When I walked back into our room, Ethan was already gone.
The only thing left of him was his scent... strong, sharp, and mixed with someone else's scent that made my stomach twist... Lara's perfume.
She was still on our matrimonial bed, covered in the sheets, completely naked and sleeping like she owned the place.
My heart clenched as my eyes moved over the mess they'd made. The broken wine bottle from last night still glimmered on the floor, and rose petals were crushed underfoot.
Lara's black lace bra and panties lay carelessly on the carpet like a mark of victory.
I bit my lip so hard I tasted blood. My wolf snarled in my chest, begging to lash out but I forced myself to breathe... slow, deep, and steady.
I wouldn't lose control in front of her.
I stepped closer to the bedside table and picked up the mate bond termination contract Ethan had thrown at me weeks ago. The sides were slightly curled now, the ink faintly smudged. It was almost poetic, how something meant to end a bond looked so fragile.
The sound of movement behind me made me freeze.
"Ethan?" Lara's sleepy voice broke the silence. She blinked her eyes open, her tone soft and lazy. "Come back to bed, babe."
Her words hit me like a slap. I turned, clutching the papers to my chest.
"Sorry to disappoint," I said flatly, "but your babe left the house without saying goodbye to you."
Lara sat up, pulling the blanket around herself, grinning. "Oh, I see. The Luna of Silverpine still thinks she owns him."
"At least I married him, not seduced someone else's husband." I clapped back.
"Married?" Her laugh suddenly came out sharp and ugly. "You mean trapped him? He's finally free now." She tilted her head, eyes glinting. "Last night proved it. He was a beast... your Alpha has some stamina, I'll give him that."
I didn't reply. I just stood there, staring at her until her smirk faltered.
"Guess you enjoyed how he fucked you like a whore you are." I smiled, mischievously. "But you'll learn soon enough that Ethan gets bored of sluts easily."
"Seriously?" Lara raised a brow. "Well, not of me, sweetheart. I have something others never did... power. I know how to play his world and trap him in my clutch forever."
Following her words, I almost laughed because she clearly doesn't know who Ethan is and how he can be.
"Clutch him all you want," I said, turning away. "But remember, wolves like him always bite the ones closest first."
I walked toward the door, but before I could leave, she called after me.
"Enjoy your freedom, Luna. I will take over that position after you're gone."
Her mocking voice followed me down the hall. My eyes burned, but I didn't let a single tear fall. It exhausts me to cry over a man that isn't worth it anymore.
Back in the guest room, I sat down and looked at the papers again. My fingers trembled, but I signed them anyway. My name looked strange beside his, the mark of an ending.
But it was done. No more begging, waiting and pretending that love could fix something already dead.
As I set the papers down, a memory flickered... his smile, his touch, and the promises whispered under a full moon five years ago.
'Was it all a lie? Or was I just foolish enough to believe it could last?' I brushed the thought away.
An hour later, I went back to our room... seeing that Lara had left, and leaving the room still messy, I began to pack my stuff.
Every item I touched reminded me of something about Ethan and I. The photo frame with us by the lake, and the silver ring he gave me when he swore to make me his Luna forever.
All of it—just remnants of someone else's dream.
The door creaked behind me and I didn't need to turn around to know who it was. That sharp scent of lavender and authority could belong to no one else.
"Mrs. Hartley," I muttered. Her heels clicked against the hardwood as she moved closer to me.
"Finally, the mighty Luna had packed her things." Her voice dripped with satisfaction. "About time, anyways."
I kept folding my clothes, refusing to look at her. "I'm already prepared to leave, so there's no need for your mockery."
"Oh, please." She gave a dry laugh. "You really thought you could hold on to an Alpha like my son? A barren Luna with no lineage, no status? You were lucky we even took you in."
Her words cut deep, but I'd heard worse before, from Ethan himself.
"I may not have your kind of power, but I have something you'll never understand... self-respect."
Mrs. Hartley's eyes narrowed. "Self-respect doesn't keep a pack running, child. Strength and power does. And you, my dear, are weak."
"Then why do I scare you so much?" I met her gaze head on for the first time. "If I were truly weak, you wouldn't have spent years reminding me of it."
Her nostrils flared, obviously taken aback by my challenge towards her. "You're delusional if you think you ever mattered to my son!"
"Maybe," I said, zipping my suitcase, "but I did once and that's more than you can say."
For a moment, her face twisted with anger and jealousy. But she quickly masked it with a cruel smile.
"Run along then and go back to whatever hole you crawled out from. Silverpine doesn't need you."
I slung the bag over my shoulder and walked past her.
"You're right," I whispered. "But one day, you and your precious son will kneel before my feets."
Her mocking laughter echoed behind me, cold and hollow but I didn't turn back. I stepped out and my wolf stirred within me, stretching, and waking.
For the first time in years, she didn't feel trapped.
Whatever came next... be it truth or punishment fate had waiting, I was ready to face them all.
I headed back to the guest room, waited for Ethan to return so we could finalize everything since I already signed the termination papers...