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Chapter 1: The Night That Changed Everything (Olivia's POV) I watched the private video of my mate, Alpha Theodore, and our son's nanny, Clara, all night. The phone screen glowed in the darkness, casting harsh shadows that made my bedroom feel like a stranger's. My fingers trembled-not from cold, but from something deeper. Something breaking. Each time I hit replay, I told myself it would hurt less. It never did. How many times can you watch your heart shatter before you stop recognizing the pieces? Last night, thunder had jolted me awake. The storm outside matched the chaos brewing in my chest as I reached across the bed. Theodore's side was cold. Empty. His scent still lingered on the silk sheets-pine and smoke, the smell I used to bury my face in-but he was nowhere. I should have known then. A wife always knows, doesn't she? But I'd become so good at lying to myself, at making excuses for the distance in his eyes, the late nights, the way he'd stopped touching me like he meant it. I searched his study first. Empty. Then I heard it-soft sounds drifting from the first floor. My bare feet padded silently down the marble staircase, each step pulling me closer to a truth I wasn't ready for. But isn't that always how it goes? We follow the pain because we're desperate to be wrong. Clara's door stood slightly ajar. Golden light spilled through the crack, and with it came sounds that turned my blood to ice. Through the gap, I saw him. Theodore. My mate of ten years. The man who'd loved me since we were teenagers, who'd whispered promises against my skin, who'd held my hand through Leo's difficult birth. He was pressing Clara against the windowsill, her nurse uniform bunched around her waist as rain beat against the glass. The scene burned itself into my retinas, branding me with an image I'd never unsee. "Oh, Alpha," Clara gasped. "You're so much bigger than-" "Shut up," Theodore growled, his voice rough with desire. "You little girl, dressing like this-you just want me to hug you senseless, don't you?" Each word was a knife sliding between my ribs. I wanted to look away. Run. Scream. But I stood frozen, a ghost haunting her own life. "Tell me," Clara purred, "does it feel better with me or with your precious Luna?" My lungs forgot how to work. The audacity of her question, the casual cruelty- "You're nothing but a toy, Clara," Theodore said, his hand rough on her shoulder. "A lovely little doll for me to use when I need release. Don't ever compare yourself to Olivia." For one brief, pathetic second, relief flooded through me. See? He still cares. He still chooses you. Then Clara's next words destroyed even that fragile comfort. "Then why do you see her every night? Why put sleeping pills in her precious tea if you don't prefer me in your bed?" The world tilted. My hand found the wall, nails scraping against expensive wallpaper as I struggled to stay upright. No. Please, no. "Because she's too weak to satisfy me," Theodore said, his moves growing violent. "Ever since she gave birth to Leo, she's been fragile. Pathetic. I need you, you dear, to let me hug you." The tuberose tea. The tea he'd brewed for me with such tender care every single night for how long? The tea he said would help me recover from Leo's difficult birth. He'd looked me in the eyes, kissed my forehead, told me he only wanted me to rest well. It was all a lie. My hands shook violently as I pulled out my phone. Later, I wouldn't remember making the decision to record. Survival instinct, maybe. Or the part of me that already knew this marriage was over and needed proof that I wasn't crazy. That my gut had been right all along. I captured everything. Every angle. Every broken vow. The way they moved from windowsill to sofa to bed. His face contorting with pleasure-pleasure he'd denied me for months. Her legs wrapping around him, her nails raking his back the way I used to. "That's it," Theodore groaned. "Take it all, you little girl." "Yes, Alpha. Breed me like you bred your Luna." I stumbled backward, bile rising in my throat. When I finally made it to our bedroom- my bedroom, because how could it ever be ours again?-I collapsed onto the bed. I watched the video once. Twice. A hundred times. Trying to understand when I'd become so worthless to him. When my love had stopped being enough. Theodore never came back that night. Dawn broke through the windows, painting everything in soft gold and pink-colors that once would have seemed beautiful. Now they just illuminated the ruins of my life. And somewhere between the hundredth viewing and the sunrise, something in me shifted. Hardened. The Olivia who'd endured in silence, who'd blamed herself for not being enough, who'd made excuses for her mate's cruelty- That Olivia died with the sunrise. Theodore thought I was trapped. Weakened by the loss of my wolf during Leo's birth. Dependent on his protection, his provision, his mercy. But Theodore didn't know who I really was. Those years he thought I'd spent studying