Chapter 4.

STACY.

But this isn't a dream. It's all reality.

I bow to show some submissiveness because I know he isn't bluffing with his threat.

Jason's expression doesn't soften; instead he looks at me with a mixture of disdain and impatience.

“I'm giving you today to pack your things. You will be moved to the guest house in the back. That way you can tend to my son when he needs you,” he says emotionlessly. My eyes pop out of their sockets.

Move to the guest house?!

I'm in total shock and I can't fathom why he is doing all this.

Was he hell bent on hurting me emotionally and making me a laughing stock or what?

I stand there staring at him in disbelief as he zips up his bag and slings it over his shoulder.

Without another word, he walks out of the room leaving me standing in the wreckage of what used to be.

The door closes behind him and I collapse on the carpet, my body racked with silent sobs.

How did I get to this point in my life?

That was not the man the goddess gave to me...

***

A day later, the guest house feels like a prison but I have to stay because of my son.

Who can imagine that my fated mate can treat me like I'm a nobody after all these years I have devoted to loving him and taking care of him...

I stand in the middle of the small, unfamiliar room, the cold reality of my situation pressing in on me from all sides. I’ve spent the last 24 hours trying to make sense of everything, trying to hold on to some semblance of sanity. But it’s hard when I’m surrounded by reminders of what I’ve lost. My home, my husband, my life as I knew it.

Every instinct in me screams to leave, to take my son and run far away from Jason and his threats. But I can’t. His words echo in my mind, a dark promise that keeps me rooted in place. Jason is one of the feared ruthless Alphas who stand by their word no matter who he was dealing with.

‘I’ll forget that you’re his mother. I’ll kill you myself.’

I can’t risk it or my son’s life, no matter how much it tears me apart to stay in a pack I'm to be a laughing stock.

I try to settle into the small cottage, unpacking what little I managed to bring with me. It feels wrong, every trinket, out of place in this strange, cold space.

As I’m folding a blanket, Ava, appears at the door, her face etched with concern. "Luna Stacy," she says softly, her voice laced with worry. "Your son is crying. He won’t calm down."

I drop the blanket without a second thought and rush to the nursery in the main house, my heart pounding. I push open the door and find my baby wailing in his crib, his tiny face red with distress. The sight breaks my heart even more. I scoop him up into my arms, whispering soothing words, trying to calm him down.

“There there, mommy is here for you,”

It’s then that I hear the door open behind me, and the scent that fills the room turns my blood cold. Jason. And he’s not alone. I turn just as Jason and Nicole walk into the nursery, her arm looped through his, and a big suitcase dragging behind her.

How can he allow this woman move into my home even though we aren't divorced yet?

My heart clenches painfully at the sight, but I force myself to look away, focusing on my son instead.

‘I won’t let them see how much this is killing me.’

But it’s impossible to ignore them completely when Jason walks right up to me with a brown envelope in his hand.

"Stacy, good I found you here," he says, his tone devoid of any warmth or familiarity. I scoff inwardly, wondering what can be good about anything.

He holds out the envelope, his eyes cold and detached. "These are the divorce papers. I need you to sign them immediately so we can reject each other sooner rather than later."

His words hit me like a slap to the face, but it’s the way Nicole clings to his arm with a triumphant smugness that sends a surge of anger through me. I grit my teeth, my hands trembling as I shift my son to one arm and grab the envelope with the other. I tear it open and pull out the papers, my vision blurring with tears as I see Jason has signed his part already.

“Pen!” I demand and he hands it to me.

Without a second thought, I scrawl my name across the line, my anger driving the pen into the paper with force.

‘If this is what he wants, fine.’

I won’t let him see how much this hurts. I can’t stand the sight of Nicole clinging to him, so desperate to claim what was once mine.

"There," I say, shoving the signed papers back at him. "It’s done."

Jason barely glances at the papers before nodding. "Good. Now leave the baby with Ava. We need to go to my office to finalize this and reject each other."

I freeze, clutching my son tighter to my chest. "What? No. I’m not leaving him."

Jason’s eyes narrow with a flash of irritation crossing his face. "Stacy, don’t make this harder than it needs to be. He’ll be fine. We’ll only be a few minutes."

My instinct is to refuse, to hold my son tighter and never let go, but I know I have no choice. The sooner I get this over with, the sooner I can get away from them.

"Fine," I whisper, my voice trembling. I hand my son to Ava, who looks at me with pity in her eyes before taking him.

I follow Jason out of the room, my heart heavy, every step feeling like I’m walking toward my own execution. Nicole starts to follow, but Jason holds up a hand, stopping her. "Wait outside, Nicole," he says, his tone firm.

Nicole’s eyes flash with anger, her lips twisting into a scowl. "Why? I should be there—"

"Wait outside," Jason repeats, his voice cold. "This is between Stacy and me."

Nicole huffs in frustration, but she obeys, stepping back with a glare in my direction as if I’m the one inconveniencing her. Jason doesn’t spare her another glance as he leads me into his office, shutting the door behind us.

The air in the room is thick with tension, memories of happier times haunting the space between us. Jason moves to stand in front of his desk, his eyes fixed on me, but I can’t read his expression. It’s like a mask, hiding whatever he’s truly feeling.

"Let’s get this over with," he says, his voice hard. "I, Alpha Jason Barron, reject you, Stacy white of Yellowstone, as my mate and my Luna. You are free from our bond."

The words hit me like a physical blow, the pain sharp and overwhelming. But I don’t let it show. I’ve come this far, and I won’t break now. I take a shaky breath, forcing the words out of my mouth. "I, Stacy White, reject you, Alpha Jason Barron of midnight, as my mate and my Alpha. Our bond is severed."

The moment the words leave my lips, the pain intensifies, a searing agony that shoots through my entire body. I gasp, my vision going dark around the edges as the rejection takes its toll. My legs give out beneath me, and I stumble, feeling lightheaded and weak.

Before I can hit the ground, Jason’s hands are on me, steadying me, guiding me into a chair. The touch is brief, but it’s enough to bring back memories of when those hands used to hold me with love, not indifference.

For a few seconds, he looks at me, really looks at me, and there’s something in his eyes—something almost like the man I once knew. The man who loved me, who held me close and made promises of forever.

But then, just as quickly as it appeared, it’s gone. His expression hardens, and he steps back, putting distance between us again. "It’s done," he says, his voice emotionless. "You’re free now."

I nod numbly, too drained to respond. The pain of the rejection still lingers, but it’s nothing compared to the ache in my heart. I’m free, but I’ve never felt more trapped in my life. The man I loved is gone, replaced by this cold, distant stranger. And now, I have to find a way to pick up the pieces of the life he shattered.

Without another word, Jason turns and walks out of the office, leaving me alone in the suffocating silence.

I bite down on my lips and sob uncontrollably.