Ellie's POV

I had a bad headache.

Am I really suffering from amnesia?

Why can't I remember anything?

The weirdo's voice in my head paused. His voice filled with confusion and distain.

"What is this," he asked, "Your new trick?"

"What?" I was a little angry, because of his tone, "And why are you in my head? "

“Ellie, I don’t have time for your games or tantrums. Stop pretending. The Moonstone Pack will be arriving soon, and I need you home. Now.”

Then—silence. The mindlink cut so abruptly, I felt like I’d been slapped.

What... the hell?!

That was rude!

I blinked up at the ceiling, the sterile white lights of the hospital sharp against my eyes. I was searching for anything, any memories, an explanation, but there was nothing.

Who was that?

No—who was I?...Ellie? I'm Ellie?

A low curse broke the quiet. I turned my head, found the redhead still standing over me, arms folded and lips curled in outrage.

“Unbelievable!” she hissed. “You almost died, and that sorry excuse of a husband doesn’t even show up to see if you’re breathing.”

Husband?

I tried to sit up, but my body screamed in protest. But she rushed over and helped me upright, her touch gentler than her tone. “Careful,” she muttered. “The crash was bad. You’ve only been awake for a few hours.”

“Wait.” My voice cracked. “I’m married?”

She froze. Her gaze snapped to mine, searching. “Ellie… don’t mess with me right now.”

“I’m not.” I muttered, “Who am I married to?”

Her face tightened, shocked. “What? Didn't you just connect to Alpha Nolan's mindlink? Wow…You really don’t remember, huh?”

...So that person just now was Alpha Nolan? My husband?

“Well, I’m Rae, we’ve been friends for a long, long time. As for Nolan, you’ve devoted everything to him.”

Rae could hardly believe it all, but she still went on to explain everything to me. “You were always trying so hard to be good enough, yet he was always cruel…You—you just stood by, loving him. I was…never a fan.”

I stared at her. “Why would I love someone like that?”

And I meant it. Something inside me curled at the idea. It felt foreign. Pathetic.

Rae blinked, startled. “Wow. That’s... new. The old you, whenever you mentioned Nolan, you'd defend him for just breathing. Now you're actually saying this about him... that's new.”

I scoffed, "Now that's the thought of a normal person!"

The "Me" that Rae described was utterly unreasonable — giving up everything for a man? Foolish! Why not live for yourself?

Just then, the door swung open and the Healer stepped in again. He looked me over with practiced boredom, his lips twitching with something close to disdain.

Rae frowned. “She doesn’t remember anything. Not even Nolan. You need to do another check.”

The Healer rolled his eyes, but came forward anyway. But when his hands touched me, his expression changed.

He stiffened, eyes flickering. “You have a wolf,” he said softly. “That’s… impossible.”

My throat tightened. “What?”

He didn't answer me. He just moved more quickly now, fingers searching along my temples, my stomach. And then he went still.

“...She’s pregnant,”

Rae shot up. “What?!”

“Only a few weeks. Barely detectable. But it’s there.” The Healer took a step back, his face pale. “And she’s healed almost completely, even from moments ago when I checked. Faster than she should. If she’s wolf-less, a rogue… this shouldn’t be possible.”

He left in a rush, muttering something about needing to speak to the Alpha immediately.

Pregnant. I let the word sit in my mouth, so unreal. The world had tilted, completely untethered. I looked at Rae, hoping she had answers, but all I saw was her crumbling.

“You didn’t know,” I said quietly.

“I didn’t think it was possible,” she replied, dragging her hands down her face. “He’s barely touched you in months. And you’re not even… officially Luna.”

“So I was married to someone who didn’t even want me?”

Rae’s voice softened. “You wanted him. You thought if you tried hard enough, he’d see you. That he’d love you.”

I really wanted to ask Rae, "And did he?" But from her reaction, I already knew the answer.

A cold weight settled in my gut.

Shit.

“...You could run!” Rae said aloud, surprising both of us. “Take the baby. Start over somewhere no one knows you. Honestly, if you wanted an out, nows the time.”

I blinked, instantly overwhelmed. I had just woken up, no memory of who I was, no idea if the woman beside me was truly my best friend. And now, I was supposed to make a life-altering decision—

Could I go out on the street and get into another accident to get my memory back?

Rae rubbed her eyes. “Forgive me, I spoke out of pure feeling. I mean, if you did, I’d support it. But… now that I’m thinking about it, is that fair to the kid? To grow up like we did? As a rogue?”

I fell into silence.

"And... you don’t even know who you are. How could you raise someone else?" Rae spoke softly, hesitated, "Do you consider... getting an abortion?"

"An abortion?!"