abroad? I'd been training with Matthew Kane's organization, becoming his most trusted second-in-command. The legendary "Cipher" wasn't just a ghost story whispered among pack wolves. She was me. My fingers trembled-from rage now, not grief-as I scrolled to a number I'd memorized but never dared call. The phone rang once. Twice. "Livvy? Is that you? You finally called me." Matthew's voice was exactly as I remembered. Warm. Strong. Safe. "It's me." My voice cracked despite my efforts. "Matthew, I... I need help. Can you get me out of here?" Silence stretched between us. Doubt crept in-six years was a long time. Did he still need me? Without my wolf, was I still useful to him? Please don't let this be another rejection. I can't take another one. "Of course," Matthew said, and I heard the smile in his voice. "I've been waiting six years for this call, Livvy. Give me one month to prepare. Theodore's control over the Northern Territory is absolute now-we need to be careful." Relief hit me so hard I nearly sobbed. "I want to bring my son. Is that possible?" "Two plane tickets," Matthew replied without hesitation. "Livvy, in one month, I'll come personally to bring you home." Home. The word tasted foreign and wonderful, like hope after years of despair. I walked to my desk with hands that finally felt steady and pulled out a calendar. My red pen circled a date thirty days from now-bold and defiant against pristine white paper. Thirty days until freedom. The countdown began now. Chapter 2: The Truth Everyone Knew (Olivia's POV) I walked toward the closet, ready to change out of my pajamas. Morning light filtered through the curtains, painting everything in deceptively peaceful gold. As if last night hadn't happened. As if my world hadn't shattered. But as I reached for a dress, something caught my eye on the closet floor. A pair of torn red lace p@nties lay crumpled in the corner, reeking of jasmine-Clara's signature scent-and stained with liquid that unmistakably smelled of Theodore. My stomach lurched. For a moment, I couldn't breathe. Couldn't think. Could only stare at this violation in my closet. Our bedroom. How long? How many times had he brought her here? Or had Clara thrown them here deliberately, marking her territory like some feral creature? The thought should have made me angrier, but instead, a cold numbness spread through my chest. Yesterday, this would have destroyed me. Today, after deciding to leave, it felt almost absurd. Like finding more water in a sinking ship. I pulled on gloves with hands that barely trembled anymore. Funny how quickly grief could calcify into something harder. Colder. I picked up the soiled und’rwear and headed downstairs, my steps so light even the Omega servants didn't notice my approach. They were gathered in the kitchen, voices carrying through the morning air. "That woman was at it again last night," one whispered, scrubbing dishes with unnecessary force. "Whenever the Alpha's home, her moans echo through the entire villa." The cook nodded. "I found her bodily fluids on the kitchen counter this morning. Had to scrub it clean before anyone saw." "She's a natural-born gentle girl," another added with disgust. "Capable of luring the Alpha to her room every single night. Poor Luna has no idea what's happening under her own roof." My blood turned to ice, then fire, then ice again. They all knew. Every single person in this house knew about Theodore's affair. They'd known while serving me breakfast with pitying smiles. While I'd thanked them for their service, oblivious to their mockery. While I'd been the only fool walking around in ignorant bliss, they'd been watching my humiliation like some tragic performance. When they spotted me standing in the living room, holding the evidence of my shame, they froze. The kitchen fell silent except for running water that suddenly seemed deafening. An Omega finally found her voice, trembling. "Luna Olivia, isn't today Parent-Child Day at the creche? We were wondering why you hadn't left yet." Parent-Child Day. Oh God, Leo. In my haze of betrayal, I'd completely forgotten my son. "I'm leaving now," I said quietly, dropping the p@nties on the counter. Let them gossip about that too. "Make sure these find their way back to their owner." I rushed upstairs, threw on the first dress I could find, and drove to Crimson Pup Creche. My hands gripped the steering wheel so tightly my knuckles went white, but I forced myself to focus. Leo needs you. Whatever's happening, your son comes first. At the nursery entrance, a young teacher I didn't recognize stopped me with a bright smile. "Excuse me, are you here for Parent-Child Day?" "Yes, I'm here for Leo Redgrave. I'm his mother." The teacher's smile faltered. "But hasn't the Luna already arrived?" My heart stopped. "I am Luna Olivia," I said slowly, each word fighting through the tightness in my throat. "Leo's mother." The teacher pointed toward the playground, uncertainty clouding her features. "Then who is that?" I followed her gaze, and the world tilted. Clara. Playing