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🐺💔 He married me because I looked like her. Our daughter was dying. He was with her. I was "just an omega"—until I called my father. Alpha Cyrus. The alliance he'd spent years trying to buy. He signed the divorce papers thinking I'd beg. I never looked back. Chapter 1 Rue's POV Laughter spilled out of the Half Moon Pack's banquet hall like a cruel reminder of the life I didn't belong to. The soft pulse of live music, the distant chime of crystal glasses, the easy sound of wolves celebrating, the kind of sound that used to make me smile. But now, it only reminded me how far away I truly was. I stood just outside the doors, tucked in the shadows, the sharp scent of pine and champagne mixing in the cool night air. My hand hovered over the brass handle. My heart pounded in my chest, not from nerves, but from fear. A tight, aching dread I couldn't shake. I shouldn't be here. But I had no choice. I was here for one reason and one reason only. Iris. My daughter. My whole world. She turned three today. And she was dying. The doctors had been blunt. The venom in her system had spread too fast. Her body was fragile, weakened by countless hospital visits and a lifetime of struggling just to breathe. They said it would take a miracle for her to survive the night, let alone the surgery. When I asked what she wanted for her birthday, she didn't ask for toys or cake. She didn't even ask for me. She asked for him. Aiden. Her father. My husband. My chosen mate of three years. The man who hadn't visited his daughter in weeks. The man whose love I had once clung to like oxygen. The man who had drifted so far, he might as well have been a stranger. I told myself I'd keep it brief. I'd say what needed to be said and leave, with no emotions at all. But I couldn't help hoping. Just a little. Just for Iris's sake. I opened the door just enough to step in but froze. He wasn't alone. There, beside him, stood Haven. Her beautiful hair shimmered beneath the ballroom lights, cascading in soft waves that framed her delicate, smug smile. Her body leaned into Aiden's like she was born to be in that space, her hand tracing lightly along the arm of his suit jacket a bit too familiar, casual and intimate. She wore a velvet-red dress that clung to her like it had been sewn on her skin, every movement effortless, elegant. She looked like Luna. In fact, she looked like his Luna. Because in some twisted, fated way… she was. Haven wasn't just his best friend, she was his true mate. His destined one. The match nature had chosen for him. And I? I was the stand-in. The woman who filled the space when fate hadn't yet made its move. They didn't see me in the doorway. They were too absorbed in each other. Too caught in their shared orbit. "It still baffles me," Haven said, her voice low and flirtatious, "why you settled for an omega. You always had better options and you still do." The words slid into me like ice. She wasn't even trying to be subtle. She didn't have to be. She knew exactly where she stood. I didn't move. I couldn't. My body was frozen, every nerve listening. Aiden's laughter was soft, low and familiar. The sound used to comfort me but now it burned. "Sometimes," he said, "I wonder if I only married her because she kind of looks like you." My breath caught. He wasn't done. "But she gave me a daughter," he added with a casual shrug. "That's one of the reasons I haven't walked away." I felt the floor sway beneath me. Every muscle in my body tensed as I clenched my fists, nails digging into my palms. My wolf stirred beneath my skin, pacing, snarling, wounded. "She loves you?" Haven asked with a lazy smile. "Or did she just see a chance to climb the ranks? Omegas are good at playing the victim." "I've never really thought about it," Aiden replied, his voice far too relaxed for what he was saying. "She loves me, I think. But…" "But you don't love her," Haven said, finishing the sentence with an air of certainty. He didn't confirm. He didn't deny. He just… didn't answer. That silence hit harder than any admission. That silence screamed the truth. To him, I wasn't his mate. I was a mistake he couldn't quite erase. A passing decision that came with lasting consequences. But none of them knew who I really was. I wasn't just an omega. I was Rue Hawthorne , daughter of Alpha Cyrus, heir to the Blood Claw Pack, one of the most powerful bloodlines in the region. Our pack was ancient, strategic, dangerous. I'd been raised for politics, for war and for control. I'd walked away from all of it. To avoid an arranged mating, I ran. I gave up my title, my name, everything I had. I hid among strangers, took on a new identity, and built a quiet life in the Half Moon Pack. When Aiden found me, I thought I had been saved. He offered kindness when I had nothing. I mistook that kindness for love. I fell for him. Hard. One night, during my first heat, when instincts override logic, we gave in. The bond wasn't fated. It wasn't even planned. But