Eleanor POV:
I woke to the sterile beep of machines. My body felt like it had been put through a meat grinder.
"You're awake."
Liam sat by the bed. He looked pristine, untouched by the fire that had nearly killed me.
"You left me," I rasped.
"I had to," he said, staring at his hands. "The Law states the heir comes first. Always."
"Law," I spat. "Is that what you tell yourself to sleep at night?"
He placed a thick envelope on the table.
"The Elders," he said, his voice dead. "They say the fire was an omen. Bad luck brought by a barren Luna. They want a separation. Just... on paper. Until the child is born."
"And then what? I become the mistress in my own house?"
"It buys us time, El. Please. Just sign it. If you don't, they'll move for a forced rejection."
I looked at the papers. Separation Agreement.
Something inside me snapped. Not a bone, but the last thread of hope.
"Give me the pen."
I signed it. I didn't read the fine print. I just wanted him out.
"El..."
"Get out," I said. "Go to your breeder."
He left. As soon as the door clicked shut, I ripped the IV from my arm.
I limped down the hall, clutching the wall for support. I heard voices from the nurses' station.
"Heartbeat is strong," the doctor was saying. "Alpha Liam is relieved."
"Have they picked a name?"
"Lily," Liam's voice drifted out. "If it's a girl... Lily."
I froze. Lily. The name I had whispered to him on our wedding night. He gave my dream to her.
I pushed through the exit doors into the cold night. I wasn't just leaving the hospital. I was leaving the life.
*
I went to the immigration office the next morning. A dull, gray building full of humans.
"Name change?" the clerk asked.
"Yes," I said. "And renounce my citizenship to the Pack lands."
I signed the forms. I was a ghost now.
I drove back to the house one last time to grab my things. Most of the pack was out repairing the fire damage.
I slipped into our bedroom. It smelled of rotting peaches.
I grabbed my sketchbook and the silver locket my mother gave me. I found the dried flower from our first date on the nightstand. I crushed it in my hand, letting the dust fall into the trash.
"Going somewhere?"
Liam leaned against the doorframe. Sarah stood behind him, smirking like the cat that ate the canary.
"I'm leaving, Liam."
"You can't," he stepped forward. "You signed legal papers, not Pack papers. You are still mine."
"Yours to burn?"
"We need you," Sarah chimed in. "The doctor says I need... specialized care. Who better than the former Luna to serve the future one?"
Her audacity was breathtaking. And then, she released it—a wave of pheromones. Not maternal. Aggressive. Dominant.
My dormant wolf didn't stir, but my instincts flared. I glared at her.
Sarah gasped, clutching her belly. "Ow! Liam! She's using her aura! She's attacking the baby!"
It was a lie so obvious a child could see through it. But Liam was paranoid. The Elders had terrified him about losing the heir.
"Eleanor!"
The Alpha Command hit me like a sledgehammer.
*Boom.*
My knees cracked against the floor. I couldn't move.
"Stop it," Liam ordered, sweat beading on his forehead. "Submit."
He scooped Sarah up. "Stay here. Do not leave this room."
He carried her out.
As soon as the pressure lifted, I collapsed. He had used the Voice on me. On his mate.
I dragged myself up. I didn't take the suitcase. I just took the locket.
I climbed down the trellis, ignoring the screaming pain in my back.
I limped to the barrier. One step. Two.
"Goodbye, Liam."
I crossed the line. The static in my head—the pack link—went silent.
