A flash of feral rage crossed Damon's eyes.

"Elena, you're disgusted by me?"

Before I could answer, his fist slammed into the living room wall.

Plaster and dust flew through the air.

"You'll regret this," he snarled, turning and storming toward the door. "There will come a day when you're on your knees, begging me to come back!"

The door slammed shut, shaking the entire apartment.

I collapsed onto the sofa, staring at the shattered wolf and the hole in the wall.

This was my five years of love.

Broken to pieces.

The next morning, I started packing.

This apartment was bought with my own design fees; Damon's name wasn't on the deed.

But according to pack law, any major property transaction required the Alpha's seal.

I logged into the pack’s internal system to submit the sale application.

[PERMISSION DENIED]

[USER HAS BEEN BLOCKED BY ADMINISTRATOR]

Blocked.

He had actually blocked me from the pack network.

Like I was some rogue.

I called my lawyer.

"Thomas, I want to sell the apartment."

"Miss Elena, you'll need the Alpha's written consent," Thomas said, his voice hesitant. "But... from what I understand, your current status is a bit... complicated."

Complicated.

Meaning I was a nobody now.

"Is there any way around it?"

"If the Alpha agrees to sign the paperwork, then there's no problem."

I stared at my phone, thinking.

Then I dialed Damon's number.

"Elena?" His voice was full of surprise. "You've come to your senses?"

I took a deep breath, making my voice as fragile as possible.

"Damon, I... I did a lot of thinking last night." I paused, faking a sob. "Maybe I was too impulsive."

"Elena!" His tone was instantly ecstatic. "I knew you'd never really leave me!"

"I want to see you," I managed, squeezing out a few tears to make my voice tremble. "There are some things I need to tell you in person."

"Okay! I'll be right there!"

After hanging up, I looked at myself in the mirror.

The tears were still on my cheeks.

But my eyes were cold as stone.

An hour later, I was sitting in the city's most exclusive restaurant, waiting for Sera.

"Elena!" Sera strode over and wrapped me in a tight hug. "You look better than I expected."

"That's because I'm free," I said with a smile.

We were seated in a quiet private room with a panoramic view of the city.

"I've got the Crescent Moon Pack contract ready," Sera said, pushing a folder across the table. "Chief Strategy Officer, forty percent of the profits."

I looked through the terms.

It was more generous than I ever could have imagined.

"Sera, this is too much."

"It's not," she said, her expression serious. "Elena, your talent is worth far more than this. How much wealth have you created for Damon all these years?"

I thought about it. She was right.

More than half of the Black Stone Pack's business empire was built on projects I designed.

"Sign it," Sera said, handing me a pen. "It's time to live for yourself."

Just as I was about to sign, Sera's gaze shifted to the window.

"Elena, look over there."

I followed her eyes.

On a balcony of the building across the street, two familiar figures stood in plain view.

Damon and Isabella.

Even from this distance, I could see their expressions clearly.

Damon seemed to be comforting her, his hands on her shoulders.

Isabella looked up at him, her eyes filled with tears.

She said something that made Damon's expression soften.

Then, as if knowing she was being watched, Isabella rose onto her toes and pressed a possessive kiss to his neck.

That mark was a sting.

Even from so far away, my werewolf hearing picked up their conversation from the terrace.

"Don't worry, Isabella," Damon's voice was gentle, reassuring. "I'll find the right time to deal with the bond with Elena. For good."

Deal with it.

Like a problem to be solved.

"Really?" Isabella's voice trembled with feigned insecurity. "But the Elders said a simple rejection doesn't fully sever a fated mate bond..."

"Then we'll perform the full severance ritual," Damon's tone was firm. "At the next full moon, in front of the entire pack. I'll make her disappear from my life forever."

"But what about the toll it will take on you..." Isabella feigned concern.

"For our future, it's worth it."

I shut off my enhanced hearing and sat back down.

There was no pain in my chest, not like I expected.

Only a sense of relief.

"Heard enough?" Sera asked.

"More than enough." I picked up the pen and signed my name on the contract. "He's making this cleaner than I thought."

"Good." Sera raised her glass. "To new beginnings."

Our glasses clinked, the sound sharp and clear.

After our meeting, we walked to the restaurant's parking garage together.

"Elena, I have something for you." Sera pulled a sleek car key from her purse.

The fob was inlaid with a small crescent moon emblem that sparkled under the lights.

"What's this?"

"Your new ride." She gestured to a spot in the garage. "Custom Maserati. One of only fifty in the world."

I pressed the unlock button.

A short distance away, a sports car's lights flashed.

Its body was sleek and bold, like a swan about to take flight.

"Sera, this is too much..."

"Elena." She looked me right in the eyes. "A rejected Luna can't lose face. You need to show everyone that you're better off without him."

She was right.

If I was going to start a new life, I had to make it more brilliant than my last one.

"Thank you." I took the key, feeling its warmth in my hand.

"That's your commission from your last project. You earned it," Sera said, patting my shoulder. "From now on, you work for you."

I drove the new car back to the apartment.

As I pulled into the underground garage, I saw a familiar figure leaning against a pillar.

Damon.

His arms were crossed, his expression dark. He'd clearly been waiting for a while.

