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!”

Third-Person's POV

What could possibly be wrong with her?

The messenger, a scrawny wolf with trembling hands and a nervous scent, stood in front of me, barely managing to meet Nolan's eyes. “Alpha,” he said, voice taut, “the Healer insists it’s urgent. He said it concerns… your wife’s medical results.”

Nolan let out a short, humorless breath.

My wife.

It felt strange, the word. Heavier now. But he shoved that thought aside.

“She was perfectly fine earlier,” Nolan muttered. “Lively, throwing her little tantrum, storming around like she owned the place. If anything, she looked healthier than ever. Yet you think she's illed?”

The worker didn’t answer, of course. He simply nodded and backed away, disappearing the second he stopped acknowledging his existence.

Nolan started pacing, his thoughts still spinning around Ellie’s outburst like flies around fire.

She said she wanted a divorce.

And she meant it.

He could still hear the way she said it, not the sobbing little girl he used to know, the one who wilted under pressure and curled up at his feet with hope in her eyes. No, this version of her was wild and loud and sure. Nothing like her past acts, this character felt far to… real.

And it got under his skin.

Nolan clenched his jaw. His footsteps echoed under the high ceilings, but even that sound couldn’t drown out his thoughts.

“Alpha,” the Beta said quietly, stepping up beside me, “sir, excuse my words, but…why are you so angry?”

He didn’t answer.

He tilted his head. “You’re not usually like this. Cold, yes. Focused. Controlled. But this? You’re… upset.”

Nolan stopped walking.

The worst part was, he wasn’t wrong.

He’d always prided himself on being unmoved. Strategic. He handled war councils and border threats with less heat than he’d felt knowing Ellie was packing her things like she’d never cared for him at all.

Nolan ran a hand through his hair, denied, “No, I am not. It's because she’s acting out. ”

“Tell the Healer he can leave the results in my office." He spoke coldly, impatiently, "I’ll look at them when I have time.”

The Beta hesitated, then nodded, clearly sensing this wasn’t a battle worth pushing.

As Nolan turned to leave, his jaw tightened.

Medical results.

How could there possibly be something wrong with her?

She was too loud. Too bold. Too alive.

Ellie's POV

The next day, I was double-checking my bag, folding each piece of clothing over again, not because I was sentimental, but because it gave my hands something to do while the rest of me burned. I refused to leave in a flurry. No storming out. No slammed doors. If I was leaving, I’d do it calm. Composed. On my own two feet.

“Too bad,” one of the maids whispered nearby, her voice not nearly quiet enough. “Nolan’s been Alpha for so long. He really needs an heir. Poor man. Maybe things will finally settle down once Felicity takes over. She can definitely give him children unlike Ellie.”

I closed the lid of my suitcase and let the soft click of the latch answer for me.

I can have children. That’s not the problem.

What scares me is the thought of raising them in this place. This house isn’t a home, it’s a pedestal I was meant to stand on, silent and pretty, until I cracked under the weight. If someone wants to stay here and be worshipped and walked over, that’s on them.

A soft chime echoed through the packhouse’s intercom system. It was a message from the Beta, formal and direct to my room alone.

“The rejection ceremony has been prepared. Please report to the Alpha’s office, Ellie.”

I stood up, brushing invisible dust from my sleeves. My shoes clicked with purpose as I left the room behind. One step, then another, down the long hallway I’d once memorized with the desperation of someone trying to belong.

I rounded the corner and nearly froze.

Voices. Familiar, but from a dream I hadn’t let myself remember until now.

Two men stood at the end of the corridor.

The first was tall and broad-shouldered, his hair a tousled chestnut brown that curled slightly at the ends, like he’d always been too impatient to brush it. He wore a dark military-style jacket over a fitted shirt, the sleeves rolled up to his forearms, revealing faint scars along sun-kissed skin. His stance was alert, a protective tension in his frame like he was ready to step in front of anything that moved too fast. His sharp eyes locked onto mine the second I rounded the corner.

The second man stood just behind him, older, leaner, with silver threaded through his cold-brew brown hair, slicked neatly back. He was dressed in a long ash-gray coat trimmed with gold, regal in posture but unreadable in expression. Still and sharp like a drawn blade, one that hadn’t dulled in the slightest with time. His gaze was colder, quieter, but no less piercing.

Those must have been the visitors from the Moonstone Pack Nolan had mentioned.

The air seemed to bend between us, the younger one turned, his eyes narrowing the second they landed on me. A look flashed across his face so fast I nearly missed it. He nodded to one of the guards, asking low, “Who is she?”

My brows furrowed, I ducked my head, and my legs carried me past them toward the office door.

I was almost in Nolan’s office when I heard one of the guards answering his question.

“She’s our Alpha’s rogue wife.”

Rogue.

The word slapped me, not because it hurt anymore, but because I’d heard it so many times it had nearly become my name. Not Ellie. Not mate. Not woman. Just… rogue. Something less-than.

The doors shut behind me, and I let myself focus on the trail ahead.

Nolan stood behind his desk, arms crossed, looking at me like I was late, even though I wasn’t.

“You’re early,” he muttered.

“Your Beta said now,” I said. “So I’m here now.”

He studied me, trying to read the cracks in my face like always, but I didn’t give him any.

“Last chance to change your mind,” he said, smirking slightly, trying to make it sound like a joke. But his eyes weren’t laughing.

I tilted my head sarcastically. “You sure you want to give up your dramatic rogue wife? Apparently, she was always good for a bit of gossip.”

His mouth pressed into a hard line.

“Let’s get it over with,” I said.

Something in his expression shifted. Annoyance, maybe. Or disbelief. As if the script in his head was finally starting to unravel.

Suddenly, the doors slammed open.

The Beta burst in, breathless and holding a folder in his hand.

“Alpha! Wait—Please, these are important!”

We both turned.

He rushed forward, gripping a folder like it were burning his fingers. His eyes flicked to me, wide and uncertain, then back to Nolan.

I frowned, watching as Nolan for the papers.

“What could it possibly be, Beta.”

I saw it before the folder even touched Nolan's hand. My name was printed across the top of the document. The official stamp of the pack’s medical division. I knew what was printed with in it:

Pregnancy confirmed. Estimated gestation: five weeks.

Nolan frowned and as he took it, "What is this...?"