it happened. And when his father discovered it, Aiden was forced to take responsibility. He did the right thing. And we mated. I carried Iris from that night. A child born of instinct and consequence. And I loved her more than life itself. I told myself Aiden would learn to love me. That over time, our bond would grow. That maybe we'd rewrite fate. But his eyes always wandered. His heart never followed mine. Even before the truth about Haven came out, I saw how he looked at her. Like she was the moon and I was just a shadow. I swallowed down the pain and stepped forward, shoving open the doors. The full force of the music hit me. Laughter. Lights. Champagne. The smell of perfume and polished status. Aiden turned toward the disturbance. His expression twisted into a frown of annoyance, like I was an interruption to a perfect evening. "What are you doing here?" he asked, voice flat. He looked perfect, as always. Black tailored suit hugging his broad frame, hair swept back with meticulous ease. His eyes, once so warm, now felt like winter. I ignored the tone. Focused on why I came. "Iris's condition has worsened," I said, forcing the words past the lump in my throat. "She needs you. She might not…" I couldn't say it. His expression didn't change. He glanced at Haven. Then adjusted his cufflinks. Like I hadn't just told him our daughter might not survive the night. "She asked for you," I continued, my voice trembling. "All she wants is to see you. Please. She thinks the world of you." He exhaled slowly, like I'd asked him to sacrifice something sacred. His eyes drifted back to Haven. No urgency, panic or care. "Aiden…" He brushed past me without a word. He didn't stop nor look back. Haven followed behind, lips curled into a victorious smile. I stood there, frozen, the noise of the party swelling around me. It felt like I couldn't breathe. He didn't care. Not about me. Not even about Iris. My wolf screamed inside me, tearing against the walls of my heart. He was never mine. And now, he was barely hers. My phone buzzed in my hand. I blinked back the tears and answered. "Hello?" "Mrs. Barrett," the doctor said, voice urgent. "It's Iris. She's taken a turn. She's not breathing on her own. We need you at the hospital immediately." The world cracked open. "I'm on my way," I choked. I turned and ran, bursting out of the hall. Chapter 2 Rue's POV The doctor's words hit harder than any slap. "Her condition has worsened." Soft-spoken and sympathetic a bit rehearsed. But it didn't matter how gently he said it, it still felt like the floor was ripped out from under me. I blinked at him, but my legs buckled before I could find my voice. I caught the cold edge of the plastic armrest and sank into the chair, holding it like it could anchor me. No. Not today. Not Iris. She was only three. She hadn't even blown out her birthday candle. I fumbled for my phone, numb fingers trembling so badly I nearly dropped it twice before managing to dial Aiden's number. One ring. Two. Voicemail. I tried again. And again. Each unanswered call scraped at my nerves like claws. My heartbeat was thundering in my ears. The walls of the hospital felt too tight, too close. I was suffocating. Fifth try. The line clicked. Relief surged, but it vanished just as fast. "Mommy! You said I could get the red panda and the pink one!" The child's voice, high-pitched and laughing, punched the breath out of me. Then her voice followed. Haven. Soft. Sweet. Too sweet. "You can't have both, baby." Aiden didn't speak, but he didn't need to. His absence was loud enough. I didn't hear concern. I didn't hear panic. I didn't hear him. I heard laughter. Giggles. Joy. The warmth of another life. A life he'd chosen. I hung up. My hand shook violently, and the phone slipped from my grip, clattering onto the hospital floor. The sterile hallway spun. My breath caught in my throat as I stared ahead, unblinking. The lights overhead buzzed. I pressed my hand over my mouth, trying to hold in the sob, but my chest was breaking apart from the inside out. He wasn't coming. He had chosen them. Even now, when Iris might not survive the night. Then came the sound of fast, purposeful heels on tile. Sharp. Angry. Veronica. Aiden's mother swept down the corridor like a storm, her expensive heels tapping a warning against the linoleum. Her eyes locked on me, furious. Sora trailed behind her, sleek and smug as ever. Perfectly curled hair. Bold lipstick. Arms folded with that familiar sneer on her lips. "There you are," Veronica snapped, her voice echoing across the hallway. "What the hell did you do to my granddaughter?" I rose unsteadily, stunned. "What?" "Are you so incompetent," she hissed, stepping closer, "that you couldn't even keep your own child safe?" Before I could speak, Sora surged forward. Her palm slapped across my cheek, loud and stinging. "You irresponsible little mutt!" she spat. I gasped at the shock of it, one hand flying to my face. It wasn't the pain that hurt most. It was the shame. The fury. The