Ava's POV

I returned to the estate and forced myself to keep my face blank, pretending everything was normal.

Not yet. I couldn't let even the smallest crack show. There were still too many things to prepare, and the first was making sure the divorce went through smoothly. If Damon discovered that I was the true heir to the Crawford Pack, an Alpha as obsessed with status as he was would do anything to stop the divorce. I couldn't take that risk.

I pushed open the heavy front doors. Warm light spilled across the entryway. Damon was standing in the living room, Sylvia beside him, and between them stood Leo, the boy I had raised for four years.

The moment Damon saw me, panic flashed across his face. It lasted only an instant before his perfect Alpha mask returned. He came over and reached for my soaked coat.

"Darling, where have you been? You're completely drenched." He sounded as gentle as ever, as if what had happened in his office that afternoon had been something I imagined.

I stepped back and avoided his touch.

"Oh? And who is this?" I turned to Sylvia with a polite smile, pretending I hadn't already learned the truth hours ago.

Damon recovered quickly. "Ava, this is Sylvia. I hired her to tutor Leo. You know how busy we've been with pack business. Leo needs more individual attention. Sylvia is a strong wolf. She can work with him on archery, riding, even controlled shifting."

A tutor. Convenient.

"Mom!" Leo suddenly shouted.

He ran straight past me and grabbed Sylvia's hand, beaming up at her. "Sylvia was amazing today! She taught me how to hit a moving target." He turned to me with open challenge in his eyes. "She's way better than you."

My heart tightened. For four years, I had held him through nights of fever. I had protected him when others questioned his place in the pack. I had given him everything a mother could give. Now he looked at me with contempt.

"Leo, you can't talk to your mother like that!" Damon snapped, his face tense.

"She's not my mother!" Leo did not even hesitate. "Grandma says she's a cursed omega. She's an embarrassment to the pack. She can't even have babies."

His words hit the most vulnerable place in me. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a smug smile lift Sylvia's lips, as if she were saying, See? You were always just a substitute.

"I knew Sylvia was better the second I met her," Leo announced. "She should be my mom."

"No wonder I never managed to teach you any manners," I said calmly. "You must have inherited your real mother's rudeness."

I turned to Sylvia as if the thought had just occurred to me. "Oh, but you said Sylvia reminds you of your mother. I'm sure Sylvia isn't some shameless bitch, is she?"

Both of their faces went pale.

"Enough, Leo!" Damon roared with Alpha authority. He strode toward me and reached out as if to pull me into his arms. "Ava, don't take what he said to heart."

"Don't touch me."

My voice was calm and firm. It wasn't loud, but Damon's hand stopped in midair. He stared at me, confused. He probably wasn't used to hearing me speak that way. I had always been gentle, considerate Ava, the woman who never talked back.

If I could have, I would have left immediately. But until the divorce was finalized, I couldn't make a mistake.

I glanced at his confused expression and gave a cold laugh. "You smell strongly of perfume. It's disgusting."

Damon's expression changed. He must have remembered what he and Sylvia had done in his office that afternoon, but he quickly recovered.

"Sylvia spent the afternoon working with Leo. I must have picked up some of her perfume."

I smiled. "It smells a little cheap. Damon, you should make sure you pay her on time. Otherwise she'll keep bringing that smell into our house. At this rate, the whole family will end up with sinus problems."

"Leo, go with Sylvia for now. I'll take care of your mother. She looks tired," Damon said gently.

Soon only the two of us were left in the large living room.

"Darling, are you angry because I hired a tutor for Leo without asking you first?" Damon asked carefully, taking both my hands in his. His palms were warm and familiar, but I felt nothing.

"No." I shook my head and kept my voice steady. "I mean, I've been his mother for four years, but somehow Sylvia managed to charm him in a single day. Look how close they are. They look more like a real mother and son, don't they?"

Damon answered too quickly. "Don't be ridiculous. Ava, you are Leo's mother. His only mother. That will never change."

He said it as if he were swearing an oath.

I suddenly laughed, my shoulders trembling slightly.

"What is so funny?" Damon asked, confused.

"Nothing." I let the smile fade and looked at his sharp features. "It's just... today feels like some twisted drama."

"What drama? Is there something I don't know about?" Damon asked in surprise.

"A story about a husband betraying his wife. Do you want to hear it?"

"No, Ava. You look like you need a hot shower." Damon gave a small smile. "I'll go talk to Leo and make sure he learns to respect you."

I didn't care. I went upstairs immediately.

Back in the bedroom, I undressed and stepped into the bathroom. Warm water ran over my skin, and my mind cleared a little.

Tomorrow, I'd get Damon to sign the divorce agreement. After that, I would go to the Crawford Pack. I could tell him I had to travel for work. He probably would not care where I went. He had Sylvia now, his real family.

What he didn't know was that once I left Darkmoon, everything in the pack would begin to fall apart.

My phone vibrated on the counter. Alvin.

"Ms. Crawford," he said in his usual steady voice, "the divorce agreement is ready, and all the Crawford family assets have been verified. Everything will belong to you. Tomorrow morning, you only need to sign, and everything will be complete."

I looked at the woman in the mirror. Her face was pale, but her eyes were clear.

"All right," I said. "See you tomorrow."

Ava's POV

I woke far too early the next morning. Honestly, I wasn't even sure I had slept.

My first thought was very clear: I needed to get rid of Damon's mark as soon as possible.

Damon had not come back to our bedroom last night. He was probably busy learning parenting skills with his "private tutor"... or, more likely, trying new sex positions. Whatever. I didn't care.

Every time he acted like a gentleman now, his handsome face seemed to twist into something ugly in my eyes, something that made me sick.

