09:28 Mon, Dec 16

Chapter 63

Ava’s POV

“Screw him,” I muttered, repeating the words over and over as I stomped around the room, a mixture of anger and frustration boiling within me. It wasn’t even my room—this was his territory. Every piece of furniture, every glinting object, and all the suffocatingly lavish décor screamed of his presence. I grabbed whatever I could find, stuffing it into a pile beside the suitcase I’d dragged out from the back of the closet.

I wondered why he’d bought them. Did he think we would travel a lot, or did he plan for this moment? Probably the latter. Nothing about Grayson seemed accidental; he possessed an uncanny knack for control and forethought, a quality I’d once found enticing. Now, it felt suffocating.

The clothes, the jewelry—none of it was mine. But I was taking it anyway. Consider it compensation for the stolen time, the feelings I hadn’t meant to have, and the heartache he clearly didn’t care about. This was my payment, a small recompense for the emotional wreckage he’d left me in.

Each item I packed felt like a stab, like I was closing the book on something I should never have opened. I’d known from the very beginning what he was: cold, calculating, untouchable. Yet, somehow, I’d allowed myself to believe I could crack through that glacial exterior, even though I told myself I wouldn’t.

What a fool I’d been.

After what felt like hours, I finally finished packing. Four heavy suitcases lined up by the door, each one bearing the weight of memories I couldn’t wait to leave behind. I dragged them down the hallway, every step echoing in the oppressive silence. Just as I rounded the corner, I came face-to-face with the last person I wanted to see: Elaine.

Her gaze dropped to my suitcases, then back to my face. But for once, she didn’t smirk, look smug, or say, “I told you so.” She just stared, her expression unreadable, before saying softly, “You’re leaving.”

My anger flared, and my words came out harsher than intended. “I’m sure you’re thrilled. Feel free to pop open some champagne.”

She blinked, looking between me and the suitcases for a moment. Then, without another word, she turned and walked away. No snide remarks, no gloating. Just silence. For a second, I felt a pang of something—relief?—but I shoved it aside and focused on the task at hand.

After struggling to maneuver the suitcases down the stairs, I finally made it outside. I was about to call a cab when one of Grayson’s men appeared, striding toward me with the intimidating presence they all seemed to share. He was the same one who’d forced Dylan to his knees the first day I met Grayson.

Now, he gave a slight bow of respect. “Luna, the Alpha King has ordered me to take you wherever you wish to go.”

My heart twisted painfully at the title, but I forced myself to remain composed. Of course, Grayson wouldn’t be the one to say goodbye. He’d sent his lackey, as if this was just another business transaction. Fine. It saved me cab fare, and Goddess knows I needed every cent I could get. I nodded, swallowing the bitterness in my throat. “Thank you. Take me to my friend’s place.”

I rattled off the address, barely able to focus on my own words. The ride was silent, and my mind was anywhere but in that car. Before I knew it, we were there. He helped me unload the suitcases onto the sidewalk, and as he turned to go, something unexpected happened. He hesitated, looking back at me with a strange intensity in his eyes.

“I know it’s not my place, but…” he paused, searching for the right words. “Alpha Grayson has had this aura for the longest time. Whenever he walks into a room, he fills it with this angry energy—like a match waiting to be lit, a ticking time bomb. No one likes that aura because when it ignites, things get really bad. I know you’ve only been here for two weeks, but the moment you came, that aura started diminishing. I’m not saying it’s not there, but it’s more like a little spark now, and it makes us feel better because we aren’t constantly waiting for the other shoe to drop.” He bowed his head slightly, sincerity etched on his face. “I hope you come back, Luna. We all do.”

Then he left, leaving me standing there, watching the dust settle from his tires as he drove away.

That was two months ago.

In all that time, I hadn’t heard a word from Grayson. Not a call, not a text, not even a passing message. Nothing. It was like I’d never existed in his world. I’d moved in with Bubella, who’d welcomed me with open arms, though she threatened to kick me out if I kept apologizing for being a burden. Eliza even offered to quit her job in protest.

