Blessing of the Moon Goddess

   Eleanor 

      

      THE morning after the gala, the penthouse was suffocatingly quiet. Owen hadn’t come home. He had stayed at the pack hospital monitoring Susana’s condition.

      I didn't pack a bag this time. I didn't want to trigger any alarms. I dressed in a simple pair of jeans and a hoodie, hiding my face under a cap. I needed answers that weren’t in a ledger or a bank statement.

      I drove to the edge of the territory, where the trees grew thick and the air smelled of ancient moss. This was where Elder Hagar lived. She was the oldest member of the Pack Council and the only one who truly understood the old magic of the mate bond.

      Her cottage was small and smelled of dried lavender and bitter herbs. When she opened the door, her eyes, cloudy with age, fixed on me instantly.

      "You look like a shadow, Eleanor," she said, her voice like rustling leaves. "Come in."

      I sat at her wooden table. My hands were shaking. "Hagar, I can't do this anymore. The bond... it’s killing me. Every time he chooses her, it feels like a dagger in my ribs."

      Hagar sighed, pouring me a cup of dark tea. "The mate bond is a gift from the Moon Goddess, child. It is not easily broken."

      "I don't want a gift that makes me a slave to a man who doesn't want me," I said, my voice cracking. "Is there a way? A ritual? A severance?"

      Hagar’s expression turned grave. "There is a way. The Bond-Breaking Ritual. But it is agonizing. It feels like your soul is being torn in two. Many wolves don't survive the shock. You would have to renounce your title, your pack, and your mate all at once."

      "I’m ready," I said firmly. "I’d rather die trying to be free than live as a ghost in his house."

      Hagar reached across the table and took my hand. Suddenly, she froze. Her grip tightened, and her eyes widened as she looked at my stomach.

      "Eleanor," she whispered. "The ritual... you cannot do it."

      "Why? Because of the pain? I told you, I don't care."

      "No," Hagar said, her voice trembling. "Because you are carrying a life. A powerful one."

      I felt the world tilt. My hand instinctively flew to my stomach. "What? No. That’s... that’s not possible. Owen and I haven't... not for months."

      "The Goddess works in mysterious ways," Hagar murmured. "The seed has taken root. You are nearly six weeks pregnant, Eleanor. The ritual would kill the child instantly. The bond is no longer just between you and Owen. It is the bridge that feeds your child."

      I felt a wave of cold nausea wash over me. I stood up, stumbling toward the sink. I barely made it before I retched.

      Pregnant.

      I was pregnant with the child of a man who left me standing alone under a spotlight. I was carrying the heir to a pack that already looked at me with pity.

      "If Owen finds out..." I started, my breath coming in short gasps.

      "He will never let you go," Hagar finished for me. "He will lock you in that penthouse. He will use the child to tie you to him forever, while he continues to keep Susana by his side."

      I looked at Hagar, tears finally blurring my vision. "Then I have to go now. Before he notices the change in my scent. Before Susana figures it out."

      "You are going to raise an Alpha’s child alone?" Hagar asked.

      I wiped my mouth and stood tall. The nausea was still there, but a new, fierce heat was rising in my chest. It wasn't the mate bond. It was a mother’s instinct.

      "I won't raise my child in a house where they are second best," I said. "I’m leaving, Hagar. Not just for me, but for them."

      I walked out of the cottage without looking back. My "Quiet Departure" was no longer just about escaping a bad marriage. It was a rescue mission.

      I had two weeks before my scent would change enough for Owen to notice. Two weeks to disappear into a world where he couldn't find me.

      As I got into my car, my phone buzzed. It was a text from Owen.

      ‘Susana is feeling better. We’re grabbing breakfast. Don't wait up.’

      I deleted the message. I didn't need to wait up anymore. 

                                  ~~~~~~~~

      

      The two weeks were almost up. I had my documents hidden in the spare tire of my car and enough cash to get me across the border. All I needed was one quiet night to slip away.

      But Susana wouldn't let me have peace.

      I was summoned to the study. When I walked in, Owen was standing by the window, his jaw set so tight I could see the muscles pulsing. Susana was sitting on the leather sofa, her face buried in her hands, sobbing.

      On the desk lay an empty velvet box.

      "Eleanor, tell me you didn't do it," Owen said, his voice a low, dangerous rumble.

      "Do what, Owen?" I asked, keeping my voice flat.

      "The Moonstone Brooch," Susana wailed, looking up with red-rimmed eyes. "It’s been in the Alpha’s family for generations. Owen promised I could wear it for the charity shoot today, but when I went to my jewelry box, it was gone! And then... and then we found it in your bedside drawer."

      She held up the brooch. The silver and blue stone caught the light.

      "I didn't touch your jewelry, Susana," I said, looking her straight in the eye. "I have no interest in anything you own."

      "Then how did it get in your room?" Owen roared, slamming his fist onto the desk. The glass of champagne he had been drinking rattled. "I checked the cameras, Eleanor. You were the only one who passed her room while she was at the gym."

      "I live here, Owen. I pass every room," I replied. I knew it was a setup. Susana had likely planted it herself, knowing Owen would believe her over me.

      "Apologize," Owen commanded. The Alpha power in his voice was thick, trying to force me to my knees. "Apologize to Susana for the theft and for your behavior, or I will strip you of your Luna title tonight."

      I looked at him. Truly looked at him. This was the man I had loved. This was the man whose child I was carrying. And he was willing to humiliate me for a lie.

      Suddenly, the weight on my chest lifted. The struggle was gone.

      "You want an apology?" I asked. I walked over to the desk and picked up his half-full glass of champagne.

      Owen narrowed his eyes. "Finally, you’re showing some sense."

      "I’m sorry, Owen," I said softly. "I’m sorry it took me three years to realize that you aren't worth the breath in my lungs."

      With a quick motion, I twisted the gold band off my finger. The mating ring, the symbol of my prison, clinked as I dropped it into the champagne. It sank to the bottom, the bubbles fizzing around the diamonds.

      "Eleanor! What are you doing?" Owen stepped toward me, his face pale.

      "I’m leaving," I said. I looked at Susana, who had stopped crying to stare at me in shock. "You want him, Susana? You can have him. The lies, the gaslighting, the broken promises, they’re all yours now. I hope you’re as good at being a habit as you think you are."

      "You can't leave!" Owen reached for my arm, his eyes flashing gold. "You are my mate! You belong to this pack!"

      "I belong to myself," I snapped.

      I turned and walked through the front door without looking back. 

      "Eleanor, stop!" Owen screamed, his heavy boots thudding behind me.

      “Ahhh, Owen my head hurts…” I could hear Susanna's phony voice acting before she collapsed to the ground with blood dripping from the side of her mouth, it seemed she bit herself, huh. Acting one of her scenes for him again. 

      “Eleanor, Stop… Sussy are you okay? Doctor, let's get you to a doctor.”

      He didn't run to stop me as Susanna clutched to him and I didn't stop either. I was carrying a secret that gave me a strength Owen would never understand.

      That night, with trembling fingers, I dialed a number I  had sworn never to call again.

      "Father," my voice came out  barely a whisper, "I agree to return home for the arranged mating."