"I mean, think of it. You are carrying a child from a man who felt like a stranger to you, and didn’t love you," she muttered, "and you're a rogue. Do you really want to keep this child? "

"I know, but..." I hesitated, "this is so cruel. What if... their father wanted it? This should be a decision for both of us."

“I’ll go home,” I said finally. “See how my husband reacts. Then I’ll decide.”

After receiving permission to leave the hospital, I felt a strange sense of freedom, but also uncertainty.

Home wasn’t what I remembered. Not that I remembered anything, but I expected it to feel… safer.

He was waiting, who I assumed was my husband, Nolan, stood in the center of the den like a statue carved from ice.

His suit jacket was unbuttoned, his tie loose around his throat. He was handsome…but he felt alien to me.

“So the dramatics continue,” Nolan said coldly, arms crossed. “What was it this time? A scratch on your arm?”

I froze.

Hey! Your wife had a car accident!

He stepped closer. “I saw the report, you were nearly ‘dead’ when they found you. I’m so sure, though, you look fine to me. Quit playing the victim, Ellie. You’ve done this before. I'm not falling for it again.”

“What—?” My voice caught.

“Crying to get attention. Collapsing in the kitchen just because I was late. What’s next? A coma?”

I’d faked being sick or hurt in the past? Just for attention?

A woman, curvy and blonde, sauntered into view behind him, all silk and smugness. She was close to him, considering he was supposed to be my husband. “Honestly, Nolan, you should’ve let her stay gone. Rogues are always such a mess.”

I stared at them. I clenched my hands into fists.

...This was my life?

Third-Person's POV

Meanwhile, deep within the heart of the Moonstone Pack…

The crystal orb flickered to life, its pale blue glow casting shadows across the stone chamber.

Alpha Alaric stood frozen, his hand hovering inches from the orb’s surface. Beside him, his son, Cassian, drew in a sharp breath.

“It’s her,” Cassian murmured, voice tight with disbelief. “After all these years…”

Alaric nodded slowly, eyes never leaving the shifting light. The long-lost princess, his daughter, had resurfaced.

And not just anywhere. He knew that pack...

Alpha Nolan’s territory.

The very pack where their princess was — right there!

Ellie's POV

"Am I right?" Felicity pouted, speaking to Nolan in a teasing tone, throwing me a sidelong glance. "She’ll only cause you trouble."

"WHO THE HELL ARE YOU NOW?" I asked.

The words slipped from my lips before I could think, before I could filter or soften or smile like I apparently used to.

The air in the room stilled. Nolan’s brows shot up, but Felicity’s face cracked first, her lips parting in a sneer.

“What did you just say?” she asked, a mocking little laugh curling around her words.

I took a slow step forward, tilting my head, studying her as if she were a painting hung in my house without permission. “I mean it. Who, are, you?”

The silence that followed was heavy with shock, their shock.

Maybe it was because I hadn’t flinched when she sneered at me, hadn’t cowered or looked to Nolan for help. Maybe it was just that I was finally acting like someone with a backbone.

Felicity recovered quickly, smile stretching back into place like a mask. “Cute. Trying on a new personality, are we? What is this, Ellie 4.0? A little sass to win your precious Alpha back? Man, you’ll try anything for a glance from him.”

“Oh,” I said lightly, “I see. You’re in my house, with my husband, insulting me, and I’m the one desperate for his attention. That clears things up.”

Nolan blinked, furrowing his brow. Felicity’s expression twisted.

“Excuse you! You’ve got a lot of nerve for someone who used to cry if Nolan so much as frowned in your direction,” she snapped. “Remember that? Remember begging him to stay every time he so much as glanced at me? Or do we not recall that version of you? This personality switch up won’t last! You’re pathetic! Remember that!”

I smiled, not because it was funny... okay, it is a bit funny. A random woman yelled at me for who I was.

“I did all that?” I asked, raising a brow. “Wow. That’s embarrassing. Should I laugh? Or clap for it? Because until now, all I’ve heard is the story of a poor girl doing everything she can for the man she loves, and that man being blind to it, not appreciating her at all. "

"And here you are, mocking her, " I looked at her in her eyes. "as if it has anything to do with you. If she made a mistake, it’s that she didn’t leave sooner. You two are disgusting”

Felicity’s mouth opened, but nothing came out. She looked like she spotted a ghost in daylight.

“You really are insane,” She said, recovering her balance. “What are you doing, Ellie? Reinventing yourself? Playing the new, brave and misunderstood wife? You’re embarrassing.”

“She’s pretending again,” Nolan muttered under his breath, arms crossed. “She’s always done this when she wants something.”

I snapped my head toward him. “You think I’m pretending? For what?”

“You think I’m impressed?” His voice was low and annoyed. “We’ve played this game before.”

“Do we?” I said, stepping closer. “Now it's the new game. And I'm not who I was.”

