Reborn, I rejected my mate who used my womb to impregnate his lover's pup

My words had Ulric jumping to his feet.

"Like hell that's happening!"

He grabbed my shoulders, his hold tight.

"You're the Langley pack's top drug developer! Leave now, and what happens to those unfinished formulas? That's your life's work!"

Ulric let out a bitter laugh.

I knew he wasn't sweating the pack's profits.

He just needed a reason to keep me here.

"Ulric, I've logged every bit of finished data for the drugs. The Langley pack research team can handle the rest."

I smiled, not angry at being pushed out, but weirdly relieved.

"With those records, any halfway decent pro can take over easy."

"Only bummer is, I can't help you anymore. Hope you find a real successor soon."

I made sure to lay that on thick for Ulric.

The Langley pack herbal team was solid-they could wrap up my work fine, as long as no one like Alice messed with it.

"Freya, what's that supposed to mean? 'True heir'? You saying me and Elijah aren't good enough to take over?" Alice snapped, steaming.

I didn't even look at her.

"Ulric, I'm gone."

With that, I turned to leave for good.

"Wait!"

Alice threw her arms out, blocking my way.

"If you're dead set on leaving, do it right!"

"You showed up at the Langleys with nothing-leave with nothing! That dress, the necklace, the car in the driveway-none of it's yours! You think you can just walk off with Langley stuff?"

Alice stuck her chin out, clearly itching for a fight.

"If you can't come up with a real insult, maybe shut up," I shot back, giving her a cold look.

"Let's not dig too far. In the last two years alone, I cooked up three drugs for the Langleys that hit shelves. Each one pulls in over a billion a year."

"Thirty billion. You really think that doesn't cover a dress and a watch?"

I locked eyes with her, watching her lips twitch.

She'd lost again.

I needed her to get it-I was leaving because I wanted to, not 'cause some dead weight like her ran me off.

But then, out of nowhere, Elijah stepped in front of me, biting his lip.

"Freya, everything you did was just paying back the Langleys for raising you all these years."

"I'm with Alice. If you're leaving, go the way you came-with nothing."

He lifted his head, staring me down.

Something in my chest stabbed, sharp and deep.

I'd tried so hard to walk out with some dignity, but Elijah's words knocked me sideways.

"Elijah, cut this crap!" Ulric slammed his fist on the table.

I held up a hand to stop him.

Then I pulled off my watch and slipped out of the evening gown.

"Freya, don't listen to him!" Ulric hurried over to stop me.

I just gave a small smile. "It's okay, Ulric. I know exactly who I owe."

The unspoken part hung in the air: this was between me and Alice.

Alice flashed that smug grin she wore when she first showed up, like she'd won.

"Alright, alright, keep your underclothes on-just get out!" she said, waving me off before looping her arms around Elijah, kissing him like there was no tomorrow.

Elijah avoided my eyes, a tiny flicker of guilt in his gaze.

I took a deep breath-could smell the lemon polish on the floor, the lavender from the centerpiece, the faint hint of Elijah's cologne mixed with Alice's too-sweet perfume.

Then I walked out, step by step.