Chapter 4
Junie's POV
Mom ignores her and keeps quietly packing my clothes.
Melody lets out a cold laugh and drops her voice. "Feeling sorry for yourself? Thinking Maxwell must be blind?"
She runs a hand over her slightly swollen belly, not even trying to hide how pleased she is. "Truth is, Maxwell knew all along it was me who pushed you at the river. On purpose."
Mom's hands stop dead.
"Surprised?" Melody laughs, delighted with herself. "He knew it was me, and he still got up on that stand and lied for me. Want to know why?"
"Because I told him the baby I'm carrying is his. He was drunk that night, thought he was with you, but it was me. To protect the only pure-blood pup he's got, your little half-blood one was worth sacrificing."
There's a cruel kind of joy in her voice. "That day at the river, watching you lose your baby? I've never been happier."
I want to lunge at her and bite her, but Mom grabs me and holds me back tight.
Mom looks at that smug face and says, cold, "Are you done? Because if you're done, get out."
Melody blinks, then snorts. "Keep up the act. Let's see how long you can play tough."
She turns and struts out of the room, pleased with herself.
Watching her go, Mom smooths my hair down, and the corner of her mouth curls into something cold.
"Junie, remember her exactly like this. Because she's about to lose everything."
Over the next few days, Mom is like a different person.
She doesn't bring up the mate bond anymore, doesn't throw a single dig at Dad. When he tests the waters and sends over money and expensive gift baskets, Mom takes all of it without a word.
Even when Dad shows up in front of us again with Melody, Mom stays weirdly calm.
"Juliet, it's good you're finally coming around." Dad sits on the couch, watching Mom change the water in a vase, his tone like he's doing her a favor. "I'll have someone kill the noise online. Just apologize to Melody, admit you fell into the river on your own that day, and we can put this behind us. Things can go back to how they were."
Mom just gives a soft hum. "Fine. I'll drop all the charges against her."
Dad's clearly thrilled with how agreeable she's being.
He thinks Mom's back to the way she used to be, hanging on his every word.
"Now you're getting it. Don't worry, once Melody has the baby, I'll pay her to leave, and I'll make it up to you then."
Melody stands off to the side, her face flickering for a second before she slips back into that pitiful little look. "Maxwell, as long as I get to stay with you, I don't need anything else..."
"Alright, enough of that." Dad wraps an arm around Melody's shoulders. "All the rumors online have her really stressed, and the doctor says she needs to get away for a bit. I'm taking her to the Elf Coast tomorrow for a little vacation, and I'll close a deal while we're there. You stay home and take good care of Junie. I'll bring you back those deep-sea pearls you love."
"Sure. Have fun, you two." Mom turns around and even gives him a gentle smile.
Dad pauses, thrown off by how sweet she's being, but Melody tugs him out the door before he can dwell on it.
The second the door shuts, the smile drops off Mom's face completely, replaced by something set and final.
"Junie, go grab your backpack." Mom turns and walks into the bedroom, dragging out a suitcase she's had packed and ready.
She doesn't take the expensive gowns in the closet, or the priceless jewelry on the vanity. She takes her documents, a few changes of old clothes, and an ancient spellbook her grandmother left her.
I put on my little bear backpack and watch Mom pack everything up, calm and steady.
"Mom, where are we going?" I ask, quiet.
"Somewhere they're not. Somewhere we can start over, just us." Mom crouches down and kisses my forehead.
Once everything's packed, Mom goes to the desk and pulls a parchment scroll out of the drawer.
It's the Mate Bond Dissolution Scroll.
Mom bites her finger open and lets the blood drip onto the scroll.
A golden magic circle lights up across the parchment, then fades fast, settling into line after line of text.
Mom slides the silver diamond ring off her ring finger and sets it on the dining table in the middle of the living room, right next to the signed dissolution papers.
When it's all done, she takes one last look around the home she's lived in for seven years.
This place used to be full of laughter. Now there's nothing left but hollow, suffocating pretense.
Mom takes my hand and pushes the front door open.
"Let's go, Junie."
We got on the train heading south.