with my son. Laughing as he chased her around the playground, her flowing sundress making her look innocent and motherly. She'd stolen my husband. Now she was playing pretend with my child. How much more can one person take? "Luna Olivia!" Linda, Leo's regular teacher, came rushing over with panic in her eyes. She shot the new teacher a warning look and quickly ushered her away. "I'm so glad you could make it. Please, come inside." But I was already moving toward the playground, toward my son giggling in the arms of his father's mistress. "Leo!" I called out, trying to keep the desperation from my voice. My little boy turned, dark hair catching the sunlight. For one precious second, I thought he'd run to me. That this nightmare would end with his small arms around my neck. Instead, his face scrunched into a scowl when he saw I was empty-handed. "Where's the venison pie?" he demanded, small hands planted on his h1ps in a gesture painfully reminiscent of Theodore. "You promised yesterday you'd bring it from the neutral zone bakery!" The venison pie. In all the chaos, I'd completely forgotten. Of course you did. You can't even remember a simple promise to your own son. "I'm sorry, honey. I forgot, but I can-" "Go buy it now!" Leo shouted, his small face red with rage. "Clara's been talking about it for days! She really wants to try it!" Clara stepped forward with practiced understanding. "Oh, Leo, it's okay. I can go buy it myself later." Playing the martyr. The saint. While I stood there, the villain who'd forgotten a pie. "No!" Leo cut her off imperiously. "Mom has time. The bakery has a three-hour wait, but Mom doesn't have anything important to do." He looked at me with casual cruelty that made my chest ache. "She loves doing things for me anyway. She'd be sad if she couldn't serve me-that's what she was born for." The words hit me like a physical blow. My vision blurred, and for a moment, I couldn't tell if it was from tears or rage or the sheer impossibility of what I'd just heard. That's what she was born for. My own son. My precious boy that I'd nearly died bringing into this world. The premature pup I'd nursed back to health with sleepless nights and endless worry. He was speaking to me like I was a servant. Like I existed solely for his convenience. I swallowed my anger, forced a smile that felt like broken glass in my mouth. "You're right, sweetheart. I'm sorry I forgot. I won't forget tomorrow." Leo replied without even looking at me. "You'd better not forget." Each word was a silver knife between my ribs. When he'd been born too early, too small, I'd barely left his side. I'd regulated every aspect of his life-no junk food, strict schedules for meals and sleep-sacrificing my own needs to ensure he grew strong and healthy. Six months ago, I'd fallen gravely ill. That's when Theodore hired Clara. I never imagined that in only six months, she could turn my son against me so completely. Or maybe she didn't have to try. Maybe he was always Theodore's son more than mine. The coach's whistle blew across the playground. "Attention, parents and pups! It's time for our three-legged race. Each team needs one parent and one child." Hope fluttered weakly in my chest. This was my chance. I could show Leo I was fun, playful, worthy of his love. "Leo!" I said, moving toward him with forced brightness. "Let's be partners! This will be-" But without even looking up from where he sat on the grass, Leo tied his own leg to Clara's with the provided rope. "Clara is better suited for this game." Something inside me cracked. Not broke-it had already been broken. This was the sound of the pieces shattering into dust. I dropped to my knees beside him, grabbed his small hand. "Leo, I am your mother! I want to play with you!" Please. Please see me. Please love me. He violently shook me off, his face contorting with annoyance. "Mom, you're so annoying! I don't actually need you to be my mom!" The world stopped. I don't need you to be my mom. There it was. The final rejection. Not from my cheating mate, but from the child I'd given everything to create and protect. And as I knelt there in the dirt of that playground, watching my son run off with another woman, I realized something that made my earlier decision to leave feel almost merciful by comparison. I had nothing left to lose. Chapter 3: The Final Blow (Olivia's POV) I knelt there on the grass, staring at Leo as he sat beside Clara, their legs already tied together for the race. My heart was breaking into a thousand pieces, but I had to know the truth. "Leo," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "If you had to choose... who would you rather have as your mother?" Leo didn't even hesitate. He looked up at Clara with adoring eyes and smiled brightly. "Mommy Clara, of course!" The word 'Mommy' hit me like a silver bullet to the chest. He called her Mommy. My son called his father's mistress Mommy. "Mommy Clara's so much more fun than you," Leo continued with the casual cruelty that only children could deliver. "Mommy