Chapter 3

After leaving the Alpha’s den, I took a moment to gather my thoughts before heading to my childhood home. The path through the pack territory was as familiar as ever, yet each step felt heavier under the weight of my decision.

'End the bond? Have you lost your mind?'

Before I could even finish, my mom, Marlee, cut in sharply, her voice slicing through the air like a knife.

'Weren’t you the one who tried to stop me from bonding with Dominic in the first place?' I fired back, my voice steady despite the turmoil churning inside me.

'That was then,' she snapped, her tone dismissive. 'Dominic’s the Alpha now, and your brother Jeremy needs his backing to carve out his own territory. Don’t mess this up, or you’ll regret it.'

'Mom, he chose Melina as his mate. Everyone knows about our problems. Even Noelle’s saying she wants a new Luna.'

'Isn’t that just how Alphas are?' she shot back, her eyes narrowing. 'Dominic’s under immense pressure, and you’ve been distant. Of course he’d seek comfort somewhere else.'

'Why not solidify your position by giving him an heir—a son—while the bond’s still intact? That’d shut the door on any other mates.'

I glanced at my brother, Jeremy, sprawled on the couch, glued to his phone like this whole conversation was beneath him.

'You’re on board with this?'

Without looking up, he shrugged. 'Sis, I’ve already talked to Rayne about bonding next year and claiming our own territory. Just let it slide. Dominic hasn’t officially rejected you yet.'

Their selfish reasoning left me speechless. Did they really see me as nothing more than a pawn in their power plays?

My mom let out an exasperated sigh. 'When Dominic was just a Gamma, you were dead set on standing by him. Now that he’s the Alpha, you want out?'

'Do you think you’re still some young she-wolf? If you end the bond now, good luck finding another mate worth your time.'

As a final slap in the face, she hurled my belongings out the door, the thud of my bags hitting the ground echoing through the quiet street.

Dominic was right—my mom never truly cared about me. To her, only sons mattered; daughters were practically strangers.

When I bonded with Dominic, he was just an ambitious Gamma with little to his name. My mom had threatened to cut ties if I went through with it.

Our relationship only improved when Dominic became the Alpha. But now, as I sought to end our bond, she cast me out without hesitation.

Dragging my suitcase down the path, the only silver lining was the notification that a portion of the pack’s resources had just been transferred to my account.

...

I booked a trip to the southern part of the territory, choosing a city at random. I planned to use the separation waiting period to explore a life beyond the Alpha’s den.

But peace was hard to come by.

On the third morning, as I wandered the quiet streets of a small southern town, I received an unexpected mind link.

'Romina?' a familiar voice called out.

I answered, and Emelia’s polite tone greeted me: 'Hello, am I speaking to Noelle’s mother?'

'Yes, speaking,' I replied, though the title felt strange now.

'This is Emelia, Noelle’s mentor at the youngling training grounds. We have a small showcase today, and Noelle was supposed to bring her project. Could you drop it off?'

The request was simple, but I couldn’t help feeling annoyed by the interruption. Just last week, I’d been at the den, working on Noelle’s favorite model for the showcase. But with everything falling apart between Dominic and me, I hadn’t even finished it.

Taking a deep breath and watching the light drizzle outside, I calmly told Emelia, 'I’m sorry, but Dominic and I have formally ended our bond, and I no longer have custody. I can’t handle these matters anymore.'

After a pause, I added, 'From now on, any issues concerning Noelle should go to her father.'

'Oh?' Emelia hesitated, but after a moment, she replied, 'Alright, sorry to bother you.'

I apologized once more before ending the mind link, the silence of the southern town enveloping me like a heavy blanket.