cruelty. "You never should've had her," Sora continued, voice full of venom. "You're just an omega clinging to Aiden like a leech. You think being his mate gave you value?" Tears pricked the corners of my eyes, not from weakness, but from restraint. My wolf pushed against my skin, snarling. Ready to fight, to bite and defend. But I held her back. Barely. "I raised her alone," I said, voice low but steady. "While Aiden was out living his charmed life, I was the one wiping her tears, holding her through her fevers, comforting her when she cried for a father who never came." Sora scoffed. "Save the speech. If you'd spent more time focused on Aiden, maybe he wouldn't have slipped away." I took a step forward, eyes locked on hers. "Aiden wouldn't even be where he is without me. I stood behind him when no one else would. I handled negotiations. Helped him clean up his political mistakes. Whispered strategy when others praised his strength." Veronica laughed, the sound sharp and mocking. "You really think you mattered? That you had influence? Aiden was always destined for greatness. You were just conveniently there." She kept going. "And now? You've proven just how irrelevant you are. Haven is everything a Luna should be. She's smart. Powerful. Proper lineage. With her, our pack has a real future." I didn't respond. I couldn't. "Compared to her, you're nothing," Veronica added with a cruel smile. "And Iris? She was weak from birth. She never stood a chance." My heart dropped. What? "Iris deserved to die," she said coldly. "She was always sick. Always draining resources. Honestly, it should've happened sooner." The world slowed. "You disgusting…" I stepped forward, fury boiling over, "…Don't you dare speak about my daughter like that." "Oh please," she said. "She was a jinx from the start." "You're not worthy of judging her," I growled, my voice trembling with rage. "You never lifted a finger to help her. Never even asked about her. And now you act like her life didn't matter?" My wolf was pacing, snarling. If they said one more thing, but then the air shifted. Footsteps, firm, fast and heavy. A scent I knew, it was Aiden. Haven's POV The moment Aiden's phone buzzed, I knew. His entire body went still. I didn't have to guess who it was. "It's Rue," he muttered, voice tense. "Something's wrong with Iris." His hand reached for his keys, already stepping toward the door. "Wait," I said quickly. "Aiden, don't go yet. Just stay for a few minutes." But his mind was already at the hospital. He didn't even see me anymore. I turned toward my daughter, quietly playing by the fire. My thoughts raced. Fear didn't grip me. No, rage did. I had fought so hard for Aiden. For this future. And that woman, that omega was still in the way. I acted without thinking. I let the vase beside me fall. It shattered on the floor. Sharp, loud, perfect. "Aiden!" I cried, clutching my arm and pulling my daughter to my chest. "She fell, she's bleeding!" He spun back, eyes wide. He moved toward us, crouching beside her. But even as he checked for injuries, his gaze was distant. "She's fine," he muttered. "I'll call the medic to look at her. I have to go." Then he turned toward the door, again. Just as he reached it, a wild blur of movement came out of nowhere. A rogue wolf. It lunged, claws raking across his shoulder, jaws snapping inches from his throat. Aiden roared, throwing the beast off with brute force. Blood soaked through his shirt, but he didn't stop. For nearly thirty minutes, he fought it back, wounded but relentless. Even as his arm bled freely, even as he staggered, he kept moving toward the car. "You can't drive like this!" I pleaded, running to his side. "You need medical help, please, let me come with you." He hesitated, then nodded once. So I followed him. Not because I cared about Iris. But because I needed to be there. I needed Rue to see me walk in beside him. I needed Aiden to remember who he belonged to. Because no matter how hard she fought, I would be Luna. That title was mine by birth. And I'd take it backat any cost. When we reached the hospital, it was chaos. The scent of blood. The noise. The tension. Nurses rushing back and forth. Just in time, Aiden walked in right as Veronica raised her hand again. He stepped between them. "Enough," he growled, catching her wrist mid-air. Everyone froze. But his eyes, furious, blazing weren't on Veronica. They were on Rue. Chapter 3 Rue's POV Aiden's hand snapped forward just in time, catching his mother's wrist mid-air before it could reach me. "Enough, Mother," he said, his voice firm, sharp, commanding. For a very brief moment, I thought maybe something inside him had shifted. That maybe, just maybe, there was still a part of him that remembered who I was to him, who Iris was. But before I could cling to that thought, Haven stepped into the space between us. Smooth as silk. Her delicate fingers slid through Aiden's arm, her body pressing lightly into his side like she belonged there. "Aiden, don't get so worked