Ivy POV:
I drove fast.
The moment I was clear of the cemetery and back on the highway, I let out a breath I had been holding for an hour. My hands gripped the steering wheel so tight the leather creaked.
Seeing him hadn't broken me. But it had enraged me.
I navigated through the city until I reached the penthouse suite of the Richardson Hotel. This building was sovereign territory of the Royal Pack-a safe haven.
I parked the car in the private garage and took the elevator up.
As soon as the doors closed, I reached up and unclasped the silver amulet from my neck.
The sensation was immediate. It was like taking off a heavy wool coat in the middle of a desert.
My power flooded back. My scent-a mix of winter frost, night-blooming jasmine, and ozone-filled the small space of the elevator. My aura expanded, heavy and commanding.
I was no longer just Ivy. I was a Luna.
I walked into the penthouse. It was modern, secure, and smelled like home.
*Are you safe, my love?*
The voice in my head was deep, velvety, and felt like a warm blanket wrapped around my mind.
*The Mind-Link.*
*I am safe, Collin,* I replied, feeling the tension drain from my shoulders at the sound of his voice. *I just left the graveyard.*
I pulled out my phone and initiated a secure video call.
The screen lit up instantly.
Collin Anderson's face filled the frame. He was breathtaking. Dark hair, a strong jawline covered in stubble, and eyes that were a piercing, molten gold-the sign of an incredibly powerful Alpha.
He was in his office at the Anderson Pack headquarters. He looked ready to kill someone.
"Did he touch you?" Collin asked. His voice was a low growl that vibrated through the phone speakers.
"He grabbed my arm," I admitted.
Collin's eyes flashed. I could hear the wood of his desk creaking as he gripped it. "I will tear his arm off."
"Focus, Alpha," I said gently. "It hurt him more than it hurt me. The rejection backlash stung him."
Suddenly, a small, chaotic blur jumped into Collin's lap.
"Mama!"
My heart melted. Leo, my four-year-old son, grinned at the camera. He had my dark hair but his father's golden eyes.
"Hi, baby wolf," I cooed. "Are you being good for Daddy?"
"Yes! Grandpa Alaric let me howl at the moon!" Leo chirped.
Alaric Richardson, the Alpha King, stepped into the frame behind Collin. He looked regal and terrifying to most, but to me, he was the father Donnell Dillard never was.
"Everything is in place, Ivy," Alaric said, his voice stern but kind. "The Dillard Pack is hosting a 'Charity Gala' tonight at the Grandeur Hotel. They are desperate for investors. It is the perfect stage."
"I know," I said, my expression hardening. "I'll be there."
Collin pulled Leo closer, nuzzling the top of his head. The contrast between Clayton's selfish proposition and Collin's fierce, protective love was stark.
Collin was my Second Chance Mate.
*The Moon Goddess rarely grants do-overs. But when she does, she doesn't mess around.*
When I met Collin three years ago, I was broken. He didn't try to fix me; he loved me until I fixed myself.
"Be careful," Collin said, his eyes locking onto mine through the screen. "Your wolf is strong, Ivy. But they play dirty."
"Let them try," I said. "I'm not the girl they killed anymore."
"No," Collin smiled, a predatory, proud grin. "You are my Queen."
We ended the call. I felt the warmth of the bond lingering in my chest-the Soul's Peace. It gave me the strength I needed for what came next.
*I walked to the closet. No disguises tonight. No hiding.*
*It was time to dress for an execution.*
*
