My mate Derek, Alpha of the SilverCrest Pack, secretly marked me two years ago. But he still hasn't held our mating ceremony to publicly announce my position. I've been working as his "assistant," helping him manage pack affairs all this time. Every time Derek cheats with his childhood sweetheart, Vivian, he promises to finally hold our mating ceremony. Two years. Ten promised ceremonies. Ten broken promises. The first time, he said Vivian's dog had died. "I can't hold a celebration while she's grieving," he told me, his eyes not quite meeting mine. "It wouldn't be right." The second time, Vivian had a stomach ache. He left the ceremony venue minutes before it was supposed to start, rushing off to cook soup for his precious childhood friend. After that, each scheduled mating ceremony fell through because his childhood sweetheart always had some kind of emergency. I've cried. I've screamed. I've begged. Derek always gives me the same answer: "Viv and I are just friends. You're my true mate. Taking care of pack members is your responsibility too. Don't be so jealous." After the tenth canceled ceremony, I finally gave up. I slid the mate bond dissolution papers across his desk. "The Alpha Council has approved our request to break the mate bond," I said, my voice steadier than I expected. "You and I are no longer connected." That’s when the powerful Alpha went crazy...
view moreThere's nothing new under the sun.Derek's current situation was the same old story played out by countless others before him.According to my former pack member, it took less than two months after my departure for the SilverCrest Pack to fall into disarray.This collapse wasn't solely because Derek had grown accustomed to being an absentee leader, leaving the pack headless once I was gone. It was also because his personality had become increasingly obsessive and erratic, causing him to squander opportunities that should have been easily secured."It was like watching someone deliberately sabotage themselves," Megan explained during our call. "He'd show up to meetings still drunk from the night before. He'd insult potential allies. Sometimes he wouldn't show up at all."Although I held Derek himself in contempt and disdain, I had to acknowledge that from a purely professional standpoint, he had once been exceptional. His business instincts and strategic thinking had been sharp.But in
But Derek's experience was the complete opposite of mine. He too entered a new world—one far removed from me—but his was desolate and barren.As we walked out of the Alpha Council chambers, he caught up to me in the corridor, his footsteps hurried and desperate."Kate..." he began, his voice softer than I'd ever heard it. "Since we're no longer connected..."He ran a hand through his hair, a nervous habit I once found endearing. "As a stranger now, I should still have the right to pursue you."His eyes held a determined gleam that I recognized all too well."I'll make you see a man worthy of your love again. I'll prove myself to you."His words made my temple throb with irritation. After everything, he still didn't understand."Stop right there, Mr. Blackwood," I said coldly. "If it were possible, I'd prefer never to see you again from this moment forward."I squared my shoulders, my wolf growling inside me. "Your disgraceful behavior has sickened me enough already.""Birds of a feathe
During these three days without me, Derek barely slept.The dark circles under his bloodshot eyes told the story his pride wouldn't let him voice. According to Emily, who reluctantly kept me updated, he had been pacing his office like a caged animal, snapping at anyone who dared disturb him.He spent countless hours imagining what would happen when we met at the Alpha Council. Would I soften if he showed enough remorse? Would I give this terminally ill relationship one last chance? Would his tears move me the way they had so many times before?Meanwhile, in these three days without him, I had already found peace.No more checking my phone every five minutes. No more wondering if today would be the day he finally chose me. No more rehearsing arguments in my head for the next time Vivian provoked me.I slept better than I had in years, wrapped in blankets that didn't smell like him.I dreamed of a future that belonged only to me. After breaking free from his many cages, I hadn't yet cons
My chat screen with my former colleague quickly filled with exclamation marks and several recycled memes that had clearly been passed around the office."Alpha Blackwood is THAT kind of man?! People are so deceitful!""Kate, don't be too heartbroken. He's not worth it. And that Vivian—I always knew something was off about her."Derek's carefully constructed facade had finally been torn away. Behind it lay a face so ugly that no one could respect him anymore.The saying "beautiful on the outside, rotten within" described him perfectly. He was nothing but a worm in wolf's clothing.Now, I had finally shed the heaviest burden from my shoulders. Derek's emotions—his anger, sorrow, or joy—no longer had anything to do with me.Without me, Derek became like a lost bird with no place to roost, flying aimlessly through the sky, up and down in confused circles.After wandering for hours, he eventually returned alone to what had once been our home.Eight years together. It would be a lie to say t
