Chapter: 8

When I left this marriage, I would take only two things: my pride and my son.

“Anything else, take whatever you want,” I said evenly. His shock twisted into rage. “Don’t you dare! He’s my son!” “And mine!” I shouted back.

“You can’t take the pack heir away from the Alpha!” Kieran’s voice trembled with barely contained fury.

“You can’t rip a mother’s heart from her chest!” My hand trembled, but my voice did not. “I don’t want your money, your property, nothing. I just want my son.”

Daniel was the only light in this miserable world. If Kieran ever tried to take him from me... then I would force my claws to grow.

I would destroy them all.

I studied Kieran carefully. Under the dim kitchen light, his expression was unreadable. Finally, his jaw tightened, and he gave a stiff nod.

“Fine. You can have full custody,” he said.

I exhaled in relief. There was nothing left to discuss. Tomorrow, I'd go to the Civil Affairs Office and get our divorce certificate.

I turned to leave—but Kieran caught my wrist.

He cleared his throat awkwardly, his warm hand brushing my skin. “If you want... we can wait until after the funeral to finalize everything.”

For a fleeting, dangerous second, I almost believed him. Almost mistook it for kindness.

If only he’d shown that tenderness once—just once—in the last ten years.

I pulled my arm free. “No need to delay. There’s nothing left to dissolve anyway—you never even gave me a mating mark.”

The one thing he refused me in marriage... was love.

“Your wolf never surfaced,” he’d said calmly, deliberately, on our wedding night. “A bond would only hurt you when—”

When I despise you so much.

I knew that was what he’d meant. I'd walked away before he could finish.

“Save your concern for your new Luna,” I said coldly. “I may not have a wolf, but I’m not weak.”

The next morning, I picked up our divorce certificate.

A strange calm filled me. I thought it would hurt more, but when you finally accept the truth, it feels like a weight has been lifted.

As I stepped toward the house, Kieran’s voice drifted through the slightly open door.

“Daniel, are you really okay? I mean... about your mom and me getting divorced.”

The door was ajar. Inside, Daniel and Kieran were putting together a puzzle, just like they used to.