Chapter 5

Kyle's eyes stayed locked on the torn certificate, and something in them went cold in an instant.

He probably hadn't expected me to destroy proof of our mate bond so easily.

After all, there was a time when I used to pull it out and look at it nearly every single day.

The day we got that certificate, I'd had it framed behind glass and set it on my nightstand so I could admire it.

Kyle used to tease me about it every time he caught me staring at it.

"You really love that piece of paper that much?"

"It's not just a piece of paper," I'd corrected him, dead serious.

It was proof that after loving him for over a decade, I'd finally earned my place beside him.

And now I'd torn that proof apart with my own hands.

Kyle's eyes stayed fixed on the ruined paper. He must have finally noticed something had shifted in me, because he lifted his head and looked at me, heavy with something unreadable.

"Leora, you..."

Before he could finish, Ilona lunged forward and yanked the gun straight out of his pocket.

Her eyes were bloodshot as she pressed it to her own temple.

"Kyle... so all of this was fake. You and I were never actually bonded. You bonded with this tramp six years ago. Why didn't you tell me until now?"

She laughed, hollow and broken, her eyes full of grim resolve.

"I always thought she was the other she-wolf. Turns out I was the one all along... If I'm going to be the other she-wolf, I'd rather just die."

Her finger twitched against the trigger.

Kyle's eyes went wide with terror. He grabbed her arm to wrench the gun away, but somehow ended up letting the barrel point straight at himself instead.

A deafening crack rang out. The bullet grazed his neck, leaving a wound that could have easily killed him, before burying itself deep in the hull behind him.

Kyle pulled a frantic Ilona into his arms, his voice low and urgent. "Ilona, listen to me. Let me explain.

"Leora tricked me. She only bonded with me back then so she could become Luna. She's been sleeping around this whole time. How could I ever actually want a she-wolf like that?"

Ilona's expression stayed doubtful, but she slowly lowered the gun. "Really?"

"Really," Kyle said, dead certain, motioning for one of his subordinates to hand over a folder. "See for yourself."

Ilona took the folder and dumped out a pile of photos.

Bright, garish photos scattered across the floor, and a bad feeling crept up my spine.

Every single one of them had my face on it.

I pulled out my phone immediately and logged into my social media account.

There was a flood of posts, all uploaded within the last hour—photos and videos of me in intimate poses with a string of different werewolves.

I realized instantly that every one of them had been generated by AI.

They matched the ones in Ilona's hands exactly, and no one but Kyle knew the password to my account besides me.

He'd had his subordinates generate all of it, then logged into my account himself and posted it all.

And he'd done it all for one reason that was to keep Ilona happy.

Realizing that felt like something ripping my heart apart, a pain so sharp I could barely breathe.

"Why?" I stared at Kyle, tears of pure agony spilling down my face. "Why would you fabricate something like this just to destroy me?"

Kyle's brow creased slightly. He shot me an impatient glance, like he thought I should have known better.

"Leora, this is the price you pay for your own mistake. If you hadn't shown Ilona that certificate, I wouldn't have needed to do any of this to calm her down."

I couldn't hold it in anymore and shouted, "I didn't do that! I already moved out. How could I possibly have that certificate, let alone bring it onto this boat?"

The moment the words left my mouth, a familiar shape came rushing at me, throwing punches with real venom.

"It was you! It was you! I saw it myself!" screamed the pup I had once loved enough to give up everything for, pointing straight at me.

"You're the homewrecker who stole that paper and showed it to my mommy on purpose, and now she's so upset! Why are you even still alive? You should just die!"

Owen's little fists clenched tight, his eyes flashing with genuine hatred.

He looked at me like I was his sworn enemy, nothing like the son who'd once depended on me completely and loved me without question.

He was a different pup now.

I didn't even know when he'd started hating me this much.

When Owen's fist landed on my leg, the pain made me flinch back a step without thinking.

But he suddenly threw himself to the ground and wailed like he'd been wronged. "You pushed me!"

"Dad, Mom, the homewrecker pushed me!"

Ilona rushed over and scooped him into her arms instantly.

The second she lifted her head, every trace of her earlier hysteria had vanished, replaced by something almost coldly composed.

She even shot Owen an approving wink, letting him know he'd done well.

Owen grinned, burying his face in her chest while wailing even louder for show. "Mom, chase this awful she-wolf away! She's been mean to you, and now she's hurting me too!"

Behind them, Kyle's expression had frozen.

He looked at me with disappointment and gave a slow shake of his head.

"Leora, how did you turn into this? He's your own son. How could you do that to him?"

My face went pale, not a trace of color left in my lips. "I didn't push him."

"So you're saying Owen's lying?" Kyle laughed coldly.

"He's a five-year-old pup. Why would he ever slander his own mother? Do you even hear yourself right now?"

He had a point. If I hadn't seen it happen with my own eyes, I wouldn't have believed it either.

But that was exactly what had happened.

The pup I'd once treasured more than my own life had turned into the terrifying stranger standing in front of me.

I had never felt more relieved that I'd already given up custody of him.

Worn down to nothing, I said, "Believe whatever you want."

Kyle looked at me like I was a criminal on trial. He stepped closer and said coldly, "Get on your knees and apologize to Owen and Ilona.

"If they don't forgive you, you're not leaving this boat."