Ethan stood behind me, his face a mask of cold fury. My mate—no, my soon-to-be ex-mate—was watching the entire scene unfold. I turned back to the group, my eyes landing on the pixie-cut girl slouched in the corner of the sofa. Moments ago, she had been crossing her legs confidently, a smug expression on her face as she twirled a lock of hair around her finger. Now, her expression had soured completely, her eyes glinting with the desire to rip my head from my shoulders. So this was their little rendezvous spot. From the casual way the men spoke, it was clear this wasn't their first time here together. They were already appearing in public, making no attempt to hide their affair. Ethan stepped forward, and his Apex presence flooded the room, heavy and suffocating. It was as if someone had yanked their strings; the entire group sprang into motion. "Prima Hannah, we're so sorry, we were just talking nonsense," one of them stammered. The title 'Prima' rang hollow. "Prima Hannah, there's nothing going on between Ethan and Miss Wallace," another added, his voice strained with desperation. "Prima Hannah, please don't misunderstand." Ethan seized my wrist, his grip firm as he tried to drag me toward the exit. Our fractured bond sparked painfully at his touch, a cruel reminder of what we once were. I spun around and hurled my drink directly into his face. The room went dead silent. Every eye was wide, their shock palpable. How dare a mere human challenge an Apex in public? My wolf instincts, if I had any, should have been screaming at me to submit. But I had none. I was just a human who had finally reached her limit. The next moment, I smiled, a sweet, brittle thing. "Go on, enjoy your party with your little sweetheart. I won't interrupt your fun again." I tried to pry his fingers from my wrist, our bond crackling with every strained touch. Ethan's expression turned dangerous, his wolf clearly raging beneath the surface. Without another word, he hoisted me into the air and threw me over his shoulder. The room was stunned into a collective, gaping silence. In the hallway, I fought against his grip, dangling helplessly over his shoulder. The elevator doors slid open with perfect timing. As Ethan hauled me inside and turned, I saw we weren't alone. A man stood there, his tall frame seeming to consume half the space. The tailored black suit stretched across broad shoulders, defining a powerful silhouette, and expensive leather shoes complemented long, lean legs. Even his relaxed stance failed to conceal the power coiled within him; his presence was overwhelming. The small space instantly felt suffocating. As the doors closed, I couldn't help but look up. My gaze traveled to a handsome, angular face. His eyes, a piercing steel-gray, were deep-set and radiated a palpable danger. He surveyed me with open disdain, his thin lips pursed over a jawline as sharp as a blade. It was a face of intense aggression, yet it held a chilling, aristocratic elegance. I quickly averted my eyes and looked down, hiding my face. My human senses were dull compared to a werewolf's, but even I could feel the sheer power radiating from the stranger. An Apex, without a doubt—and one of a caliber I had never encountered before. Outside the club, Ethan tossed me into the back of his car before climbing in after me. I struggled to sit up, my head spinning, the world tilting sickeningly from being carried upside down and then thrown. I was afraid I might have a concussion. Ethan grabbed a pack of wet wipes from the glove compartment and began wiping the sticky liquid from his face. My eyes landed on the corner of a foil packet peeking out from behind the tissue box. A condom. The evidence of his betrayal was everywhere. His voice, sharp with accusation, filled the car. "What were you doing there? Trying to catch me in the act?" I threw the car door open, desperate to get out. The very air in this car felt toxic. "Hannah!" Ethan growled, yanking me back inside. "Where do you think you're going? Don't you know when to stop?" My breathing quickened. I pressed my fingertips together, trying to ground myself. "I want to go home," I managed to say. Ethan called Deputy James, who had been waiting outside, and told him to drive. Neither of us spoke for the entire ride. I pressed myself against the door, as far from him as I could get, my face pale. I felt sick. The sharp, heady scent of his alcohol-soaked breath filled the car, laced with a cloying perfume that was not my own. The moment we arrived home, I bolted from the car. In the kitchen, I chugged a full glass of ice water, the cold shock doing little to calm the turmoil inside me. When I emerged, Ethan was sitting in the living room. I walked over and sat opposite him. A crushing silence descended between us until he finally broke it. "I was there for business. You, storming in and causing a scene like that… you embarrassed me. Don't you realize how stupid and pathetic you looked?" "Is that all?" I asked, my voice calm, my emotions locked away behind a wall of ice. "If you want us to have a future, you need to drop these paranoid suspicions. I don't have time for your drama." "I understand," I said, my voice perfectly steady. "Is that all?" Ethan scowled, his patience finally snapping. "Hannah, do you have any idea how irritating you are being right now?" I stood up, a slight, knowing smile curving my lips. Soon enough, you won't have to deal with me at all. I went upstairs. After his shower, Ethan slid into bed beside me. In the darkness, I lay on my side, facing away, inching closer to the edge of the mattress to avoid any contact. Among wolves, touch was sacred, a way to strengthen the bond between mates. But our bond had never been real, and now it was fracturing completely. Suddenly, Ethan turned, pulling me forcefully into his arms. With barely controlled anger, he dragged me from the edge of the bed and crushed me against his chest. His tall, strong body easily overpowered mine. Once his grip tightened, I couldn't move an inch. I remained rigid in his arms all night, a prisoner, imagining those same hands holding Cindy Wallace. In the morning, I made breakfast for one. Ethan came downstairs to find me sitting alone, eating toast. He was about to leave for the day but paused, turning back to the dining area. He leaned down, his voice a soft whisper near my ear, a cheap attempt at seduction. "This weekend, let's take the boat out. Just the two of us." I continued drinking my milk, offering only a noncommittal "Mmm" in response. Unsurprisingly, the day before we were set to leave, he canceled. A last-minute business trip to Hong Kong, he said. I felt nothing. Not a flicker of disappointment. Perhaps he hadn't even noticed how long it had been since we'd shared a meal, or spent any real time together. His words warned me against divorce, yet he treated me like a ghost in my own home. If I vanished one day, I doubted he would even notice. That weekend, I began removing my books from our shared bookshelf, packing them in a suitcase to take to my new apartment. While I was sorting through them, I received a rare call from Helen. I answered politely. "Hello, Prima Helen." Helen's voice was cold and arrogant. "Get over here. It's time to make what we discussed official." "Is that really necessary?" I asked, though I already knew the answer. "I say it is," she snapped, the authority of the Elder Prima ringing in her tone. "Fine. I'll be there this afternoon." "Be here at noon." "Fine." Hanging up, I could practically see Helen's smug face through the phone. She had undoubtedly cooked up some petty little scheme, probably a sick display of Ethan and his homewrecker designed to humiliate me. She wanted to see me break, to prove that only a pureblood werewolf was worthy of her precious son. She would be disappointed. Whatever game she was playing, I didn't care. Bring it on, Helen.

Chapter 3: A Humans Defiance