Chapter 2

The frosted glass door opened, and a woman stepped out, wrapped only in Leonardo's oversized robe. Her golden hair shone under the light, her skin was pale, and her figure was undeniably striking. The robe hung loosely, revealing far more than it should.

When she saw me, she didn't even flinch. Instead, she arched an eyebrow provocatively, strolled over to Leonardo, linked her arm through his, and leaned against his chest.

She said coyly, "Leon, about the brand I represent…"

Leonardo leaned back slightly and took a sip of whiskey. "Someone will get in touch with you. You can go now."

She gave a sweet "Okay" and went back to the bedroom to change.

When she returned, I recognized her as Tasha Monroe, a rising mixed-blood model in the fashion world. Rumor had it she was a hybrid of black and snow wolf.

As she neared the door, Tasha stopped and sized me up, then turned to Leonardo, her grin playful. "Leon, this is your mate, right? Human? Is she better than me in bed?"

He didn't even look at her and said simply, "Leave."

Tasha then sashayed out of the room.

Leonardo got dressed and came over, leaning down to press a soft kiss to my hair while resting an arm around my waist.

It felt exactly like all the other times, as if nothing had occurred.

"Are you hungry? Do you want something to eat? I can take you right now."

I stayed frozen. He raised an eyebrow and lightly traced circles along my waist.

"Are you upset, or just tired? The master bedroom is a mess. We'll sleep in the guest room tonight."

I had always known how flirtatious and reckless he could be. From the moment I agreed to be with him five years ago, I should have seen this coming.

I broke free from his touch and stepped back. "Leonardo, it's over between us."

My voice was soft, but every single word rang clear.

The room was quiet for a long moment. I looked up and saw Leonardo staring at me, as if trying to decide whether this was just another one of my dramatic outbursts. Then, he smiled.

As he leaned in toward me, I saw the pale reflection of my face in his golden-brown eyes.

"Over?"

He tilted his head thoughtfully. "Bella, how old were you when I first met you? 19, or 20?"

I remembered that night at the Salvatore family gala, serving among pureblood wolves. My thick bangs covered half my face, and my plaid shirt was buttoned all the way to the neck. I was the only human there, lost in a den of wolves.

He straightened and smoothed the cuffs of his shirt. "I asked if you would be my woman. You blushed and nodded without hesitation. I'm a pureblood werewolf, the next Alpha of the Silverpine Pack. I could even make you my Luna, but I could never have just one woman. Do you remember what you said?"

He gave me a faint smile. "You agreed."

Tears stung my eyes, and I could barely hold back a sob. "So now that I want to break up, you're trying to threaten me?"

Leonardo reached out and brushed the tears from my cheeks that I hadn't noticed falling. He soothed me as if I were a frightened child.

"It's alright, Bella. I know this was my fault. I promise you, it's the first time, and it will be the last. I won't bring another woman home again."

He held my shoulders and gently turned me toward the floor-to-ceiling mirror, resting his chin on my shoulder.

In the reflection, I saw his confidence, his total lack of guilt, and my own tear-streaked face. "Do you know how old that woman was? She is 21. If I'm not mistaken, you're 26 this year, right?"

He leaned in, brushing his lips against my ear as he whispered, "Instead of using childish tricks to threaten me, focus on how to please me. You are the one I love most. The others are just distractions. Why do you care about them?"

I stared at my reflection, feeling a strange sense of distance.

How did that 19-year-old waitress, the naive girl who thought holding a werewolf's hand meant she had the whole world, become so tired, broken, and worn?

I shrugged slightly, and he lifted his head from my shoulder.

In a rough but steady voice, I said, "No, Leonardo. I want to sever our mate bond. We're finished."

Leonardo chuckled softly and nodded. "Fine. I understand. We're finished."

He glanced out the window, then cupped my face and kissed me. He held the kiss until my breathing grew shallow, then slowly let me go.

Leonardo walked to the door and glanced back. "Make sure the staff cleans up the room. I have company matters to handle. We'll take care of the rest when I get back."

The door closed, leaving me standing still for a long while. Salvatore Manor was so quiet that I could hear my own heartbeat.

As he said, I had loved him. I had loved him enough to forgive his repeated mistakes and set aside my pride. However, I had a limit, and that limit was loyalty.

Ending a relationship didn't require his permission, but severing a mate bond did.

I unlocked my phone and found the number I had never used before. It belonged to Sebastian Buckley, the Alpha King.

I typed, "Alpha King, I want to sever my mate bond with Leonardo."