Mira’s POV
Morning came, but it brought no warmth.
The sunlight filtered weakly through the blinds, barely touching me. My hands were still shaking—from the night before, from Elder Marcelle’s icy gaze, her threats, and that thick envelope sitting on the table like something rotten.
That money wasn’t help.
It was payment. For silence. For forgetting everything they took from me—my pride, my mother… everything.
I told myself that would be the last day I’d ever be near the Nightbane Pack. I’d show up to the yacht party, keep quiet, act like nothing was wrong—and by night, I’d disappear for good.
But things never go the way you plan.
When I reached the dock, the ocean stretched wide and endless, glinting under the sun. The Nightbane yacht stood tall and polished, shining like something untouchable.
Just like them.
Beautiful outside. Rotten underneath.
“Mira Delaine,” one of the guards said flatly. “You’re cleared. Go ahead.”
I gave a small nod and stepped onboard. Laughter echoed around me, glasses clinking, voices light and carefree. Expensive clothes, fake smiles.
And beneath it all—lies.
The moment I walked in, I felt it. Eyes on me. Whispers trailing behind.
“That’s her, right?”
“The omega who filed that case?”
“Why is she even here?”
I kept walking. I’d heard worse.
Then I saw him.
Theron stood near the railing, dressed in white and black, looking every bit the Alpha he was meant to be. His posture, his presence—unchanged.
But his eyes…
They passed over me like I wasn’t even there.
And next to him—
Irene.
Golden dress, perfect smile, every inch of her screaming elegance. If you didn’t know her, you’d think she was flawless.
She saw me. Of course she did.
Her lips curved slightly, something sharp hidden behind it. She leaned toward Theron, whispered something, and he just nodded, distracted.
Then she made her way to me.
“Well, look who decided to show up,” she said sweetly. “I thought you’d be too embarrassed after everything that happened with my future mother-in-law.”
I held her gaze. “I have nothing to be ashamed of.”
She let out a soft laugh. “Still pretending to be strong.” She leaned in closer, her perfume suffocating. “Do you ever think about your mother?”
My chest tightened. “Don’t go there.”
“Oh, I do,” she continued lightly. “I think about her a lot. Especially that night.”
My pulse spiked. “What do you mean?”
Her eyes gleamed. “The way she screamed before she fell.”
My breath hitched. “You—”
“I pushed her,” she said quietly, almost proudly. “She was in my way. You both were. I didn’t expect her to hit her head that hard… but accidents happen, right?”
Everything around me blurred.
“You killed her,” I said, my voice shaking. “That wasn’t an accident. You meant it.”
She tilted her head. “I thought you already figured that out.”
My hand moved before I could think.
Smack.
The sound rang out across the deck. Her head snapped to the side, a red mark blooming on her cheek. Gasps followed.
“Mira!”
Theron.
His voice froze me where I stood. He strode toward us, his presence heavy, suffocating. “What did you just do?”
“She admitted it!” I shot back, my chest rising and falling fast. “She killed my mother! She told me herself—”
Irene broke into tears and rushed into his arms. “That’s not true! She’s lying! She hates me because you chose me!”
He pulled her close, his glare cutting straight through me. “You dare lay a hand on the woman who saved me?”
“Saved you?” My voice cracked. “She’s a killer!”
“Enough!” His roar silenced the entire deck. “Mira Delaine, ever since you came into my pack, you’ve brought nothing but trouble. You’ve disrespected my mother, attacked Irene, and embarrassed me in front of everyone.”
“I saved you!” I shouted, tears finally spilling over. “You were dying when I found you! Everything you have now—you have because of me!”
He didn’t even react.
“You will apologize,” he said coldly.
I shook my head. “I won’t.”
His expression hardened. “Then you’ll face the consequences.”
A hollow laugh escaped me. “For what? Hitting the woman who murdered my mother?”
He turned to the others. “Each of you—two slaps. Let her learn what happens when she raises her hand against Irene.”
I stared at him. “You can’t be serious.”
“Do it.”
The first one stepped forward, hesitant.
Smack.
Then another.
Smack.
And another.
Each strike burned, but I didn’t fall. I wouldn’t give them that. My wolf raged inside me, desperate to fight back—but I held her down.
Irene watched it all, smiling faintly.
When it finally stopped, I was still standing. My face stung, my vision blurred—but I stayed upright.
Theron stepped closer. “Leave. Before I make you regret ever coming here.”
I met his eyes, steady despite everything. “I already regret ever knowing you.”
Then I turned away.
No hesitation. No looking back.
I walked off that yacht on my own, head high, even as everything inside me shattered. The sound of the waves crashing behind me felt almost like applause—for finally choosing myself.
When I reached the dock, I wiped the blood from my lip and whispered into the night, “Enjoy this while you can, Irene. One day, I’ll come back… and you’ll beg for the mercy my mother never got.”
That night, I packed what little I had.
The broken jade bracelet.
A few worn clothes.
And the letters Theron once wrote me—back when he still remembered how to love.
I left Nightbane behind.
And this time, I didn’t look back.
