Chapter 19. Broken and Terminated

Elena’s POV

The night air hit me like a slap as we emerged from the station—cold, sharp, blessedly clean after the stench inside. But what stopped me cold was the sound.

Whump-whump-whump.

A helicopter sat waiting on the street, its rotors slicing through the darkness, whipping my hair into a frenzy. Police officers stood at a distance, watching with wide eyes. Even they couldn’t look away from the spectacle.

I blinked, my exhausted brain struggling to process. “That’s... yours?”

Ava appeared at my elbow, a faint smile curving her lips. “The Alpha interrupted the Thompson family moon ceremony to get here. Didn’t even hesitate. Commandered the helicopter himself.”

My chest tightened. Warmth flooded through me—he’d left that for this? For me? But beneath the warmth, guilt stirred.

“Stop.” Eric’s voice cut through my spiraling thoughts. He hadn’t even looked at me, but somehow he knew. “No one makes me do anything I don’t want to do, Ele