I rolled my eyes at her. “Please don’t quit your job on my account.”

She sighed in relief, laughing lightly. “Good, because I didn’t really want to. The pay is amazing, and I’m a neat freak who’s found her perfect outlet. Win-win!”

We all laughed, but behind my forced smile, there was an ache I couldn’t shake. I tried not to think about him, but it was like he lingered everywhere. Every time the phone rang, my heart leaped, only to plummet when it wasn’t him. In the quiet moments, when it was just me and my thoughts, bitterness would rise in my chest, twisting my stomach and burning my throat.

Luckily, no one had gotten wind of it yet, and I knew the moment my parents did, I would never hear the end of it. I could almost hear that arrogant and triumphant voice saying, “I told you you would come crawling back to us.”

Except I didn’t, and I wouldn’t.

I buried myself in work at the hospital, throwing myself into my job, one of the few things I actually loved. Maybe it was fate’s way of compensating, but Mikayla’s mother had started responding to treatment. Her little face lit up when I told her the good news, and for a brief moment, I felt a semblance of joy again. I was still smiling, remembering the big hug Mikayla gave me, when Isabella’s voice broke through.

She sat down on the couch and lifted my legs to rest on her lap. “I haven’t seen you smile in weeks,” she murmured. “I missed it.”

I sighed, trying to avoid her concerned gaze. She didn’t push, though. We sat in silence until she finally broke it. “I’m worried about you, Lilian. You’re barely eating, pulling extra shifts, looking like a ghost, and you won’t even talk about ways to bring out your wolf.”

I shrugged, keeping my tone flat. “What’s the point? I’ve always been latent. Why bother pretending that’s going to change now?”

She looked at me, pained. “Lilian…”

“I’m fine, Bells. Really.”

“Fine,” she relented, but her voice held a note of disbelief. “But you’ve been holed up in this apartment for weeks, going to work and back, and that’s it. You need to go out, breathe air that doesn’t smell like antiseptic and disinfectant. Let’s go out tomorrow. Please.”

I tried to protest, but she cut me off, giving me that stubborn look of hers. “It’s not a request.”

I sighed, giving in. “Fine.”

“Good.” She kissed my forehead before standing. “And Lilian… it’s okay to feel what you feel about him. You’re allowed to hurt.”

Chapter 63

I didn’t respond. Instead, I just watched her walk away, her words echoing in the silence.

BK 87%

I closed my eyes, letting out a tired sigh, my shoulders slumping with the weight of it all. The end. It was inevitable, and yet, it still hurt in ways I hadn’t allowed myself to feel until now. Slowly, I reached under the couch pillow, fingers brushing the worn fabric, and pulled out the file. This file—the one I’d started processing the week after I left. The one that held all the finality I’d been too afraid to face.

I swallowed, my fingers lingering on its edges as I stared down at it, willing myself to feel numb. But the emotions crashed over me like waves, relentless, refusing to be ignored. I had known what I was signing up for from the beginning. I’d known this wasn’t supposed to last, and yet, somewhere along the line, hope had snuck in, and I had dared to dream—only for reality to strike back, harsher than I ever imagined.

Opening the file, I flipped to the pages I knew too well, the ones binding us in name only. Legally, we were married, tied by nothing more than ink and obligation. But now, I had to break those ties, to put an end to whatever had been growing between us, even if it had only been in my own heart.

I picked up the pen, my fingers trembling slightly as I held it, hovering over the signature line. There was a strange sense of déjà vu that washed over me as I stared at the empty space waiting for my name. My signature had marked the start of it all.

It only seemed fitting that it would mark the end, too.

I took a deep breath, feeling the ache in my chest tighten, and with one last, resolute stroke, I signed my name on the divorce papers, cementing the end of me and Grayson Blackwood.