Three years.
It had been exactly three years since I crawled out of a shattered town car, boarded my father's private jet, and left my entire life behind.
Now, the sterile fluorescent lights of New York International Airport glared down at me. The terminal buzzed with the chaotic energy of thousands of travelers rushing to their gates.
I adjusted the leather strap of my travel bag on my shoulder. My other hand kept a firm grip on my three-year-old daughter.
"Mommy, it's too loud," Lily complained, pressing her small body against my leg.
"I know, sweetheart," I murmured, scanning the overhead signs for the exit. "We just need to find our driver."
A towering figure stepped directly into our path, blocking the automatic sliding glass doors.
Fingers clamped around my wrist like a steel trap.
I jerked my arm backward, but the grip held firm, digging into my skin.
"Olivia."
The raw, hoarse voice scraped against my eardrums. I snapped my gaze upward.
Ethan.
He stood blocking the exit, wearing a sharp charcoal suit. But shadows bruised the skin beneath his eyes, and the perfectly groomed Alpha I remembered looked frayed at the edges.
"I looked for you for three years," Ethan rasped, his jaw muscles jumping as he stared down at me. "Where the hell have you been?"
I stared at the hand gripping my wrist, then dragged my eyes back to his face. No panic flared in my chest. No tears pricked my eyes. The girl who used to cry over him had died in that rigged car.
"Let go of me," I commanded, keeping my tone perfectly flat.
He ignored the order, his fingers tightening. "The car was found at the bottom of a ravine. Your driver was dead. I tore the entire territory apart looking for your body."
"You mean you searched for proof that your problem was permanently solved," I countered.
Before he could argue, a small body wedged itself between us.
"Let go of my mommy!"
Lily shoved her tiny hands against Ethan’s knee, glaring up at him with fierce green eyes.
Ethan’s head snapped down. The anger in his expression vanished, replaced by total shock. He stared at her dark curls and stubborn chin. Then, his gaze swept over me, his nostrils flaring as he tried to catch a scent.
His expression darkened into a thunderous scowl.
"Whose child is this?" he demanded, his voice dropping into a dangerous, rumbling growl. "Olivia, you actually betrayed me?"
A cold laugh punched its way out of my throat. I wrenched my arm with all my strength, finally breaking his hold. I rubbed my reddened skin, refusing to break eye contact.
"Betrayed you?" I asked, tilting my head.
"She's three years old," Ethan snarled, pointing a heavy finger at Lily. "You ran away and immediately spread your legs for another Alpha? Is that why you faked your death?"
"Three days after I left your house," I said, cutting through his rage with absolute ice, "my wolf collapsed. I spent forty-eight hours screaming in a hospital bed while the agony of our mate mark tearing apart ripped through my chest."
Ethan stiffened. His hand dropped to his side.
"Do you know what a forced severing feels like, Ethan?" I pressed, stepping closer. "It feels like someone taking a serrated blade to your soul. I bled. I seized. The doctors thought I was going to lose my pup."
He broke eye contact, staring at a baggage carousel in the distance.
"You were the one who initiated the bond-breaking ritual," I stated. "You severed the tie to make room for your mistress. Don't you dare stand in this airport and accuse me of betrayal."
The guilt flashed across his features for a fraction of a second before his arrogant Alpha pride buried it completely.
"It was complicated," Ethan muttered, finally meeting my gaze again. He squared his shoulders, puffing out his chest. "But you will always be my Luna. Every adult Alpha has moments of impulse. It meant nothing."
I stared at him, genuinely amazed by the sheer scale of his delusion.
"An impulse," I repeated. "You drugged my milk every night. You plotted to have me killed."
"A Luna is supposed to be forgiving!" he snapped, running a hand through his dark hair. "You are supposed to stand by your Alpha, not run away like a coward. I gave you everything—wealth, status, a pack."
"You gave me a cage and a daily dose of poison," I replied.
"I never actually gave the final order for the crash!" he insisted, his voice rising over the terminal noise. "And Sophia... Sophia will never threaten your position. She’s just a distraction. A plaything."
I shook my head gently. Pity curled in my stomach, cold and bitter.
"She didn't threaten my position, Ethan," I said softly. "She destroyed your future."
His upper lip curled into a vicious sneer. "Sophia was right about you. You're just playing disappearing games to make me bow my head. You want me to beg."
He stepped into my space, using his height to try and intimidate me.
"I am hosting a massive business banquet tonight," Ethan said, lowering his voice to a harsh, demanding whisper. "The entire East Coast alliance will be there. If you don't show up and fulfill your Luna duties by my side, I will officially sever our relationship in front of every Alpha in the state. I will strip you of your title. No more games, Olivia."
He didn't wait for an answer. He spun on his heel and strode away, his broad shoulders disappearing into the sea of travelers.
I stood in the middle of the terminal, the rush of passengers flowing around us like a river.
Lily tugged on the hem of my coat.
I crouched down, bringing myself to eye level with my daughter. I brushed a stray curl from her forehead, studying her bright eyes.
"Baby," I began, keeping my voice steady. "If your father is a complete bastard, do you still want to claim him?"
Lily didn't even blink. Her eyes narrowed with a fierce intelligence that surpassed her three years.
"Of course not," she said, shaking her head without hesitation. "That would be the biggest stain on my life."
A genuine smile finally broke across my face. I stood up and took her small hand in mine.
"Good girl," I said. "Come on. We have a dress to buy."
Ethan wanted me at his banquet. He wanted his obedient Luna to smile for the cameras and validate his power.
Tonight, I would give him exactly what he asked for, but he wouldn't survive the gift.
