I twisted my body at the last second, my shoulder slamming into the edge of the fireplace instead of my head. The pain shot through me like lightning as I crashed to the floor, the heat of the flames licking dangerously close to my hair.
Liam stood over me, his young face twisted with hatred. "You should have just died like the cat."
Those words hurt more than the physical pain coursing through my body. But then something shifted in his expression. His eyes widened, filling with horror as he stared at my injured form.
"I didn't mean to hurt you..." he whispered, his voice suddenly small. "I just wanted to scare you so you'd leave fast."
I stood up, ignoring the stabbing pain in my shoulder and the burn forming on my arm. Five years of patience, five years of taking his abuse, five years of trying to love a child who only returned hatred—it all boiled over in that moment. I raised my hand and slapped him hard across the face.
The sound echoed through the room like a gunshot.
Liam stood frozen, his hand touching his reddening cheek. Shock painted his features. In all the years I'd been his stepmother, I had never once raised a hand to him, no matter how cruel his words or actions were.
He screamed, the sound raw and primal. Footsteps thundered down the stairs as James rushed into the room.
"What just happened?" he demanded, eyes darting between us.
I braced myself, expecting him to take Liam's side as he always did. But then his gaze fell on my bleeding shoulder, and an angry red burn formed on my forearm. Something unfamiliar flickered across his face.
"Did Liam do that to you?"
Before I could answer, Liam ran to his father, clinging to his leg. "I didn't mean to hurt her," he cried. "I was just trying to make her leave because she doesn't belong here."
James approached me slowly, his expression unreadable. "I'll take you to the hospital right away."
"You don't have to do that," I replied, my voice steady despite the pain. "I'll do it myself. Please just sign the divorce papers. I'm leaving." I reached for my bag, wincing as the movement pulled at my injured shoulder.
"What have we done to deserve you leaving this house?" James shouted suddenly, his momentary concern vanishing like smoke. "I told you I'll get you a new pet. We have given you everything!"
"Everything—except the things that actually mattered," I said quietly. "My feelings? Ignored. My opinions? Unheard. My existence? Only acknowledged when you needed something. I was invisible unless I was useful."
"I'm not angry, James," I continued with a tired sigh. "I just want a divorce."
His expression changed instantly, the mask of concern dropping away to reveal calculation in his eyes. "Ella, if you leave, you don't have anywhere better to be."
I stared at him, unmoved by his words. "I've made up my mind," I whispered.
James ran a hand through his hair, frustration evident in every line of his body. "If you stay, Sophia will join you to take care of Liam. That will ease your troubles. You'll just have to remain as his mother."
I almost laughed. He wasn't saying this because he loved me or suddenly valued my presence. It was all about his position in the pack. A divorce would damage his reputation as their leader. The scandal would be too much for him to handle. The mighty Alpha, abandoned by a human woman—how would that look to his followers?
"So that's your solution?" I asked. "I stay and pretend everything is fine while your mistress moves in and takes over? And what will my role be exactly?"
"You'll still be Liam's mother in the eyes of the pack," he said as if offering me some great honourr. "You'll attend the gatherings, play your part."
"While you two sleep together under my roof?"
"It's not like that," he protested weakly.
"It's exactly like that," I replied. "You want me to be a puppet, Luna, so you don't lose face with the pack."
James's expression hardened. "You owe me this much. Where will you go? Back to that bitter old woman who raised you? She doesn't want you either. No one does."
The words were designed to cut deep, to remind me of all my insecurities. Five years ago, they would have worked. I would have crumbled, apologized, and stayed.
Not anymore.
"I'd rather be alone than be your prop," I said. "Sign the papers, James. It's over."
He grabbed my arm, his fingers digging painfully into my flesh. "You're not leaving."
"Let her go," Sophia's voice came from the doorway. She stood there, watching us with cold eyes. "If she wants to leave, let her. I can be everything she wasn't for you and Liam."
"Stay out of this," James snapped at her, but his grip on my arm loosened slightly.
I pulled away, putting distance between us. "You can't keep me here against my will."
"Watch me," he growled, his eyes flashing with that dangerous amber glow that reminded me he wasn't entirely human. "You belong to this pack. To me."
"I never belonged here," I replied calmly. "I was just too afraid to admit it."
I turned to leave, but James moved faster, blocking the door. "If you walk out that door, don't expect to ever come back."
"That's the plan," I said.
"You won't survive out there," he warned. "Not anymore.
