Chapter 4 Words That Hurt

SOPHIA'S POV

For a moment, I simply stood there, unable to breathe as Damien's words echoed in my ears.

"Tiffany will be a better mother to her than you ever were."

I stared at him, stunned. I could feel my wolf dropping to her knees inside me with a soft, wounded whine. My heart didn't just hurt. It cracked open. It felt like someone had driven claws straight through it.

"What. what did you just say?" I whispered. "Damien, what do you mean by that? How can you say something like-"

But he ignored me completely as if I were nothing more than an inconvenient noise. He placed a hand on Tiffany's lower back. He did it so casually, so intimately.

He guided her toward the villa's entrance.

Seeing him touch her like that, right in front of me, felt like being stabbed in the chest. My wolf's fur raised in anger and humiliation, but she was too injured to snarl.

"Damien," I called again, louder "Look at me. Explain what you meant."

He finally stopped, but he still did not look at me. Instead, he looked down at Ashley, smoothing her hair, the way he never did for me or for our daughter unless someone else was watching.

Tiffany smirked slightly, and Ashley leaned into her like she was the safest person in the world.

"What I meant," he finally said,, "is that Ashley needs someone dependable. Someone who is actually present. Someone who isn't always buried in work or too tired to handle her."

My lips parted in disbelief. "I work because you told me to! You said the family valued ambition. You said a Luna should contribute. Damien, you-"

He cut me off with a dismissive wave. "You're always busy. Always away. Ashley needs stability."

"I'm her mother," I snapped. "I'm her mother, Damien. You can't replace me with-"

"With someone who's actually here?" he shot back, finally turning to meet my eyes.

His eyes were hard, Alpha-cold. It pushed against my chest with the force of dominance, demanding submission. But I fought it. I had to.

Tiffany placed a soothing hand on his arm.

"Damien, let's calm down. I'm sure Sophia didn't mean to cause trouble. She's probably just overwhelmed."

Her voice was soft and sweet. She petted his arm like she tamed him. My wolf growled in my chest.

"Damien," I said again through clenched teeth, "you still haven't answered my question. What do you mean Ashley needs someone dependable once I get pregnant again? Why would that even be Tiffany's responsibility-"

Tiffany stiffened. Damien's silence was enough of an answer.

Something cold slid down my spine. "What did you do?"

Damien let out a breath as if bored by my confusion.

"I moved Tiffany Stonewall Villa temporarily."

My eyes widened. "You what?"

"She'll be staying here full-time," he continued. "As Ashley's guardian."

Ice flooded my veins. "Where is Ms. Dale? The nanny I hired?"

"Fired," he said bluntly. "Tiffany will take her place."

It felt like the ground tilted under me. "Without asking me? She's my - she's our daughter! How dare you make decisions without consulting-"

"My decisions are final," he said flatly. "This arrangement is what's best for Ashley."

"No," I whispered. My voice was shaking violently now. "This arrangement is what's best for you and Tiffany."

Tiffany opened her mouth, probably to offer another sickeningly sweet line, but something inside me snapped.

I stepped closer, breathing heavily.

"Stay out of it, Tiffany. I swear to the Goddess, stay out of-"

"Sophia," she said with feigned gentleness, reaching out as if to comfort me, "I'm not trying to replace you. I'm only trying to help. Ashley deserves-"

My hand moved before thought could catch up.

I slapped her.

The sound echoed in the hallway. Tiffany's head snapped to the side. She stared at me, stunned.

She had her hand pressed to her cheek. For the first time, her mask slipped. She wasn't sweet. She wasn't gentle. She was furious.

Ashley gasped and immediately ran to her, shielding Tiffany with her tiny arms as if I were the villain in her story.

"Mommy!" she cried. Her eyes were filled with tears. "You're a bad mom! Why would you hit Aunty Tiffany?"

My wolf was stunned. Bad mom. The words echoed in my skull.

"Ashley. no, baby, listen-" I reached for her.

She slapped my hand away. It was hard enough that my wrist stung.

"Don't touch me! You don't even love me! Aunty Tiffany said so!"

I froze. Tiffany said what?

But before I could react, Ashley hugged Tiffany tightly, glaring at me with hurt and anger no child her age should ever carry.

Damien wrapped an arm around both of them. His posture was protective and something inside me shattered so deeply I felt it physically, like my chest was caving in.

They stood there together. They looked like the perfect little family: Damien, Tiffany, and Ashley.

They looked fitting and complete.

And I wasn't part of it. Not anymore.

Not ever again.

Everything fell silent around me, including my wolf. She lowered herself inside my chest. Her ears went flat with heartbreak.

I realized that nothing I did, nothing I begged for, nothing I sacrificed would ever be enough for this man or this pack. My place had been erased. I had been replaced.

I turned away because I couldn't bear the sight. I couldn't breathe near them without feeling like I was suffocating.

I walked back to the pack house in a numb haze.

Once inside my study, I pulled out the divorce agreement with shaking hands. The ink I had written earlier was still fresh, still hopeful in its own way.

Half the assets. Custody. Child support. All of it meant nothing now.

Slowly, painfully, I crossed out the entire custody section.

I wrote clear, decisive words: Full custody to Damien Jacob. No visitation. No intervention. No rights.

My pen hovered for a long moment as something inside me howled in grief. But I forced myself to sign it.

My signature looked lifeless, like someone else's hand wrote it.

For the final time, I placed a trembling hand on my stomach. My wolf whispered weakly inside me. she was just as sad as I was.

"I can't bring you into this," I murmured to the life barely forming inside me. "I can't do this to another child."

Tears blurred my vision, but I kept moving. I put on my coat. I grabbed my bag. I walked out of the villa and headed straight to the hospital.

I was determined - painfully, desperately determined - to terminate the pregnancy. to sever every remaining tie to Damien, to Tiffany, to this life that kept breaking me.