Adele's POV
"In your own words, wife," Caden said quietly.
The calmness in his voice terrified me more than any growl ever could.
He stood before me like a storm held barely in check, broad shoulders rigid, Alpha power coiling tightly beneath his skin. His lips curved—not in warmth, but in a cold, knowing smirk that promised punishment no matter what I said.
"N… no," I whispered at last, annoyed at the weakness of my voice. The word barely made it past my throat, yet somehow, it almost sounded like a tempest roar.
My hands trembled at my sides, my dying wolf shrinking deep within me, instinct screaming that this was not a moment for honesty—but for mere survival.
"That's right," Caden replied softly. "And that's the only answer you're allowed to give."
His gaze pierced straight through me, as though he could see every secret carved into my bones.
Before I could breathe again, Sylvia spoke. The sound of her voice was sharp, venomous beneath its false gentleness. She was a serpent ready to drown me in her poison.
"Then whose pup is it?" she muttered, disdain flashing across her features before she masked it with practiced concern. "Oh—I didn't mean it like that! I mean––"
But the damage was already done.
I felt it immediately—the shift in the air, the sudden surge of Alpha fury erupting from Caden like a breaking dam. Jealousy, rage, possession—emotions so intense they made the room feel smaller, tighter, impossible to escape.
His hand shot out.
Fingers closed around my jaw, gripping my face with brutal force. Pain bloomed as his thumb pressed into my cheek, his grip so tight I feared my bones would crack, and I'd be forced to swallow my own teeth.
"If I find out," he whispered, voice low and lethal, like a final warning before the drop of an axe, "that you're carrying another male's pup…"
His eyes burned into mine, wild and merciless. "I will kill you," he continued calmly, "and I will make sure that bastard never takes a breath again."
My heart fell into my stomach with a stabbing drop, my entire body freezing under my husband's deadly glare.
But I didn't cry out. I didn't fight.
I knew better.
Nothing I said would matter. Not truth. Not tears. Not the mate bond humming weakly between us, strained to the breaking point.
So I stayed silent. Like I always did.
Eventually, he released me, shoving me forward as if I disgusted him.
Without another word, Caden turned away, grabbing his jacket and wallet. He didn't look at the breakfast table. Didn't spare me another glance. The door slammed shut behind him, echoing like a final verdict.
Only then did my knees threaten to give out.
Relief washed over me—thin, fleeting, fragile.
I knew I was only safe until the truth surfaced.
And when it did… I wouldn't survive his wrath.
***
The day blurred into evening.
I moved through the mansion like a ghost, finishing my chores by muscle memory alone. The house felt colder without Caden's presence—too quiet, too vast, every shadow like a ghost of danger.
As I prepared dinner, my limbs heavy with exhaustion, Sylvia appeared beside me. She leaned against the counter, watching me with thinly veiled satisfaction.
"Adele, dear," she said sweetly, "we're all leaving shortly. There's a party tonight."
I nodded, uninterested.
"You know how Caden gets," she continued. "He insists we attend."
Then her lips curved cruelly.
"And the reason for the celebration?" she added. "Carrie is back. After three years. His beloved. His star-crossed lover."
The name sliced through me like a steak knife, gutting me open for my mother-in-law to glare, pleased.
Carrie.
The woman the pack always whispered about. The she-wolf who had once walked beside Caden as if she belonged by his side by her birthright—where I stood now.
Sylvia squeezed my hand. "Take care of yourself."
And just like that, she left.
The mansion felt emptier than ever.
I didn't eat.
I left food for the servants and retreated to my room, curling on the bed long before night fully fell. My phone buzzed moments later.
A news alert.
I shouldn't have opened it.
But I did.
The image stole my breath—Caden and Carrie, captured mid-kiss, laughter frozen between them. They looked radiant. Whole. Perfect.
I pressed my hand to my stomach as tears blurred my vision.
Would he ever accept this child… when his heart belonged to someone else?
My last shred of hope dissolved.
Then the lights went out, and the mansion plunged into darkness.
My breath caught as I turned on my phone flashlight, shadows leaping across the walls. I tried calling the guards. The servants. No answer.
Footsteps echoed.
Not one.
Many.
Heavy. Purposeful.
I froze. So this is why everyone left... Isn't it a bit too vile just to scare me?
Masked figures emerged from the dark—black-clad, armed, moving with lethal precision, followed by several warrior wolves. My heart thundered as I killed my light and ran.
I knew this house.
Every hallway. Every hidden corner.
I hid behind the kitchen counter, then inside a cabinet, barely breathing as they spread out.
"Find her," one snarled. "Now. The Alpha wants her dead."
The Alpha.
The word hit me like a punch in the gut.
There was only one Alpha they answered to.
My mate.
My husband.
So it wasn't another one of Sylvia's stunts to mess with me?
I clamped a hand over my mouth to silence my sob.
Then, I reached for the scent suppressor in the pocket of my dress and sprayed it all over my body. I refused to die. Not now. Not with my pup depending on me.
When the footsteps faded, I slipped from hiding and fled the mansion. Outside, cold night air burned my lungs as realization settled painfully deep.
Caden had completely cleared the house. No guards. No servants. Just me.
Tears streamed down my face, but I wiped them away. He had planned this. He truly wanted me gone. And yet, I was strangely ready.
I sold my wedding ring that very night. Ten million dollars for a broken bond and a rare Tiffany design.
By dawn, I was on a plane to New York.
Holding my belly, I whispered, "I will protect you. Even if the whole world turns against us."
As the plane lifted, I looked back one final time.
"Goodbye, Alpha Caden Wayne," I murmured. "You're free now."
And I was free, too.