"Kael finalized the papers himself! He signed them personally! He mocked me for weeks and weeks afterward, letting everyone in the pack and the town know I was leaving, making cruel jokes about how pathetic and worthless I was! About how glad he was to be rid of me!" Her voice rises with each word, desperation and confusion bleeding through. "Why is he now suddenly wanting to claim me back?! What changed?!"
She looks at me with red-rimmed eyes, tear-stained blotchy cheeks, absolute devastation and betrayal written across every feature.
"Because I'm fucking happy? Is that why? Because I finally found something good and genuine and he can't stand seeing me happy?! Because I'm thriving without him and that destroys his narrative?!"
She's right.
That's exactly why. Kael can't stand that she left him and immediately did better. Found a better pack. Found happiness. Found success. Found her worth. It destroys his ego. Makes him look bad. Makes him the villain in the story. So he's trying to take it all away from her. Pull her back down.
Prove she's still his property.
I pull her into my arms without hesitation, wrapping her up completely and securely against my chest. She collapses against me immediately, sobbing into my shirt hard enough to soak the fabric through to my skin. Her hands fist desperately in the material. Her whole body shakes with the force of her crying.
This is what Kael did to her.
Broke her down so thoroughly that even the threat of him coming back sends her into complete panic. Made her doubt herown memory.Tried to make her think she's worthless. Believe she doesn't deserve good things.
I've seen psychological warfare before.
I hold her tight and close, one hand stroking her hair in long soothing motions from crown to ends, the other rubbing firm circles on her back.
"Let it out. I've got you. You're completely safe here with me. Let it all out. Every bit of fear and anger and confusion and hurt. I can handle it. I can handle all of it."
She did do everything right.
Every single step was correct and proper and legal. We verified it ourselves—Theo ran a complete comprehensive background check on her legal status using his military intelligence contacts. Clean dissolution. Proper filing. No outstanding pack obligations or clauses. No loopholes. Kael is lying through his teeth. This is purely a power play. Intimidation tactic. Psychological warfare.
But she doesn't know that yet.
Doesn't know we've already verified her freedom.
I let her cry until the sobs slow gradually, until her breathing evens out naturally, until the trembling stops and her body relaxes against mine. Takes maybe five or six minutes. Feels much longer. Feels like watching someone drown and being able to do nothing but hold them.
When she finally pulls back slightly, hiccupping softly, exhausted from the emotional purge, I release her enough to wipe away her tears gently and carefully with my thumbs. Her face is blotchy and red and swollen. Eyes puffy. Nose running. Mascara smudged. Beautiful in her raw vulnerability and trust.
I crouch down so I'm below her eye level while she's still sitting on the conference table. Non-threatening position. Makes her feel less trapped.
"I know this is just a ploy to frighten you," I say quietly, catching her gaze and holding it. "But Theo and I had already gathered everything. We've been preparing for this."
She blinks, confusion cutting through the lingering panic.
"What do you mean?"
I smirk slightly.
"I want you to go along with it. Act naive when we go in there. If Kael claims you're missing something or that the dissolution wasn't complete, act shocked and confused. Act like you believe him. But go along with whatever he says."
Her eyebrows furrow.
"Why? Why would I do that?"
My smirk widens into a full genuine smile.
"Because Theo and I have been preparing for Kael to make some kind of move against you for weeks now. Ever since you went viral on social media. Ever since your follower count started climbing dramatically and you started getting real attention and opportunities. We knew he wouldn't be able to stand seeing you succeed without him. Seeing you happy. Seeing you thriving. It would destroy his ego."
We started preparing the day her TikTok hit 5,000 followers. Started gathering documentation. Making copies. Recording statements. Building a case. Theo's military intelligence training came in useful. He knows how to build an airtight case. How to anticipate enemy moves. How to prepare contingencies, and matched with my skills in the vicious art of law, this is going to be a peace of cake.
I lean in slightly, letting her see my confidence.
