Chapter 4

When I walked out of the police station, my heart was eerily calm.

I suppose that’s what happens when disappointment becomes a habit.

Even a police officer who barely knew me could see how laughable my position was in Alpha Jackson’s heart.

Before leaving, I thanked the officer—not for his help, but for not letting Alpha Jackson bail me out alongside him.

Because of that, I could finally see the truth clearly.

The officer’s expression shifted at my words, his usual teasing demeanor fading.

"Take care of yourself, Luna."

I flinched. That title didn’t belong to me anymore.

I don’t remember how I made it back home.

All I knew was that the Alpha who had promised to pick me up on time—my Alpha—was fast asleep on the couch.

The scent of another wolf clung to the air, soft but unmistakable. Floral. Sweet. Sickening.

A terrible thought struck me, and I rushed straight to the bedroom.

The moment I pushed open the door, I saw her.

Yvonne Harper, sprawled across my bed, comfortably nestled in my sheets, her scent already mixing with Jackson’s.

My wolf snarled inside me.

Rage exploded in my chest, hotter than any anger I had ever known.

Without thinking, I raised my hand, ready to slap her awake—

But before I could, a strong grip caught my wrist.

Jackson.

His fingers clamped down like a vice, his strength effortlessly subduing mine. No matter how hard I struggled, I couldn’t break free.

"Nicole! What are you doing?"

Even now, he had the audacity to question me.

I let out a bitter scoff, my chest heaving.

"Jackson, when you brought her home and left me at the police station alone, did you not feel even the slightest bit of guilt?"

His eyes faltered for just a second.

But before he could answer, Yvonne stirred at the commotion.

Jackson immediately dragged me out of the room, his grip still firm but no longer painful.

The moment we reached the living room, he exhaled sharply, rubbing his temples.

"Nicole, stop making a scene."

A scene?

I clenched my fists. My wolf bristled, the urge to shift bubbling under my skin.

"Right," I said, forcing a laugh. "Why am I even asking? If you felt guilty, you wouldn’t still be asleep at this hour. If you felt guilty, you wouldn’t be worried about waking her up."

The words hung between us like a blade, cutting deep.

Then, without another word, I turned on my heel and marched back into the bedroom.

Not to wake Yvonne. Not to fight.

To leave.

For the first time, the overwhelming urge to escape from him overpowered everything else.

I found my old, dusty suitcase in the corner, threw open the closet, and started packing.

Jackson was right behind me.

His brows furrowed, his expression unreadable as he stared at me shoving clothes into the suitcase.

"Nicole? What the hell are you doing?"

He ran a hand through his hair, frustration creeping into his tone.

"How far are you planning to take this? I slept on the couch last night—nothing happened! Isn’t that enough for you?"

I ignored him. I didn’t want to argue.

This was a man I had once truly loved.

If possible, I didn’t want things to end in an ugly mess.

But Jackson clearly had other plans.

The moment he saw my suitcase half-full, he lost it.

For every item I packed, he pulled one back out.

The chaos woke Yvonne.

She sat up slowly, rubbing her eyes , voice thick with sleep.

"Jackson, what time is it?"

Jackson checked his watch. "It’s 5:45."

She hummed. "I’m a little hungry. Take me to get breakfast?"

Jackson hesitated. His eyes darted to me, to the mess in the room, then back to Yvonne.

"Sorry, Yvonne. I don’t have time right now. I need to clean up."

That should’ve been a win, right?

But Yvonne just smiled—the kind of smile that sent a chill down my spine.

"Oh, Nicole, you’re back?"

She dragged out the words, stretching them like a cat playing with a wounded mouse.

Then she looked at Jackson, feigning innocence.

"Jackson, if you’re worried Nicole might get jealous, that’s unnecessary."

She giggled.

"We can just take Nicole with us."

I stilled.

She had twisted the situation so easily, so smoothly, until it felt like I was the intruder in my own home.

My grip on the suitcase tightened.

I had no energy left for this game.

Someone who didn’t belong to me wasn’t worth fighting for.

While Jackson wasn’t paying attention, I stuffed the rest of my clothes into the suitcase, yanked it off the bed, and marched toward the door.

Jackson’s reaction was instant.

"Nicole, wait—!"

He grabbed my suitcase, trying to pull it back. I pulled harder.

His fingers clenched around my wrist, his strength holding me back.

And then—

SLAP.

The sharp crack of my palm against his face echoed in the silent room.

Everything stopped.

Jackson froze.

Yvonne’s smug expression vanished.

Even my own breathing sounded too loud in the suffocating silence.

I stared at him, my chest rising and falling, my wolf whimpering inside me, torn between fury and heartbreak.

Then, my voice cracked as I spoke the words that broke me.

"Alpha Jackson… do you really have to make this so ugly?"

He didn’t answer.

"You’ve already changed. You don’t love me anymore—"

A lump formed in my throat.

My legs gave out, and I slid down the wall, tears stinging my eyes.

I clutched my suitcase with trembling fingers.

"If you don’t love me anymore... why won’t you just let me go?"