Audrey's POV
The moment Rowan's roar tore through my doorway, it sounded less like a man and more like an alpha wolf catching the scent of a rival.
"Audrey! How dare you cheat on me!"
Cheat.
I almost barked a laugh at the absurdity.
He stood there in the threshold, jaw clenched, eyes storm-dark, hackles practically raised. The audacity in his voice was so staggering I could barely restrain the snarl building in my throat.
Riley was beside me—my assistant, nothing more—but Rowan looked at him like he'd found another man right in his bed.
I didn't owe him an explanation. Not anymore.
"What are you doing here, Rowan?" I asked, my voice cold and level.
I knew why he came. Fen had been difficult lately—feral energy, tantrums, sleepless nights—and Lisa couldn't tame him. Rowan still didn't understand how I used to calm the pup with nothing but my presence, my rhythm, my pack scent.
But when he stepped inside and saw Riley, all the civility he rehearsed must've burned away. His expression twisted, wounded pride turning vicious.
He lunged forward and grabbed my wrist, and his snarl deepened.
"Audrey, tell me who that male is. Are you sneaking around behind my back?"
Riley stepped forward instinctively, shoulders tense, ready to shield me.
I shot him a sharp look—stand down.
He froze, but he didn't move far, watching Rowan like a predator waiting for the prey to misstep.
Pain shot up my arm—Rowan's grip tightening right over the old injury. The scar was healed, but the ache flared like the memory of every useless sacrifice I'd made for him.
I growled low in my throat. "Let. Go."
He finally realized what he was doing and frowned.
I pulled my wrist away and limped toward the door on my crutch, my posture steady despite the pain.
Then I opened the door wide. "Get out of my house."
Rowan stepped in front of me before I could push him out, lowering his head to meet my eyes, voice taut. "Audrey, don't you have anything to explain?"
A cold laugh escaped me.
"What about you, Rowan?" I lifted my gaze and stared straight through him. "Don't you have anything to explain to me?"
His pupils flickered—guilt, brief as lightning—before smothering back under his practiced calm.
He responded with a sigh, voice soft in a way he thought was charming. "Taking Lisa to the hospital was my mistake. I saw your injuries weren't serious."
I stared at him in disbelief.
"You should see a healer," I said flatly. "Because if you think my shattered leg was a 'scratch,' your eyesight is beyond saving."
He didn't want to argue about that, so he switched tactics, smoothing his tone.
"Let's not dwell on the past. What will it take for you to come home with me?"
"Home?" I let out a short, humorless breath. "We don't have a home, Rowan."
Not anymore. And in one month, I'd be free.
He frowned. "I have other properties."
"Oh? And which one is Lisa nesting in?"
His throat hitched. "She's… staying there temporarily."
He rushed on, annoyed. "The old condo was wrecked. You can't blame me for giving her shelter. Don't be childish."
Childish. I felt my lip curl.
He kept pushing. "Yes, I had history with her, but it was ten years ago. You're not jealous, are you? There's nothing between us now."
The lies slid so easily off his tongue I wondered if he even heard himself anymore.
I gave him nothing—just silence.
He mistook it for weakness.
His expression softened. "Audrey, we've been bonded for years. Maybe the spark faded, but I don't mind if you… explored a little. Just end it and come home."
Then he delivered the line he thought would break me.
"Fen's been sick. He keeps howling for you."
The words hit a sore place. Of course Fen called for me.
I'd been the one holding him through his fevers.
I'd been the one singing him to sleep.
I'd been the one he trusted when nightmares clawed at him.
Lisa had never once stayed up with him—not one night.
But the moment he felt strong again, he ran back to her, chanting that she was his real mother, clinging to the blood-tie he thought mattered.
Like father, like son.
Ungrateful.
Fickle.
Loyal only when they need something.
I met Rowan's gaze, cold and unshaken. "Do you want me back as your mate… or do you just need someone to raise your pup?"
Rowan's eyes narrowed. "Fen is your son. Caring for him is your duty."
The words almost made me laugh. Even now, he lied as easily as breathing.
He softened again, guilt twisting his tone. "You're my mate. I only have one heir, and that's Fen. Everything I own will be his one day. Your place in the pack will never be questioned."
Then the final blow, "As long as you don't fight with Lisa, you will always be the legal Luna. Come home. Stop this foolishness."
Legal Luna. As if the title mattered more to me than my soul.
I didn't even bother hiding my disgust.
"It's over," I said, voice ice-cold. "Let's get divorced. And stay out of my life."
Rowan froze, shock chasing across his features. He had truly believed that lowering his pride was enough to lure me back.
His face darkened, fury clouding his eyes. "You really want a divorce?"
"Yes."
When this bond was severed, I would finally be able to take my time reclaiming everything he stole from me.
And when the truth came out, I would drag Rowan to my daughter's grave and make him beg.
He stared at me for a long, tense moment.
Then a slow, chilling smile spread across his lips.
"I won't divorce you," he said softly. "You've lived off me for years. My home. My protection. My resources." His voice dropped to a cold, alpha growl.
"You think you can survive without my pack? Without me?"