Chapter 8

Eleanor's POV

"To avoid people discovering he abuses his Luna," she continued, her voice shaking, "he makes me shift to wolf form, then beats Nova. That way there won't be obvious marks on my human form."

My blood nearly froze. Harm to wolf form left permanent scars, more cruel and lasting than harm to human form.

"My God, Maggie..."

"Tonight, when he saw those two cups, he was more enraged than usual," she looked at me, her eyes full of despair. "If there were a chance, I wouldn't hesitate to escape from Maddox's side. But now, I can only endure and try to avoid provoking him."

Hearing Maggie's words, I felt even more confused. I thought my situation was bad enough, but at least Edward had never hurt me. At least he still loved me, just tormented by the fated bond.

"Edward hasn't given up on me," I said slowly, "but I refuse to share him with someone else. I can't... I can't watch him come home to me every night, knowing his heart is thinking of another woman."

Maggie nodded, understanding my feelings.

"I want to leave," I continued. "I want to find a pack that will take me in. I know it's difficult because I'm already marked by Edward, but I have to try."

"Do you have any plans?" Maggie asked, her voice carrying a hint of hope.

"I think I can contact Alphas in other regions," I said. "Maybe someone will take me in out of humanitarian consideration. Or... or I could go to Clifflands."

Maggie frowned. "That's dangerous, Eleanor. The Alpha King of Clifflands... his reputation is complex. But maybe..." she paused, something sparking in her eyes, "maybe for us, it's the choice."

"Us?" I looked at her in surprise.

"If you're really leaving," Maggie said softly, her voice carrying a determination I'd never heard before, "I want... I want to go with you. I can't continue enduring Maddox's abuse. Tonight he threatened to kill me if he found any more evidence of my 'infidelity.'"

"But we need funds," I said practically, "and a concrete plan. We can't just run away blindly."

Maggie nodded in agreement. "You're right. And if we suddenly disappear, they'll immediately send people to hunt us down. We need time to prepare."

"Then we pretend to accept reality," I said slowly, the plan forming in my mind. "I go back to Edward, act like I've compromised. Meanwhile, we secretly gather funds and plan our escape route."

"That's dangerous," Maggie said worriedly. "If they discover what we're planning..."

"Then we have to act better," I said firmly. "We need to appear convincing enough to make them lower their guard. When we're ready, we leave Forestvale region together."

We agreed to stay in contact through specific methods, then Maggie had to return home before Maddox became suspicious.

"Be careful," I said, gripping her hand.

"You too," she replied, new hope in her eyes. "We'll succeed."

Later, I stood before our front door, taking a deep breath. It felt like preparing to walk to the gallows. My travel bag was still at the inn; now I only held car keys and a broken heart.

You can do this, I told myself. This is only temporary.

I used my key to open the door, prepared to face Edward's anger or questioning. But I wasn't prepared to see who was sitting on our living room sofa.

Claire.

She was curled in the corner of the sofa, golden hair disheveled, those lake-blue eyes red and swollen. She wore a shirt I recognized as Edward's, that white shirt I'd helped him organize countless times. Seeing her wearing it made my stomach churn.

She was in my home, wearing my husband's clothes, crying her eyes out.

The scene was so absurd, so ironic, I almost laughed.

I decided to ignore her and headed straight for the stairs. I just wanted to get to my room. But when Claire saw me, she jumped up from the sofa.

"Eleanor!" she exclaimed, her voice hoarse from crying. "You're back! Where were you?"

I stopped, slowly turning to look at her. She looked genuinely pained, her eyes full of what appeared to be remorse.

"Edward was so worried about you," she continued, tears starting to well up again. "He looked everywhere for you. He... he thought you'd never come back."

I said nothing, just stared at her coldly.

"I didn't come to this house to destroy your relationship," Claire choked out, stepping closer to me. "I came to join this family. We can... we can live together, can't we? Like a family."

A family. A family sharing the same man.

I found this utterly ridiculous. This woman, this woman who had seduced my husband, now stood in my living room wearing my husband's clothes, telling me we could live like one happy big family.

"I know this is difficult," she continued, apparently misinterpreting my silence, "but the fated bond... it's stronger than any of us. I never wanted to hurt you."

Never wanted to hurt me?

I turned to continue toward the stairs, but Claire suddenly rushed over to block my path.

"Please," she pleaded, tears streaming down her perfect cheeks, "don't hate me. I never chose this. I didn't choose to fall in love with a married man either. But now we're here, and we have to find a way to coexist."

"Coexist," I finally spoke, my voice so calm it surprised even me. "You want me to 'coexist' with you."

"Yes," she nodded eagerly. "We both love Edward. We both want him to be happy. If we could..."

"If we could what?" I interrupted her. "Take turns serving him? Line up like concubines waiting for his favor?"

Claire's face reddened. "It's not like that. I was thinking more like... like sisters."

Sisters. The word made me want to vomit.

Just then, the front door was pushed open, and Edward's scent wafted into the room. I turned to see him standing in the doorway, looking haggard. His hair was messy, clothes wrinkled, deep dark circles under his eyes. He looked like he hadn't slept in days.

When he saw me, his entire body froze.

"Eleanor," my name came from his mouth like a prayer, a desperate plea.

We stared at each other, the air in the room becoming thick and tense. I could see the pain in his eyes, feel the desperation and fear radiating from him.

Then, ignoring that Claire still stood between us, Edward rushed toward me, pulling me forcefully into his arms.

"I thought I'd lost you," he whispered in my ear, his voice broken. "I thought you'd never come back."

His embrace was so familiar, so warm, that for a moment I almost forgot all the pain and anger. This was the man who had once called me his red rose, the man who had once promised to love me forever.

"I can't live without you," he continued, his voice trembling. "No matter what happens, I can't leave you. Please don't give up on our feelings. Please don't give up on us."

My heart stung, but I knew I had to stick to my plan. I had to make him believe I'd accepted this new reality.

"Edward," I said softly, slowly withdrawing from his embrace. "We need to talk."