SAVANNAH

"How dare you?!"

The door slammed shut behind Evan, making the painting on the wall tremble, its rattling echo punctuating his outburst. I silently counted to three, willing myself to remain calm before looking up from the stack of papers I was reviewing. Another dramatic performance, courtesy of Cecily.

“How dare I what?” My tone was clipped, my boredom evident as I uncrossed my legs and stood to face him.

His eyes burned with fury, dark and unrelenting. “I don’t know what’s gotten into you these past weeks, but this has to stop. For goodness’ sake, Savannah, she’s carrying our child, and you seem determined to do everything in your power to make her lose the baby!”

Breathe, Savannah. Just breathe.

“Let me guess,” I said calmly, folding my arms. “She told you some wild story about me again, didn’t she? Like when she ‘accidentally’ got too close to the fire and blamed me for telling her to stand there. Or when she cut herself moving kitchenware because I supposedly told her to move them, even though there are omegas for that. Or the time she ‘almost fell’ down the stairs because she was supposedly rushing to answer my call, even though I wasn’t even in the packhouse?” I paused, tapping my temple mockingly. “Honestly, Evan, it’s exhausting how you can’t see through her constant lies. She’s full of bullshit, and you’re eating it up like a starved puppy.”

His hand shot out, lightning-fast, and wrapped around my neck. His wolf surged to the surface, blackening his eyes with rage. My wolf roared in response, and I shoved him back with every ounce of my strength, breaking his hold.

“Don’t you dare lay a hand on me,” I hissed, my voice like steel. “I’ve let you play the superior male, but don’t forget yourself, Evan. I’m an Alpha female, and I won’t tolerate this. I don’t care what Cecily said this time. I’ve had enough of her nonsense and your tantrums from it. Leave my room. I have work to do.”

His eyes narrowed dangerously as he stepped closer. “No, Savannah. You’re the one who’s forgotten yourself. I’ve put up with your behavior long enough. Don’t push me any further, or there will be consequences—ones you won’t want to face. Do nothing to jeopardize this child, or—”

“Enough,” My voice was cold, my patience at its limit. “This conversation is over. Get out.” I pointed to the door, my gaze unwavering.

Evan glared at me, his anger palpable. Without another word, he turned sharply on his heel and stormed out, slamming the door so hard the walls seemed to shudder.

I exhaled heavily, the sound filled with weariness as I sat on the edge of my bed. This was what we had become—constant fights, accusations flung like weapons, all because he refused to see her for what she truly was.

Whatever love we once shared was hanging by the thinnest thread, and I knew it was only a matter of time before it snapped entirely.

When it did, I’d walk away. But walking away would mean leaving everything behind, and Luther had made sure that I stayed away from the one man who could actually change things for me. Another sigh escaped my lips and I decided to go find something to eat because Evan had managed to completely ruin my mood and disrupt my focus.

As I stepped into the packhouse kitchen, the chatter of the two omegas present instantly ceased. Their heads bowed low, their voices soft with deference. “Luna.”

I nodded briefly, about to respond, when her voice cut through the air like poisoned honey.

“Luna,” Cecily cooed, her tone dripping with false sweetness like it did whenever people were present. “I didn’t realize you were here. You could have sent for me. I would have brought whatever you needed to you.”

I turned slowly to face her, my patience razor-thin. “Save it, Cecily. You’ve won. I have no interest in playing your games anymore, so drop the act.”

Her eyes widened in mock surprise, one of her hands fluttering to her chest then the other reached for me, “Luna, I’m sorry if my—”

“Don’t.” I stepped back before she touched me, cutting her off sharply. “Don’t touch me.”

And then it happened.

Her eyes flickered with triumph just before she stumbled backward like I had pushed her, landing on the floor with an exaggerated cry. “My stomach!”

Shock rendered me immobile for a moment even worse, blood began to seep through her dress, staining the fabric in deep crimson.

