Chapter 55

Cora

I never imagined peace would feel so fleeting.

For a few precious days, everything had started to fall into place. Riley had made a full recovery. Kingston was… mine, in a way I had never dared to hope for—openly and publicly, for all to know, thanks to his press conference announcement.

After everything—the scandals, the accusations, the intervening people—we had finally let down our walls. That night between us hadn’t just been passion. It had been a promise.

Or so I thought.

I was walking back from lunch, a hot coffee in one hand and my phone in the other, scrolling through messages I hadn’t yet replied to. It was unusually quiet in the hallway outside my office. Too quiet. And then I saw them: three members of the Silverfang Pack’s executive council, standing in front of my door like a barrier between me and everything I’d fought for.

“Cora,” said the oldest of them, a gray-haired man named Lucan. I remembered him from our last encounter. “We need a word.”

I froze, the hairs on the back of my neck rising. Not again. “Is something wrong?”

“In private,” said another, a woman with perfectly styled silver-blonde hair. “Now.”

May nodded beside her, looking just as tense as the rest.

I stepped inside the nearest vacant conference room, my heartbeat already echoing in my ears, and they followed me in, shutting the door behind them.

Lucan didn’t waste time. “You’ve become a liability.”

I blinked. “Excuse me?”

“You’ve been seen with Kingston far too often, and his announcement at the latest conference did not poll well. The media is already buzzing about your… relationship,” he said, as if the word was distasteful. “We’ve worked tirelessly to get him where he is, and your presence threatens that progress.”

“Frankly, Kingston’s press conference announcement was a PR disaster,” added May, who was standing with her lips pursed disapprovingly.

“I haven’t done anything to intentionally hurt his campaign,” I said, trying to keep my voice level. “If anything, I’ve stayed quiet. I’ve protected him.”

“That’s not the point,” the woman interrupted. “You are not one of us. The rumors, your past, your legal status as human, your hybrid child… all of it is a stain on the image we’ve crafted.”

Rage bloomed in my chest. “A stain? You’re talking about a child. My child. I’ve sacrificed plenty to protect your image, but I won’t have you talking about my son like he is a stain.”

“That was your duty,” Lucan said sharply. “To protect the Alpha King. But now, it’s time to do more.”

I swallowed hard. “What are you saying?”

“You’re going to end things with Kingston,” May said. “Permanently. Publicly, if possible.”

My blood ran cold.

“And if I don’t?” I asked quietly.

Lucan stepped forward, lowering his voice. “Then we’ll be forced to use other measures. Dig into your past. Reopen the investigations. Bring Riley’s paternity into the light—not as a celebration, but as a scandal.”

“We will make sure Riley can’t get into any local schools,” May continued. “And why would he want to go to school around here? Think of your son. Think of what this could do to him. All the rumors and gossip will surely get to him.”

My knees weakened, but I refused to sit. I wouldn’t give them the satisfaction of seeing me break.

“You would threaten a child just to maintain power?”

“We’re protecting the pack’s future,” the woman said, her tone devoid of remorse. “This is simply bigger than just you and your son. In fact, you were never meant to be part of it.”

I stared at them, feeling my chest tighten with panic, grief, and fury. Because I knew they weren’t bluffing. They’d tear me and Riley apart with a smile if it meant clearing Kingston’s path to the throne.

“We advise that you seriously consider this,” May added. “We will be keeping a close eye on you to determine what your decision is.”

They left without another word, and I sank slowly into an empty chair, staring at nothing.

I thought I had been through heartbreak before. I thought I understood what it felt like to be left behind, to feel like I wasn’t enough. But this… this was something else.

I had been so close to having him. He had openly claimed me. But now it could not be.

This was the kind of heartbreak that didn’t come from loss; it came from the knowledge that I had to do the leaving.

And that it would break him, too.

But I would always choose my son above all else. It would always be Riley.

When Kingston messaged me later, asking if I wanted to stop by his office, I stared at the text for a full ten minutes before responding.

Sure. I’ll swing by before I head out, I finally responded.

I didn’t trust my voice. I barely trusted my hands to stay steady.

He looked beautiful when I walked in. Casual but powerful, his sleeves rolled up, his tie undone, the way his eyes lit up when he saw me was like I was still the center of his world.

It shattered something inside me.

“Hey,” he said, rising to his feet. “Wasn’t sure if you’d come.”

I nodded, unable to smile. “I said I would.”

He frowned, stepping closer. “What’s wrong?”

I reached up and cupped his face with my hand, letting my fingers run along the stubble at his jaw, committing the texture of him to memory.

“I just needed to see you,” I whispered. “One more time.”

He stilled. “One more— Cora, what’s going on?”

I dropped my hand and took a step back. “I can’t do this anymore.”

His brows furrowed. “What are you talking about?”

“You and me. We’re not sustainable. Not with your title. Not with the pack watching everything you do.”

“Is this about the unauthorized medication for Riley?” he asked. “Because I’ve advised them to close the investigation, and I suspect that Amy—”

“No,” I said. “It’s not about that.”

“Then is this about the media again?” he continued. “Or Amy? Or Daisy—”

“No,” I cut in again. “It’s not about them. It’s about your future. And Riley’s safety.”

He stiffened, his voice going low. “What did they say to you?”

“Does it matter?” I said, fighting to keep my tears in check. “They made it clear. If I stay, they’ll destroy me. And worse… they’ll destroy Riley. And I won’t let that happen.”

He moved toward me again, but I backed away. “Please, Kingston. Don’t make this harder than it already is.”

“You’re asking me to stand by and watch you walk out of my life again?” he growled, his voice cracking. “You think I care what they say? You think I’ll let them threaten Riley?”

“You might not have a choice,” I said softly. “They won’t stop. You know what they’re capable of. This isn’t about you being weak, it’s about them being ruthless. And me trying to survive that.”

His hands trembled at his sides. “Then we fight them together.”

“Kingston, you’ve worked your whole life for this. Don’t throw it away for someone like me.”

“Someone like you?” he echoed, his voice raw. “You mean the woman who saved my company? The woman who ran into a burning lab to save data no one else would? The only person who still sees me for more than just a crown?”

I covered my mouth with my hand to keep from sobbing.

He stepped closer again, his hand gently brushing mine away. “Don’t let them win, Cora. Please.”

But I’d already made my decision.

“I love you,” I whispered. “That’s why I’m doing this.”

And before he could say another word, I walked out.