The moon hung low in the sky, casting a pale glow over the Norman estate. Shadows stretched long and thin across the marble floors as I moved silently through the house. Every step I took echoed in the hollow halls, but it didn’t matter anymore.
By dawn, I would be gone.
Dave’s scent lingered faintly in the air—pine and something darker, something primal. His absence was a hollow weight in the house.
I glanced at my phone.
No new messages.
Of course not.
Dave was with Clara. No doubt wrapped up in her lies and silken words.
The servants moved quietly, not daring to question me as I packed the last of my things. They could sense the shift in me. Wolves always knew when a storm was coming.
I lifted the velvet box that held the custom fan—the one I had once dreamed of carrying on my wedding day. The runes carved into its delicate frame shimmered faintly under the moonlight, a subtle pulse of ancient magic.
Let them have it.
It would be my parting gift.
I placed it carefully on Dave’s bedside table. A warning. A curse. A blessing. I no longer cared which.
My eyes drifted to our wedding photo on the wall, already framed and ready for display. His arm was draped around me in that picture, his smile radiant. But now, it only looked hollow.
I turned away.
There was nothing left for me here.
As the clock neared midnight, I slipped out of the house.
The night air was sharp, tinged with the earthy scent of damp soil and pine. Somewhere deep in the woods, a wolf howled—a long, mournful sound that rippled through the air.
My wolf stirred uneasily beneath my skin.
Soon.
Soon we would be free.
The road to the docks was deserted, the world holding its breath in the quiet hours before dawn. My car cut through the darkness, headlights slicing through the mist.
When I arrived, the ship loomed in the distance, a dark silhouette against the inky sky. The Blackwater Cruise.
My escape.
"Miss, you’re early," a crew member greeted me, eyes flicking to my luggage.
"I couldn’t wait any longer," I replied coolly.
He nodded, helping me aboard without question.
The ship was massive, its polished decks gleaming under the moonlight. It was luxurious, yet there was something haunting about it—a ship destined for distant lands, carrying secrets far from prying eyes.
Perfect.
I stood at the railing, watching the dark water lap against the hull. The cool wind tugged at my hair, whispering promises of freedom.
But even here, my senses stretched outward, instinctively searching.
He doesn’t know.
Dave wouldn’t realize I was gone until morning.
I let out a slow breath, feeling the tension drain from my shoulders.
But the peace was fleeting.
Something was wrong.
A scent—faint but familiar—drifted through the air.
I turned sharply, eyes narrowing.
It wasn’t Dave.
But it was from the pack.
A shadow moved near the dock. A figure cloaked in black.
No.
Two figures.
My heart clenched.
Had they followed me?
Had Dave sensed something and sent someone after me?
Or worse—had Clara?
A low growl rumbled in my throat before I caught myself.
No. I wouldn’t let them take this from me.
I turned away from the rail, my footsteps silent on the deck.
The ship's engines rumbled to life, a deep vibration that rolled through the metal beneath my feet.
We were leaving.
Let them watch.
Let them see what it meant to lose something they thought they owned.
By the time they realized, I would be far beyond their reach.
Far beyond the pack.
Far beyond Dave.
And for the first time in years, I felt the sting of tears—not from pain, but from release.
The ship groaned as it pulled away from the dock, carving through the black water.
I was free.
Or so I thought.
Because somewhere in the distance, a howl cut through the night—low, deep, and impossibly close.
My blood ran cold.
That wasn’t any ordinary wolf.
That was a warning.
The past wasn’t finished with me yet.
