Chapter 8 Evicted

Pain ripped through Niklaus's chest the moment Freya uttered those words of rejection. His face remained stoic, but his blue eyes darkened to stormy red.

"I command you to stay," he growled, his Alpha authority vibrating through the air.

Freya's knees buckled as the mate bond protested violently against her rejection. Her body trembled with effort to remain standing, the agony clawing through her veins like wildfire.

Vicki whimpered inside her mind.

"We can't leave him. It hurts too much."

"We have to," Freya answered silently. "We can't live like this anymore."

Niklaus stalked toward her. His tall frame loomed over her petite one as he reached out, his finger tilting her chin up. His touch sent unwanted sparks across her skin despite the pain.

"You'd endure this excruciating pain just to get away from me?" he asked, his deep voice rough with hurt and anger. "Is staying with me really that unbearable?"

He laughed, cold and mocking. "Without me, how will you support yourself? With that pathetic thousand-dollar monthly salary? You can't even pay rent, let alone afford that necklace around your throat."

The contempt in his voice was unmistakable.The diamond necklace suddenly felt like a shackle around her throat.

Freya twisted her head, trying to escape his grip, but moving only made the rejection pain worse.

"That's my problem," she managed through gritted teeth. "Not yours to worry about."

"Ha," Niklaus scoffed, anger flashing in his eyes. "Have you already found my replacement? Someone to warm your bed and pay your bills?"

She said nothing. It wasn't true, but she wouldn't give him the pleasure of denying it.

Niklaus took her silence as confirmation. His jaw tightened, anger flashing across his face. He released her chin, stepping back with a cold smile.

"Perhaps there's something you don't understand," he said. "You have no authority to decide whether we sever our mate bond."

Freya looked confused. Was his behavior simply because she'd initiated the divorce? Had she wounded his Alpha pride? Or perhaps he worried about Rebekah's reputation if his Luna rejected him first.

After all, just submitting her resignation had sent the entire company into gossip overdrive.

Seeing that their conversation was going nowhere, Freya decided to make her position clear.

"Whether you agree or not, I want a divorce and I won't move back in with you."

Niklaus stared down at her, his shoulders tense. "So you're saying you want to leave me."

The word "leave" made Freya's heart clench painfully, both bitter and aching. After all this time, she still reacted to him.

"According to the contract, we don't need to live together anymore," she clarified, avoiding his intense gaze.

Niklaus studied her for several seconds, his expression unreadable.

A knock interrupted their standoff. Beta Dale's voice came through the door. "Alpha Niklaus, the meeting is about to start."

"Move back in," Niklaus said before walking out.

Freya stayed where she was. "Niklaus, I'm not coming back."

Niklaus seemed unmoved. "When have you said that before?"

In that moment, Freya knew he didn't believe her. She didn't bother arguing further. He would eventually understand that this time, she truly wasn't returning.

Freya's resignation letter remained on his desk when she left Lockwood Enterprises. If he refused to accept it, that was his problem. They could sue her if they wanted.

She returned to her hotel suite, sinking into a hot shower and then nestling into the ridiculously expensive Egyptian cotton sheets. A petty revenge, but satisfying.

Around midnight, loud knocking shattered her peace. Tightening her robe, she opened the door to find the hotel manager, his smile tight and uncomfortable.

"Miss Gilbert, sorry to bother you so late, but there's an issue with your room."

Freya raised an eyebrow. "What kind of issue?"

"Electrical problems," he said awkwardly, gesturing toward the ceiling. "Fire hazard. We need to move you. Now."

"Fine," Freya sighed, too tired to argue. "Give me another room."

The manager's smile tightened further. "I deeply regret to inform you that we're fully booked tonight."

Freya immediately understood what was happening. Only one person could force a five-star hotel to kick out a guest at midnight.

"Niklaus is behind this, isn't he?" she asked bluntly.

The manager looked away. "Miss Gilbert, this is standard protocol for--"

"Cut the crap," Freya cut him off. "He thinks forcing me out will send me crawling back to his pack house."

The manager said nothing. That was answer enough.

Freya swore under her breath and started throwing her stuff into her suitcase.

Twenty minutes later.

Freya grabbed her suitcase and headed for the exit.

"Miss Gilbert, wait!" The receptionist hurried over. "There's a cancellation fee."

Freya stopped dead. "You're kicking me out and charging me for it?"

"We refunded your money, but you're still leaving early. I believe we mentioned the cancellation penalty when you checked in. Hotel policy."

The logic was insane, but Freya was too tired to argue. Fine. She'd use Niklaus's card.

She handed over the black card.

"I'm sorry, Miss Gilbert," the receptionist said, clearly embarrassed. "It seems there's an issue with your card."

Freya's stomach dropped. She dug through her wallet and pulled out another card. Declined. Then another. Declined.

Every single one.

Freya couldn't believe it. Niklaus had frozen every single card linked to his.

Cutting off her money? Really? He really thought this would force her home?

The receptionist kept smiling, but her eyes had changed.

Freya recognized that look--contempt, judgment. The fallen Luna who couldn't even pay a hotel bill.

Too bad for them. She wasn't putting on a show anymore.

Freya smiled back and pulled out a gold card. "Try this one. Thank you."

The receptionist's eyes widened slightly at the exclusive card.

"The payment went through perfectly, Miss Gilbert," the receptionist confirmed, surprised.

Freya smiled. "Excellent."

She took the card back from the receptionist.

Outside the hotel, a familiar black Bentley pulled up to the curb. Daniel, Niklaus's longtime driver, stepped out and reached for her luggage.

"Luna Freya," he greeted formally. "Alpha Niklaus sent me to bring you home."

"How considerate," she said sarcastically.

Freya stepped away from his offered hand. "And I suppose if I check into another hotel, he'll have me kicked out of there too?"

Daniel's silence said it all.

Her phone rang, Niklaus's name lighting up the screen.