Cortina's soft, broken whimpers filled the quiet room after Cameron left. Her pain lanced through me like burning needles, every wave of it screaming the truth we both already knew.
That fucking bastard.
Blaming me because he's sticking his filthy dick in every desperate she-wolf his father parades in front of him. Holding my hand while they leave smelling like him. He doesn't even care how much it destroys her—us.
There's no reason left for me to stay.
I've endured this hell for Cortina, but she's breaking, and I won't watch him shatter her completely. I never wanted an Alpha mate, especially one as arrogant and self-centered as him. I knew his type—ranked wolves with too much power and too little honor. I'd heard the rumors. But living it? Watching him treat women like disposable vessels for his "heir" while calling me his?
No.
He can rot.
I'll never give him what he wants. I'll never let him own me like that again. If I could, I'd spit my rejection in his face before I run.
Actually…
Maybe I will. Maybe I'll make the bastard hurt before I go. Give him a taste of the pain he's given Cortina and me.
But not yet.
First, I need to leave Fire Moon. I need to disappear before he realizes I'm not his broken doll anymore.
It takes me several minutes to convince my body to move. After a year of stillness, my limbs feel like stone—stiff, unresponsive. But Cortina pushes her energy through me, knitting unused muscles together, coaxing my strength back bit by bit until I can sit, then stand. I grip the IV pole like a crutch, sweat slicking my skin as I pull the needle from my hand.
"Sssshit," I hiss, watching blood bead under my tan skin. I don't have time to care.
"The nurses rarely come down this hall," Cortina murmurs, still raw from his words. Even saying his name hurts her. "C-C-Cameron… ordered them to stay away and sign in when they checked on you. He doesn't trust them."
"Or he just doesn't want to be interrupted while he's screwing someone else," I mutter.
Cortina doesn't argue, but I can feel her unease. "It's more than that," she says softly. "It felt like… like he was guarding you. From something."
"The only thing I need guarding from is him," I snap.
The hallway beyond my room is empty when I peek out. If the nurses really only come by every few hours, this might be my only shot. The problem is… my clothes.
A patient walking out in nothing but a hospital gown? I'd be caught in seconds.
Unless…
This is a werewolf pack. Nudity isn't exactly scandalous here. Half the warriors leave training covered in dirt and blood, sometimes limping naked into the clinic for broken bones before their wolves can set them.
I'll blend in.
I rifle through the supply cabinets until I find gauze and a couple of ace bandages.
Standing in front of the mirror, I strip off the gown. My body looks thin, weaker than I remember, but my eyes… my eyes are sharper than ever.
I wrap gauze around my head, covering my cheekbones and jawline, and use my nails to make shallow cuts along my cheek and lip.
The sting grounds me. Then, I bind one shoulder and arm like I've just walked out of a nasty sparring match. When I catch my reflection again, I almost smirk. I look like just another injured warrior passing through.
"Your scent," Cortina warns. "They'll know you're his."
"Shit," I mutter. "I don't know how to hide that."
We both fall silent, racking our brains. For a second, I consider raiding the lab and dumping samples on myself—anything to mask the bond—but I don't have time.
"If you get us out of the hospital, I'll handle the rest," Cortina says firmly. "I can mask our trail. But…"
"But what?"
Her voice wavers. "I'll have to reject him. I'll have to reject Rome."
The sorrow that rolls through me is sharp enough to hurt. Cortina loves Rome. She always has. But she's ready to grieve that love if it means saving us.
"Are you sure?" I whisper.
"I'm sure," she says. "He would want me to."
Our resolve locks into place like steel.
The hallway is quiet when I step out. My bare feet make no sound on the cold floor.
A couple of nurses glance up, but when I meet their eyes with a sharp, warrior's stare, they look away just as quickly.
I walk like I belong here. Like I'm untouchable.
And I keep walking.