Dominic arrived at noon the next day, flanking himself with enough muscle to start a small war.
I watched from Kael's office window as three black SUVs rolled through the Crescent Moon gates, their tinted windows hiding whatever army my soon-to-be ex-husband had brought. The autumn sun glinted off the polished vehicles, and I could practically feel Dominic's arrogance radiating from the lead car.
"Punctual as always," Kael murmured beside me, his hand coming to rest on my lower back. The touch was possessive, grounding, and I leaned into it despite myself. "Ready for this?"
Was I? My heart hammered against my ribs, my wolf pacing anxiously. Part of me the broken, conditioned part wanted to run. To hide. To avoid the confrontation that was about to explode across Kael's territory.
But the part of me that had found my backbone last night?
That part wanted blood.
"More than ready," I said, surprised by the steel in my own voice. "Let's remind my husband that I'm not his pet to retrieve."
Kael's lips curved into a savage smile. "That's my girl."
My girl. The words sent warmth flooding through my chest, even though I had no right to feel claimed by this man. No right to want his protection, his attention, his care.
The office door burst open. Maya rushed in, her face flushed with excitement and concern. "They're here. And Elara? He brought Vivian."
Of course he did.
"Good," I said, smoothing down the blood-red dress I'd chosen specifically for this occasion. It hugged every curve, the neckline dipping just low enough to be provocative without being inappropriate. I'd even worn the diamond earrings Dominic had given me for our first anniversary the only time he'd remembered.
If I was going to face my husband and his mistress, I was going to look like a woman who'd upgraded, not one who'd run away broken.
"You look incredible," Maya said, squeezing my hand. "Like a queen about to destroy her enemies."
"That's the plan."
Kael moved to the door, all Alpha authority now, the tender man from last night replaced by a warrior king. "Let's not keep them waiting. I want this over quickly. The less time Dominic Steele spends on my territory, the better."
We descended the main staircase together, Kael slightly ahead, Maya beside me, and a dozen Crescent Moon wolves falling into formation behind us. A show of strength. A reminder that I wasn't alone anymore.
The front doors opened, and Dominic stepped through.
He looked exactly the same devastatingly handsome in a charcoal suit that probably cost more than most people's cars, his steel-gray eyes scanning the room with predatory precision. His dark hair was perfectly styled, his jaw sharp enough to cut glass, his presence filling the space like he owned it.
Behind him, Beta Marcus looked uncomfortable. And beside Dominic, wearing a cream-colored dress that screamed "future Luna," was Vivian.
She was even more beautiful in person than in photos. Platinum hair falling in perfect waves, blue eyes cold as ice, red lips curved in a smile that didn't reach her eyes. She looked at me like I was an obstacle to remove, nothing more.
The feeling was mutual.
"Dominic." Kael's voice was cordial but laced with warning. "You're a long way from home."
"Alpha Thorne." Dominic's eyes flicked to Kael, then immediately to me. Something flashed across his face surprise, maybe, at seeing me in that dress, standing tall instead of cowering. "Thank you for agreeing to meet. I've come to collect my wife."
"Your wife," Kael said slowly, "is standing right there. Why don't you ask her if she wants to be collected?"
Dominic's jaw tightened. He took a step toward me, and immediately three Crescent Moon wolves moved to block him. His eyes flashed amber his wolf rising but he controlled himself.
"Elara," he said, and I hated how my name sounded in his mouth. Like disappointment. Like a problem he needed to fix. "This has gone on long enough. You've made your point. You were upset, you acted rashly, but it's time to come home now."
I laughed. Actually laughed, the sound echoing through the entrance hall. "Made my point? Acting rashly? Is that what you think this is?"
"What else would it be?" He spread his hands like he was being reasonable, like I was the irrational one. "You left divorce papers on my desk and disappeared without a real conversation. Clearly, you were emotional".
"Emotional," I repeated, my voice dropping to something dangerous. "Yes, Dominic. I was emotional. I was emotional when you forgot our anniversary for the third year in a row. I was emotional when your mother called me barren at the pack dinner and you said nothing. I was emotional when I found out you've been having cozy lunches with your ex-girlfriend for six months. How unreasonable of me."
Vivian shifted uncomfortably. Good.
"Those lunches were about pack business," Dominic said, but his eyes wouldn't quite meet mine.
"Then why did you lie about them?" I took a step forward, and this time no one stopped me. I was done being protected from this man. "Why did you tell me you were meeting with the council when you were actually at Giovanni's, sharing the pasta dish we ordered on our first date?"
"You had me followed?" His voice went cold, dangerous.
"I didn't have to. Your Instagram location was on. So was hers." I smiled without humor. "You weren't even trying to hide it, Dominic. You just didn't think I'd care enough to check."
"This is ridiculous." He ran a hand through his hair, frustration cracking his perfect mask. "Vivian is a friend. A pack member. I'm allowed to have lunch with whoever I want."
"You're absolutely right," I agreed, and watched confusion flash across his face. "Just like I'm allowed to leave a marriage where I'm treated like furniture. Just like I'm allowed to choose happiness over being invisible. Just like I'm allowed to say no to coming back to a man who never wanted me in the first place."
"I never said I didn't want you"
"You didn't have to!" The words exploded out of me, three years of silence shattering. "You showed me every single day! Every time you worked late to avoid coming home. Every time you flinched away from my touch. Every time you looked through me like I wasn't even there!"
My voice cracked, but I pushed through it. "I begged you to see me, Dominic. I tried everything. I changed my hair, my clothes, the way I talked, the way I laughed. I made myself smaller and quieter and more convenient. And you still couldn't be bothered to even pretend you gave a damn."
The room had gone deadly silent. Even Vivian looked uncomfortable now, her eyes darting between Dominic and me.
"So no," I continued, my voice steadying. "I'm not coming back. I'm not your wife anymore. I'm not your Luna. I'm not your anything. Sign the divorce papers and let me go."
"I won't." His Alpha voice rolled out, commanding, absolute. "You're my mate. The bond"