The Severance Clause

The Severance Clause

~Sloane~

I drove away from the anniversary venue, keeping my foot pressed heavily on the gas pedal. My hands gripped the steering wheel tightly. Dominic thought he won. He thought he could hand me divorce papers in front of the entire elite class, publicly humiliate me, and walk away cleanly to marry Elena Varkov. He thought the severance package would keep me quiet. He did not realize I just locked him out of his own empire.

I merged onto the highway, checking my rearview mirror constantly. My phone sat on the passenger seat, completely silent. Dominic had not called. He was busy celebrating his new engagement, completely unaware that his offshore accounts were currently locked behind a firewall only I could access.

I navigated the streets, heading directly toward the Council's maximum-security prison. I needed protection immediately. Locking the Apex Industries accounts meant I was now the most valuable and dangerous target in the region. The Varkov family would want those encryption keys tonight.

I parked outside the prison, walked inside, and demanded a meeting with the warden.

"I am not releasing Victor Hale to you."

The warden pushed the transfer papers across his metal desk. He crossed his arms and glared at me.

"He is a high-risk enforcer," the warden continued. "He was convicted of treason against his former pack. I cannot let him walk out of here because Dominic Draven's wife asked me to. The Council would strip my rank immediately. They would put me in a cell right next to him."

"I am no longer Dominic's wife," I corrected him. I slid the papers back to the center of the desk. "And I am not asking you. I am buying his absolute freedom."

"You do not have the authority to release a death-row inmate," he argued, leaning forward. "No one does."

I opened my briefcase and placed it directly in front of him. I popped the latches and flipped the lid open.

"That briefcase contains two million dollars in untraceable cash," I stated clearly. "You can process his release as a clerical error, take this money, and retire anywhere in the world by tomorrow morning. Or you can refuse, and I will leave with my money right now. You will spend the rest of your life sitting at this desk."

The warden stared at the stacks of bills. He looked back up at me. He reached out and pulled the briefcase closer to his chest. He grabbed a pen and signed the release forms quickly.

"Take me to his cell," I ordered.

The warden walked me down a long corridor. We passed dozens of locked doors. He stopped in front of the last cell, unlocked the heavy metal door, and walked away quickly.

Victor Hale stepped forward. He was tall and heavily built. He stopped a few feet away from me.

"Why did you buy my contract?" Victor asked. "A corporate wife does not buy a prisoner."

"Because I just stole Dominic Draven's entire financial empire," I answered directly. "By tomorrow morning, Elena Varkov's father will realize I locked the Apex Industries accounts. He will know I hold the master encryption keys. He will send hitmen to find me, take the codes, and kill me. I need you to kill them first."

Victor processed the information. He looked at the open cell door, then back at me.

"You stole from the most powerful pack in the country," Victor stated. "You made yourself a target for every mercenary on the continent."

"I secured the assets I built," I corrected him. "I need protection tonight. I have to make one stop before we leave the city. Will you do the job I paid you for?"

"You got me out of this cage," Victor replied. "I work for you now. Let's go."

We drove to the industrial district. I parked outside a plain brick building and walked inside with Victor right behind me.

A woman sat behind a wooden counter. I approached her immediately.

"I need a severance," I said. I placed a stack of cash on the counter. "Do it right now."

The witch looked at the money. "Severing a fated mate bond kills the wolf. It is forbidden by the Council. I do not perform death rituals."

"I am paying you to do it, not to warn me," I replied. "I am six weeks pregnant. You will adjust the spell to ensure the magic does not touch the child. If you harm my baby, my enforcer will kill you before you can take a breath."

The witch looked at Victor. Victor cracked his knuckles, rolling his shoulders forward.

The witch took the money and hid it in a drawer. "The procedure will put your body into severe physical shock. I have to draw a severance circle and bind the magic to your blood. You will be completely incapacitated. If your mate finds you before the magic settles, the bond will violently reconnect, and the shock will stop your heart."

"He does not know I am here," I said. "Start the ritual."

Victor stepped in front of the door, planting his feet firmly. He crossed his arms, ready to shift and fight anyone who tried to enter.

The witch walked out from behind the counter. She carried a piece of white chalk and a small silver blade. She knelt on the floor and began drawing a large circle. She added ancient runic symbols around the edges, making sure every line connected perfectly.

"Stand in the center," the witch commanded.

I stepped into the middle of the chalk circle.

The witch took my right hand. She pressed the silver blade against my palm and made a quick cut. Blood welled up instantly. She pressed my bleeding hand against my own chest, right over my heart.

"Do not step out of the circle," she warned. "Do not move your hand. If you break the connection before I finish the incantation, the magic will turn inward and kill you."

I nodded, pressing my hand harder against my chest.

The witch raised her hands and began chanting. The words were spoken rapidly in an ancient dialect.

The chalk circle glowed with a bright light. The magic hit me immediately.

It felt like a knife plunging directly into the center of my chest. I gasped loudly, my knees buckling. I forced myself to stay standing, gripping my shirt to keep my hand in place. The thread inside my soul that connected me to Dominic pulled tight. It fought back against the spell, resisting the separation. I felt my muscles lock up completely.

The witch chanted louder, her voice rising in volume and speed.

The magic burned through the connection, forcing it apart piece by piece. My teeth ground together. Blood dripped out of my nose and fell onto my collar. My vision blurred heavily.

The incantation reached a frantic pace. The pain intensified, radiating down my arms and up my neck. I fell to my knees, keeping my hand pressed to my chest.

Then, a loud crash echoed behind me.

The front door splintered open.

Three men rushed into the room holding weapons.

How did they find me so quickly?

Elena's father did not wait until morning. He sent his enforcers to take the encryption keys from me tonight.

Victor lunged forward, shifting into his wolf form before his feet hit the ground. He collided with the first man, biting down hard on his shoulder and throwing him across the room. He did not know who they were, and he did not care. He just attacked the threats.

Gunfire erupted. Bullets hit the walls and shattered the counter.

"Finish it!" I screamed at the witch over the noise of the fight.

The witch shouted the final word of the incantation.

A massive wave of extreme pain ripped through my chest. The mate bond snapped completely. The connection to Dominic Draven vanished from my soul, leaving a cold void behind.

The physical shock overloaded my system. My legs gave out, and I collapsed onto the floor inside the glowing circle. The world went completely black.

***

I woke up gasping for air.

My hands flew to my chest. The tearing pain was gone. The constant presence of my mate was entirely absent from my mind. I sat in the passenger seat of a moving vehicle.

Victor drove the car, keeping his eyes on the road. Blood stained his shirt.

"You survived," Victor stated.

"What happened in the clinic?" I asked. My voice came out hoarse.

"I killed them," Victor answered. "I grabbed you, and we left before anyone else arrived. We are crossing the state line now.”

I leaned back against the seat. I didn't know how they found me so quickly, but it didn't matter right now. I survived. I had my child, I had the encryption keys, and I was completely free of Dominic Draven.

I placed my hand over my stomach. I was going to build an empire, and then I was going to destroy his entirely.

The physical exhaustion finally caught up to me. My eyes grew heavy, the adrenaline leaving my system completely. I closed my eyes, let my head rest against the window, and fell into a deep sleep.