Chapter 63 – Breaking Point (Ivy’s POV)

Chapter 63 – Breaking Point (Ivy’s POV)
I hit the training field before dawn, desperate to drown my anger and disgust in sweat. I hadn’t slept at all and the mere thought of it infuriated me. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Damian and Bianca together. By morning, my hurt had hardened into cold fury.
“Ready to start?” Sierra asked carefully, eyeing me as we squared off on the dewy grass. A few pack members milled about nearby. I just nodded and launched forward, aggression pouring out of me with each strike. Today, for some reason, Sierra chose to train me with weapons – knives to be precise. Not like I hadn’t learnt these on my way to being a cop. I wanted something more, something that may unlock something I had not understood or something that may give me insight into what my past held.
“Focus,” Sierra barked as I narrowly ducked a swing. I didn’t care.
A snarl ripped from my chest. I drove forward with a flurry of blows that knocked Sierra off balance. Surprise flickered over his face as I muscled him back step by step. I shouldn’t have been able to budge him, but anger lent me strength.
Our blades locked and I leaned in with my teeth bared. My arms trembled with effort, yet I felt him give ground. Inch by inch, I forced Sierra down to one knee. A guttural, inhuman growl spilled from my throat.
“Ivy, enough!”
Something was wrong because… what the hell was going on? A hot rush of power flooded my senses. A strange force pushed from under my skin.
With a cry, I knocked Sierra’s knife aside and lunged. My hand closed around his throat, pinning him flat on the grass. Sierra’s hands flew to my wrist as he choked, but I held him down as red haze clouded my vision.
“Ivy!” a voice shouted. It was not Sierra. His lips were turning blue. It was someone else. Elias?
Reality slammed back in and the horror washed over me. I released Sierra and stumbled back in uncertainty. He rolled aside, coughing hard. My gaze fell to my shaking hands and then back to Sierra.
What had I done?
A sudden dizziness hit me as I tried to stand on my feet. The sky tilted and the ground teetered beneath my feet. I heard pounding footsteps as people rushed toward me. My knees buckled. Then strong arms caught me before I hit the ground, and the world went dark.

I woke on a cot in the estate infirmary, feeling like I’d been hit by a freight train. Every muscle ached and my head thrummed dully. Blinking against the bright fluorescent lights, I tried to sit up.
“Easy there,” came Elias’s gentle voice. The older man appeared at my side, pressing a cool hand to my forehead. “Don’t rush, Ivy. You gave us a scare.”
Memory flooded back. “Sierra—” I croaked.
“He’s fine,” Elias assured me. “A little shaken, but fine. He’s actually been standing guard outside like a worried brother.” Elias offered a tiny smile. “We’re more concerned about you.”
I swallowed, my throat scratchy. “I’m fine,” I lied.
Elias’s brow furrowed and I guess I already knew him well enough to know he knew bullshit when he heard it. But before he could press, a shadow filled the doorway.
My heart stuttered for some insane reason. Damian stood at the threshold with his hands clenched at his sides. His eyes were glued to me, brimming with worry. He looked wrecked. I tore my eyes away as I sealed my jaw tight.
Elias cleared his throat. “Alpha, perhaps—”
“I need a word with Ivy,” Damian said quietly. His voice held a tremor.
Elias glanced between us. “I’ll give you two a moment. But keep it brief. She should be resting.” With that, he excused himself, pulling the door closed to give us privacy even as I wished Elias could goddamn stay and save me from this shit before it ever took place.
Silence. Damian took a tentative step into the infirmary. I swung my legs over the side of the cot, forcing myself upright. I’d rather die than face this conversation lying down like an invalid.
“Ivy,” he began softly. He took another step closer.
I held up a hand, stopping him in his tracks. “Don’t,” I rasped. It was all I could manage without my voice breaking.
He flinched. The silence between us throbbed painfully.
He tried again, voice thick. “I’m so damn sorry. For everything. I—”
“I can’t do this, Damian,” I interrupted, finally looking up at him directly. Hot tears pricked my eyes, but I blinked them back. Was I acting this out? Was I hurt? Whichever it was, I refused to cry in front of him again. “I can’t… be here. Not anymore.”
He sighed heavily. “Don’t say that. Please.”
I squeezed my eyes shut in disbelief. I wanted to say something but scoffed instead. “Fuck you, Damian.” I spat. “I’m leaving,” I added as I turned my back to him, hoping to see him vanish from existence that damned moment. The words hung in the sterile air. I heard him suck in a breath.
“No.” The word dropped as a command. “You’re not thinking straight. You’ve been through so much—”
Are you fucking kidding me?
I let out a bitter laugh, cutting him off. “For once, I’m thinking clearly.” I turned my head, just enough to meet his gaze sidelong. My tears had dried, leaving only exhaustion and resolve. “This place… you… all of it. It’s not what I want. It never was.”
“Wasn’t it?”
I felt my face contort into a frown because hell, I didn’t get one thing he was saying. “What are you implying?”
“You have nowhere else to be Ivy “Isabella” Romano, but here. You cannot leave, Ivy. You cannot.”
My heart raced. I couldn’t believe my ears as they rang wildly. I instantly turned away and headed out of the room. As I walked away, tears blurred my vision. I steeled myself, forcing myself to be strong. And just then, I realized how much I wanted my life back. And if I wanted my life back, I had to escape this place.
One way or another, I would break free.