Chapter 3

The air went still for a moment.

Kyle stared at the papers in my hand, his expression flashing with disbelief.

My chest tightened. I was trying to decide whether to say anything else when he suddenly laughed.

He snatched the papers and signed his name across them without hesitation.

"So now you've learned how to threaten me? You can't survive without this family anyway. This is nothing but a worthless piece of paper. Either way, you're moving out today."

I took back the signed papers, and a wave of relief washed over me.

"Fine. I'll move out right now."

The moment I said it, Kyle's expression flickered, irritation rolling off him in waves.

He took a deep breath and stepped closer, like he wanted to say something.

That was when Ilona's voice rang out from inside the house.

"Sweetheart! Where are you?"

Kyle spun around instantly and called back, "I'll be right there!"

He walked off without a second thought, all the way to the doorway, before he seemed to remember I was still standing there.

He glanced back and said coldly, "Leora, don't waste your energy on this. You can't survive without me."

Ever since I'd bonded with Kyle six years ago, I'd poured all my time into taking care of our home and never held a job.

It wasn't strange that he'd think that.

But hearing the contempt in his voice still hit me like a blade twisting in my chest.

I looked away from him and didn't say another word.

I shut the door behind me and walked away without looking back.

-

Over the next few days, I filed the bond-severing papers with the pack council and waited for approval.

The wolf handling my paperwork told me it would take about two weeks to finalize the release.

A huge weight lifted off my chest.

I left behind every pitying or disgusted look from the other wolves and walked away from the place I'd called home for six years without a shred of regret.

I found a motel and figured I could make do there for a week. The place wasn't much, but it was livable.

I sent out resume after resume and heard nothing back, so I picked up whatever odd jobs I could find in the meantime.

It was exhausting, working four or five jobs a day, but at least I was too busy to think about the past.

Then one day, while working a shift at a bakery, I got sent to deliver an expensive custom cake out to an island.

When I saw Kyle again, I felt strangely calm.

"Leora?" Kyle raised an eyebrow, his expression cooling. "What are you doing here?"

Ilona stepped out from behind him wrapped in a bathrobe, her face twisted with displeasure.

"Are you following us?"

Kyle let out a short laugh, a trace of mockery in his eyes. "What, now that I've signed your papers, you're following me around trying some new trick?"

The second she heard that, Ilona's eyes went red with rage, and she raised her hand to slap me across the face.

"You shameless little tramp! First you stole my home with Kyle, and now you're following us around! I'll teach you what you can and can't do!"

I caught her arm before it landed and shoved her off me.

"You've got it wrong. I'm just here to deliver your cake."

I pulled the neatly wrapped cake from behind me and set it down at their feet.

"Please just sign for it. I've got other orders to get to."

Kyle's expression flickered, and he frowned. "Wait a second,"

I didn't stick around to hear the rest. I took a step back, closed the door on them without a word, and turned to leave.

I hadn't gotten far before one of Kyle's subordinates grabbed me from behind.

"Let go of me!" I fought back with everything I had, but he clamped a hand over my mouth and dragged me the other way.

He threw me onto a yacht anchored near the island.

A crowd of guests in formal wear stood inside, all staring at me like I didn't belong.

A second later, a piece of cake with a serving knife still stuck in it slammed into my face.

The blade caught my forehead, slicing my skin open, blood trickling down toward my temple.

Ilona brushed frosting off her palm, a vicious gleam flickering in her eyes.

Kyle didn't seem to notice any of it. He grabbed my chin and tilted my face up.

"Leora, you'd better explain what this is about. If you're going to pretend you don't care, at least make it convincing. How dare you put mango in that cake?

"Ilona's allergic to mango. You could have killed her. Do you understand that?"