Clara plays football with me and takes me for burgers and lets me stay up late. You're always so strict and boring. You never want to play—you just make rules and tell me to eat vegetables." Each word was a dagger to my heart, but I forced myself to speak past the pain. "Leo, I used to be fun too. I had the swiftest wolf in the entire pack—none of the male wolves could outrun me. I was amazing at football and baseball, better than most of the warriors." My voice cracked as the memories flooded back. "I could have played with you every day, taught you every sport, run through the forests with you on my back. But when you were born..." I swallowed hard, trying to make a five-year-old understand a sacrifice he'd never asked for. "Something went wrong. I lost my wolf to save your life. My body became weak so you could be strong." For a moment, Leo fell silent, something flickering in his dark eyes that might have been uncertainty. That's when Clara struck. "Oh, Luna Olivia," she said with false sympathy, her tone dripping with mock concern. "I know you would do anything for Leo, truly I do. But you can't always use guilt to manipulate a pup into choosing things or people he doesn't actually want." My hands clenched into fists at my sides. The audacity of this woman, lecturing me about my own child while stealing my family. "Even though I'm an Omega," Clara continued, her eyes meeting mine with a challenge, "I'm younger, more energetic, more beautiful, and submissive enough to let Alphas indulge their true selves." Her words seemed innocent enough to any observer, but I heard the real message underneath. She was talking about Theodore. About how she was younger, more energetic, more beautiful. The implication was crystal clear. She was everything I wasn't. Everything Theodore apparently wanted. Leo's courage returned with Clara's support. He roughly pushed my hands away from him. "Mom, you need to understand my desire to win!" he said firmly. "Clara and I are going to win this race!" He high-fived Clara enthusiastically, and she beamed at him like he was the most precious thing in the world. That's when Theodore came rushing over, his face dark with rage. "Clara!" he barked, his Alpha voice cutting through the playground noise. "How dare you speak to my Luna with such disrespect! Apologize to her immediately, or I'll have you banished from this pack!" Clara immediately cowered, her eyes wide with fear. "I'm so sorry, Luna Olivia! I didn't mean any disrespect! Please forgive me!" The performance was flawless. To anyone watching, Theodore looked like the perfect, protective mate defending his Luna's honor. Clara looked like a contrite servant who had overstepped her bounds. But I saw right through their charade. The coldness in my heart spread like ice through my veins. All I wanted now was to take my son away from these two toxic people. I believed that once I got Leo away from their influence, he would be okay again. He had to be. But then Leo exploded. "Stop yelling at Mommy Clara!" my son screamed, launching himself between his father and his mistress like a tiny warrior. "She's not bad! She's the best! It's my foolish, ugly mother who's the problem!" The playground fell silent. Every parent, every child, every teacher stopped what they were doing to stare at the Alpha's pup defending his nanny against his own mother. He turned to me with eyes full of contempt that no child should possess. "You're extremely naive and old, Mom! You don't even have a wolf anymore! You're not even an Omega - you're worse than an Omega!" The words hit me like physical blows. My own son, my precious boy, was looking at me like I was nothing. Like I was less than nothing. My hands began to tremble. I could barely form the words. "Leo... do you really prefer Clara as your mother?" He looked at me with those cold, dark eyes - Theodore's eyes - and said the word that shattered what was left of my heart. "Yes!" That single word destroyed me completely. I watched as Leo turned back to Clara, laughing and chatting with her like I didn't exist. Like I had never existed. My spirit broke. Five years of sacrifice, of putting his needs before my own, of nearly dying to bring him into this world - and this was what I got in return. Theodore moved toward me, his face suddenly full of concern. "Olivia, don't listen to him. He's just a child. He doesn't understand what he's saying." His voice was gentle now, soothing. The same voice that used to comfort me after nightmares. "I'll have my mother fire Clara immediately," he promised, reaching for my hand. "We'll find a new nanny. Someone better. Someone who knows her place." But his gentle words sounded like poison now. Everything he said was a lie. Everything had always been a lie. Since both my mate and my son had chosen Clara over me, I was done with them. I didn't want either of them anymore. I pushed Theodore away with more force than I'd used in years. "Don't touch me," I said quietly, stepping back from his reaching hands. "Livvy, please—" "I said