He frowned.

Felicity laughed again, shrill and brittle. “So what, you’re strong now? You’re going to fight against him? Please. You couldn’t even stand to be in the same room when he ignored you, doing all these pity cries for him.”

I looked her dead in the eyes. “I don’t want him.”

And I meant it. I wasn’t even sure I wanted me yet, but I was damn sure I didn’t want to be her anymore. The girl who begged. The girl who bent over backwards for a man who never met her halfway.

“I’m not here to cry or win anyone over,” I scoffed. “I’m just trying to figure out how I ended up married to someone who thinks silence is a personality trait.”

That one landed hard. Nolan’s jaw clenched, but with a sigh he turned slightly, his eyes closing as a mindlink reached him. He didn't say anything aloud, but I could feel his mood shift—cold and businesslike. Alpha mode.

“I have to take this,” he said, turning and walking out without another glance.

Felicity waited until the door clicked shut before stepping closer, her voice lower now, quieter, but no less venomous. She reminded me of a viper, a pretty one, but those eyes locked on me like a target.

“I’ve heard rumors, you know, trying for a child. Scraping for scraps again, like you could ever be his true Luna. Even if you did, you think they’d ever let you raise that child?” she asked, her smile all teeth. “With your status? You’re a nobody, Ellie. Just a rogue who got lucky. They’d never let you keep that pup.”

I said nothing, but my hand moved protectively over my stomach. Did she know? No way.

“Don’t be stupid. When I’m Luna, they’d give the baby to me. And I’ll make sure they never forget how pathetic their mother was.”

She leaned in. “If you think I’ll be kind, think again.”

I didn’t lash out. I didn’t scream. I just stared at her like I was seeing her clearly for the first time.

When Nolan returned, I was still standing there, arms crossed and lips sealed.

I turned to him as he walked in, my voice calm. “Is it true?”

He raised a brow. “Is what true?”

“That I wouldn’t be allowed to raise my own child in this pack?”

He exhaled, almost dismissively. “That was the agreement. You knew what this was. We are married to produce the child of a fated bond; they are stronger, but you’re no Luna. I thought that was clear.”

“And after that? What—was I just supposed to disappear?”

“You’d do what you always do,” he said, dryly. “Run off crying, then show up again looking for attention.”

I stared at him.

This man… was the worst.

My voice shook with something closer to fury than sadness. “You’re such a jerk.”

He blinked. “Excuse me?”

“You married me, used me, ignored me, and now you’re pretending I’m the one being dramatic? You don’t even know me.”

“I know you better than you think.” His voice sounded exhausted, like I was still pulling some act.

“No,” I snapped. “You knew a girl who thought being silent would keep her safe. Who thought if she was obedient enough, maybe, just maybe, you’d love her back.”

His bored expression didn’t budge, his eyes half-lidded with the same detached disinterest he always wore, like emotions were beneath him. Like I was beneath him.

“But I’m not her anymore.”

I could practically feel him waiting. Waiting for the performance, he thought he knew by heart. For the trembling lips. For the wide, watery eyes. For the whispered, please don’t go.

But I didn’t give it to him.

Instead, I squared my shoulders, letting the fire settle into my spine like armor. My voice clear and steady.

“I want a divorce.”

His hands slid slowly out of his pockets. For once, he looked uncertain. “What?”

“You heard me. I want out of this marriage.”

I smiled, lifted my chin in pride.

Ellie's POV

Nolan looked like I’d slapped him.

Still, he said nothing. Just stood there with that same stiff posture, brows drawn together, like the weight of the word divorce hadn’t fully settled on him yet. His silence stretched, broken only by the hum of tension thickening between us.

“You’re being ridiculous,” he finally muttered, jaw ticking. “You’re clearly upset. If this is some tantrum to get attention—”

“Who’s throwing a tantrum?” I raised my eyebrow, “You think this is about you?”

His head jerked back, blinking like I’d just spoken in another language. For a moment, I almost laughed. He truly didn’t get it. The man was so used to seeing me as a quiet, obedient shadow of a wife, he couldn’t comprehend the idea of me actually walking away.

“Somehow you think I’m trying to impress you,” I continued, voice sharper now. “Like everything I do is some elaborate act to win you over. This is so toxic. I’m done. I’m not going to be your silent little accessory. I’m not going to let your mistress mocks me and you stand there saying nothing.”

"Who is a mistress?" Felicity snapped.

His mouth opened, a protest forming, but I didn’t let him finish. “Ellie—”

“No,” I snapped, cutting through whatever excuse he was about to feed me. “You made a deal? Fine. But I never agreed to be humiliated in my own home. I never agreed to be treated like some disposable incubator. I’d never agreed to give up my child. And I sure as hell didn’t agree to you. So let’s get to it. Are we getting divorced or not?”

