Chapter 2

Thalia woke to the harsh light of the infirmary and found herself lying in a narrow bed. The memory of the stairwell and the blow returned in a rush and she sat up with a gasp.

A pack medic from the pack stepped inside, taking in her worried face and offering a gentle, professional smile. “Don’t worry, the pup is fine. But next time, be careful with your belly.”

Relief flooded her and she slid a hand to the soft swell beneath her blouse.

After what had happened three years before, when Drake’s choices had cost her a pup, she swore this one would be protected.

When she was well enough to leave, Thalia went straight to the Pack Registry. If she was going to break free, the divorce had to be final and formal—quickly.

She handed the registrar a stack of parchments. The clerk tapped at the console for a long moment, then looked up with a puzzled frown. “Lady Thalia, according to our records, your Bond-Severance was filed a month ago.”

Thalia’s heart lurched. “That can’t be right. I wasn’t here a month ago. I didn’t file anything.”

The clerk scrolled through the entries and his face went flat. “It shows the filing was processed by Alpha Drake Valecrown…and his mate is listed as Naeryn Rothewyn. Do you know her?”

The world narrowed to a ring in Thalia’s ears. A month ago had been her natal moon—her birthday. Drake had given her a large sum and said he would celebrate later, after the day’s pack duties. She had gone out shopping, thinking to surprise him.

Instead, a pack of drunken men had pushed her into a back alley. She had fumbled for her comm-thong, tried to call Drake, only to hear the line drop each time. If a passerby had not intervened, she did not want to imagine what might have happened.

When she finally made it home that night, Drake had claimed he’d been in a council meeting and his throat-loop had been muted. She had believed him.

Now the Registry clerk’s words slotted into place like hooked teeth: Drake had unmated her on her birthday and put Naeryn’s name in his stead.

She stepped out into the street to clear her head, but a gale came up and the sky opened. Rain drove against her until she was sodden.

No rider or carriage passed, the pack’s patrols were thin in the storm. Her umbrella snapped and she trudged on, tears indistinguishable from the rain.

By the time she reached the villa, she was soaked through and shivering. Pushing the door open, she was met by warm light and the sound of Drake’s voice—tender, the way it used to be for her.

“It’s pouring. Drink some ginger broth, or you’ll catch a chill,” he said.

Her hope fluttered, then died when she saw him kneel beside Naeryn’s bed while Fiora sat quietly at the head.

Drake’s attention was for them, his words were for them.

When he noticed Thalia at the doorway, panic flickered across his face, then smoothed.

“Fiora’s heart is fragile. If anything happens, I can help straightaway. Naeryn will stay with her.”

Thalia let a mirthless laugh escape. “Rescue? You think you can stand in for a pack medic? Keeping someone here instead of sending them to the infirmary—is that your plan?”

Drake’s expression hardened in an instant. “How dare you speak like that! This is my house. If you object, I can remove your name from the deed.”

When they were mated, he had insisted she be added to the property so she would feel safe. That security, he now threatened to strip away for the sake of another she-wolf.

If he would dispose of her so casually, Thalia decided she could discard the rest of what bound them. She stepped into the warm room, hands clenched and resolved that nothing of hers would remain for him to claim.