Chapter 5: The Freedom I Thought I Wanted

⌁⌁ Ashton Knight ⌁⌁

The sunlight cutting through the blinds of my office felt entirely too bright. I sat behind my desk, holding my phone to my ear as Vivian’s voice vibrated through the speaker, high-pitched and choked with tears.

“She humiliated me, Ashton! In the middle of the hospital lobby!” Vivian sobbed. “Shanna had me dragged out by security like a common criminal, just because I asked her to leave us alone. Everyone was staring at me. My heart is still racing.”

I let out a slow breath, rubbing the bridge of my nose, where a dull headache lingered. “Shh, Viv. Calm down. I’m sorry she did that.”

“You have to come see me tonight,” she whimpered softly. “I need you here to make me feel safe.”

“I’ll be there tonight,” I promised, keeping my tone steady. “Just rest. I’ll take care of it.”

We hung up. I tossed my phone onto the desk and leaned back in my leather chair. But before I could even draw a breath, the screen lit up with a new text notification.

I glanced down, expecting another grievance from Vivian. Instead, the sender’s name made my entire body go rigid.

Shanna.

I stared at the glowing words, momentarily unable to process them.

“I agree to the divorce. Let’s meet in your office tomorrow morning to sign the papers.”

Shanna was agreeing to the divorce so easily?

I read the message several times, as though the words might somehow change.

I had expected resistance. Tears, arguments, perhaps another desperate attempt to remind me of our mate bond and the years we'd spent together.

Instead, she had simply agreed.

Why did her sudden indifference bother me so much?

I should have been relieved. This was exactly what I had wanted. Yet, instead of the satisfaction I expected, an unfamiliar sense of unease settled in my chest.

Just yesterday, she had stood in that hospital looking like a ghost, broken and bleeding, talking about a child we could have had.

And now, she was casually waving the white flag.

What had made her change her mind so quickly?

Before I could puzzle it out, the oak door of my office swung open without an invitation. Jared, my Beta, strode in, his expression grim and urgent.

“Alpha,” Jared said, dropping a thick file onto my desk. “We've got a serious problem. Rogue activity is surging near the pack borders. Two of our patrol scouts were ambushed an hour ago, and both are injured.”

I cursed under my breath, instantly pushing my personal matters aside as my Alpha instincts flared to life.

I stood, buttoning my suit jacket. “How bad are the injuries?”

“Severe, but they'll survive. The pack warriors are tracking the rogues now, but we need to increase border patrols immediately before this escalates,” Jared replied.

“Double the patrols on the northern and eastern perimeters,” I ordered sharply. “Mobilize the elite guard. Nobody crosses those borders without my authorization.”

Jared nodded and hurried off to carry out my orders.

"One more thing," I called after him.

He stopped and turned around.

"Find out whether these rogues have any connection to the individuals who previously threatened Vivian. I want to know if we're dealing with the same group."

Jared's expression grew serious. "Understood, Alpha. I'll look into it immediately."

Once he left, I glanced at my phone again.

For some reason, the thought of Shanna being anywhere near those rogues made me uneasy. My first instinct was to text her.

Stay inside today. Don't go near the outskirts.

I stopped dead in my tracks, my thumb hovering over the screen.

Idiot, I cursed at myself, shoving the phone into my pocket with a bitter scowl.

We were getting a divorce. She wasn't my responsibility anymore. In less than twenty-four hours, she wouldn't even be my Luna.

Walking to the window, I stared out at the sprawling pack lands, feeling a familiar, suffocating tightness clutch at my chest—the same feeling that had haunted me my entire life.

I was the eldest son of the Knight bloodline. My father had fathered sons through multiple unions, and my mother had been a ruthless, unyielding architect of my upbringing. She had drilled perfection into my bones, constantly pitting us against one another, determined to secure the Alpha title through me.

Every second of my youth had been controlled and manipulated to meet her rigid expectations.

Even after clawing my way to the top, I still wasn't free. Despite being the most capable of my father's sons, my inheritance and position could be taken away simply because I wanted to marry the woman I loved rather than the woman chosen for me.

My mother had pleaded with me to consider the future of the family and the stability of the pack, making me feel as though refusing her wishes would destroy everything she had worked for.

In the end, I had given in and married Shanna to appease my grandfather and secure the pack elders' votes.

I had spent my entire life being moved around on someone else's chessboard. Even my marriage had been another decision made for me. I had felt like a prisoner in my own skin, trapped in a union I hadn't chosen and bound by a mate bond I had never wanted.

Three years ago, I had sworn that once my position as Alpha became untouchable, I would finally reclaim control of my life.

I would return to Vivian, the woman I had truly loved before my life was hijacked.

Yet, during those years under the same roof, something strange had begun to shift. Shanna's quiet resilience, her warmth, and the way she had gradually fitted herself into the rhythm of my days had made me grow accustomed to her.

More than accustomed to her.

No, I muttered, shaking my head.

I didn't love her. Whatever warmth I felt was nothing more than the Moon Goddess's forced mate bond—a cosmic mistake designed to rob me of my free will.

Then, two years into my marriage, just when I had finally begun settling into my position as Alpha, Vivian resurfaced like a ghost from the past.

She had contacted me through a burner phone, sobbing as she recounted how Shanna had driven her out of the pack territory shortly after our wedding, threatened her life, and allegedly hired rogues to terrorize her into silence—all to keep me from Vivian.

Now that she had finally escaped, she had begged me for help.

I had promised to protect her from the rogues, but I hadn't believed Shanna was capable of doing something so cruel. The woman I knew was gentle and reserved. It was difficult to imagine her orchestrating such a vicious scheme.

But when I secretly ordered Jared to investigate, the financial records seemed to confirm Vivian's accusations.

For three consecutive years, monthly transfers had been made from Shanna's personal account to several accounts belonging to individuals Jared had identified as rogues. Some of those individuals had also been linked to the attacks and threats against Vivian.

The evidence had shattered whatever fragile trust I'd begun to develop. How could I ignore such damning connections?

Perhaps Vivian had been telling the truth all along.

Shanna had only ever wanted the money, the Luna title, and the security that came with being my wife.

How had I allowed myself to be so blinded by her?

I couldn't bring myself to consider the possibility that my feelings for Shanna were real. It was easier to blame every moment of tenderness and every flicker of attachment on the mate bond.

I had never chosen her. Surely, that meant I couldn't have fallen in love with her.

There was only one way to reclaim my freedom: divorce Shanna and sever our mate bond once and for all.

I hardened my heart, burying every lingering doubt beneath layers of resentment.

Earlier, while Vivian was crying over the phone, I had wondered why Shanna had returned to the hospital. Had something happened to her? Was she all right?

My fingers unconsciously curled against the windowsill.

For a brief moment, I considered calling her, if only to reassure myself that she was fine.

But I stopped myself.

What was I doing? Why was I still worrying about her when she had already agreed to end our marriage?

Whatever happened to Shanna was no longer my concern. I couldn't keep allowing my instincts to dictate my actions.

This was what I had wanted for three years. So why did the thought of losing her leave me so deeply unsettled?

I pushed the thought aside.