The moment Rowan's roar tore through Audrey's doorway, it sounded less like a man and more like an alpha wolf catching the scent of a rival.
"Audrey! How dare you cheat on me!"
Cheat.
Audrey almost barked a laugh at the absurdity.
He stood in the threshold, jaw clenched, eyes storm-dark, hackles practically raised. The audacity in his voice was so staggering she could barely restrain the snarl building in her throat.
Riley was beside her—her assistant, nothing more—but Rowan looked at him as if he had caught another man in Audrey's bed.
She owed Rowan no explanation. Not anymore.
"What are you doing here, Rowan?" Audrey asked, her voice cold and level.
She knew why he had come. Fen had been difficult lately—feral energy, tantrums, sleepless nights—and Lisa couldn't tame him. Rowan still didn't understand how Audrey had once calmed the pup with nothing but her presence, her rhythm, her pack scent.
But the moment Rowan stepped inside and saw Riley, whatever civility he had rehearsed burned away. His expression twisted, wounded pride turning vicious.
He lunged forward and grabbed Audrey's wrist, his snarl deepening.
"Audrey, tell me who that male is. Are you sneaking around behind my back?"
Riley stepped forward instinctively, shoulders tense, ready to shield her.
Audrey shot him a sharp look—stand down.
He froze, though he didn't move far, watching Rowan like a predator waiting for prey to misstep.
Pain shot up Audrey's arm as Rowan's grip tightened right over the old injury. The scar was healed, but the ache flared like the memory of every useless sacrifice she had made for him.
A low growl rumbled in her throat. "Let. Go."
Rowan finally realized what he was doing and frowned.
Audrey yanked her wrist free and limped toward the door on her crutch, posture steady despite the pain.
Then she opened the door wide. "Get out of my house."
Rowan stepped in front of her before she could force him out, lowering his head to meet her eyes, his voice taut. "Audrey, don't you have anything to explain?"
A cold laugh escaped her.
"What about you, Rowan?" Audrey lifted her gaze and stared straight through him. "Don't you have anything to explain to me?"
His pupils flickered—guilt, brief as lightning—before smothering beneath his practiced calm.
He sighed, his voice soft in the way he thought was charming. "Taking Lisa to the hospital was my mistake. I saw your injuries weren't serious."
Audrey stared at him in disbelief.
"You should see a healer," she said flatly. "Because if you think my shattered leg was a 'scratch,' your eyesight is beyond saving."
He didn't want to argue, so he switched tactics, smoothing his tone.
"Let's not dwell on the past. What will it take for you to come home with me?"
"Home?" Audrey let out a short, humorless breath. "We don't have a home, Rowan."
Not anymore. And in one month, she would be free.
He frowned. "I have other properties."
"Oh?" Audrey asked coolly. "And which one is Lisa nesting in?"
His throat hitched. "She's… staying there temporarily."
He rushed on, irritation creeping in. "The old condo was wrecked. You can't blame me for giving her shelter. Don't be childish."
Childish. Audrey felt her lip curl.
He kept pushing. "Yes, I had history with her, but it was ten years ago. You're not jealous, are you? There's nothing between us now."
The lies slid so easily off his tongue that Audrey wondered if he even heard himself anymore.
She gave him nothing—only silence.
Rowan mistook it for weakness.
His expression softened. "Audrey, we've been bonded for years. Maybe the spark faded, but I don't mind if you… explored a little. Just end it and come home."
Then he delivered the line he thought would break her.
"Fen's been sick. He keeps howling for you."
The words struck a raw place. Of course Fen had called for her.
Audrey had been the one holding him through fevers.
The one singing him to sleep.
The one he trusted when nightmares clawed at him.
Lisa had never stayed up with him—not once.
And yet the moment Fen felt strong again, he had run back to her, chanting that she was his real mother, clinging to the blood-tie he believed mattered most.
Like father, like son.
Ungrateful.
Fickle.
Loyal only when they needed something.
Audrey met Rowan's gaze, cold and unshaken. "Do you want me back as your mate… or do you just need someone to raise your pup?"
Rowan's eyes narrowed. "Fen is your son. Caring for him is your duty."
The words almost made her laugh. Even now, he lied as easily as breathing.
He softened again, guilt twisting his tone. "You're my mate. I only have one heir, and that's Fen. Everything I own will be his one day. Your place in the pack will never be questioned."
Then came the final blow. "As long as you don't fight with Lisa, you will always be the legal Luna. Come home. Stop this foolishness."
Legal Luna—as if the title mattered more than her soul.
Audrey didn't bother hiding her disgust.
"It's over," she said, her voice ice-cold. "Let's get divorced. And stay out of my life."
Rowan froze, shock racing across his features. He had truly believed that lowering his pride would be enough to lure her back.
His face darkened, fury clouding his eyes. "You really want a divorce?"
"Yes."
When the bond was severed, Audrey would finally be able to take her time reclaiming everything he had stolen from her.
And when the truth came out, she would drag Rowan to her daughter's grave and make him beg.
He stared at her for a long, tense moment.
Then a slow, chilling smile spread across his lips.
"I won't divorce you," he said softly. "You've lived off me for years. My home. My protection. My resources." His voice dropped into a cold alpha growl.
"You think you can survive without my pack? Without me?"