Chapter 4: The Silent Exit of a Queen

The next morning, Zoriana was discharged. Ryder didn’t show up to pick her up, and surprisingly, it didn’t even sting. It was just another confirmation that they were done.

She walked out of the clinic alone, the morning air chill and filled with the sound of birds. She took one last look around the pack grounds, bidding a silent farewell to the place she had called home for five years. Her phone buzzed—another message from Aella. Her friend had been trying to reach her since the banquet night, but Zoriana wasn't ready to talk yet.

“I’ll call her once I’ve made my move”, she thought, slipping the phone into her pocket.

As she passed the training grounds, her heart clenched with nostalgia. She had spent thousands of hours here, molding raw recruits into warriors. But the memory was cut short by a high-pitched giggle.

Ryder was there, shirtless, sweat glistening on his skin. He looked as gorgeous as ever, but the sight was ruined by the person he was training - Milana. It looked more cuddling than fighting. He had her wrapped in his arms, and Milana was squealing, pretending to try and escape his grip. She was dressed in tight top and leggings that showed off a body that was curvy and soft—not a single hint of the muscle a strong she wolf should have.

The laughter died the moment they saw Zoriana. Ryder loosened his grip, and Milana looked down, acting shy. "Luna... we didn't know you were out of the hospital. Alpha was just showing me some self-defense moves so I can protect myself."

"I see," Zoriana said, her voice flat.

She was ready to keep walking, but a flash of light caught her eye. On Milana’s wrist sat a pink diamond bracelet. Zoriana knew it well—Ryder had given it to her on their first mating anniversary. Back then, the pack was still struggling, and he had saved for months to buy it, promising her he’d get her the moon if she asked.

She let out a short, bitter huff. Milana followed her gaze, her eyes widening like a deer in headlights.

"Luna, please don't be mad," Milana mumbled, her eyes instantly filling with tears. "I saw this on your dresser and told Alpha how beautiful it was. He let me wear it just for a few days. I’ll give it back, I promise... I just wanted to feel like a princess for once. Gorgeous and noble like you."

Zoriana didn't blink, looking indifferently. Before she could speak, Ryder pulled Milana into a hug, stroking her hair. "Don't worry about it. Zoriana has tons of jewelry; she’s lost count of it all. It doesn't matter to her. Besides, you’re my mate and my Luna now. You deserve the best."

Luna. He said it so casually, as if it were a title you could just hand out like a simple favor. He spoke about Zoriana like she was a spoiled brat, completely ignoring the fact that she was the one who had managed the pack’s wealth while he was out representing pack to collect fruits of her hard work.

Milana shot Zoriana a quick, triumphant look from the safety of Ryder’s chest.

"You’re right, Ryder," Zoriana said, her voice like a razor. "There's nothing to be mad about. Milana, keep it. I’ve noticed you have a habit of taking my used goods. Enjoy them."

She lifted her chin and walked away. She heard Milana scramble after her, catching up once they were out of Ryder's earshot. Milana grabbed her arm, her face twisting into something ugly.

"You think you're untouchable," Milana hissed. "But in war and love, any weapon works. Winner takes it all and I'm clearly winning, Zoriana. He chose me."

Zoriana yanked her arm back, looming over the smaller girl. "That’s because I’m not even playing the game anymore, little dove. Enjoy the bastard until the next mistress comes along and replaces you too."

＊＊＊

Back in her room, Zoriana didn't cry. She packed.

She wanted to burn every photo, every gift, and every memory which reminded her of Ryder but she didn't want to draw attention. Instead, she swept them all into the trash. She packed one small bag: training gear, a few casual outfits, the jewelry she had owned before she mated Ryder, and a debit card for a private account she’d kept since college—money she’d earned herself by tutoring.

She left the designer bags, the luxury dresses, and the expensive shoes.

As Zoriana sat on the edge of the bed, her phone chimed. A notification from the Council. Her hands shook as she opened it.

Request Denied.

The two words felt like a physical blow. They were stripping her of everything she had worked for. She was going to be a rogue, starving on the streets while Ryder and his new Luna slept in the house she built.

“Is freedom worth this?” she wondered.

Memories flashed through her mind: her father hiring the best tutors, grooming her from birth to be the perfect Luna—taught to hide her emotions, to do her duty, and to exist only to please a future Alpha husband. She thought of her mother, quiet and obedient, playing the role of the perfect wife just to be tossed aside, growing weaker and more hollow until she eventually died. She saw Ryder’s face, tracing his transformation from a shy, caring boy into a cocky, arrogant bastard. Then came the echoes: Aella’s cries the first time she caught her husband cheating and rushed to Zoriana for comfort, and the haunting memory of Milana’s moans as Ryder thrust into her shamelessly.

All her life, Zoriana had lived for everyone else's expectations.

"No," she whispered. "Freedom is priceless."

She slid her wedding band off and left it on the nightstand.

"Let's go," her wolf, Kalina, encouraged. "Don't look back."

After sunset Zoriana slipped into the hallway, wearing a black hoodie and carrying her single bag. She reached the side exit, her hand on the knob, when a voice stopped her.

"Where are you going, Luna?"

She turned sharply. It was Scott, the Gamma. "Scott... I'm leaving. Please, don't try to stop me."

Scott smiled, and it wasn't the polite smile of a subordinate. It was the look of a good friend. "Who said I was stopping you? I'm coming with you. My mate, Braydon, is meeting us at the border."

Zoriana stared at him, stunned. She wanted to thank him, to warn him of how hard it would be, but there was no time. She simply nodded.

"Get in the trunk," Scott whispered as they reached his SUV. "I'll drive us past the gate."

Minutes later, the black SUV rolled past the pack guards. They didn't even check the Gamma’s car. As the vehicle hit the highway and accelerated into the night, Zoriana finally let out the breath she’d been holding. She was no longer a wife, a victim, or a pawn. Behind her lay the ruins of a life she’d outgrown; ahead, the roar of an engine and the awakening of the Alpha she was born to be.