Kacie POV:
I sat in the cold water of the shower, letting it run over the bruise on my hip. It wasn't healing. Normally, a werewolf would heal from a bruise in minutes. Mine was turning a dark, ugly purple.
I heard the front door slam. They were back.
I turned off the water, wrapped myself in a towel, and walked into the bedroom.
Cedric was there. But he wasn't alone. Jayden was standing in the middle of our bedroom, looking around with a critical eye.
"What is she doing here?" I asked, clutching the towel tighter.
"The doctor said Jayden needs constant monitoring tonight," Cedric said, not meeting my eyes. "The shock could trigger her heart condition."
"So she stays in the guest room," I said.
"The guest room is dusty. It aggravates her allergies," Jayden said, smirking.
"She will stay here," Cedric stated. "In the master bedroom."
"And where do I sleep?" I asked, my voice deadly quiet.
"There's a perfectly good sofa in the study," Cedric said.
Something inside me snapped. It wasn't a loud snap. It was the quiet sound of a tether finally breaking.
"No," I said.
Cedric looked at me, surprised. "What did you say?"
"I said no. This is my territory. This is my room. If you want to play nursemaid to your mistress, you do it somewhere else. Or better yet," I walked to the closet and pulled out a suitcase. "I'll leave."
"You aren't going anywhere," Cedric growled, stepping forward. "You are my Luna. You stay where I put you."
"I am not your Luna!" I screamed, throwing the suitcase onto the bed. "I am a prisoner! I am a punching bag! I am a broodmare!"
I pointed a shaking finger at Jayden. "And she? She reeks of Wolfsbane and deception. Can't you smell it, Cedric? Under that cheap perfume? She smells like a liar!"
Jayden's eyes went wide. She let out a gasp, clutching her chest. "Cedric... I can't breathe... she's scaring me..."
"Stop it, Kacie!" Cedric shouted.
"I want a divorce," I said. The words hung in the air, heavy and final. "I reject you, Cedric Moon."
The room went silent.
Rejection was painful. Even saying the words caused a sharp pain in my chest, like a hook tearing at my heart. Cedric flinched, his hand going to his chest.
"You don't mean that," he whispered.
"I do. I reject you as my Mate."
Jayden saw Cedric wavering. She knew she had to act. She let out a shriek and bolted for the balcony door.
"I can't take this! I'm causing too much trouble!" she cried, throwing the doors open and leaping off the second-story balcony into the night.
"Jayden!" Cedric yelled.
He looked at me, his eyes full of hate. "If anything happens to her in those woods... if the Rogues get her... I will never forgive you."
His body contorted. Bones cracked and reshaped. Fur sprouted from his skin. In seconds, a massive, midnight-black wolf stood where my husband had been. Shadow, his wolf, snarled at me, baring inch-long fangs.
Then, he leaped off the balcony, chasing after her.
I walked to the open doors. The night air was freezing. I watched the two shapes disappear into the dark forest line.
I looked up at the sky. The moon was a sliver of silver, indifferent to my pain.
I looked down at my chest. The rune was glowing brighter now, the heat uncomfortable.
22 Days.
"You can have him," I whispered to the empty night. "I don't have enough time left to fight for someone who doesn't want me."