“No,” I whispered, my mind racing.

Evan burst into the kitchen, his gaze filled with shock snapping to Cecily on the floor before settling on me. His expression hardened instantly, his voice icy and accusing.

“What have you done, Savannah?”

SAVANNAH

"What do you mean she’s moving into the Alpha’s quarters?"

The words left my mouth sharper than I intended, but I couldn’t hold back the surge of anger that surged through me. The omega in front of me flinched, her eyes wide with fear as she clutched the basket of freshly folded linens tighter against her chest.

“It’s what the Alpha decided, Luna,” she mumbled, avoiding my gaze. “He said it’s for the child’s safety.”

For the child’s safety?

My fists clenched at my sides as my thoughts raced. Evan was going too far. I had tolerated the whispers, the constant accusations, the endless charade Cecily played to make herself the victim. After that kitchen incident, where I discovered she had planted the blood herself to frame me—nothing to do with her or the baby—I was done tolerating this.

I forced a breath into my lungs, holding on to the shred of composure I had left. “Did he say anything else?”

The omega hesitated, then shook her head quickly before bowing and hurrying away, leaving me standing alone in the corridor with my thoughts. This wasn’t about safety. This was Cecily’s doing, another move in her game to push me further into the shadows while she wormed her way deeper into Evan’s favor.

And for the first time in weeks, I realized I wasn’t just angry or emracing letting go—I was done.

I spun on my heel and marched off to find Evan. I knew he was scheduled to have a meeting with the pack warriors, but when I reached the clearing, it was empty. Then I spotted Jax, the Beta.

"Jax!" I called, striding toward him.

He bowed his head, offering me a strained smile—the kind he’d given ever since this mess began. Jax and I used to be close, but the rift between Evan and me had forced him to choose sides. He chose his Alpha.

I returned his smile with a curt nod, keeping my expression neutral. "Have you seen Evan?"

"Something came up," he said, his tone careful. "He had to leave the pack. That’s why the meeting was canceled."

"Alright. What about Cecily?"

His eyes flashed with unease, and he looked past me, toward the woods that stretched to the borders of our territory. "I don’t know exactly where she is, but the last time I saw her, she said she was going for a short stroll in the woods."

My jaw tightened. Cecily in the woods alone and pregnant was reckless. I didn’t care for her, and frankly, not for the baby either, but wandering off like that was dangerous.

"Why wasn’t she escorted?" I asked sharply.

"I offered," Jax admitted, rubbing the back of his neck. "But she said she wouldn’t go far—just needed some time away from the endless drama and from…"

His words trailed off, but I didn’t need him to finish the sentence.

Time away from me.

That pretentious, manipulative little snake. My wolf growled, the urge to rip her apart clawing at me.

I nodded curtly, thanking Jax for the information, then spun on my heel again. I told myself to let it go. That had been my mantra for weeks now butt the anger simmering in me—fueled by my wolf—had reached its breaking point.

I had taken a lot of bullshit and I was almost done working my way around leaving still with my pack. Just a few more weeks but until then, her moving into his bedroom was a line that would not be crossed. Night was falling as I crossed into the woods. The sky was darkening, casting long shadows among the trees. My senses sharpened immediately, my wolf pushing to the surface.

I focused my hearing and scent, trying to pick up her trail. It didn’t take long—her scent was fresh, mixed with the damp earth and crisp night air. And then, faintly, I heard her voice.

I moved silently, following the sound until I was close enough to hear her words clearly.

"I need a little more time," she said, her tone low but urgent. "Tearing it down is proving to be more difficult than I thought it would be."

My steps faltered.

What?

I edged closer, pressing myself against a tree to stay hidden. She was on the phone, pacing slightly as she spoke.

"I’ve done everything you asked," she continued. "She’s just… a little more difficult than I expected. But I promise you, she will be out of the picture soon."

My heart slammed against my ribcage. Someone had sent her? And as I who needed to be removed?