don't touch me." Then I turned and walked away from the playground, away from my son's laughter, away from the life I'd thought was mine. Theodore tried to chase after me, but I heard Clara's voice stop him. "Alpha, maybe you should let the Luna cool down on her own. She seems very upset, and sometimes space is what people need when they're emotional." How thoughtful of her. How caring. I reached my Porsche and slid into the driver's seat, my hands steady for the first time all day. Theodore appeared at my window, banging on the glass. "Olivia! Open the door! We need to talk about this!" I looked at him through the glass - this man who had been drugging me, cheating on me, lying to me for years. This man who had let our son turn into a spoiled, cruel child under his mistress's influence. I ignored his attempts to make me stay. I slammed my foot on the accelerator and sped away. Chapter 4: The Final Blow (Theodore's POV) The moment I pushed Clara onto the leather sofa in the creche's private lounge, Logan—my wolf—finally stopped his incessant pacing. Only violent, raw sx could quiet the beast inside me when he got like this, restless and hungry for something Olivia could no longer give. I drove into Clara with punishing force, my hands gripping her h1ps hard enough to bruise. She m0aned beneath me, her back arching as I took what I needed from her willing body. This is what I need, I told myself as I watched her curves bounce with each step. This is what keeps me sane. But even as I lost myself in Clara's heat, my mind drifted back to how this all started. Six years ago, everything had been perfect. Olivia and I had been electric together—her graceful figure moving beneath me, those long, elegant legs wrapped around my waist as I embraced her with a passion that left us both breathless. Then Leo's birth changed everything. The difficult labor that nearly killed her also stole her wolf, leaving my beautiful, powerful mate weak and fragile. The vigorous intimacy that had once been our escape became impossible—she simply couldn't handle my strength anymore. Worse, without her wolf to balance mine, Logan became increasingly unstable. My heat cycles grew more violent, more demanding. I needed an outlet, or I would have destroyed her completely. The first time I saw Clara was at Marcus Reid's pool party, exactly five years ago. She'd been floating in the water, her body fuller and more voluptuous than Olivia's refined elegance. The black bikini barely contained her generous curves, her hands floating on the surface like an invitation I couldn't ignore. She looked enough like Olivia to satisfy my wolf, but different enough to justify what I was about to do. I'd dragged her from that pool and taken her upstairs to one of the guest rooms. The moment we were alone, she'd dropped to her knees without being asked, taking me into her mouth with an enthusiasm that Olivia—proper, dignified Olivia—would never show. From that night forward, Clara became my release valve. Every position too rough for my weakened mate, every primal urge that would have hurt Olivia—I channeled it all into Clara's willing body. She was the perfect vessel for my violence, absorbing all of Logan's fury so I could return home gentle and loving to my true mate. Clara was nothing more than a comfort toy. A means to an end. Olivia was my heart, my soul, my everything. This arrangement protected her from the monster I became when Logan took control. "Alpha," Clara's breathy m0an pulled me back to the present. She wrapped her arms around my neck, her nails digging into my shoulders. "I'm so sorry about earlier. I'll never dare go near the Luna again. Please don't be angry with me." I grabbed her throat, squeezing just hard enough to make her gasp, and drove deeper into her. "You disrespected my mate," I growled against her ear. "I should throw you out of this pack for that alone." "Please," she whimpered, though her body was responding to my roughness with obvious pleasure. "Let me make it up to you. I'll do anything—" Suddenly, I froze. Something was wrong. Olivia was moving away from me. Even though her wolf had gone dormant and our mate bond was weakened, my Alpha senses could still track her location. I pulled out of Clara abruptly and grabbed my phone, opening the tracking app. The red dot that represented my mate was moving farther and farther from the center. Clara hugged me from behind, her voice sickeningly sweet. "Dear Theo, isn't Leo's training session ending soon? Let's go pick him up." The nickname hit me like a physical blow. Something precious was slipping away, and hearing those words from her lips felt like sacrilege. I spun around and slapped her hard across the face. "Don't call me that." Her cheek reddened instantly, but I felt no remorse. "Only my Livvy has the right to call me by that name." I rushed out of the office, leaving her there holding her face. (Olivia's POV) The spring rain fell in steady sheets over the memorial grove, turning the earth around my mother's headstone into dark, rich