I changed into a sharp business suit and put on full makeup. The woman in the mirror looked calm and put together, completely different from the wreck I had been the night before.

At exactly nine, I arrived at the Crawford family's most prestigious law firm. Mr. Hansen met me personally. He was a senior attorney, an old friend of my father's, and one of the family's most trusted legal advisers.

"Ms. Crawford, please accept my condolences," Mr. Hansen said, grief showing on his face.

"Thank you, Mr. Hansen." I nodded. "I came to ask about the divorce agreement."

"Of course. I've printed all the documents. You can review them now."

I sat on the sofa and read every clause carefully. Mr. Hansen had done an excellent job. He had made sure I would receive the maximum compensation I was entitled to.

"No problem," I said calmly. "I may not need the money, but I won't leave behind a single thing that belongs to me. You've clearly made sure of that. Thank you, Mr. Hansen."

I stood and handed the papers back to him.

He hesitated, then nodded. "Of course, ma'am. Your father was one of the most honorable men I knew. I'll make sure you recover everything that belongs to you. As for the Crawford Pack you've inherited-"

"Keep it confidential for now," I interrupted. "I don't want anyone to know until Damon and I are officially divorced."

"Understood."

After leaving the law firm, I went straight to Damon's company with the strongly worded divorce agreement Mr. Hansen had drafted overnight.

As expected, Sylvia was in Damon's office. She was wrapped around him like a seductive snake, her long red nails tracing circles over his chest.

"Damon," she said sweetly, "can you believe we actually slept in the Alpha estate bedroom last night? You kissed between my legs just like you used to..."

"Enough." Damon lowered his voice. "You need to go."

She pouted. "Why?"

"Because Ava still works here. She could walk in at any time. We can't let her find out. Not yet."

"I don't care!" Sylvia pouted and clung to him. "I've been away from you for four years. I have to take every chance I get to be with you."

If I had not needed his signature, I would have turned around and left them to it. Instead, I cleared my throat loudly.

They sprang apart. Panic flashed across Damon's face, while Sylvia looked as if I had ruined the best moment of her day.

"Ava? You... why are you here?" Damon fumbled with his tie, trying desperately to act as if nothing had happened.

"Oh, right. I almost forgot." I drew out the words as if I had just remembered something. "Didn't you say you had a very important meeting today? So Sylvia is here to... deliver a document?"

"Yes." Damon grabbed the excuse immediately. "Exactly. I left an important file at home. Sylvia took Leo to school and brought it over for me."

What a ridiculous lie. I almost wanted to applaud the effort, but I simply nodded, too tired to argue.

I walked to his desk and put the folder in front of him.

"What is this?" Damon asked, suddenly alert.

"Something I need your signature on." I smiled. "Should I come back later? You and Leo's tutor seem to have more urgent business."

"No! It's absolutely not what you think!" Damon snapped.

Then he hurriedly signed on the line.

"Done." He tossed the papers back to me as if they had burned his fingers.

I let out a quiet breath when I saw his name on the divorce agreement.

Sylvia was still lingering in the office, naked jealousy in her eyes.

"Was there something else, Sylvia?" I asked.

"Nothing." She gave me a taunting smile. "You two just don't seem very close. Don't misunderstand me. I'm only Leo's tutor. Seeing what his home life is like might help me teach him better."

I gave a cold laugh.

"That makes sense. Damon, are you cheating on me?"

Damon denied it at once. "What? Of course not! Ava, why would you think that?"

"Sylvia gave me the idea," I said. "So tell me: would you ever love a woman like Sylvia?"

"Absolutely not," Damon answered without hesitation. "You know you're the woman I love most."

I turned to Sylvia.

"Now you should understand that there's no conflict between us, right?" I smiled. "I hope that clears things up."

Then I turned and left. Sylvia's breakdown echoed behind me, but I didn't look back as I entered the elevator.

I got into my car and drove until I reached the quiet countryside, where I finally felt as if I could breathe again. Tall green trees and a blue sky eased some of the tightness in my chest.

I had just pulled over when someone knocked on my window.

A well-dressed elderly gentleman stood outside, his silver hair perfectly neat. I studied him cautiously before lowering the window a crack.

He gave me a warm, respectful smile. "Ms. Crawford, don't worry. It's me." I recognized his voice immediately.

"You... you're the man who called me yesterday?"

"Yes." He bowed his head respectfully. "My name is Alvin. I served as Beta to the former Alpha of the Crawford Pack."

My heart began pounding in my ears. I was going back to my father's pack, even though he was already dead.

With Alvin's guidance, I got into the back seat. The car pulled away smoothly, and the noise and lights of the city gradually gave way to dense, quiet forest. Even the air felt different.

I knew we were entering Crawford territory. My feelings were complicated. This place was tied to my blood and to the home I had never known, yet entering it felt like stepping into a stranger's life.

The car finally stopped in front of a huge estate. Compared with Damon's luxurious villa, this place looked older and grander, carrying a quiet authority built over time.

Alvin opened my door. I stepped out and took a breath.

I had barely stepped onto the first stair when a woman covered in expensive jewelry came out of the house. She was elegantly dressed, but the sharpness in her eyes ruined the gentle image she had carefully created.

This had to be my stepmother, Rebecca.

"So you're Ava?" She looked me slowly up and down, her voice full of contempt. "An illegitimate omega actually thinks she can come back and inherit the pack?"

Before I could answer, she opened her handbag, pulled out a check, and held it toward me with obvious disdain.

"I want you to give up every right you have to the Crawford family. Publicly declare Lucas the rightful heir. Then take this one million dollars and get out."