up," she said softly, her tone sweet and intimate. "It's not worth it." Like I wasn't worth it, like the daughter we had wasn't. My fingers curled into fists, my nails biting into my palms so deeply it hurt. But that pain was nothing compared to the ache in my chest. Iris had been burning with fever. She had called for her father again and again. And he hadn't come. And now, he stood here like this. Letting her cling to him. Letting her replace me, even now. I took a slow, shaking breath. "So," I said quietly, bitterness laced in every word, "you decide to show up now?" He looked at me. Guilt flickered in his eyes, but it was weak. "She was sick, Aiden," I said, louder now. "On her birthday." "I know," he said, his voice low. "Rue, it's not what you think, Haven asked me to accompany her, I didn't…" I scoffed, sharp and tired. "You'd rather accompany her than visit your dying daughter?" He didn't respond. This silence was louder than any denial, it was the confirmation I never wanted, the final cruel truth I had always suspected. I turned away before the tears could fall. Before he could see how much it shattered me again. My heels clicked hollowly as I walked away from him, away from them, toward the quiet of the first-floor lounge. I didn't know where I was going, I just knew I needed space to a place that didn't taste like betrayal. The corridor stretched endlessly as I walked, and every step felt heavier than the last. My body moved, but my mind was stuck in that moment, Aiden and Haven, arm in arm, like a portrait of what he really wanted all along. The doors closed behind me, sealing in the memory like a coffin lid. I collapsed to my knees beside Iris's hospital bed, empty now, her tiny body moved to the operating room. Her stuffed bunny was still there. The one she'd dragged everywhere since she could walk. I reached for it like it was a lifeline, clutching it to my chest. I pressed my face into its fur and breathed in the faint scent of her strawberry shampoo. I could still hear her giggle, still picture her curled up under her blanket, asking me to sing her favorite lullaby again. And now she might never hear it again. I screamed into the silence, my anguish echoing off the sterile white walls. Then the scream dissolved into sobs. I cried harder than I had in years, I cried like the child I used to be, the one who had never felt safe. I cried like a mother whose soul was splitting in half, my little girl, my last piece of light, was slipping away, and I had nothing left, just the hollow ache of failure. A sharp knock at the door pulled me upright. I wiped my face quickly as the doctor stepped in. His scrubs were stained, his eyes exhausted. He pulled off his mask and cap, and the expression on his face said everything before he spoke. "Iris's vitals are dropping fast," he said gently. "We're doing everything we can, but…" He didn't need to finish. "She's slipping," he continued. "If you want to try other hospitals, I can refer you to…" "No," I interrupted. I couldn't hear it again. I couldn't hear that she might not make it. Not from him. Not from anyone. He nodded solemnly and left me alone again, the weight of his words hanging in the air like smoke. I paced the room for what felt like hours. Calling witches, healers, rogue shamans, anyone who might know what to do. Anything that could give me a sliver of hope. But none of them had answers. No one had even heard of a venom case like Iris's. The poison was rare, ancient cursed, one whispered. I was nearly broken when I remembered what the doctor had said once in passing. About a witch who was powerful, silent and hidden. And she only served one Pack. My father's Pack. Blood Claw. The Pack I abandoned. The one I had turned my back on to escape an arranged mating, I stared down at my phone. Then, with shaking fingers, I dialed the number I hadn't called in years. It rang for a while and then "Hello?" came the voice. It was rough, cold, and commanding. Alpha Cyrus, my father. "It's me," I said, voice barely above a whisper. "It's Rue." A long silence. Then, "Rue." It was all he said, but there was a weight to it. A reckoning. "I need help," I said. "My daughter, Iris, she's dying. There's a witch in your pack that can help her. I know it, please let her help." Another silence. "You have a daughter?" he asked. I swallowed. "Dad, please." I had cut him off years ago. I left without a word. I erased him from my life. I had no right to ask him for anything. But I was asking. "No witch will help you unless I allow it," he said at last. "You want her help?" "Yes." "Then you'll come back," he said. "And fulfill the promise you ran from. You will marry the man I chose. You'll honor the alliance you broke." His voice was emotionless. Just business. My chest tightened. I had known this would be the price and yet, the decision wasn't hard. "I'll do it," I whispered. "I'll come home." He hung up without a word. I stared at the screen for a second before shoving the phone into my pocket, grabbing