soil. I'd been standing here for over an hour, letting the cold water soak through my clothes as I stared at Lyra's photograph embedded in the white marble. My phone buzzed with a new message. The sender was Clara. It was a photo of her and Theodore together, his face contorted in ecstasy as he pressed against her lightly dressed body. He was on top of her, his face twisted in bliss as he entered her. Her legs were wrapped around his waist—just like I used to do. The timestamp showed it was taken less than an hour ago. Judging by the background, it was an Alpha's private lounge in the daycare center. My son was still on the playground below, yet they couldn't restrain their lustful desires. "Mom, I'm sorry," I whispered to the headstone. "I've decided to sever the mate bond with Theo and give him custody of Leo. I want to take you away from here." My voice cracked on the last words. I couldn't stay in this place anymore, couldn't let her memory be tainted by the poison of my failed marriage. Suddenly, an umbrella appeared above me, shielding me from the wind and rain. "Where do you want to take Mom?" I looked up in surprise to see Theodore's clear amber eyes staring down at me with concern. "How did you know I was here?" I asked, stepping back instinctively. "Our mate bond," he said softly. "Even weakened, I can still sense when you're in distress." He pulled me into his arms, his embrace tight and desperate. " He was obviously lying; the mate bond had gone completely silent along with my wolf. Otherwise, how could I not have sensed he was cheating? His body was burning hot against my ice-cold heart, but the warmth couldn't reach me anymore. I could smell jasmine on his clothes - Clara's scent, still clinging to him. "Were you worried you'd done something wrong?" I asked carefully, testing him. Theodore's expression grew serious. He raised three fingers before my mother's grave, his voice solemn and clear. "My love, I swear before your mother that I have never done, am not doing, and will never do anything to betray our bond as mates. If I were to betray you, may the Moon Goddess strike me down." Thunder rumbled immediately overhead, so loud and sudden that Theodore jumped. Even the sky seemed to be exposing his lie. "I believe you," I said quietly, though we both knew I didn't. Leaving Theodore wasn't going to be as simple as I'd imagined. He was still the Alpha of the Crimson Pack, still Leo's father, still bound to me by laws both supernatural and legal. We walked down the mountain path together under our umbrellas, the silence heavy between us. I remembered how he'd helped my mother and me ten years ago, ensuring her final days were comfortable and worry-free. He'd been so kind then, so genuine in his care for both of us. I couldn't understand how that man had become this one. How someone who'd shown such compassion could betray me so completely. I was about to ask him directly when Theodore opened the passenger door of his car. Clara was sitting inside. She wore a white slip dress with a small shawl draped over her shoulders. Her bare neck was covered in fresh purple hickeys. He actually dared to bring his mistress to my mother's grave. Chapter 5: The Final Blow (Olivia's POV) "GET OUT!" Theodore's furious roar exploded behind me like thunder. "Who in the world gave you permission to sit in my Luna's seat?" I spun around to see him roughly dragging Clara from the passenger seat, his face twisted with what looked like genuine rage. She stumbled and fell into the muddy gravel, her white dress immediately staining brown. "Theodore, I was just—" she began, but he cut her off with a snarl. "That seat belongs to Olivia! Only Olivia!" For a split second, something warm flickered in my chest. Maybe— Then Clara dropped to her knees in the mud before me, her hands clasped in perfect supplication, crocodile tears streaming down her cheeks. "Luna Olivia," she sobbed, "I beg you, please don't let Elder Eleonora send me away! I'll do anything—I'll leave the pack house, I'll work in the kitchens, anything! Just please don't banish me!" My blood ran cold. Eleonora—Theodore's mother—wanted Clara gone? When had that happened? How did Clara even know? "Mom!" Leo's voice piped up from inside the car, his small face appearing at the window with an accusatory scowl. "Why did you say bad things about Clara to Grandma? That's mean!" Understanding hit me like a slap. Clara had orchestrated this entire scene. She'd brought Leo here specifically to create discord between us, to make me look like the villain who'd complained about her to Eleonora. The woman was a master manipulator. "Olivia would never speak ill of anyone," Theodore said firmly, stepping forward to place a protective hand on my shoulder. "My mate has too much integrity for petty gossip." Once, those words would have warmed me. Now they sounded like mockery coming from the mouth of a man who'd been buried inside his mistress less than two hours ago. "But Clara got fired!" Leo insisted, climbing out of the car and rushing to