Chapter 8

Ava's POV

The Ashford Estate garden was lit with fairy lights, looking like a scene from a twisted fairytale.

Waiters circulated with champagne, and the elite of the Bloodmoon Pack mingled, laughing as if their future Alpha hadn't almost let me die three hours ago.

I walked in wearing a black dress. Simple. Sharp. Funeral chic.

My stepmother, Janice, was holding court near the fountain, clutching a glass of wine. Lexi was next to her, looking miraculously recovered from her "trauma," clinging to Gordon's arm.

They looked like a perfect family. A family that had erased me.

[Flashback]

Ten years ago. This same garden.

I was holding the teddy bear my mom gave me before she died. It was the only thing I had left of her.

Gordon walked in with a woman and a little girl. "Ava, this is your new mom. And your sister, Lexi."

"Daddy, I want the bear!" Lexi had squealed, pointing at my chest.

Without a word, Gordon ripped the bear from my arms and gave it to her. "Share, Ava. Don't be selfish."

Lexi hugged my bear, sticking her tongue out at me. Gordon picked her up, spinning her around. I stood there, empty-handed, learning the only lesson that mattered: In this house, I was a donor, not a daughter.

[Present]

The memory dissolved as I approached them.

"You made it," Gordon grunted, not bothering to look at me. "The papers are in the study. Sign them, take your check, and try not to embarrass us."

"Happy to oblige," I said dryly.

I reached for a glass of champagne from a passing tray.

"Drinking alone, Ava?"

Lexi slid up next to me, her voice dripping with poison. She was wearing a white dress, playing the innocent angel. Cole was standing a few feet away, talking to the Elders, his back to us.

"What do you want, Lexi?"

"I just wanted to say thank you," she smirked, stepping closer so only I could hear. "Daddy told me you're marrying the Butcher King. He says you'll be dead in a month."

She traced the rim of her glass. "Once you're gone... I'm going to make Cole forget you ever existed. I'm going to redecorate your room. Burn your clothes. Maybe I'll even name our first pup after you. As a joke."

I swirled my drink. "You can have him, Lexi. I don't keep trash."

Her smile snapped. "What did you say?"

"I said," I leaned in, my voice ice cold, "he's trash. And you? You're a raccoon digging through my garbage. You deserve each other."

Lexi's face twisted in rage. She glanced over her shoulder. Cole was turning around.

Showtime.

In one smooth motion, Lexi grabbed my wrist, yanked it forward, and splashed her own red wine all over her white dress. Then, she slapped herself-hard-across the face.

Smack.

"Ava!" she screamed, throwing herself backward onto the grass. "I'm sorry! Please don't hit me!"

The garden went silent. The music stopped.

Gordon and Janice rushed over. "Lexi! My baby!"

Cole was there in a second, his eyes blazing with fury. He helped a sobbing Lexi up. "What happened?"

"I... I just tried to apologize for the woods," Lexi wept, burying her face in Cole's chest. "And she threw wine on me and slapped me!"

Gordon turned to me, his face purple. "You animal! She is your sister!"

Cole stepped toward me, radiating Alpha pressure that would have forced a normal wolf to their knees. But I had Nyx. And I had the ghost of Kaelen's touch on my arm. I didn't flinch.

"Apologize," Cole growled, his voice vibrating with command. "On your knees. Now."

I looked at them. The father who sold me. The sister who stole from me. The mate who abandoned me.

I laughed.

"No."

Cole blinked. "What?"

"I said no."

I finished my champagne in one gulp and tossed the glass onto the patio stones. It shattered with a satisfying crash.

"I'm done playing your game." I pulled the signed inheritance papers from my clutch and threw them at Gordon's feet. "I signed your damn papers. The money is mine. The jewelry is mine."

I turned to Cole.

"And you?" I looked him up and down with pure disgust. "You want an apology? Here it is: I'm sorry I wasted three years saving a coward who isn't fit to lead a pack of poodles, let alone wolves."

"Ava!" Cole roared, lunging for me.

I didn't move. I didn't flinch. I just pressed the black button in my pocket.

Screech.

Three black SUVs tore through the estate gates, tires smoking. They drifted to a halt on the manicured lawn, boxing us in.

The doors opened. Twelve Royal Guards stepped out, weapons drawn.

And from the lead car, Beta Daniel stepped out. He didn't look at Cole. He walked straight to me and bowed.

"Miss Ava," Daniel said, his voice cutting through the stunned silence. "King Kaelen is waiting. Are you ready to go home?"

I looked back at Cole, whose jaw was practically on the floor. Lexi had stopped crying. Gordon looked like he was having a stroke.

"Yes," I smiled, stepping toward the car. "I'm ready."

I slid into the backseat, leaving the Bloodmoon Pack-and my past-choking on my dust.