Chapter 2

Ava's POV

I returned to the estate and forced myself to keep my face blank, pretending everything was normal.

Not yet. I couldn't let even the smallest crack show. There were still too many things to prepare, and the first was making sure the divorce went through smoothly. If Damon discovered that I was the true heir to the Crawford Pack, an Alpha as obsessed with status as he was would do anything to stop the divorce. I couldn't take that risk.

I pushed open the heavy front doors. Warm light spilled across the entryway. Damon was standing in the living room, Sylvia beside him, and between them stood Leo, the boy I had raised for four years.

The moment Damon saw me, panic flashed across his face. It lasted only an instant before his perfect Alpha mask returned. He came over and reached for my soaked coat.

"Darling, where have you been? You're completely drenched." He sounded as gentle as ever, as if what had happened in his office that afternoon had been something I imagined.

I stepped back and avoided his touch.

"Oh? And who is this?" I turned to Sylvia with a polite smile, pretending I hadn't already learned the truth hours ago.

Damon recovered quickly. "Ava, this is Sylvia. I hired her to tutor Leo. You know how busy we've been with pack business. Leo needs more individual attention. Sylvia is a strong wolf. She can work with him on archery, riding, even controlled shifting."

A tutor. Convenient.

"Mom!" Leo suddenly shouted.

He ran straight past me and grabbed Sylvia's hand, beaming up at her. "Sylvia was amazing today! She taught me how to hit a moving target." He turned to me with open challenge in his eyes. "She's way better than you."

My heart tightened. For four years, I had held him through nights of fever. I had protected him when others questioned his place in the pack. I had given him everything a mother could give. Now he looked at me with contempt.

"Leo, you can't talk to your mother like that!" Damon snapped, his face tense.

"She's not my mother!" Leo did not even hesitate. "Grandma says she's a cursed omega. She's an embarrassment to the pack. She can't even have babies."

His words hit the most vulnerable place in me. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a smug smile lift Sylvia's lips, as if she were saying, See? You were always just a substitute.

"I knew Sylvia was better the second I met her," Leo announced. "She should be my mom."

"No wonder I never managed to teach you any manners," I said calmly. "You must have inherited your real mother's rudeness."

I turned to Sylvia as if the thought had just occurred to me. "Oh, but you said Sylvia reminds you of your mother. I'm sure Sylvia isn't some shameless bitch, is she?"

Both of their faces went pale.

"Enough, Leo!" Damon roared with Alpha authority. He strode toward me and reached out as if to pull me into his arms. "Ava, don't take what he said to heart."

"Don't touch me."

My voice was calm and firm. It wasn't loud, but Damon's hand stopped in midair. He stared at me, confused. He probably wasn't used to hearing me speak that way. I had always been gentle, considerate Ava, the woman who never talked back.

If I could have, I would have left immediately. But until the divorce was finalized, I couldn't make a mistake.

I glanced at his confused expression and gave a cold laugh. "You smell strongly of perfume. It's disgusting."

Damon's expression changed. He must have remembered what he and Sylvia had done in his office that afternoon, but he quickly recovered.

"Sylvia spent the afternoon working with Leo. I must have picked up some of her perfume."

I smiled. "It smells a little cheap. Damon, you should make sure you pay her on time. Otherwise she'll keep bringing that smell into our house. At this rate, the whole family will end up with sinus problems."

"Leo, go with Sylvia for now. I'll take care of your mother. She looks tired," Damon said gently.

Soon only the two of us were left in the large living room.

"Darling, are you angry because I hired a tutor for Leo without asking you first?" Damon asked carefully, taking both my hands in his. His palms were warm and familiar, but I felt nothing.

"No." I shook my head and kept my voice steady. "I mean, I've been his mother for four years, but somehow Sylvia managed to charm him in a single day. Look how close they are. They look more like a real mother and son, don't they?"

Damon answered too quickly. "Don't be ridiculous. Ava, you are Leo's mother. His only mother. That will never change."

He said it as if he were swearing an oath.

I suddenly laughed, my shoulders trembling slightly.

"What is so funny?" Damon asked, confused.

"Nothing." I let the smile fade and looked at his sharp features. "It's just... today feels like some twisted drama."

"What drama? Is there something I don't know about?" Damon asked in surprise.

"A story about a husband betraying his wife. Do you want to hear it?"

"No, Ava. You look like you need a hot shower." Damon gave a small smile. "I'll go talk to Leo and make sure he learns to respect you."

I didn't care. I went upstairs immediately.

Back in the bedroom, I undressed and stepped into the bathroom. Warm water ran over my skin, and my mind cleared a little.

Tomorrow, I'd get Damon to sign the divorce agreement. After that, I would go to the Crawford Pack. I could tell him I had to travel for work. He probably would not care where I went. He had Sylvia now, his real family.

What he didn't know was that once I left Darkmoon, everything in the pack would begin to fall apart.

My phone vibrated on the counter. Alvin.

"Ms. Crawford," he said in his usual steady voice, "the divorce agreement is ready, and all the Crawford family assets have been verified. Everything will belong to you. Tomorrow morning, you only need to sign, and everything will be complete."

I looked at the woman in the mirror. Her face was pale, but her eyes were clear.

"All right," I said. "See you tomorrow."