Ava POV:
'Extraction complete. Your mother is safe.'
Ethan's voice was the only thing keeping me upright. I stood outside Chloe’s luxury apartment door. The hallway reeked of artificial lavender and lies.
I pounded on the door. It swung open, revealing Chloe Preston in 'my' silk robe.
"Here to beg, Ava? Or did you come to clean my toilet?"
"I'm here to give you this," I said, handing her my resignation.
Chloe laughed, a high-pitched, grating sound. "Oh, honey. You don't get it. Liam’s been trying to get rid of you for months."
She leaned in, whispering. "Do you know why he never marked you? Why you never felt that 'snap'?"
I stiffened. "We were waiting for the ceremony."
"Because he never registered you," Chloe giggled. "I checked the Council records. Liam Vanderbilt has no mate listed. Your 'bond' has zero legal standing. You were just... a convenience."
The world tilted. If he never registered it... if he blocked the bond... I wasn't a rejected mate. I was nothing. A ghost.
A jagged laugh bubbled up in my throat. "Thank you, Chloe."
"Excuse me?"
"Thank you for setting me free."
I walked away, ignoring her confusion. I took the elevator up to the penthouse I shared with Liam.
The scent of him—sandalwood and rain—hit me like a physical blow. It used to make me weak. Now, it made me want to retch.
I grabbed a trash bag. I didn't pack clothes. I pulled out everything that carried his scent and smashed our framed photo against the wall.
The front door beeped. Liam walked in, Chloe trailing him.
"What the hell are you doing?" Liam barked.
"Cleaning."
He tossed a small box onto the bed. "Stop being dramatic. I brought you a gift. Since you're no longer a Gamma, you need to learn your place."
Inside lay a leather collar embedded with dull silver studs. A suppressor collar. Slave gear.
"Put it on," Liam commanded. "It will keep your wolf docile around Chloe."
"You want me to wear this?"
"It suits you," Chloe chimed in, touching her diamond necklace.
I walked to the balcony door. The wind whipped my hair.
"Ava, don't you dare," Liam warned. "I command you to stop!"
He threw the Alpha Command at me again.
This time, the pressure shattered against a wall of white heat rising from my chest. My inner wolf didn't cower. She stood up and snarled.
I looked Liam dead in the eye and threw the collar off the balcony. We watched it plummet forty stories.
"Oops."
Liam froze. "How did you... you defied a direct command."
"Maybe you're not as strong as you think."
Chloe pulled out her phone. "Liam, look at her! She's out of control! Show her!"
She tapped the screen. A holographic projection sprang up. A memory recording. Liam and Chloe. Tangled in sheets. The sounds of their pleasure filled the room, obscene and loud.
"See?" Chloe sneered. "He never touched you like that. You're frigid, Ava."
My stomach lurched. Not jealousy. Revulsion. My wolf gagged. The invisible thread connecting my heart to Liam suddenly pulled tight.
'SNAP.'
I felt it break. A physical pain, like a rib cracking. But then... silence. The constant, nagging need for him was gone.
I vomited right onto the Persian rug.
"Disgusting," Liam curled his lip.
I wiped my mouth and stood up. I felt light. Empty. Dangerous.
"I'm leaving," I said. "And Liam? Pray we never meet again."