He frowned, clearly thrown off by how steady I was. How real this was.

“You’re serious.”

I met his eyes without blinking. “Dead serious.”

His lips thinned, frustration flicking over his eyes. “Fine. If you want to throw your life away, don’t let me stop you.”

He turned sharply, calling out over his shoulder, “Beta! Prepare for the rejection ceremony. Do it now.”

Felicity’s hand moved to her hip with a low scoff under her breath. “Finally.”

The Beta peeked through the door, confusion etched deep into the furrow of his brow. “Alpha,” he said carefully, “ah, not that I’m questioning you, but perhaps you should… reconsider?”

Nolan’s chest filled with a deep breath, like a volcano holding its fuse.

The beta continued, his voice more pitched. “It’s just…the rejection ceremony isn’t something to do lightly. With all due respect, this seems like an emotional argument—”

“Do what I said,” Nolan finally barked, cutting him off.

The Beta hesitated, glancing at me like he expected me to cry, plead, offer some kind of excuse. But I just stared back.

I even rolled my eyes.

Then Nolan’s eyes fell to me, that cold smirk tugging at his mouth again. “Think it over, Ellie. After today, you’ll regret this.”

Regret?

I broke out a laughter. Why is he so confident that I’d want to stay here? I only regret coming back to ask him about the child. The man who let another woman laugh at me across the table and hoped I said nothing and swallowed it like medicine.

How could that be possible?

“Regret?” I said. “I regret staying this long.”

I left the room without waiting for permission.

—

The maid blinked when I asked for help finding my own bedroom. Guess they hadn’t gotten the memo yet, the Alpha’s wife didn’t know where she slept.

I followed her through the long corridors with my chin high, not stopping once. I didn’t care that my heart was racing, or that the walls of this place still echoed with memories I didn’t have. This wasn’t my home. It never had been.

By the time I reached the room, I already knew I didn’t want to take anything with me. I didn’t want the gowns I wore to please him, the perfume that he’d once scoffed at, or the jewelry I had no memory of choosing. None of it felt like mine. Still, I opened the drawers and started folding, just to give my hands something to do.

The maid lingered awkwardly, eyes darting to my stomach, then to the door, like she expected Nolan to barge in and drag me back.

He dare to.

Third-Person's POV

Nolan was still, his feet planted like roots had grown through his feet, staring at where Ellie had disappeared.

Felicity, as usual, didn’t wait for an invitation as her hand slithered up his arm.

“Nolan,” she said softly, her voice all honey and silk. “I know this must be… stressful. Don’t worry about Ellie,” she said. “You know she does this. She’s impulsive. Emotional. She’ll come crawling back when she realizes you mean what you say.”

He didn’t answer. His mind was still echoing with Ellie’s voice. “I want a divorce.”

Felicity leaned in closer. “Maybe this is for the best. Once the ceremony’s done, everything will be simpler. We can finally talk about the future.”

His jaw tensed.

“Our future,” she continued, her fingers drifting to his arm. “Marriage. A real mating bond. A proper Luna by your side. And children, Nolan. You need a proper heir. Someone strong. Someone like you. Like us.”

Her voice dropped into something breathy. “I’ve always dreamed of a little boy with your eyes and my—”

He stood up.

She froze mid-sentence, blinking at the sudden shift.

“I need to walk,” Nolan said curtly.

And he left the room.

Nolan could feel her staring after him, but he couldn’t hear her anymore—not over the sound of Ellie slamming every door she’d ever kept politely closed.

Divorce.

She meant it. She wasn’t bluffing, or begging, or trying to prove a point.

She was done.

And the worst part? She hadn’t looked heartbroken. She’d looked free.

The Beta caught up with Nolan in the hallway, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. “Sir, are you sure about this… It’s just a shame,” he muttered. “The child of a fated mate bond would’ve been the strongest of its generation…”

“Don’t bring that up again,” He snapped, sharper than he intended.

He went silent, walking beside him with careful steps. Nolan could feel his questions pressing against his teeth, but he didn’t voice them. Smart.

Still, he could sense the doubt radiating off him.

Wasn’t the Alpha always indifferent about his wife? Why is he so angry now?

Because this wasn’t how it was supposed to go.

Because she wasn’t supposed to leave me.

Nolan clenched his fists.

“She can’t even have children,” he muttered. “It’s better this way. That marriage was never built to last. I’ve been sick of that low-status rogue for a while now.”

The Beta didn’t respond as the lie hung between them. Before the silence could stretch any longer, a young wolf skidded to a halt around the corner, panting and wide-eyed.

“Alpha!” he said, breathless. “A Healer is requesting to see you. It’s urgent… about your wife!”