Even as Derek continued to plead for forgiveness, I remained deaf to his words.I turned and walked toward the door with purposeful strides, my heart hammering but my resolve unshaken.Just before leaving, I looked back over my shoulder and said in a tone of formal notification:"I know you're extremely busy, Alpha, but I've already scheduled our final meeting in three days with the Council."My eyes locked with his, unflinching."For our last encounter, I advise you not to be late."The stunned expression on Derek's face as I closed the door behind me was almost worth the two years of pain.After I left, Derek's panic only intensified.His only leverage—his Alpha status—had become useless against me. He couldn't imagine what other tactics might keep me by his side.Desperate, Derek immediately called the pack registry office."What's this about Kate's withdrawal?" he demanded.His tone was harsh enough to make Emily, the registrar, both flustered and confused.Normally, Derek wouldn't
Derek stared at me, his expression shifting from confusion to shock as the reality of my words sank in. The color drained from his face, his confident Alpha demeanor crumbling before my eyes."The Council approved what?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.Before this moment, I had forgiven him ten times. Ten broken promises. Ten humiliations. Ten chances to change.Perhaps in his eyes, those ten forgivenesses equaled infinite tolerance—an unspoken permission for him to do whatever he wanted without consequences. "You heard me," I said, holding my ground. "Our mate bond is officially dissolved.""Kate, are you joking with me right now?" Derek's voice dropped to a dangerous low.Though he freely indulged in affairs and lived recklessly outside our relationship, the concept of actually dissolving our mate bond seemed to hit him like a physical blow. "This isn't funny," he growled."I'm not laughing," I replied evenly.The reality was painfully clear. He wanted both—he couldn't
The mate bond dissolution papers sat on my lap, the official seal catching the light."I said—" I started, but he cut me off."Look, I need to go on a business trip tomorrow. Whatever it is, we can discuss it when I get back."The line went dead abruptly. Not even a goodbye.I smiled bitterly, tossing the phone onto the couch beside me. I'd wanted to talk to him face to face about the dissolution, but of course, he wouldn't even give me that opportunity. My wolf whined inside me. Soon, we would be truly free.In the days that followed, I methodically canceled my pack registration, packed up everything that belonged to me, and moved to the temporary housing in my new pack territory. The Northern Ridge Alpha had been surprisingly welcoming, offering me a position immediately after hearing of my organizational skills.Throughout this time, Derek occasionally sent me pictures of wedding venue decorations.[I had designers create five different mating ceremony layouts. Which one do you pr
Two hours later, while I was busy handing over my work to colleagues, Derek sent me a mind-link.Bring a coffee to my office. Now.The demand came without a please or thank you—just his usual commanding tone. As if I still belonged to him. As if nothing had changed.He was always impossibly picky, especially about his coffee. Not just particular—downright tyrannical about the taste, temperature, and presentation.Once, to make him happy, I'd spent $5,000 from my own savings to buy the most premium coffee beans available from a specialty importer. Beans that had to be flown in weekly from remote mountains halfway across the world. I'd even taken special barista classes three towns over, driving two hours each way every Saturday for a month to learn proper brewing techniques.All so he could have his perfect cup.In the entire pack office, I was the only one who could make his coffee exactly the way he liked it. Something he'd brag about to visiting Alphas."My Kate knows exactly how I
That afternoon, I marched straight to the pack registry office, my withdrawal application clutched tightly in my hand.Once submitted, I would no longer be a member of the SilverCrest Pack.Emily, the pack registrar, looked up from her desk. When she saw me, her professional smile faltered, shock washing over her face."Miss Taylor?" Her voice hitched. "What's this about?"I slid the paperwork across her desk without a word.Her eyes widened as she scanned the form. "Membership withdrawal? But you're—" she stopped herself mid-sentence."You're absolutely sure about this?" Emily leaned forward, lowering her voice. "Everyone knows how much you've done for this pack.""You've always stood by Alpha Blackwood, supporting him through everything," Emily continued. "We all say privately that even if rogues took over the entire territory, you'd be the last one standing, fighting until your final breath.""Why so suddenly now...?"Her words trailed off as I lowered my gaze.Before yesterday, I'd
My mate Derek, Alpha of the SilverCrest Pack, secretly marked me two years ago. But he still hasn't held our mating ceremony to publicly announce my position. I've been working as his "assistant," helping him manage pack affairs all this time.Every time Derek cheats with his childhood sweetheart, Vivian, he promises to finally hold our mating ceremony.Two years. Ten promised ceremonies. Ten broken promises.After the tenth canceled ceremony, I finally gave up. I chose to sever the mate bond. That’s when the powerful Alpha went crazy.…Derek Blackwood's tenth absence from our mating ceremony happened during the celebration of his successful defeat of the rogue wolves and expansion of our pack territory.This grand celebration was meticulously organized by Vivian herself.At the banquet, everyone assumed Vivian was his future mate. "Alpha Blackwood and Miss Vivian have been childhood sweethearts! Now that he's defeated the rogues, we want to see them kiss to celebrate!" someone sho...
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