Stella’s POV
My hands trembled as I cradled the broken ballerina in my palms, blood from my cuts dripping over the shards. The scent of iron and grief mingled with Lorie’s perfume, and my wolf’s hackles bristled. Something split inside me, a fracture tearing through the fragile barrier between my human heart and the wolf’s fury. “You bitch,” I snarled, my voice guttural, laced with a growl that no longer belonged to a woman but to the beast beneath my skin. Lorie tilted her head, that sweet smile still painted on her lips, the same one that had once tricked me into calling her friend. “Stella, calm down. It was an accident-” The word seared like silver in my veins. My body moved before thought could catch it, claws half-sprung, my hand slashing across her face. The strike cracked through the room like thunder. Lorie staggered back, clutching her cheek, her mask slipping, disbelief widening her eyes. She had never expected me to bare my fangs. “You don’t touch her things!” I roared, voice torn raw, no longer human. My eyes burned molten gold as the wolf bled through, gaze fixed and unrelenting. “You don’t destroy the one piece of her I had left-” “Stella!” Alpha Travis’s voice boomed from the doorway like a command meant for a subordinate wolf. He stormed into the room, his face a mask of rage as he rushed to Lorie, pulling her into his arms like she was the victim. “She hit me,” Lorie whimpered, tears shimmering in her eyes as she pressed herself against his chest. Her voice trembled, but her scent betrayed her; there was no fear, only the sweet, sharp tang of victory. I stood there, chest heaving, clutching the broken ballerina as shards bit into my skin. The wolf inside me wanted blood. Alpha Travis’s face hardened, his eyes burning with fury. “What the hell is wrong with you, Stella?” “She broke Joan’s snow globe!” I cried, pointing at the shattered glass on the floor. “She did it on purpose, Travis. She-” “Stop it!” he barked, his Alpha voice cracking like a whip, full of venom and dominance. “Do you even hear yourself? You’re pathetic! Bitter! Jealous of a pregnant woman, jealous of your best friend who has what you don’t have!” His words sliced into me like claws. But he wasn’t finished. “It’s not her fault you don’t have a child, Stella. Joan is dead, and maybe if you had been a better mother, maybe if you had done more-” A scream tore out of my throat before he could finish. It was a sound so wild and unhinged it made even him flinch. “Don’t you dare blame me, you bastard!” He growled back at me, his own wolf surfacing, but before I could blink, his hand lashed out. The slap landed with such force that my head snapped to the side, a shockwave ringing in my ears. My knees buckled and I crumpled to the floor, my cheek burning, my wolf howling inside me. Tears stung my eyes, not from the pain, but from the humiliation, the betrayal, the primal insult of being struck by my own mate. Lorie gasped theatrically, pressing her hands against her mouth as if horrified, but only I could see the flicker of satisfaction in her eyes. She loved this. My hands trembled as I touched my burning cheek. The golden glow of my wolf shimmered at the edges of my vision. Alpha Travis stood frozen, breathing hard, his palm still half-raised. His eyes widened, regret flickering for a heartbeat before Lorie’s voice cut through. She broke into sobs, clutching her belly like an actress on stage. “Oh, Alpha Travis,” she cried, collapsing against his chest. “This is all my fault. I never should’ve come here. I’ve caused nothing but trouble. Stella was right… I don’t deserve to live.” Her sobs were dramatic, fake, but Alpha Travis was blind when it came to her. She buried her face into his chest, sobbing harder. “I should just die and take this baby with me. Then you’ll both be free.” Alpha Travis’s shock twisted into panic. He held her tightly, stroking her hair. “Don’t say that, Lorie. Don’t ever say that. You and the baby are everything. You hear me? Everything.” I stared from the floor, my heart breaking, my wolf’s growl building into a rumble in my chest. Lorie’s tears weren’t real. The triumph in her eyes glowed like coals, but Alpha Travis, my mate, my husband, the wolf who once swore to shield me from everything, who vowed never to leave my side, believed her. He glared down at me, his arms holding Lorie tighter. “Look what you’ve done, Stella. Look at her. She’s terrified, blaming herself, because of you.” “Because of me?” My voice cracked, my claws threatening to pierce my palms. “But-” “Enough!” Alpha Travis barked, his face hardening into stone, his eyes blazing with Alpha fury. “I can’t even recognize you anymore. You’re out of control.” I opened my mouth, but Lorie released another weak sob, clutching her stomach like she was in pain. “Travis,” she whispered, pale and trembling, “the baby… it hurts.” His panic deepened. He looked at Lorie, pale and shaking, then at me with venom. “You’re staying in here until you think about your actions,” he snapped. His voice was final, cold, Alpha-command strong. I froze. “What?” “You heard me.” He wrapped his arms around Lorie, guiding her toward the door. “I won’t let you hurt Lorie or this baby. Not again.” The door slammed shut, and I heard the lock click from outside. “No!” I screamed, throwing myself at the door. My fists pounded against it until my hands throbbed. “Travis! Don’t you dare leave me in here! Open this door!” Silence. I yanked at the handle, but it didn’t budge. “Travis!” I shouted again, my voice cracking. “Please! You can’t do this!” But he didn’t come back. I was on the top floor. No way out but the locked door and the barred window. Minutes bled into hours. I screamed until my voice was hoarse, called Alpha Travis’s phone again and again until he blocked my number, cutting me off entirely. My body ached, my stomach growled, my throat burned. No food, no water. This wasn’t a bedroom anymore. It was a cage. I clawed at the door until my nails broke, leaving bloody streaks on the wood. I begged, cursed, prayed, my voice collapsing into whispers. And somewhere in that endless silence, my wolf rose. I could feel her clawing against my ribcage, pressing against my skin, howling to the moon beyond the barred window. The bond between my human pain and my wolf’s fury began to snap like threads in a storm. They thought they could lock me away. They forgot what I was. A wolf cannot be caged.
