Chapter 3

Celine stood in the luxurious bedroom of the Grayson villa with her suitcase open on the bed, her frostbitten hands trembling as she gathered her clothes. The expensive dresses, jewelry, and gifts surrounding her no longer looked beautiful; they only reminded her of the life she had spent three years desperately trying to protect.

She pulled another dress from the wardrobe and shoved it into the suitcase before reaching for a small jewelry box. When she opened it, she found the silver ring Alpha Cedrick Grayson had given her three years ago, back when she still believed their mate bond meant she had found the man who would protect her.

Celine stared at the ring while painful memories flooded her mind. She remembered Cedrick placing it on her finger, promising that one day she would become the Luna of the Golden Furr Pack, and she remembered how proudly she had believed every word.

Her eyes hardened as she walked toward the window and held the ring between two fingers. “Three years of believing in that promise, and this is all it was worth,” Celine whispered before throwing the silver ring outside into the darkness.

A loud knock immediately came from the bedroom door, followed by Cedrick's impatient voice. “Celine, open this door and stop behaving like a spoiled child. You're not seriously planning to leave the Grayson villa over tonight's little incident.”

Celine continued packing as she answered through the closed door, “I'm leaving because I finally understand what this relationship has become, Cedrick. Tonight didn't create the problem; it simply showed me the truth.”

The door opened, and Cedrick entered with a dark expression. “You are making yourself far too important, Celine, and I'm tired of hearing you act as though everyone intentionally tried to hurt you.”

Celine turned toward him and stared at his face. “I was locked inside a freezer for eight hours at minus four degrees, Cedrick. If that doesn't qualify as deliberate harm to you, then I don't know what ever will.”

Cedrick folded his arms, refusing to show shame. “It was supposed to be a prank, and you're alive. Why are you acting as though the entire world has ended?”

Before Celine could answer, Karen Grayson entered behind him with an arrogant expression. “Cedrick is right, Celine. You should be grateful you're still standing instead of making this family look foolish with all this drama.”

Celine looked at Karen and felt something inside her become strangely calm. “Thank you, Luna Karen. You just made my decision much easier.”

Karen raised an eyebrow. “What decision?”

Celine closed her suitcase and answered firmly, “The decision to leave.”

Karen gave a dismissive laugh. “You think walking away will hurt the Grayson family? Don't flatter yourself, Celine. The pack has existed long before you, and it will continue perfectly well without you.”

Celine nodded slowly. “I believe you.”

Cedrick stepped forward, his pride wounded by her calm response. “Celine, don't be ridiculous. You were going to become my Luna, but that doesn't mean you can simply abandon everything whenever you don't get your way.”

Celine lifted her suitcase from the bed and replied, “I am not abandoning anything, Cedrick. I'm leaving behind a relationship where I was always expected to sacrifice while everyone else was allowed to hurt me.”

Veronica appeared in the doorway, wearing the same carefully innocent expression she had shown downstairs. “Celine, please don't misunderstand us. Cedrick cares about you, and I never wanted tonight to become this serious.”

Celine looked at Veronica before answering, “You don't need to explain yourself anymore, Veronica. Whatever relationship you have with Cedrick is no longer my concern.”

Veronica's expression briefly stiffened before she lowered her eyes. “You're being cruel to him when he's already upset.”

Celine gave a faint smile. “He'll survive.”

Cedrick's face darkened. “Celine, enough. You're still my fiancée, and you owe this family some respect.”

Celine stared at him with disbelief. “Respect?”

She stepped closer and continued, “I respected you for three years, Cedrick. I respected your position as Alpha, respected your family, defended you when people questioned your behavior, and trusted you even when you gave me reasons not to.”

Her voice shook as she continued, “And what did that respect give me? A freezer, eight hours of terror, frostbite, and a fiancé who told me I was overreacting.”

Cedrick's expression became uncomfortable, but he quickly covered it with irritation. “You're twisting everything.”

“No,” Celine replied, gripping her suitcase tightly. “For the first time, I'm seeing everything clearly.”

Karen scoffed from behind Cedrick. “If you leave tonight, Celine, don't expect to return when you realize how difficult life will be without this family.”

Celine turned toward Karen and calmly answered, “Don't worry. I have no intention of returning.”

Seth Fedelin stood near the staircase and watched the confrontation with unease. “Celine, maybe you should go home for tonight and think about this before making a permanent decision.”

Celine looked at him and shook her head. “I've already thought about it, Seth. I'm not leaving because I'm emotional; I'm leaving because I finally stopped making excuses for people who hurt me.”

Cedrick followed her as she walked downstairs, his voice growing increasingly desperate. “Celine, stop! We can discuss this tomorrow after you've calmed down.”

She reached the front entrance and turned toward him. “There won't be a discussion tomorrow.”

Cedrick stared at her.

“Why?” he demanded.

Celine looked directly into his eyes and answered, “Because there is nothing left to discuss.”

Cedrick stepped closer. “You can't just end three years because of one night.”

Celine's expression broke with pain, but her voice remained steady. “From the moment you shut me in that freezer, we were finished.”

Cedrick froze.

Celine continued, “You didn't lose me when I removed the engagement ring. You lost me the moment you closed that freezer door from the outside and decided my suffering was worth a laugh.”

Then she walked away.

Celine drove directly to her own apartment, leaving the Grayson villa behind. When she unlocked her door and stepped inside, the small apartment felt strangely peaceful compared with the enormous mansion she had just abandoned.

She placed her suitcase beside the couch before walking into the bathroom. Her hands were still swollen and painful, and she carefully turned on the warm water before placing her frostbitten fingers beneath it.

Pain immediately shot through her hands.

Celine winced and whispered, “It hurts.”

She pulled her fingers away, took a shaky breath, and tried again. The warmth slowly returned to her frozen skin, bringing pain with it, but she refused to stop.

She stared at herself in the bathroom mirror.

For three years, she had believed leaving Cedrick would destroy her.

Now she realized staying with him had been destroying her much more slowly.

Celine finally slid down against the bathroom wall as the strength she had forced herself to maintain disappeared. She covered her face with both hands and began sobbing.

Liana stirred gently inside her, her voice soft but certain. We’ll be okay.

Celine cried harder before whispering, “Yes. And I'm never going back.”