my coat and car keys with trembling hands. I stepped into the hallway and pressed the elevator button. The doors slid open, and there she was. Haven. "Well, well," she said, her voice syrupy. "In a hurry?" I stared at her, too drained to play games. She took a step forward. "You know, I'm going to take him back. I always do. Aiden was mine first and he always comes home." Her smile sharpened. "I'll be Luna soon," she added, "and there's nothing you can do to stop it." I didn't flinch. I just looked at her, steady. "Good for you," I said. "You can keep him." Haven blinked, clearly not expecting that. She opened her mouth to say something else, but then it happened. The explosion. A deafening boom tore through the corridor. The walls shook. The lights above us burst in a shower of sparks. A wave of heat and force slammed into me, throwing me against the wall. Dust filled the air. The building screamed around us. Alarms blared. My ears rang, disoriented and raw. Through the haze, I saw Aiden. He ran straight to Haven. He pulled her into his arms, shielding her with his body as debris rained down. He didn't even glance my way. Not once, the sting in my chest outmatched the blast, not even instinct made him run to me, he chose her, again. In that moment, through the smoke and chaos, I saw the truth, there was nothing left between us, and when this chaos ends, so would our bond, I would divorce him. Chapter 4 Aiden's POV I had just finished checking on Iris when I heard the nurse shouting, something about an explosion in the first-floor restroom. Panic surged in my chest. I knew Haven had headed in that direction earlier. Without thinking, I took off down the hallway, boots thudding against the tile as smoke curled around the edges of the corridor. The air was thick with the scent of burning plastic and the high-pitched whine of alarms. I forced my way through the smoke, ignoring calls to stop, shoving aside debris until I found her. Haven was dazed but conscious, crouched near the shattered sink, blood running in a thin line down her cheek. I pulled her into my arms, carried her out myself, refused help even as staff ran forward. It was only after she was safe that I heard, Rue had been in there too. The breath left my lungs. I rushed back in, the haze of dust and smoke blurring my vision until I saw her, half-covered in rubble, blood streaking her temple, her chest rising and falling far too weakly. Her breathing was faint, but it was there. I carried her out too, this time with a knot in my stomach that refused to unravel. Later, when she opened her eyes, I tried to explain. I wanted to tell her everything, that I'd been attacked by a rogue wolf that morning, that I hadn't meant to be late, that none of it was intentional but when I reached for her hand, she pushed it away. Her wounds were minor, the doctor said. But whatever bond we still had? It was splintering, cracking beneath everything we hadn't said, and everything she had seen. Rue's POV In the fog of medication and pain, voices drifted in and out, soft at first, then clearer, nurses whispering too close to my door, thinking I couldn't hear. "…Mr. Aiden hasn't left Miss Haven's side all night." "He carried her out himself, and wouldn't let anyone touch her." "She only had a scratch, but the way he looked like he thought he was losing her. That must be love." Their words sliced through the fog in my head. I turned my face toward the pillow, jaw clenched. My fingers curled against the sheets, weak but shaking. Of course he'd stayed with her. Even when I was the one who had bled. Even when I was the one nearly buried under concrete. He hadn't looked for me at first. He hadn't reached for me. I should've expected it by now. Should've stopped hoping for anything different. But I hadn't. Some part of me still thought I mattered. Not anymore. By the time I opened my eyes fully, harsh light stabbed into my skull. The sterile scent of antiseptic flooded my senses, and a dull ache throbbed where the shrapnel had passed cleanly through. Lucky, the doctor had said. No vitals hit. Still, pain bloomed beneath the surface. Iris. I bolted upright, teeth gritted against the pain. The memory came rushing back, the explosion, the chaos, the smoke. My little girl, fighting to breathe, barely hanging on. "Easy," a voice said, deep and steady. "You'll tear your stitches." Aiden stood at the foot of the bed, arms folded. He was calm and controlled as if nothing about this moment truly affected him. There was maybe a trace of regret in his eyes, but mostly, they were blank. I remembered everything. The blast. His body shielding Haven. The way his eyes had searched for only her, not once glancing in my direction. "Iris," I croaked. "Where is she?" "They stabilized her," he said after a pause. "But it's temporary. She's still critical." Relief hit me like a wave. Temporary was still something. I ripped the IV out of my arm, ignoring the sting and the thin line of blood that followed. I needed to move. I