Realized I Was Just His Stand-In Mate

The mental intrusion hit me like a sledgehammer to the skull.

I was reviewing Obsidian's financial reports in my new office—a corner suite with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the city—when Damon's voice exploded through my consciousness with the force of an Alpha command.

*Emelia! What the hell do you think you're doing?*

The papers scattered from my hands as I gripped the edge of my desk, my vision blurring from the psychic assault. The mate bond we'd shared for eight years gave him access to my mind, a connection I'd forgotten he could weaponize.

*You will come back to Eclipse territory immediately,* his mental voice roared, each word laced with Alpha dominance. *This tantrum has gone on long enough. You belong to me.*

Rage flooded through me, hot and purifying. How dare he invade my thoughts? How dare he treat me like a runaway pet to be dragged back home?

*I belong to no one,* I snarled back through the link, pouring every ounce of fury and disgust into the words. *Especially not to you.*

*Don't test me, Emelia. I'll destroy Obsidian Pack if that's what it takes to bring you home. You're mine.*

The possessiveness in his mental tone made my skin crawl. Even now, even after everything, he still saw me as property to be claimed and controlled.

*I was never yours,* I replied, my mental voice ice-cold. *I was just convenient. A placeholder until Isabella decided to come back.*

I felt his shock ripple through the connection, followed by desperate scrambling as he tried to maintain his hold on my mind. But eight years of suppressed anger had given me strength he'd never bothered to recognize.

With surgical precision, I began dismantling the mate bond from my end. Each psychic thread that connected us, I severed with ruthless efficiency. The process was excruciating—like tearing away pieces of my own soul—but I pushed through the pain.

*Emelia, stop! You don't understand what you're doing—*

*I understand perfectly,* I cut him off, my mental voice steady despite the agony. *I'm cutting out a cancer.*

The final thread snapped with an audible crack that echoed through my office. Damon's presence vanished from my mind like smoke, leaving behind blessed silence and a hollow ache where our connection used to be.

I slumped forward in my chair, blood trickling from my nose from the psychic strain. But for the first time in eight years, my thoughts were completely my own.

A soft knock at my door made me look up. "Come in."

Ezra entered, carrying a steaming cup of tea and wearing an expression of concern. "I felt the psychic disturbance from down the hall. Are you alright?"

I wiped the blood from my nose with a tissue, my hands still shaking slightly. "Damon tried to force me back through the mate bond. I severed it."

Ezra's amber eyes flashed with something dangerous. "He invaded your mind without permission?"

"It's over now." I accepted the tea gratefully, letting the warm ceramic steady my trembling fingers. "He can't reach me anymore."

"Good." The single word carried the weight of absolute approval. "No one should have that kind of access to you without your consent."

I studied his face, noting the controlled fury in his expression. When was the last time someone had been angry on my behalf rather than at me?

"I need to focus on work," I said, gesturing to the scattered financial reports. "Speaking of which, I've been analyzing Eclipse's current situation."

Ezra settled into the chair across from my desk, his attention immediately shifting to business mode. "What did you find?

I pulled up the spreadsheets on my laptop, turning the screen so he could see. "Damon's been hemorrhaging money. Look at these expense reports from the past six months."

Ezra leaned forward, his eyes scanning the numbers. "Jesus. What's he spending on?"

"Isabella." I highlighted a series of transactions, each one more extravagant than the last. "A penthouse apartment downtown—two million. Designer wardrobe—half a million. Jewelry from Cartier—another three hundred thousand. And this is just what I can identify from the coded expenses."

"He's draining pack funds for his mistress," Ezra said, his voice flat with disgust.

"Gets worse." I pulled up another spreadsheet. "Eclipse's liquid assets are at an all-time low. They have maybe two months of operating expenses in reserve, and that's if they cut all non-essential spending immediately."

Ezra's expression sharpened. "Which means they're vulnerable."

"Extremely." I felt a cold smile tug at my lips. "And I know exactly where to hit them."

I opened a new file, revealing contract negotiations I'd been managing before my dramatic exit. "The Coastal Pack herb import deal. Three hundred million over five years. Damon thinks it's a sure thing because I laid all the groundwork."

"But?"

"But Alpha Marcus Thorne is a shrewd businessman who values reliability above all else. The preliminary agreements were based on Eclipse's financial stability six months ago. If he knew their current situation..."

"He'd walk away from the deal," Ezra finished.

"Or better yet, he'd take his business to a more stable partner." I met his gaze directly. "Like Obsidian."

Ezra was quiet for a long moment, his amber eyes studying my face with an intensity that made my pulse quicken. "This isn't just about business for you, is it?"

I thought about lying, about pretending this was purely professional. But something about Ezra's steady gaze made dishonesty impossible.

"No," I admitted. "It's not. Damon threw me away like garbage, then tried to control me even after I left. He needs to learn that actions have consequences."

"And Isabella?"

The name sent a spike of cold fury through my chest. "She orchestrated my humiliation. Made me hand over my wedding bouquet like some kind of servant. She deserves whatever's coming to her."

Ezra nodded slowly. "What do you need?"

The simple question caught me off guard. Not *what do you want* or *are you sure about this*, but *what do you need*. Like my success was already a foregone conclusion in his mind.

"Resources," I said. "The Coastal Pack negotiation is happening next week. If I'm going to make a competing offer, I need capital backing it up. Serious capital."

Without hesitation, Ezra pulled out his phone and made a quick call. "Transfer authorization for Emelia Quinn on all my personal accounts," he said to whoever answered. "Full access, no limits."

I stared at him in shock. "Ezra, you can't just—"

He held up a hand, finishing the call. "Done. You also have access to Obsidian's corporate accounts and our legal team. Whatever you need to win this, it's yours."

"Why?" The question slipped out before I could stop it. "Why are you trusting me with this much?"

Ezra's amber eyes blazed with an intensity that made my breath catch. "Because Eclipse Pack threw away the most brilliant strategic mind I've ever seen. Their loss is our gain."

He stood to leave, then paused at the door. "Emelia? Make them regret every second they underestimated you."

As the door closed behind him, I turned back to my computer with renewed focus. Damon thought he could control me, manipulate me, discard me when convenient. Isabella thought she could humiliate me and steal my life.

They were both about to learn how wrong they were.