But instead of cheerful birthday images, a sound echoed through the speakers.
Ah… Xavier… don’t stop…
Gasps rippled through the hall. My heart lurched.
The moans were unmistakable—hers and his—playing loudly for everyone to hear.
Then Xavier’s voice followed, clear and undeniable. “I’ll marry you soon, Victoria. I promise. You and our son, Liam, deserve everything. Brielle is only a stepping stone.”
Shock exploded through the room. Whispers erupted, wolves turning to stare at me, horror and pity mixing in their expressions.
Victoria covered her mouth, feigning panic. “Oh no… I don’t know how that played… I’m so sorry—”
But when her eyes met mine, she smirked.
That tiny curl of satisfaction revealed everything. It wasn’t an accident. She planned this. She wanted to humiliate me completely.
I struggled to breathe. My vision spun, voices blending into meaningless noise.
Suddenly, a strong hand gripped my arm.
Startled, I looked up.
A tall man stood beside me, cloaked and unfamiliar. His scent was powerful, different, foreign.
“Who—” I began.
“Don’t speak,” he murmured quietly. His tone was calm but firm. “Your brother sent me. I’m here to take you away.”
Before I could react, he pulled me upright. The guards moved to stop him, but he moved faster, knocking them aside effortlessly. Chaos erupted as the crowd screamed.
Xavier’s Alpha voice roared, shaking the hall. “Brielle!”
I glanced back once—only once.
He was pushing through the crowd, fury blazing in his eyes, his aura dark and overwhelming. But I didn’t stop.
The stranger wrapped an arm around my waist, and we rushed through the corridors, past open doors, and out into the cold night air. The chill bit into my skin, but I barely felt it.
My body trembled, my heart shattering piece by piece. I leaned against him, too numb to speak.
Behind us, Xavier’s furious voice echoed faintly into the night, filled with anger and desperation.
But I didn’t turn around again.
I was finished with him.
Finished with Stormvale.
Finished with every lie.
Brielle’s POV
The world outside the car windows blurred into streaks of silver and black as the tires raced down the dark road. The scent of burning rubber and pine filled the air. I sat in silence beside the stranger who had pulled me away from the ruins of my life.
Behind us, I could still hear faint echoes of pursuit, the growl of engines, the howl of wolves trying to catch up.