Chapter 7 Trash Has Its Rightful Place

"Get out of my sight, Lena." His voice was ice cold. "And don't ever let me hear your name again. Don't even think about threatening me with that recording."

He threw her out.

Leanna nestled against Kieran. A little disappointed she hadn't completely ruined Serena's face. But watching her get kicked out brought a rush of satisfaction.

She reached up and gently traced the scar on Kieran's chest. Voice soft and soothing. "Baby, don't be angry. She's just a low-ranking Omega. Losing the Sawyer Pack's protection is her loss, not ours."

Serena turned and walked away without looking back. Clean. Decisive. Not a single glance at the cage that had held her for five years.

She went straight to a private hospital downtown. Had the wounds on her face treated.

The doctor frowned slightly as he cleaned the scratches. "Miss, I have to say something."

Serena looked up at him.

"Even if the other party is a high-ranking Alpha, the physical harm they caused you is a serious violation. If you're willing, we can help you file a civil lawsuit."

Serena looked at her reflection in the mirror. Medical tape on her cheek. She lightly touched the wound with her fingertip.

She was a licensed attorney herself. She knew better than anyone that she had every means to put Kieran behind bars.

But this time, she chose to let him off.

She gave a bitter smile. "Thank you."

Five years ago, Kieran had saved her from a rogue wolf. In this moment, by letting him go, that debt was paid in full.

From now on, they owed each other nothing.

The next time they met, she would show no mercy.

After two days of recovery, Serena returned to the law firm where she worked.

Her colleagues stared at her in disbelief.

Darcy walked over with a coffee. Lowered her voice. "Lena, are you out of your mind? You had everything at the Sawyer Pack. Status and comfort people can only dream about. You were practically the lady of the house."

"And you just walked away from all that? To come back here? Work overtime and eat takeout with the rest of us?"

Serena opened her laptop. Didn't even look up. "Starting today, I'm done with the Sawyer Pack for good. I belong to no one but myself."

In the days that followed, Serena threw herself into work. Buried herself in mountains of case files. Analyzing evidence. Building arguments. Pulling all-nighters past three in the morning.

The physical exhaustion grounded her. The only thing that bothered her was Kieran. He wouldn't leave her alone.

He kept calling. His tone as arrogant as ever.

"Lena, if you come back and apologize now, I'll let you stay in the estate."

"Leanna's been in a bad mood lately. You need to come back and handle things."

Serena said nothing. She hung up each time and blocked him.

The next morning, Serena met with a client in one of the firm's consultation rooms. A young Omega named Ariadne. Timid. Soft-spoken. She had secretly run away from her pack, unable to bear the constant exploitation. She had come seeking legal help.

Serena took her hands. Eyes steady. "Ariadne, Omegas were never born to be slaves. Even if we're not as physically strong as Alphas, we have equal rights under the law."

"If you sign the representation agreement, I'll fight for the pack resources you're entitled to. We can live with dignity on our own terms. No one to depend on. No begging for scraps."

Bang.

Before she could finish, the consultation room door was kicked open. Brutal force. Ariadne screamed and dived under the table.

Kieran stormed in. Barely controlled rage. Leanna followed close behind, her face twisted with displeasure.

Colleagues in the hallway watched from a distance. No one dared step in.

Serena's eyes landed on Leanna's face. Heavy bruises under her eyes.

It was obvious. Without Serena around to absorb the chaos and keep things running, Kieran had grown more volatile by the day. Leanna clearly couldn't handle him.

"Lena, you actually ignored my calls and blocked me?" Kieran slammed his hands on the table. Roared. "You've gotten way too bold!"

Serena calmly signaled to a staff member. Take the shaken Ariadne to the break room.

Leanna sneered from the side. "Two lowly Omegas huddled together—what are you plotting? Let me guess, Lena—are you teaching her how to chase after Alphas from other packs? So you can both upgrade to richer men?"

Ariadne had been trembling moments ago. Suddenly she straightened up. Lifted her head. Eyes sharp. "She is an excellent lawyer. You have no right to talk about her like that."

"Excellent?" Kieran burst out laughing. Like it was the funniest thing he'd ever heard. He looked at Ariadne with open contempt. "Miss, you'd better open your eyes."

"This woman walks out on me and within days she's wearing an expensive designer suit. Who knows which powerful man she's latched onto. To make her feel brave enough to pull this?"

Leanna jumped in immediately. "Hey—if you stand up right now and say she encouraged you to betray your pack and that her personal life is a mess, the Sawyer Pack will take care of you. You don't need to follow someone like her."

"And who exactly has no integrity here?"

A voice cut through from the end of the hallway. Low. Commanding. Heavy with authority. The air in the room seemed to freeze. Everyone's breath caught.

Kieran felt a chill run through him. For no reason he could explain. Something sharp and instinctive rising inside him.

Derek walked into the room. Unhurried pace. His eyes swept the space with quiet indifference before settling on the bandaged wound on Serena's face. Something in his expression went cold.

Kieran didn't recognize him. But he could feel the weight of the man's presence. The kind of effortless authority that only came with real power. Jealousy flared in his chest. He pointed at Serena and sneered at Derek. "So you're the new patron she found? Let me give you a heads up—this woman will do anything to get close to someone with influence."

Derek completely ignored him. Walked straight to Serena's side. Raised one hand. Fingertips hovering just over her wound without touching it.

"Did he do this?" Derek's voice was calm. Absolutely calm. And ice cold beneath it.

Being ignored pushed Kieran over the edge. His bones cracked. The sound of a werewolf beginning to shift. He lunged straight at Serena. "Since you won't learn your lesson, I'll make sure you never cause trouble again."

Thud.

Kieran never even saw it coming.

Derek moved faster than the eye could follow. One clean sidekick. His shoe driving hard into Kieran's chest.

Kieran flew backward. Crashed through the glass window. Hit the ground outside.

Derek lowered his leg. Calmly straightened his cuffs. Voice flat. "You've been letting trash like that push you around?"