Chapter 4

Isabella Brooks POV:

I found them in the back of Richard's luxury sedan, parked in a dark corner of the garage. The windows were fogged with condensation, but the sounds were unmistakable. Her breathless moans, his guttural groans. Their scents, a sickening mix of arousal and betrayal, fouled the air, an assault on my heightened werewolf senses. It was a profound insult to my inner wolf, a desecration of the sacred bond we were supposed to share.

I didn't watch. I didn't need to. The sounds were enough to burn the image into my mind forever.

I turned on my heel and walked back to my own car without a sound.

The passenger door opened as I approached. Beta Walter sat inside, his expression as impassive as stone. He held up a small, professional-grade camera. A tiny red light blinked, indicating it was recording.

"I have everything," he said, his voice a low rumble. "High-definition video and audio."

A wave of nausea washed over me, so strong I had to grip the door handle to steady myself. The pain was a physical thing, a crushing weight on my chest that made it hard to breathe. I pushed it down, locking it away in the icy vault where I kept my emotions.

"Send me the file," I commanded, my voice hoarse.

As I slid into the driver's seat, a powerful Mind-Link message pierced through my thoughts. It wasn't a request; it was an order, laced with the undeniable force of an Alpha's Command.

"Isabella," the voice of Richard's father, Alpha Danny, boomed in my head. "You will immediately transfer all files, notes, and contacts related to the AO3 project to Eva Marsh. Do it now."

My wolf didn't whimper. It fell silent, a cold, dangerous stillness settling over my soul. The command didn't force submission; it severed the final thread. This was the last cut. The last thread of loyalty I had to the Black Creek Pack had just been severed.

So be it.

I drove back to the pack house, my face a mask of cold indifference. I walked into the main office, transferred every last byte of data from my personal drive to the pack server, and then, with a final click, sent an email to the pack's administrative council.

It was a formal application to sever my ties with the Black Creek Pack.

Approval came within minutes. Richard's mother, Luna Savannah, must have been waiting for it. She had always wanted me gone, always championed Eva as a more suitable partner for her son.

As I walked out of the office, carrying a small box with the few personal items I'd kept there, I ran right into her.

Luna Savannah stood with her arms crossed, a smug, contemptuous smile on her face. "Leaving so soon, Isabella? Don't let the door hit you on the way out."

She looked me up and down, her gaze filled with scorn. "You should learn your place. Once you are mated to Richard, your only job is to be a good Luna and produce strong pups. This business nonsense is unbecoming. Leave it to the Alphas."

Her words were meant to sting, but I felt nothing but a cold, chilling sense of pity for her ignorance.

She had no idea what was coming.