Clara's side. "Someone had to tell Grandma something bad, and you're the only one who doesn't like her!" "Leo," I said quietly, my voice steady despite the chaos in my heart, "you shouldn't make accusations without knowing the facts." My five-year-old son looked at me with Theodore's stubborn chin raised defiantly. "Then prove you didn't! Go tell Grandma not to fire Clara right now, or I won't believe you!" I watched in horrified fascination as Leo helped Clara to her feet, fussing over her muddy dress while completely ignoring the fact that I was drenched and shivering in the cold rain. His small hands smoothed her wet hair back from her face with tender care—care he'd never shown me. "Oh, Leo," Clara said with perfect, practiced sweetness, "you shouldn't speak to the Luna that way. She's your mother." But when Theodore and Leo weren't looking, she caught my eye and gave me a small, triumphant smile that made my blood boil. "I'll kneel here for as long as Luna Olivia wants," Clara announced loudly, making sure Leo could hear every word. "I don't care if I catch pneumonia, as long as she doesn't have me banished from the pack." "See?" Leo turned to me with tears in his eyes. "Clara's willing to die for us! You have to help her, Mom. You have to convince Grandma!" "Everything will be fine once Clara is properly dismissed," Theodore said, though his words carried a strange undertone I couldn't quite place. "You could even go speak to my mother directly, Leo. I'm sure she'd listen to you." I stared at him in shock. Was he actually giving our son the idea to plead Clara's case to Eleonora? "That's it!" Leo's face lit up like Christmas morning. "I'll go beg Grandma myself! Clara, you have to come with me—she needs to see how good you are!" Before I could protest, Leo was pulling Clara toward the car, both of them climbing into the back seat together. I watched my precious boy—my only child—treat this woman like she was his real mother, arranging her wet shawl around her shoulders and promising her everything would be okay. "Once Clara is out of our lives, everything will return to normal," Theodore said softly, moving to stand beside me. "I promise you, Livvy. Our family will heal." I looked at him—really looked at him—this man I'd loved for ten years. Did he truly believe what he was saying? Did he really think we could just erase Clara and pretend none of this had happened? "There's no going back, Theodore," I said quietly. "Some things can't be undone." "I'll drive myself," I said when Theodore gestured toward his car. "Livvy, there's no need—" "I said I'll drive myself." I was afraid if I shared a car with them, I might lose control and kill them all. We drove to the Redgrave Estate in separate vehicles, the rain continuing to pound against my windshield. Each drop felt like a tear I could no longer shed. The moment I parked, Eleonora rushed out with pack servants holding umbrellas. She wrapped her arms around my soaked form without hesitation. "My dear child, you're freezing," she said, her voice filled with genuine concern. "Come inside immediately." She guided me into the warm sitting room, ordering servants to bring hot moonlight herb tea and thick blankets. Her care felt like a mother's love—something I'd been starving for. Eleonora had been my mother Lyra's best friend. After Lyra's death, she'd cared for me like her own daughter. In the warmth of the room, she took my cold hands in hers. "I know everything, Olivia," she said softly. "Whatever decision you make, I will always support you. I stand firmly on your side." Her words broke something loose in my chest. Finally, someone who truly cared about me. I opened my mouth to tell her about my decision to sever the mate bond, to explain everything I'd discovered. That's when Leo burst through the door. He threw himself at Eleonora's legs and began to cry, his small body shaking with sobs. "Grandma, please don't send Clara away!" he begged. "I promise I'll never call her 'mommy' again! Please, please don't make her leave!" Chapter 6: The Final Blow (Olivia's POV) "Leo!" Eleonora's voice cracked like a whip. "How dare you call that woman 'Mommy'!" My son flinched but didn't back down. His small chin jutted out defiantly. "Your mother is Olivia," Eleonora continued, her tone stern but loving. "She sacrificed her health and her own wolf to bring you into this world. She's been suffering the consequences ever since, and you will show her respect." Leo's face twisted with anger. "Nobody forced her to have me!" The words hit me like a physical blow. My own child—my precious boy—speaking to me like I was a burden. "Ever since I was born, all anyone talks about is how much Mom struggled," Leo shouted. "She's always telling me what I can't do, what I shouldn't touch, what I'm not allowed to have!" "Whenever I voiced a different opinion, my father, grandmother, and aunt would tell me how difficult it was for my mother to give birth to me, and that I wasn't allowed to go against her wishes!" Tears streamed down his face, but