Chapter 3 I Will Break The Mate Bond

Arabella's POV

Wesley was kicking on the bedroom door. "Arabella, open this goddamn door! NOW!" Each hit made the door shake, and my heart beat faster every time.

I picked up Alice from her crib and held her close. Her small body against mine was the only thing keeping me sane right now. My poor baby shouldn't have to deal with this.

I knew hiding would just make him angrier. Taking a deep breath to stop my hands from shaking, I carried Alice to the door.

"Wesley, please be quiet. Not in front of Alice." I tried to sound calm so my daughter wouldn't feel how scared I was.

When I opened the door, the smell of the liquor hit me hard.

Without saying anything, Wesley slapped me across the face so hard I stumbled backward and almost dropped Alice. My cheek hurt like hell and I couldn't see straight for a second.

"Are you crazy?" I backed up, holding Alice tighter.

Wesley just looked angry. "Shut up! You fucking bitch, you locked me out!"

For two years, Wesley had been my nightmare. That gentleman at our wedding? Just a mask. The violence started soon after we married—first controlling my every move, then beating me for no reason.

Through our mate bond, I felt his betrayals. Whenever he was "working late," sharp pain would shoot through my mate bond.

When I confronted him once, he broke two of my ribs.

After getting pregnant with Alice, I stupidly thought fatherhood would change him.

Instead, he got worse—he started looking at me with disgust. "Who'd want to touch a she-wolf with stretch marks?" he'd sneer. Those words hurt more than his punches.

I stayed for so long because I wanted Alice to have a complete family. Now I wondered—was living in fear and violence really better than having no dad?

Wesley hit me again, harder. I tasted blood in my mouth as my lip split.

Alice started crying loudly. My heart broke hearing her. My baby shouldn't see this or feel this scared.

I carefully put Alice back in her crib to keep her safe. When I turned to face Wesley, something changed inside me.

"I warned you not to do this in front of her." My voice got deeper and stopped shaking.

Wesley laughed. "You think you can threaten me? You useless bitch, you'd have nothing without me!"

He jumped at me, hitting and kicking. Pain was everywhere and I felt like my ribs might be broken. My face was wet and I couldn't tell if it was tears or blood.

Alice cried louder, sounding more desperate. Through my blurry vision, I saw her little face red with tears streaming down.

Right then, my mom instincts and wolf nature crashed together inside me. I felt a rage I'd never felt before.

This has to stop. I can't let Alice live like this. I can't let him hurt us anymore.

I felt myself changing—claws coming out of my fingers, teeth getting longer, vision suddenly super clear. My wolf side, the part I always pushed down, finally woke up.

I moved fast, shoving Wesley to the floor. Before he could react, my claws and teeth dug into his shoulder and neck. Warm blood poured out, and it felt weirdly good.

Wesley looked shocked. "You... you dare attack your mate? That's against the Moon Goddess!"

"You betrayed your mate a long time ago," my voice sounded different, low and scary. "Now, I’ll cut our mate bond."

Looking at Wesley on the floor, I knew this was my only chance. If he got up, Alice and I would never get out alive.

I'm done with this life. My daughter deserves better. I deserve better.

I knew exactly what I had to do. I grabbed Alice and ran for the stairs.

I could turn into a wolf and run faster, but I couldn't carry Alice that way. Have to stay human.

Running down the stairs, my wolf senses got super sharp. I could hear Wesley trying to get up upstairs and smell the blood in the air.

I looked around downstairs, grabbed the car keys and Alice's car seat. No time to think, no time to take anything else.

I ran out the front door toward the SUV parked outside. My heart was pounding so hard. Please, just let us get away.

My hands were still shaking as I put Alice in her special wolf cub car seat in the back.

"Just hang on, baby," I kissed her forehead and checked the straps twice. "Mommy's taking you somewhere safe."

Back in the driver's seat, my fingers were shaking so bad I could barely put the key in. Calm down, Arabella. Everything depends on this moment.

Just as the engine started, a shadow appeared at my window. My heart almost stopped.

Wesley stood there with blood all over his face. His wounds were already starting to heal, but still looked terrible. His eyes were full wolf gold now, showing pure rage and shock.

His claws smashed against the window, cracking the glass. "You traitor! How dare you betray me? Did you forget my mark on you?"

Alice woke up and started crying again. I could feel how scared she was, which just made me angrier.

"I'll rip you apart, Arabella!" Wesley yelled. "I'll make sure every wolf knows what happens when you betray your mate!"

Weirdly, hearing these threats that used to terrify me, I now felt calm and determined.

"Move, Wesley," I said, looking right at him without flinching. "Or I swear I'll run you over, even if you are Alice's father."

I saw confusion in Wesley's eyes, a moment of doubt. This man who'd terrorized me for years couldn't believe I was standing up to him.

Taking advantage of that moment, I floored it. The SUV shot forward, and Wesley barely jumped out of the way, but the side mirror hit him hard.

As I drove away, I saw Wesley in the rearview mirror, struggling to stand up and letting out a huge howl. At the same time, the soul mark on my neck started burning like crazy.

But this pain was nothing compared to the hell of the past two years.

I drove with one hand while wiping tears away so I could see. The soul mark hurt worse the further I drove, like someone was holding a hot iron to my neck. I clenched my teeth and forced myself to focus.

Alice settled down in the back seat and fell asleep. I kept looking at her tiny face in the mirror, so glad she was away from that nightmare.

After driving about two hours, I pulled over in a hidden spot between the two pack territories. I needed to figure out what to do next.

Wesley would heal soon and track us through the soul mark and our scent. Worse, he might get the whole Black Moon Pack to hunt us down.

I took out my phone to call for help.

First, I tried my brother Asher. We hadn't talked in forever—Wesley made sure of that—but he's still my blood. I called him, but it went straight to voicemail.

"Asher, it's me, Arabella. Emergency. Call me back right away." My voice was shaking as the pain in my neck almost made me pass out.

I hung up and looked at Alice sleeping in the back seat.

I'm running out of time. Once Wesley heals, he'll come after us like crazy. Where can we go? Who can help us?

I'd reported Wesley's violence to the pack elders before, but since Declan backed him, they did nothing. The police? Useless for werewolf problems.

Then I thought of someone I never imagined calling again, especially after I married Wesley.

Would he help me? After I ignored his warnings?

But he was the only one strong enough to stand up to Wesley and Declan. If he protected us, Wesley would think twice.

If I get away tonight, I swear I'll never go back to that nightmare.

Taking a deep breath, I dialed his number, sounding more vulnerable than I had in three years, "I need your help. Please."