needed to find a solution, not sit here waiting for another disaster to hit. "Where's my bag?" I asked, already climbing off the bed. Aiden stepped forward quickly, grabbing my wrist. "Rue. Stop. You're going to rip everything open." I yanked my arm back. "Now you're worried?" His jaw tightened. "I'm always worried." "No, Aiden," I said, eyes locking onto his. "You were worried when Haven had a scratch. Not when your daughter was on the operating table. Not when I was nearly killed." "You don't understand…" "I understand everything." I didn't wait for more. I couldn't. I left the room, my stitches tugging with every step, pain blooming beneath my ribs like fire. I didn't care. The hospital lobby buzzed with tension. Officers milled around, interviewing nurses, analyzing the damage. Tape cordoned off sections of the floor, glass and tile still littering corners of the hall. Veronica and Sora sat like carved statues near the center of it all, high and mighty, their perfect outfits and disdainful eyes screaming that they still believed they were better than me. Their gazes found me immediately, lips curling, but I didn't stop. I walked past them like they didn't exist. Aiden sat a few feet away, scrolling through his phone, oblivious. Until I slammed a stack of papers onto the table in front of him. The sharp smack echoed like a gunshot. "Sign it." The silence was immediate and thick. Sora nearly choked on her drink. Veronica's eyes widened, then narrowed. Aiden blinked, startled, as he stared at the papers. His voice was slow, unsure. "What is this?" "Divorce," I said, my voice sharper than any knife. "I've signed already. You just need to do the same." Sora leaned into Veronica, whispering behind her hand. I caught enough, she's bluffing, it's a trap. Aiden flipped through the pages, one brow twitching as he skimmed the clauses. His fingers tightened around the paper. "And you've already signed it," he muttered. "She probably thinks it'll get your attention," Sora said with a scoff. "She'll beg you to take her back by tonight." Veronica's lips pulled into a cruel smile. "Check the wording carefully. She's probably angling for pity." Their voices rolled off me like rain. I didn't care what they thought anymore. Aiden's eyes returned to mine. "Why now?" I met his gaze without flinching. "Because I've finally stopped lying to myself. Because I can't keep pretending there's anything left between us. And because my daughter deserves a mother who's not constantly breaking just to survive her father's indifference." He stared for a long second. Then, finally, he signed. The pen scratched across the paper, slow and final. "There," he said, pushing it toward me. "Done. You'll get the court copy next week." "I'll send it to my lawyer," I replied, folding my copy and tucking it into my coat pocket. The edges pressed sharp against my chest, like a blade I no longer feared. As I turned to walk away, Veronica called out behind me, "You'll regret this. You'll come crawling back when you realize you have nothing." But she was wrong, I wasn't losing anything, I proceeded to the receptionist to retrieve my bag and belongings. Chapter 5 Rue's POV As I walked away from Aiden and the mess that was now officially behind me, I heard her voice again, Sora, low and cutting like she always was. "She'll probably refuse to hand over the court documents when the time comes." Veronica sighed, her voice drenched in condescension. "But a divorce, right now? Something about this feels off. I think she's hiding something." Sora didn't even try to lower her voice. "Aiden, is this really in your best interest? How are we supposed to secure the Blood Claw alliance without her? It doesn't make sense." "She's just an omega," Sora added with a mocking laugh. "What does she know about politics or alliances?" "She's cunning," Veronica murmured, her tone almost admiring, in that backhanded way she did everything. "But you, my son, you're far more capable. If you can seal the Blood Claw alliance without her, you'll be the first wolf in history to pull it off." "And it's good riddance anyway," Sora added, voice smug. "After giving birth, her figure went from hot to halfway. She was starting to become dead weight." "Your sister makes a point," Veronica said smoothly, always encouraging, even in cruelty. "Just promise me you won't regret this later, Aiden." Then came his voice. Cool. Sure of himself. "Let's see how long she lasts." I didn't flinch. I didn't turn around. If anything, his words sparked something inside me, a strange comfort. Let them think they've won. Let him laugh, smirk, bask in this fantasy that I'll come crawling back. If he only knew. If Aiden had the slightest idea who I really was, Rue Hawthorne, daughter of Alpha Cyrus, rightful heir of the Blood Claw Pack, he'd choke on every smug word. I passed them on my way upstairs. Didn't even break stride. But I turned just slightly, enough to speak, voice calm, clipped. "A lawyer will be in contact with you to handle any