Chapter 25: Dead and Gone.
*Jane*
Just as I siad “ten“, Xander finally staggered back. But as I lifted
my gaze to meet his, I spotted it was Mia who wrapped around
his arm, yanking him away from me.
Xander tried to shrug her off, but Mia held him firm, planting
herself firmly in his path like a human barricade.
“Move, Mia, don’t invove yourself in these fights.” he growled.
But his eyes were still fixed on mine.
Mia remained motionless and didn’t look away. Her voice was
cold and calm, but behind this voice, there was burning a flame
that I had never seen in her. “No.” Her eyes flickered toward me,
then back to him.
“She nearly died tonight. Do you want her to burn the house down in a fit of rage? I have properties worth a lot scattered all over this place, Xander. You’re not going to make her light them up. Do yourself some good and calm the fuck down.” Mia hissed
at him.
Ryan’s face darkened and his shoulders drooped. He stared at
Chapter 25: Dead and Gone.
her in shock. She simply wanted to give him a beating. For the
first time in a long time, he remained silent. Sure, that was Mia,
his beloved beta. Otherwise, what else could he do?
I watched them, the woman who had taken over my life and
my mate who had betrayed me. It felt like I was outside looking
in as a silent moment passed between them. My wolf didn’t
whimper or growl. Instead, she went eerily silent.
“Could you step aside? You’re both blocking my path.” I said
Xander finally looked away from his mistress and met my gaze.
He didn’t move, didn’t speak, just stared at me.
I wasn’t sure how much time passed as we stood there just
staring at each other. But Mia finally tugged at his arm. She
stood on her tiptoes, whispered something in his ear, and like
magic he followed her to the side, clearing my path.
Good. I tightened my grip on my bag and moved to open the
door.
“You have nowhere to go,” Xander called out from behind me.
“You have no friends. Only me.”
I kept walking, my hand reaching for the doorknob,
“Do you think your siblings will take you in after you sent their
Chapter 25 Dead and Gone.
mother to jail?”
My fingers trembled on the door knob. He was right. I had nowhere to go. No family, no friends. I was completely alone.
What about Aaron? My wolf asked. I couldn’t dump all this on
him. It was just too much.
“Come back while you still can.”
Without looking back fully, I reached into my pocket and pulled out my car keys. Then, I tugged at the engagement ring and wedding band that had felt like a jagged collar all these years.
“Give these to your mistress,” I said, tossing them to the floor. “I‘
m sure she’ll appreciate the upgrade.”
It felt good, in a way, to say those words.
I twisted the knob and stepped out of that house for what
would be the very last time. The fresh night air welcomed me,
and I paused to take a deep breath. It felt almost foreign against
my skin. My first taste of freedom. I wasn’t sure what to do or
where to go, but I knew I couldn’t stay here.
I couldn’t remember the last time I had taken an Uber, maybe
several months ago. When the car arrived, I slid into the
backseat. The driver nodded politely but said nothing and I
Chapter 25: Dead and Gone
appreciated it. I desperately needed the peace and quiet. It’d
been a long, emotional night.
As we pulled away, I looked out the window, gazing at the lights.
of New York. The city was alive, pulsing with energy even at
this late hour. How long had it been since I’d seen it this way?
How long had it been since I’d really and truly been alone?
The driver dropped me off at the entrance of the Moontrace
hotel. I reached into my wallet, pulling out cash.
“Keep the change,” I told him, handing over far more than the
fare.
He blinked in surprise. “You sure, miss?”
I nodded, feeling a small smile form on my lips. I was tipping
him generously because I felt like I could finally afford to be
kind to myself. It was a small way to celebrate my freedom.
I practically skipped into the hotel. No one would be able to
guess the type of night I had. Except for maybe the blood and
bruises. But a quick shower would fix all that, and I’ll be good as
new.
The scent of strawberry and vanilla wrapped around me as I
stepped into the wide hotel lobby. It was perfect, beautiful, with
grand chandeliers and clean marble floors. I was already
Chapter 25: Dead and Gone.
daydreaming about the soft sheets as I approached the front
desk.
A receptionist with a silver name tag looked up. “Welcome to
The Moontrace Hotel,” she beamed at me with a professional
smile. “I’m Rose. How can I help you this evening?”
“I need a room. For a week, please.”
Rose nodded, her fingers already moving across the keyboard.
“Of course. Any preferences for floor or view?”
“Something high up,” I replied, thinking of how I needed the
space from reality.
“Perfect. We have a lovely corner room on the fifteenth floor.
May I have a card for the reservation?”
I reached into my wallet and pulled out my debit card. As Rose
swiped it, I gazed around the lobby, mentally calculating how
much food I could eat within a week.
When I looked back, Rose’s expression had changed. Her brow furrowed slightly, lips pressed together.
I tilted my head. “Is something wrong?”
Rose hesitated, her eyes meeting mine briefly before darting
a car as been declined.”
A pit settled in my stomach. “That’s impossible,” I frowned, leaning closer. “Try again. It might be a network issue.”
She swiped once more, the machine emitting a soft beep that seemed to echo my growing dread.
“I’m sorry,” Rose said, genuinely apologetic. “It’s not a connection problem.” She turned the screen slightly, allowing me to see the message. “Your account’s been frozen.”
