Ellie POV
Four years.
It had been four years since I was nothing more than a shivering, broken girl cowering in an alleyway.
I stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling mirror in my art studio in Florence. The woman staring back at me was a stranger. My silver-white hair cascaded down my back in lustrous waves. My body, once frail and starved, was now curved and strong, honed by relentless training with the Blood Rose warriors.
But the most profound shift was in my eyes. They were no longer the fearful eyes of an Omega. They were the steel-grey eyes of a White Wolf.
"Are you ready, my love?"
David approached from behind me, wrapping his strong arms around my waist. He rested his chin on my shoulder, his blue eyes meeting mine in the reflection.
"I am," I said, my voice steady.
The invitation lay on the table like a challenge. The Silver Moon Pack was hosting a gathering of Alphas. As the Luna of the Blood Rose Pack—though not yet officially marked, by my own choice to heal first—I was expected to attend.
"You don't have to go," David said softly, kissing the sensitive spot behind my ear. "I can burn the invitation."
"No." I turned in his arms, inhaling his calming scent of rich Earth and Pine. "I need to do this. I need to close the door properly."
I wasn't going back for Marcus. I was going back to pay a debt.
*
The Silver Moon Pack house hadn't changed, but it felt smaller now. Less imposing.
David held my hand as we walked through the grand double doors. The hall was filled with wolves in formal wear, the air thick with the scent of champagne and expensive perfume.
When we entered, the room went deathly silent.
The Blood Rose Pack was legendary for its strength, and David was feared. But the eyes weren't just on him. They were on me.
I wore a dress of deep crimson silk that hugged every curve, a stark contrast to the rags I had left in. My scent—no longer weak, but a powerful mix of Winter Frost and Lilac—rolled off me in intoxicating waves.
"Ellie?"
The voice came from the center of the room.
Marcus stood there. He looked older, tired. He was holding a glass of wine, and next to him clung a woman with blonde hair and a fake smile. Chloe.
Marcus stared at me as if he were seeing a ghost. His glass slipped from his fingers and shattered on the floor.
"You..." he breathed, taking a step forward.
Then, his nostrils flared. He smelled David on me. He smelled the lingering scent of another Alpha wrapping around me like a protective cloak.
A low growl rumbled in Marcus's chest. His eyes flashed black. "You smell like him."
"Hello, Marcus," I said coolly.
"Who gave you permission to return?" Chloe sneered, stepping in front of Marcus. "And dressed like a whore, no less. Did you come to beg for scraps again?"
I didn't even spare her a glance. My gaze remained locked on Marcus.
"Explain yourself, Ellie!" Marcus roared. He didn't just shout; he used the Alpha Command. The pressure in the room dropped instantly. Beta and Omega wolves nearby flinched and lowered their heads, forced into submission by the sheer weight of his voice.
*Kneel!* his voice echoed in the Mind-Link, a command meant to force me to the floor.
I stood perfectly still.
I felt the pressure of his command wash over me, like a gentle breeze against a stone cliff. It didn't even make me blink. My White Wolf bloodline, fully awakened now, made me immune to the commands of a standard Alpha.
Marcus’s eyes widened in shock. "How...?"
I reached into my clutch bag.
"I didn't come to explain," I said, my voice calm but carrying to every corner of the silent room. "I came to settle my debts."
I pulled out a silver box—the locket he had kept, which David had helped me retrieve through intermediaries months ago—and a check.
I walked up to him. Chloe tried to block me, raising a hand to slap me.
"Don't," I said. I didn't shout. I just let a fraction of my Luna aura slip out. It hit Chloe like a physical wall. She gasped, stumbling back, terror in her eyes.
I stopped in front of Marcus. I pressed the check against his chest.
"This covers the cost of the food I ate, the clothes I wore, and the roof over my head for eight years," I said. "Including interest."
Marcus looked down at the check. The amount was staggering.
"Ellie, I..." He looked at me, confusion and something akin to pain warring in his eyes. "You're... beautiful."
"I know," I said. "And I'm not yours."
I turned to leave.
"Wait!" Marcus grabbed my arm.
David was there in a flash, his hand clamping over Marcus’s wrist. The sound of bones grinding filled the air.
"Let. Her. Go." David’s voice was a low growl, vibrating with lethal promise.
Marcus glared at David, then back at me. He looked at the check, then at the confident woman standing before him. He slowly released my arm.
"You are making a mistake, Ellie," Marcus whispered, his voice trembling slightly. "You belong here. You are *my* mate."
I laughed. It was a dry, humorless sound.
"You rejected me, Marcus. Remember?" I leaned in close, so only he could hear. "I accepted it. The bond is dead. You killed it."
I took David’s hand. "Let's go home."
As we walked away, I didn't look back. But I heard the gasps of the pack members as they looked at their Alpha, standing amidst shattered glass, holding a check from the girl he threw away.
