Chapter 2

Lucas didn't even open the severance agreement.

I'd threatened to leave before, but I had always been the one to back down. Clearly, Lucas expected this time to be no different.

"Have you forgotten? This isn't an ordinary bond between two werewolves."

He picked up the severance agreement and tapped it against his palm.

"Frostmoon gives Blackstone access to its medical resources, and Blackstone protects Frostmoon's northern shipping routes. More than a dozen elders from both packs signed the alliance pact. You can't end it just because you want to."

"I'm ending our bond," I said. "The Councils can renegotiate the alliance themselves."

Lucas gave a short laugh.

"The Frostmoon Council?"

He approached me, bringing Vivian's scent with him.

My stomach lurched. I turned and pushed open the balcony door.

Cold air rushed into the room, clearing away some of the sickly sweet gardenia scent.

I'd barely caught my breath when Lucas reached past me and shut the door again.

"Can't stand her scent?"

The door clicked shut in front of me.

"Haven't you spent the past ten years getting very good at pretending not to see?"

My throat tightened again. I gripped the doorframe and fought the urge to throw up.

"Vivian is pregnant. Her scent will be around from now on, so you'd better get used to it."

He thought I was jealous.

He had no idea I was pregnant too.

Between the nausea from my own pregnancy and the overpowering moonlure scent, I could barely keep myself from vomiting.

But now, I had no intention of telling him about the pup.

"Sign it," I said.

The faint smile disappeared from Lucas's face.

"Who was it who signed the bonding confirmation knowing full well her parents objected?

"Frostmoon gave you one last chance to refuse before the bonding ceremony. You stood before the elders of both packs and said no one had forced you. You said you would accept whatever came from your decision."

He stepped closer, staring down at me.

"And now that the outcome isn't to your liking, you plan to just walk away?

"Evelyn, I didn't choose this bond either. As Blackstone's heir, I had no right to refuse the alliance. You did. You had every chance to walk away, and you chose not to.

"Now you're tired of the life you chose, and you expect me to clean up the mess for you?"

He spoke as though every word were undeniable fact. As though our ten years together had nothing to do with him. As though choosing the wrong man meant I deserved to suffer the consequences alone.

"So you won't sign the severance agreement?"

"No."

Lucas's claws extended from his fingertips.

He pinned the agreement against the wooden cabinet at the foot of the bed and drove his claws straight through the signature page. Both the paper and the folder tore, and four deep gouges scored the wood.

"Put it away."

The force of his Alpha command crashed down on me.

My shoulders buckled beneath the pressure, and a sharp cramp seized my abdomen.

As an Omega, my wolf instinctively wanted to submit. It cowered inside me, trembling beneath his dominance and urging me to bow before the Alpha standing in front of me.

I bit the tip of my tongue until I tasted blood and used the pain to keep myself standing.

Lucas frowned.

"If you leave Blackstone, where exactly do you think you can go?"

He picked up the comm device beside the bed, opened my profile, and turned the screen toward Vivian and me.

The Frostmoon crest was gray.

Membership: frozen.

Inheritance account: frozen.

Position at Frostmoon Medical Group: revoked.

Under Blackstone, there was only one line: Alpha's bonded mate.

"You gave up everything in Frostmoon to bond with me. You've been cut off from your pack for ten years."

With Vivian watching, Lucas slowly scrolled through every privilege Frostmoon had taken from me.

"Your pack link with Frostmoon has been closed for ten years. Without Blackstone, you can't even access your own accounts.

"Do you really think your father will suddenly forgive you and welcome you back?"

At that, Vivian released her grip on the quilt and relaxed against the pillows.

She no longer offered to leave or apologize to me.

Lucas switched off the terminal.

"Go to the east guest room. By tomorrow morning, we can forget this ever happened."

Just then, the clock on the wall passed midnight.

Deep within my mind, the Frostmoon pack link that had been silent for ten years suddenly came alive.

The familiar presence of Frostmoon's wolves flooded my mind, followed by two notifications.

"Frostmoon Pack membership restored."

"Inheritance rights pending confirmation upon return."

When I'd left Frostmoon ten years ago, my father had given me exactly ten years.

If I could prove that choosing Lucas had been worth it, he would acknowledge our bond and accept the alliance.

If I failed, I would return to Frostmoon, admit that I'd been wrong, resume the duties I'd abandoned, and accept whatever new bond the pack arranged for me.

During those ten years, my father would offer me no protection, money, or help of any kind.

But once the ten years were over, no matter how things ended, Frostmoon would open its doors to me again.

And tonight, those ten years had finally come to an end.

I had failed.

But my father had kept his word.

I suppressed my wolf's reaction, careful not to let Lucas sense it.

He still thought he held all the cards—that I had nowhere else to go.