legal proceedings," I said, not looking back. And then I walked away for good. Outside Iris's room, I paused, hand resting against the glass. She looked so small beneath the blankets, her tiny chest rising and falling with slow, labored breaths. Tubes and wires ran across her fragile body. She didn't deserve this. None of it. All I wanted was for her to smile again, to be free of pain, to have a future, something brighter than what I had endured. I called my father. "We'll be coming back soon," I told him. My voice didn't waver. Aiden's POV After Rue and Iris left the hospital, I went home expecting some kind of message, maybe a call. Something. Anything. But days passed, and there was nothing. A week later, the court documents arrived. Finalized. I held the stamped decree in my hands for longer than I should've, staring at it like it had a second page I hadn't noticed before. But there was nothing else, just cold legality. My wolf, Blue, shifted restlessly beneath my skin, uneasy. He didn't like the silence. Neither did I. She hadn't begged. Hadn't pleaded. No last-minute messages. Not a single tear. She'd followed through without hesitation. That part, that infuriated me the most. Under my mother's advice, I'd played it tough. Cold. I assumed Rue would back out. I thought she'd buckle under the weight of her own emotions, the way my mother said she would. "She actually went through with it," I muttered to myself. I tried calling her. Left messages. Told her she should rethink it, for Iris's sake. Nothing. Her number was disconnected. She was just… gone. The door burst open. Vance stepped in, his eyes dropping immediately to the brown envelope sitting open on my desk. "The hospital called," he said cautiously. "They can't locate Rue. Or… Iris." I didn't even look up. "You came all the way here to waste my time with that?" Vance didn't move. "If she's decided to disappear, that's her choice. It has nothing to do with me." He hesitated. "But your daughter…" "Dammit, Vance!" I snapped, fangs flashing. "Then go look for her if you're so damn concerned!" The words came out harsher than I intended, but I didn't take them back. I hated how this whole thing was affecting me. Hated how I checked my phone every few minutes for a message that never came. Hated that my wolf was pacing inside me like something was off, like we'd lost more than we were willing to admit. What kind of Alpha admits weakness? I slammed the divorce file shut, cramming it into the drawer like it was a bomb I could hide. And then, as if summoned, the door opened again, without a knock. Haven strutted in, bright and perfect as ever, holding a set of velvet ring boxes. "Our engagement ceremony will be incredible," she announced. "Second biggest event after a wedding. Oh, and the jeweler sent new ring designs. I'm leaning toward the emerald. It matches my eyes." She slid onto the arm of my chair, a smile painted on. I barely glanced at the sketches. "Whatever you want." Her smile faltered. "You didn't even look." "I'm busy," I said, pushing aside the folders, Blood Claw scouting reports, alliance proposals. Useless. "Busy thinking about her?" she asked, voice sharp now, the sweetness stripped away. Her name in Haven's mouth lit a fire in my chest. "You're being ridiculous," I snapped. She sat back, folding her arms. "The Blood Claw Pack never collaborates with outsiders. Instead of chasing shadows, why not ask for an invitation?" "An invitation?" I scoffed. "You think that's how this works? Half the continent licks their boots and still gets ignored. They don't even acknowledge most packs. What makes us special?" "Try," she said simply. "What do you have to lose?" Maybe she had a point. I had tried everything else. Reaching out to the Blood Claw Pack directly, subtly, through third parties, nothing worked. Maybe this was my last shot before I gave up entirely. Three months passed. The silence settled in like fog. Heavy. Suffocating. Not a word from Rue. Not a whisper. No sudden calls begging for help, no drunken messages accusing me of ruining her life. No angry outbursts. No guilt trips. She vanished like she never existed. And that,bothered me more than I could explain. Don't get me wrong, I told Blue, trying to convince myself more than him. I don't miss her. But that didn't stop me from checking my phone every damn day. Still no messages. Still no missed calls. She'd cut me off clean. "Vance!" I barked. My beta skidded into the room, ever alert. "Alpha?" "Find my daughter." He blinked. "I thought you said…" "I said find her, Vance," I snapped. "Go out. Do whatever it takes. I want her back." He nodded, but I could see the question in his eyes. I didn't give him a chance to ask about it. I didn't need to explain myself. Because somewhere, buried beneath the rage, the stubborn pride, the strategy and politics, was something I hadn't let myself feel in years. Loss. And a deep, gnawing fear that maybe this time, Rue wouldn't come back. And I wouldn't know who I was without her.