---- Chapter 7 JOSIE POV: Chris arrived at the Alpha mansion two days after the funeral. He didn't come as an ally or a friend. He came as a king arriving to claim what was his. He walked through the front doors, his Alpha presence silencing the servants who tried to stop him. He found me in the garden, sitting on a cold stone bench, clutching my father's urn. | looked up at him, my eyes dry. | had no more tears left to cry. All that remained was a frozen landscape of hate. "It's time," was all | said. He nodded, his gaze soft but his jaw set with grim determination. As | stood up, | paused and looked him directly in the eye. "Chris," | said, my voice devoid of any warmth. "As an Alpha, as the leader of the Silver Creek Pack... what are you willing to do for me?" He didn't hesitate. He took a step back and then slowly, deliberately, knelt before me on the damp grass. He lowered his head in a gesture of ultimate submission. ---- "|, Chris Harris, Alpha of the Silver Creek Pack," he said, his voice ringing with the power of a sacred vow, "pledge my life, my pack, and my soul to the service of you, Josie Watson, last daughter of the White Wolf bloodline. Your enemies are my enemies. Your vengeance will be my command." | looked down at the powerful Alpha kneeling at my feet and gave a single, sharp nod. It was enough. We walked out of that house, out of that territory, without a single backward glance. | left behind the gowns, the jewelry, the life that was never mine. | carried only my father's ashes and the clothes on my back. The moment my feet crossed the official border of the Black Moon Pack's territory, | stopped. | took a deep breath of the free air. It tasted like justice. | pulled out my phone and sent a single, pre-written email to the lawyer in the neutral city. The subject line was one word: "Execute." Attached to the email was the scanned image of the rejection form, signed by Laurence himself. The ancient laws of the packs were ironclad. A mate, once formally rejected, had the right to an immediate and total reclamation of all assets, properties, and gifts given during the course of the partnership. A storm was coming for Laurence Andrews. And | had just ---- unleashed the hurricane. He thought he had broken me. He had no idea he had just set me free.