they weren't tears of remorse. They were tears of frustration and rage. "Clara lets me do whatever I want. She plays with me and reads to me and doesn't yell at me all the time. What's so wrong with liking her better?" Every word stabbed my heart like a dagger. It turned out that my attempts to control him, which I thought were for his own good, meant nothing to him. "Leo, maybe I was a bit too strict with you before, that was my fault as your mom. Would you be willing to give me another chance?" I tried to make one last attempt in a calm voice. "Stop pretending," he shouted, "you just want all of us to revolve around you! You don't think you've done anything wrong! You just can't stand it when people don't like you." "But Dad likes Clara more too, doesn't he?" "Leo!" Theodore's voice boomed as he roughly grabbed our son's shoulder. "That's enough!" But the damage was done. The truth had spilled from innocent lips. I looked at Theodore, and for the first time, I saw real fear in his eyes. Not fear of losing me—fear of being exposed. Clara knelt on the floor, clinging to Eleonora's leg like a desperate child. "Please, Elder Eleonora, I'm begging you! Don't fire me! I'll do anything—work in the kitchens, clean the floors, anything!" Eleonora knocked Clara's hands away with disgust. "My decision is final. You're fired." Her voice was ice-cold, "You must stay away from Leo, you must leave the pack, and you must go tonight." Clara's face crumpled, but I caught the flash of calculation in her eyes. She wasn't done yet. Leo dropped to his knees in front of me with a thud, his small hands clutching my skirt tightly. "Mom, please! I know I was wrong, okay? I'll apologize, all right? You have to help Clara! Tell Grandma she can stay!" I looked down at my son—this pup I'd nearly died bringing into the world—and felt something cold settle in my chest. I'm tired. I don't want to go along with everything he wants anymore. "No, Leo. I won't." His face went white with shock. Then he turned and ran upstairs, his sobs echoing through the house. Clara slowly rose to her feet, brushing dirt from her knees. When she looked at me, her mask had completely slipped. "Even if I leave," she said with a twisted smile, "you'll never win his heart." She cast a provocative glance at Theodore, her meaning crystal clear. Something snapped inside me. My hand moved before I could think, connecting with her cheek in a sharp crack that echoed through the room. "Stop looking at me like that," I snarled. Clara's head snapped to the side, a red handprint blooming on her pale skin. But instead of anger, she looked triumphant. I want to slap again. A scream came from upstairs. "Leo's hurting himself!" An Omega maid came rushing down the stairs, her face white with panic. "He's got a silver knife!" My blood turned to ice. Theodore and I bolted for the stairs, Eleonora close behind. We burst into Leo's room to find him standing by his desk, a silver letter opener clutched in his small fist. Blood dripped from a gash on his forearm, staining his white shirt crimson. "Leo!" I lunged forward, but he held the blade higher. "Stay back!" he screamed. "I know you love me more than anything, Mom. So now that I'm hurt, all I want is for Clara to stay and take care of me. Can't you do that for me?" My heart turned to stone. My own son—my precious boy—was willing to hurt himself just to break my heart and keep his father's mistress. "I can find another nanny to stay with you," I said, my voice deadly calm. "It doesn't have to be Clara." "I only want Clara!" Leo's voice cracked with desperation. "Don't you love me most of all, Mom? Why can't you let Clara stay? You're just jealous because she's young and beautiful!" The accusation hit me like a slap. My five-year-old son thought I was jealous of my husband's mistress. "I will never agree," I said quietly. "No matter what." Leo's face contorted with rage. He raised the silver blade and slashed his arm again, deeper this time. Blood splattered on the floor. "Leo, is this how you threaten your mother?" I was very disappointed. "I'm not threatening you, I just want you to agree! Do you agree?" he roared hysterically. "Go on then," I said, my voice empty of all emotion. "Enough!" Theodore suddenly grabbed my arm violently and shoved me aside. "Why can't you let Clara stay for Leo's sake? He likes her! Why would you let our son get hurt over some omega?" "Olivia, when did you become so cold-hearted?" They were the ones who betrayed me, yet now they're saying it's my fault. Leo dropped to his knees again, blood still flowing from his wounds. "Mom, please. My birthday is in thirty days. The only present I want—the only thing I want—is for Clara to stay by my side forever." I looked down at this child who shared my blood, my DNA, my very essence. This boy I'd sacrificed everything for. "Leo," I said, "I consider you a big boy now. So I'm going to ask you one final, serious time." I knelt down to meet his eyes, my voice steady as granite. "I will give you three chances to reconsider."