Her voice dropped, almost a whisper, but the next words hit me like a punch to the gut, the pieces slightly falling together from them.

"Just a little more time," she said. "I promise you, before the next full moon, just like the others, the Silver Ridge pack will be yours."

SAVANNAH

My voice was sharp, slicing through the tense air of Evan’s study in the packhouse. He stood behind his desk, arms crossed over his chest, his jaw set in that infuriatingly stubborn way I had come to know all too well.

"You need to listen to me, Evan. I heard her. Cecily is working with someone—someone who wants to take this pack. And I don’t think it is just this one. She said just like the other, this pack ill be yours. That’s probably why she made herself available as a breeder. That’s why she’s pretending, letting only me see her for what she truly is. She admitted it, word for word."

Evan’s brows furrowed, his lips pressing into a thin line. "And you managed to piece this together from a conversation you overheard while eavesdropping on her? You’ve really changed over these last few months, Savannah. I thought almost making her lose the baby in the kitchen was the worst of it, but now I see you’re willing to stoop even lower."

"I’m stooping so low?" I stepped forward, my fists clenched at my sides. "She said the Silver Ridge pack would be theirs by the next full moon! How can you not see what’s right in front of you?"

He sighed, dragging a hand down his face. "This has gone too far," he muttered. "I won’t stand here and let you accuse her without proof."

"Proof?" My voice rose, incredulous. "I just told you what I heard with my own ears, Evan. What more proof do you need?"

His expression hardened, his tone cool and dismissive. "Then let’s go to Cecily and ask her."

I froze, staring at him. For a moment, I thought I had misheard him. "What?"

"Let’s go to her," he repeated, stepping out from behind the desk. "If she’s plotting against the pack, she won’t be able to hide it. But if you’re wrong, Savannah—"

"Wrong?" The word escaped me in a whisper, the sting of betrayal cutting deep.

He didn’t believe me.

He truly didn’t believe me.

I shook my head slowly, the realization settling over me like a cold, heavy blanket. The thread had snapped. The last fragile connection that had tethered us together was gone. I had truly lost him.

For weeks, I had clung to hope, to the possibility that we could find our way back to each other. But now, standing here in front of the man I had once called my mate, I saw the truth.

"You think I’m doing this out of spite, don’t you?" My voice was quiet now, the anger ebbing into something colder, sharper.

Evan’s jaw tightened, but he said nothing.

"You’ve already chosen her," I said, each word deliberate, a final nail in the coffin of what we once had. "You chose her the moment you let her into this pack, into your life, into our life. And now, you can’t even see what she’s doing to destroy everything we’ve built."

"Enough, Savannah," he said, his tone clipped. "I won’t have you causing more division in this pack. If you’re so sure, let’s go settle this now."

I stared at him for a long moment, my chest tight with a thousand emotions I couldn’t name. Then, slowly, I shook my head again.

"It’s really over," My voice was barely above a whisper. "I don’t know why, but I thought if I stayed a little longer, you’d eventually come to your senses. Maybe that’s why a part of me has been prolonging this for so long. But it’s never going to end, is it? Even when she has the baby, it’ll still be her. There’s nothing left of us."

Then for the first time in months, I felt a strange sense of calm wash over me. The fight was gone, replaced by a quiet certainty. I met his gaze, my wolf growling within me. I didn’t know if it was in protest or acceptance of what I was about to do.

“I, Savannah Queen—"

Evan’s eyes widened in surprise. "What do you think you’re—"

The first tear slid down my cheek, but I didn’t stop. The words were already flowing from my lips.

"Reject you, Evan Scott, as my mate."

I felt the bond snap instantly, the pain of it tearing through me like a blade. It took everything in me to stay standing as I watched Evan’s face twist in agony, his knees giving way as he crumbled to the ground.

My eyes closed on their own accord as I said the final words, severing the last thread that connected us.

"As of this moment, you are nothing to me."