Chapter 11
Lilith’s practiced smile froze on her face, her eyes flashing with primal hatred that she couldn’t fully
conceal
The moment Tiberius stalked from her private quarters, Lilith unleashed her rage, methodically destroying every piece of imported crystal and handcrafted porcelain within reach. Her claws left deep gouges in the wooden furniture as she transformed the room into a landscape of glittering shards.
“Tve given him three healthy heirs,” she snarled, partial shift causing her canines to elongate. “And still I can’t secure his fucking loyalty.
“That
barren bitch Giselle–1 clearly underestimated how deeply she’s sunk her claws into him.”
The young omega assistant rushed forward, keeping a cautious distance from her mistress’s extended claws. “Luna, please control your shift. Your post–birth recovery-
“We’ve already won what matters. You’ve claimed your rightful place in the main house, secured Northern Alliance Protection Status, and produced three powerful cubs carrying the Alpha’s genetic markers. Even if Tiberius somehow tracks down that aging she–wolf and drags her back, what legitimate claim could she possibly assert?”
“A female who can’t produce offspring has zero value in modern pack hierarchy. She’s biologically
irrelevant.”
“Should anything… unfortunate… happen to Alpha Tiberius, the entire Silver Crescent territory would automatically fall under your control as mother of the next generation Alpha. The succession is secure.”
These calculated words gradually soothed Lilith’s wounded pride. Her features smoothed as she regained control of her partial shift, expression shifting from raw anger to cold, methodical malice.
“Giselle,” she whispered, carefully stepping over broken glass with bare feet that didn’t bleed. “Your extinction is merely a matter of time.”
According to my aunt’s extensive intelligence network, Tiberius had nearly shattered the fragile peace of the Northern Territories in his increasingly unhinged search. He’d deployed specialized trackers and resources typically reserved for full–scale territorial warfare, all to locate a mate who had legally severed
their bond.
Diana studied me with sharp amber eyes as she relayed this information. “Giselle, I need to ask directly–would you consider returning to him?”
“It seems Tiberius has finally recognized the catastrophic scale of his error. This unprecedented mobilization suggests he’s willing to risk his territorial standing and political alliances rather than accept
7.9%
your absence.”
“If some part of you still wanted to reclaim your position.
I gently raised my hand, stopping her mid sentence
“From the moment I crossed the border into Wilderness Territory, my decision was final,” I said, my voice steady and certain. “The bond between Tiberius and me wasn’t just damaged it was systematically
destroyed through years of deliberate deception.
“There is no reality where I return to that life.”
My aunt’s expression darkened, centuries old concern etching lines around her eyes.
“A female without pack protection faces unique challenges in this world. The physical dangers can be managed, but the isolation… it eats at your soul over decades. Have you fully considered what it means to follow my path?”
I’d grown up hearing fragments of Diana’s history from my parents. In her prime, my aunt had mated with the heir to a prestigious Eastern Territory, only to discover she’d bound herself to a wolf unworthy of her loyalty.
Her mate had routinely sought out unmated females throughout their territory, carefully concealing his activities while maintaining a convincing facade of devotion.
When she finally caught him claiming another female in their own den–on the very bed they shared–the pack elders had urged Diana to accept this behavior as the natural right of an alpha male. “No dominant wolf can be expected to remain exclusive to a single female,” they had insisted. “This is the natural order.”
Diana had responded by challenging ancient tradition, demanding formal severance of their blood bond–a nearly unprecedented action for a female of her era.
In the aftermath, her disgraced former mate had apparently transformed, sacrificing territory, status and resources in increasingly desperate attempts to reclaim her. Diana had never acknowledged his existence. again, not even when news of his violent death in territorial combat reached her a decade later.
Now she ruled her own hard–won territory in the Wilderness, having developed legendary combat abilities that allowed her to defend her borders without requiring male protection or political alliances.
Her existence was living proof that a female could not merely survive but thrive outside the suffocating constraints of traditional pack structures.
y formidable aunt has created such a fulfilling life I met her concerned gaze with a genuine smile. “If without subjugating herself to a mate, why question that I might follow a similar path?”
Chapter 11
“My healing abilities are respected across multiple territories, even by those who otherwise despise each other. I can support myself wherever I choose to settle. The path ahead may be difficult, but it will be mine to shape.”
Three months evaporated like morning mist.
Tiberius had deteriorated visibly, his once–powerful frame now gaunt and hollow. The dominant Alphat who had commanded respect with his mere presence now appeared haunted, his eyes sunken and wild. In a move that sent shockwaves through the esed power structure, he had formally petitioned the Northern Territories High Council for emergency deployment of resources typically reserved for imminent invasion threats.
The Council Elders had finally lost patience, summoning him to a formal disciplinary hearing in their ancient chamber.
“Tiberius Dorian, you must regain control of yourself,” growled Elder Thornfield, the oldest and most respected of the seven Council members.
“You’ve destabilized treaty relations with three neighboring territories over a female who has legally and ritually rejected your claim. What possible justification do you offer for these increasingly erratic and dangerous actions?”
“Giselle Evadne exercised her lawful right to invoke mate–separation after documented instances of physical assault, psychological manipulation, and breaches of fundamental pack law regarding Luna. protection. Your own signature confirms you accepted this severance. By what authority do you now presume the right to hunt her down like prey?”
Though the Council Elders had once viewed Tiberius as their most promising successor to eventually join their ranks, they now regarded the younger Alpha with thinly veiled disgust, seeing in him the dangerous. instability that had caused previous territorial wars.
