Since throwing me into the pool, Cain hadn’t returned home for three days. Not a call, not a text, not even a sneering insult. It was as if I’d ceased to exist. But I wasn’t rotting in my room. Today was the annual Wolf Pack Auction, and among the artifacts was my grandmother’s locket, a delicate silver piece with intricate carvings stolen years ago and now resurfacing.

I arrived at the auction house; my head held high. Cain was already there, of course; Athena draped on his arm, her laughter echoing loudly, grating on my nerves. He spotted me, and for a split second, his smirk faltered. Good.

My heart hammered when the auctioneer announced lot 27, “A silver locket, believed to be from the revered Shadowhunter lineage.”

“One million,” I stated, cutting through the murmurs.

Cain’s head snapped towards me. He hadn’t expected me to bid, let alone so aggressively. Athena whispered something in his ear, a triumphant smile on her face.

“Two million,” Cain countered.

“Five million,” I shot back, my gaze locked on his.

His jaw clenched. “Ten million.”

The room went silent. Confusion rippled through the crowd, wondering why we were locked in a bidding war over a mere locket.

“Twenty million,” I said, unwavering.

Cain’s eyes glared with desperation. He raised his paddle, then hesitated. He pulled out his phone, a sinister glint in his eyes.

My phone vibrated. I opened the message. A photo. My grandmother, frail and vulnerable, hooked to life support, a nurse adjusting the tubes. And a message: “Go higher, Esme. Your grandmother’s life support has an off switch. I could have it switched off anytime.”

My breath hitched. I closed my eyes, fighting back the rising bile. He couldn’t. But he had killed Noah. He had discarded our baby. He was capable of anything.

I lowered my paddle, my hand trembling.

“No bid,” I rasped, the words tearing through my throat.

Cain smirked, a cruel, victorious smile spreading across his face.

“Fifty million,” he announced, winning the locket.

Then, he came to me, holding the locket.

“Such a shame, Esme,” he whispered, his voice filled with malicious glee. “Your grandmother looked like a witch wearing this. It deserves to be worn by someone like Athena.”

I didn’t answer. I turned and sought refuge in the ladies’ room. I splashed cold water on my face, trying to compose myself.

The door creaked open, and Athena sashayed in, her dress shimmering.

“Oh, Luna Esme,” Athena purred, her eyes glittering triumphantly.

“Still reeling from losing that locket? Such a pity. I’m sorry I told Cain to give it to you, but he insisted that it looked better on me."

“You think you’ve won?” I sneered.

“You’re just a pawn, Athena. A convenience. Cain will discard you just as easily when he’s done."

Her eyes narrowed, then she cackled.

“Cain loves me! He hadn’t been home for days, right? Because he’s with me every night. Making love to me. He can’t look at you anymore. You’re a bitter, barren hag, Esme. A hen who can’t lay an egg."

Before I could respond, the door to the restroom burst open. Two burly men stormed in. They grabbed my arms, twisting them painfully behind my back.

“What...who are you?!” I struggled, but their grip was like iron.

Athena watched with a smirk.

“Just some friends, Esme. Here to teach you a lesson about respecting your superiors."

The men shoved me against the wall, one of them covering my mouth. I thrashed, my heart pounding, a desperate plea.

Cain! I sent a frantic mind link, pouring all my fear and desperation into it. Help me! Please!

Seconds felt like an eternity. Then, the door was kicked open, and Cain stood there, his eyes blazing. For a fleeting moment, I thought he had come to save me.

“Cain! Thank goodness!” Athena cried, rushing to him, feigning terror.

“She attacked me! She called these men to ruin my reputation! She’s trying to frame me, to make me look bad in front of everyone."

I stared at her, speechless. The audacity. The sheer, venomous manipulation. Cain looked from Athena to me, then back to Athena’s trembling form. His eyes, once filled with concern for me, hardened into disgust. He strode towards me.

“You pathetic, desperate excuse for a Luna!” he snarled, and his open palm connected with my cheek with a sickening crack. My head snapped back, a sharp ringing in my ears. Something broke inside me; my last shred of self-preservation. I lifted my hand, the pain in my ribs and face fueling a cold fury.

Slap.

The sound echoed through the silent room. Cain’s eyes widened, and his right cheek flared crimson. Before he could react, I hit him again, harder this time, across the other cheek. Then, I walked away, leaving them stunned in shock.

“Esme! You insolent wretch! I’ll make you pay for this!" Cain roared. But I didn’t look back.

