Chapter 4 Chapter 4 A New Beginning

Allison's POV

The cold night air hit my skin as I stood at the edge of Storm Pack territory, my small suitcase beside me. I had made it out-actually walked away from the life I'd built for two years, from the man I thought would be my forever.

*We did the right thing,* Jasmine reassured me, her presence warm in my mind despite the chill of the late hour.

"I know," I whispered, pulling my jacket tighter around me. The street was deserted, not a single car passing by at this ungodly hour.

I pulled out my phone and opened the rideshare app, desperately hoping for a driver nearby. Nothing. Not a single car available in this area.

Of course-who would be driving around the outskirts of wolf territory at 1 AM? I tried a second app, then a third. Still nothing.

A bitter laugh escaped my lips.

*Call Bella,* Jasmine suggested. *She's always there for us.*

With trembling fingers, I dialed her number. One ring, two rings...

"Ally? Do you have any idea what time it is?" Bella's voice was thick with sleep, but instantly concerned.

"Bella," I whispered, my voice cracking. "I left him. I left Lucian. I need... I need somewhere to go."

"I'm at the edge of-" I froze mid-sentence as headlights flared behind me, washing the road in sudden brightness.

A sleek black Bentley glided up from behind-Lucian's car. My heart stopped as it slowed beside me, and I instinctively stepped back into the shadows.

Had he come looking for me? Was he going to try to drag me back? Or perhaps. apologize?

But it didn't stop. Through the tinted windows, I could make out Lucian's profile, his phone pressed to his ear, looking straight ahead as if I were invisible.

A bitter smile crossed my lips. Even now, he couldn't see me.

"Ally? You there?" Bella's concerned voice pulled me back.

"Yeah, sorry. I'm at the northern boundary of Storm territory, near Crescent Road. Can you come get me?"

"Already grabbing my keys. Sit tight, I'll be there in fifteen minutes."

True to her word, Bella's bright red Jeep came bouncing down the road exactly fourteen minutes later. She threw open the passenger door and jumped out, enveloping me in a fierce hug before I could even speak.

"I'm so proud of you," she whispered fiercely into my hair. "So damn proud."

The drive to Bella's apartment in the neutral territory between pack boundaries was filled with her animated cursing of Lucian Storm's character, ancestry, and probable future.

Her wolf, Pixie, occasionally surfaced, making her eyes flash a vibrant green as she spat particularly creative insults.

"That narcissistic, self-absorbed knothead! I hope his dick falls off and Heidi uses it as a doorstop!"

Despite everything, I found myself laughing through my tears.

Bella's apartment was small but cozy-a colorful two-bedroom on the third floor of a converted warehouse. Warm lights bathed the eclectic furniture, and the walls were covered with photographs and artwork that reflected her vivacious personality.

"Home sweet home," she announced, dropping my bags by the spare bedroom. "It's not a mansion, but at least no one here will treat you like a servant."

"It's perfect," I whispered, genuinely meaning it.

After settling in, Bella made us tea and joined me on the couch, tucking her legs beneath her.

"So," she said gently, "you finally did it. Want to tell me what pushed you over the edge? I mean, I know you've loved that asshole forever, even when he didn't deserve it."

I stared into my tea, watching the ripples form as my hands trembled. "He was with her that day. With Heidi. While I was..."

The words stuck in my throat.

"While you were what, honey?" Bella prompted softly.

"I was pregnant, Bella," I finally whispered, tears streaming down my face. "Three months along. I never told him because he was always too busy. And that day... that day I lost the baby. Our baby. And when I needed him most, he was off with her."

Bella's face transformed from shock to fury in seconds.

"That absolute fucking MONSTER!" she exploded, her wolf eyes blazing. "I'll kill him! I'll rip his throat out and feed it to the rats!"

"It doesn't matter now," I said quietly. "It's over."

"Why didn't you call me?" she demanded, grabbing my hands. "Goddamnit, Ally, why do you always shoulder everything alone? I would have been there in a heartbeat."

"I know," I said, squeezing her hands back. "I just... I was scared. And ashamed. I thought I could fix my marriage if I just tried hard enough. If I was perfect enough."

"Oh, honey," Bella's anger melted into compassion. "You can't fix something when you're the only one trying. Marriage isn't a solo sport."

We sat in silence for a while, the weight of everything that had happened settling between us.

"So what's your plan now?" she finally asked. "You know you can stay here as long as you need."

"I need to see my mom first," I said. "She's at Starlight Care Center-you know, that specialized facility that Lucian invested in."

"Will that be a problem? Him being an investor?"

"Yes, he tried to use my mother's care to threaten me into staying," I admitted bitterly. "But my mother's care is paid up for the next six months. By then, I'll figure something out."

"That manipulative bastard," Bella growled. "Using your mother as leverage! I always knew he was cold, but that's a new low. Did he offer to throw in a dental plan if you agreed to stay and be his doormat for another year?"

"Bella!" I couldn't help the small laugh that escaped me.

"What?" She shrugged unapologetically. "Just saying what everyone thinks. And after that?"

I hesitated, then pulled out my phone and showed her the email I'd received from Professor Jenkins. "I applied to the research program at Northridge University. They accepted me."

Bella's eyes widened. "That's amazing! When do you start?"

"In a month. I told them I needed time to... wrap things up here."

"Like divorcing your Alpha husband?" Bella supplied with a raised eyebrow.

"Among other things," I agreed with a weak smile.

"Well," she said, clinking her mug against mine, "here's to new beginnings. To Allison Carter, version 2.0."

"To new beginnings," I echoed, hoping I sounded more confident than I felt.