"Elena." His voice echoed in the empty space. "Where were you?"

I got out and grabbed my bag.

"Dinner."

"With who?" He followed me. "You're back late."

"A friend."

"What kind of friend requires you to dress up like that?" His tone grew colder. "Elena, given your... situation, it's not appropriate for you to be meeting with outsiders."

Outsiders.

An interesting choice of words.

"And who, exactly, is an 'outsider'?" I stopped and turned to face him.

"Anyone who isn't a member of the Black Stone Pack," he said, as if it were obvious. "Especially our competitors."

"Like Sera?"

"Exactly like her!" Anger flashed in his eyes. "Elena, how could you be consorting with the Alpha of the Crescent Moon Pack? She's only using you!"

Consorting.

What a disgusting word.

"And what's with the car?" He pointed to my new Maserati. "A limited edition, that's at least four hundred thousand. Where did you get that kind of money?"

His eyes were filled with suspicion and a possessive glint.

As if I were still his property.

"I earned it."

"You earned it?" He scoffed. "Elena, all your design fees are turned over to the pack. You don't have that kind of money."

Turned over.

Like an underling reporting to a superior.

I didn't answer, just kept walking toward the elevator.

"Elena!" His voice, laced with his Alpha command, boomed behind me. "I'm talking to you!"

The elevator doors opened, and I stepped inside.

He followed me in.

In the confined space, I could smell that sweet, cloying Omega scent on him again.

"You need to tell me what you did tonight." He slammed his hand on the stop button. "As your former mate, I have a right to know where you are."

Former mate.

And he still thought he had rights.

"Damon, you're mistaken about one thing." I stared directly into his eyes. "You have no rights whatsoever."

"No rights?" His eyes flashed, a flicker of his wolf's gold surfacing. "Elena, you are still living on my territory!"

"This is my apartment."

"But you are still within the jurisdiction of the Black Stone Pack!"

Jurisdiction.

Such arrogant logic.

The elevator reached my floor.

I stepped out, and he followed close behind.

"Elena, what did you and Sera talk about today?" He followed me into the living room. "Are you two plotting something?"

I walked to the coffee table and pulled a folder from my bag.

If he wanted to know so badly, then I'd let him know.

I pushed the folder toward him. "You should take a look at this."

Damon looked at the folder, a smug smile spreading across his face.

"Elena, I knew you'd come around. Is this a request to reinstate our bond?" He didn't open it right away, instead leaning back on the sofa, savoring the feeling of control.

"Was it seeing me with Isabella tonight that finally made you realize your mistake?"

I watched him, my face a blank mask.

"Aren't you going to look at it?"

"In a minute." He crossed his legs, acting as if he held all the cards. "Elena, I can give you one more chance. If you sincerely apologize and admit that your behavior tonight was wrong, I might consider taking you back."

Taking me back.

How generous.

"Of course, there will be conditions," he continued. "For instance, you can't have any more contact with the Crescent Moon Pack. And that car? It has to go back."

I said nothing, just waited.

He was about to open the folder when a mind link from Isabella came through.

"You should answer that," I said flatly.

He hesitated for a second before turning away to take it.

"Damon!" Isabella's panicked voice filled the link, clear enough for me to hear through our residual bond. "Where are you? I'm so scared!"

"What's wrong?" Damon’s tone sharpened instantly.

"There are some rogues following me!" Isabella’s voice trembled. "They look dangerous, I don't know what to do!"

Damon shot to his feet, the folder completely forgotten in his hand.

"Where are you right now?"

"In the mall parking lot, I'm too scared to leave..."

"Elena, I have to go get Isabella," he said, rushing toward the door.

"Wait," I called out. "You haven't dealt with the document yet."

"Elena!" He spun around, his eyes wide with disbelief. "Isabella is in danger, and you're worried about a piece of paper?"

"You're here. Just handle it before you go," I said, my voice calm. "It's important."

"How can you be so cold-blooded?" he seethed. "She could get hurt!"

Another, sharper scream came through the link.

"Damon! They're getting closer! Help me!"

That scream was the final push. Damon lost all reason.

"Fine, fine, I'll deal with it!" he snapped, storming back and snatching the folder.

He didn't even look at the contents, just flipped straight to the last page.

When he saw the spot requiring the Alpha's seal, he pressed his thumb to it without a second thought.

The crimson print stood out, stark and clear against the paper.

It was done.

"Happy now?" He snarled, tossing the folder onto the coffee table before bolting for the door.

"Perfectly," I murmured, picking up the document. A slow, cold smile touched my lips. "Drive safe."

He was gone without another word.

I sat on the sofa, the once-chaotic living room now quiet again.

I pulled out my phone and dialed my lawyer, Thomas.

"Thomas, the document has been signed. You can file the transfer paperwork tomorrow."

"Of course, Miss Elena. And the new name on the deed?"

"Elena Martinez," I said, repeating my own name. "Not an attachment to anyone."

After hanging up, I walked to the window and looked out at the city lights.

The traffic flowed like rivers, the lights like stars.

This world was so much bigger than just the Black Stone Pack.

My phone buzzed.

A private message.

From: Isabella.

Elena, Damon's heart is mine now. You should just leave with some dignity.