I walked out of the auction house, past the murmuring crowd, and hailed a cab.

My fingers trembled as I dialed a number, I hadn’t thought I’d ever use: Elder Marcus of the Whitehorn Pack, the leader of their councils of Elders and uncle to Alpha Kearan, the strongest Alpha in the state.

“Elder Marcus,” I said clearly, despite the tremor in my soul.

“It’s Esme. I’m calling about the offer before."

There was a brief pause before his deep voice rumbled, surprised but satisfied. “Luna Esme,” he said. “I was wondering when you’d come to your senses. Is everything okay?”

“Everything is perfect,” I replied, and a bitter laugh escaped my lips.

“I’ve severed the mate bond. I’ve left him. I need your help with Cain. With my grandmother."

His tone turned serious.

“My private medical team is always prepared. I would have your grandmother transferred beyond Cain’s reach right away”.

A wave of profound relief washed over me.

“Thank you,” I whispered genuinely. “But...there is a condition for this, isn’t it?”

“You remember my nephew, Alpha Kearan?” he asked subtly.

“The one who offered marriage before?” I countered, a hint of apprehension tightening my voice. Kearan was strong, dangerous, a true Alpha, but his intensity had always intimidated me.

“Exactly,” Marcus confirmed.

“He’s still willing to take you as his Luna. Tomorrow. A public declaration, a mating ritual, and signing of the agreement. And in return, we will help strip Cain of everything. He will be nothing. Less than nothing."

My mind raced, the pieces of the puzzle falling into place. Marry Kearan? It was a strategic alliance, but it was also freedom and revenge.

"Done," I said without hesitation.

"Tell Kearan I accept. Prepare everything. Tomorrow, I become the Luna of the Whitehorn Pack. And Cain… Cain will finally pay".

As I spoke, my mind drifted back to when I first met Kearan nine months ago. The annual Alpha’s Summit is a gilded cage of forced smiles and clinking glasses. I stood beside Cain, his arm around my waist, his gaze already straying to the packs across the hall.

Then, silence fell. Alpha Kearan entered, his presence filled with raw power, an untamed grace. His eyes, molten silver, swept the room, pausing, locking onto me. Cain’s grip tightened, a subtle warning, a possessive squeeze. But Kearan strode through the gathered Alphas, cutting a path straight to me. He stopped directly before us, his gaze burning into mine, ignoring Cain completely.

“Mate!” he growled softly.

Cain stiffened beside me.

“She is already mated, Alpha Kearan. To me."

Kearan’s lip curled, his eyes never leaving mine.

"What is your name, my lady?"

“E...Esme,” I whispered.

“Break free, Esme. Stand with me. Be the Luna you were born to be. Not a pawn in another’s game."

My heart pounded. Cain’s hand clamped down on my arm. I looked from Kearan’s burning gaze to Cain’s rigid, furious face.

“I... I cannot,” I whispered.

“My loyalty is to my pack. To Cain."

Kearan leaned closer, disappointment shadowing his eyes, but also a glimmering of understanding.

“Remember this moment, Esme. When he breaks you, truly breaks you, my offer still stands. The Whitehorn Pack will always be your refuge. And when you come to me, Cain, I will make you pay for every tear she sheds."

He turned, a silent command to Marcus, and they walked away, leaving a gaping silence. Cain had pulled me close, whispering reassurances, but the image of Kearan’s resolute eyes haunted me.

“Take me home,” I told the driver, snapping back to the present as I ended the call with Marcus.

I went to our room and grabbed the luggage I’d packed days ago. On the nightstand, the signed severance document lay. I picked it up, a grim satisfaction spreading through me.

I took every gift Cain had given me, every picture we had together, and burned them. The flames consumed the memories, just as he had turned my life to ash. I took a picture of the pyre and posted it on Instagram with the caption, Free at last!

I smiled, admiring the post that garnered comments within seconds. Then, I blocked everyone in the pack, especially Cain and Athena, from my social media accounts. I broke my old SIM card and inserted a new one into my new phone, severing the last digital ties to my past.

Before I left, I made a detour to the kitchen. I found a small, untouched chocolate cake in the cooler. Perfect! I grabbed it and a marker. On the counter, I scribbled a note on the cake box: “Happy freedom, Cain. Don’t worry, you’re invited to my mating ritual." I set it next to a bottle of his favorite whiskey and a copy of the severance document.

With my bag slung over my shoulder, I left the mansion for good, heading to meet Alpha Kearan, ready to prepare for a mating ritual.