulent. But for now, it was still the only thing standing between me and Frankie Glover's claim.

"I need to go back to my brother's house," I said, my voice quiet. "To get my things."

Damien nodded, his expression unreadable in the dim light. "I'll take you."

"No," I said, perhaps too quickly. "It's better if they don't see you. Or your car." I didn't want to give Erin any more ammunition. A new husband showing up in a beat-up Toyota would only fuel her scorn. And if Frankie heard that my new husband was just an unaffiliated driver, he might decide the marriage was weak enough to challenge.

Something shifted in Damien's eyes, a cold, animal stillness that made my pulse stumble. For one second, he looked less like a man being refused and more like a wolf being told to stand outside the den while his mate walked into danger.

Then it was gone.

He didn't argue. He just watched as I hailed a yellow cab, his dark eyes following me until I was safely inside and pulling away from the curb. As the taxi turned the corner, I saw him through the rear window, a solitary figure standing under the streetlight. Rain slid down the glass, blurring his outline, but I could have sworn his eyes caught the light like something wild before he disappeared into the storm.

I paid the driver and crept up the walkway to my brother's house. The lights were off except for a soft glow in the living room. I used my key, turning the lock as silently as possible and slipping inside.

"Aura?"

Leo was sitting on the couch, his face etched with worry. He shot to his feet the moment he saw me, his eyes taking in my damp clothes and pale face.

"My God, where have you been? Erin said you ran off." He pulled me into a hug, his arms warm and strong around me.

Tears pricked my eyes. He was the only one in this family who ever looked at me with genuine concern. Leo had a wolf, but he had never used it to frighten me. Even now, when worry sharpened his scent and made the air around him tense, he held me like a brother, not like a stronger wolf reminding a wolfless girl where she belonged.

What I didn't know then was that across the street, half-hidden behind a dripping maple tree, the black Toyota had stopped without its headlights. Damien had followed the cab anyway. When Leo pulled me into his arms, something ancient and violent rose behind Damien's careful human mask. His claws pressed briefly against his palms before he forced them back. Brother, he told the wolf inside him. Not threat. Not rival. Brother.

I pulled Leo towards my bedroom, shutting the door softly behind us.

"Leo, I did something," I whispered, my heart pounding. "I got married."

His eyes widened in shock. He grabbed my shoulders, his grip tight. "What? To who? Did Frankie force you? I swear to God, Aura, if he touched you-"

"No, no, it's not him," I said quickly, shaking my head. "It's... a stranger. An Uber driver. He's nobody, Leo. He doesn't have any money, but he seems... decent."

The tension left his shoulders, replaced by a deep, weary sigh. He ran a hand through his hair. "An Uber driver? Aura, what were you thinking? How are you going to live?"

"We'll manage," I said, trying to sound more confident than I felt.

Leo looked at me for a long moment, his jaw tight. "Is he Packless?"

"Unaffiliated," I admitted. "At least, that's what he wrote on the registry."

Leo swore under his breath. "That means Rogue, Aura. A Rogue can be dangerous."

"So can a Warrior with a family-approved contract," I said. "At least Damien didn't try to buy me."

Footsteps creaked in the hallway, followed by Erin's sharp voice. "Leo? Who are you talking to in there?"

I pressed a finger to my lips, my eyes wide with panic. Leo immediately understood, his face hardening. We stood in silence until we heard her stomp away, muttering about me being an ungrateful brat.

Leo let out a breath and walked over to the small safe hidden in the back of my closet. He spun the dial, opened it, and pulled out a thin plastic card.

"Here," he said, pressing it into my hand. "This is from your trust fund. The one Mom and Dad set up."

Our parents had left a modest trust for each of us, meant for emergencies. I knew Leo hadn't touched his, saving it for a day he could finally leave Erin.

Tears streamed down my face. "No, Leo, I can't. You need this."

"You need it more," he insisted, closing my fingers around the card. "Take it. Use it to get on your feet. Just don't tell Erin. She thinks she controls all the money in this house."

I threw my arms around his neck, sobbing into his shoulder. "Thank you."

"Just be happy, Aura," he whispered, his voice thick with emotion. "And be safe."

After he left, I wiped my eyes and pulled out my two worn suitcases. I worked quickly, packing only the essentials: my plainest clothes, my worn-out jeans, my art supplies. I left behind the dresses and jewelry my mother had bought me over the years-gifts that always came with strings attached.

When I was done, I sat on the edge of my bed and looked around the room that had been my prison for so long. A wave of fear washed over me. What had I done?

I pulled out my phone and found the new number I'd added. Damien Montgomery. My fingers hovered over the screen.

Taking a shaky breath, I typed out a message.

I'm packed. I can move tomorrow.

I hit send before I could lose my nerve.

A few seconds later, my phone buzzed. A reply.

Okay. I'll send you the address. See you tomorrow.

Another message came through immediately after. It was an address for an apartment in a working-class neighborhood on the other side of the city. Near the edge of neutral territory, far from the Glover Pack's usual bars, gyms, and hunting grounds. A place Erin and my mother would never dream of setting foot in.

A small, genuine smile touched my lips for the first time all night. I clutched the phone to my chest, listening to the rain tap against the window. For the first time in a long time, I felt a tiny, fragile flicker of hope for tomorrow.