Elana POV:
I clutched the thermal printout in my pocket like a lifeline.
I turned the corner toward the exit and stopped dead.
Through the glass of the VIP waiting room, I saw them. Emilio sat on a leather sofa, Hayden weeping into his shirt.
"I need security, Emilio," she wailed. "People look at me like a mistress. Leo asks why we live in the apartment while she lives in the manor."
I pressed myself against the wall.
Emilio stroked her hair. "Patience. The board is old-fashioned. They respect the Bond. I can't just evict a Fated Mate without cause."
"She's useless!" Hayden hissed, pulling back. "She can't shift. She can't breed. I gave you a son!"
"I know. And I am grateful."
"Then make me Luna."
Emilio sighed, a sound of heavy resignation. "I will. Elana is... a stabilizer. She keeps my wolf sane until the transition is smooth. Once Leo is confirmed, I'll find a loophole to annul the union. You will be Luna, Hayden."
A stabilizer. Not a wife. A prescription drug.
I crushed the photo in my pocket.
If I walked in there now, he wouldn't hug me. He would take the baby. He would take my child, raise it with Hayden, and discard me like a used wrapper.
No.
I turned on my heel.
I went straight to the Pack's legal department. Gary, a junior lawyer with nervous energy, was working late.
"I need a document drafted," I said.
"Luna?"
"A liability waiver," I lied, my voice crisp. "For the Gala tonight. And a separation of assets for tax purposes. The Alpha wants to move some properties around."
"I... I should check with the Alpha."
"Do you want to call him while he's with his son?" I arched a brow. "He asked me to handle the paperwork to save time."
Gary paled. "Right. I'll draft it."
I slipped the 'Voluntary Severance of Mate Bond' clause into the middle of the dense tax jargon. It looked like standard boilerplate text about 'dissolution of partnership assets.'
My phone buzzed. Mind-Link.
"Happy Birthday, Elana."
I checked my watch. My birthday was three months ago.
"It isn't my birthday, Emilio."
Silence.
"Right. Calendar sync issue. Listen, the merger gala is tonight. You need to be there."
"I'm sick."
"It wasn't a request. It's an Alpha Command. Wear the blue velvet. High neck. We don't want people asking why there's no Mark."
The Command settled on my shoulders like a lead vest. My wolf was too weak to fight it.
"Yes, Alpha."
I walked to my car, smoothing the crumpled ultrasound.
"Sorry, little one," I whispered. "We're leaving. Even if I have to crawl."
A faint flutter answered me. Not movement, just a spark. My wolf curled around my womb, entering deep hibernation. Survival mode.
