Chapter 4

"I'm sorry... I..." he stammered, realizing who I was.

I cut him off. "It's fine."

Then I turned to leave, pulling out my phone to call a ride-share.

Behind me, confused voices rose from the crowd:

"She looks familiar... Alpha, isn't that the crazy woman who crashed your mating ceremony?" someone called out.

Another voice joined in: "What's she doing here now? Is she stalking you? That's terrifying!"

Throughout all these accusations, Dominic remained tellingly silent, his tacit approval confirming their suspicions.

Once home, I immediately contacted Derek, the Alpha of the Northern Shadow Pack, to confirm my immigration plans and remind him of his promise to appoint me as their Head Healer.

Derek's excited voice came through clearly: "Grace! I've been eagerly waiting for your call. We'll welcome you with open arms!"

My expression softened. Even without love, I could still pursue my career ambitions.

I grabbed my already packed luggage and headed for the door, unable to stand another second in this house.

Just as I reached for the handle, Dominic burst through the entrance, nearly knocking me over.

He slammed the door shut behind him, his voice dropping to a dangerous growl. "Grace, where do you think you're going?"

Sylvia peered around him, her fake concern dripping with malice. "Grace, please don't misunderstand! Dominic and I are just good friends. We're only pretending to be mates to help him become Alpha King. My family has ancient noble bloodlines, you see." She placed a hand on my arm, which I immediately shrugged off. "Please don't fight with him because of me. Don't run away from home..."

I was tired of their games. "Dominic, I want to break our bond," I said flatly.

Dominic had been ready to accuse me of jealousy, but my words stunned him. He blinked in shock before his eyes widened in disbelief. "Break our bond? Just because I put on a little show with Sylvia, you want to end things?" His voice rose with each word. "Grace, you're such a petty, small-minded woman!"

In his mind, he probably still believed I was desperately in love with him, that my words were just an empty threat born of hurt feelings.

In the past, I would have apologized, begged him to stay with me forever.

Now, I merely offered a bitter smile. "Dominic, remember this: I, Grace, reject you, Dominic, as my mate."

"Now, accept my rejection and you can become real mates with your precious Sylvia."

“No! I would never accept it!” Dominic howled in anguish, his wolf thrashing on the floor. When he could speak again, his voice was raw with fury.

"You're insane! All these years together, and you throw it away just like that? You're completely unreasonable!" He struggled to his feet, his partially shifted face contorted with rage.

"What do you think the sacred mate bond is? Some disposable relationship? We are destined mates! Our bonding tokens—"

He stopped mid-sentence, frantically searching through drawers and cabinets, desperate to find the healing crystals that would prove our connection.

"Don't bother looking," I said calmly. "Those two healing crystals are currently decorating Sylvia's jacket."

I laughed hollowly at the bitter irony. Ten years of love, and I had received nothing from him.

The gifts I had scraped and saved to buy him were deemed "cheap" and unworthy.

And the high-grade healing crystals I had risked my life to obtain—the ones meant to symbolize our eternal bond—he had given to Sylvia without a second thought as fashion accessories. His selfishness had stolen my mother's only chance at survival.

Dominic's eyelashes fluttered as his gaze darted around the room, his voice faltering. "But there's also the... the things you bought me... the things I bought you..."

He couldn't finish the sentence, his expression darkening as realization dawned.

Because he discovered, to his horror, that in this entire house, there wasn't a single item that proved our mate relationship had ever existed.

Sylvia smirked with undisguised malice, eager to pour salt on open wounds. "Come on, Grace, stop making a scene. You're Dominic's mate—you should be more understanding. You've been living off him for years! You should be gracious and support him while he's running for Alpha King. This is a critical time—don't cause trouble!"

Her words seemed to reinvigorate Dominic. He crossed his arms and sneered condescendingly.

"Sylvia's right, Grace. Can't you see beyond your own petty jealousy? Be a good girl now. Once I'm elected Alpha King, I can give you anything you want." His voice hardened to a threat. "Put your luggage down now, or I'll cut off your living expenses entirely!"

I released my grip on the suitcase handle and faced him with cold detachment.

"Dominic, for the past ten years, you've given me $200 per month for living expenses. For every additional cent I needed, you forced me to submit detailed accounting. That totals around $20,000."

I held his gaze steadily, refusing to be intimidated. "But as the pack's healer, you've controlled my salary card for seven years. That's at least a million dollars. Now, I'd appreciate it if you'd return what's rightfully mine."

"And we have another debt to settle," I continued, my voice growing stronger. "All these years, my research findings have remained under your control—the werewolf strength enhancement elixir, the sensory perception amplifier... All those formulas belong to me, and you need to return them."

Dominic's face contorted with rage as he violently kicked over my suitcase, scattering my belongings across the floor.

"Grace!" he roared, veins bulging at his temples. "After ten years together, I never realized you were such a petty, calculating woman! I'm the Alpha of this pack! Every dollar saved was invested back into our territory and people!"

He stalked toward me, jabbing a finger at my chest. "Your research was conducted using pack resources, on pack territory! Is money and research more important to you than our relationship? How shallow can you possibly be?"

The disgust and contempt in Dominic's voice made my throat tighten.

"Dominic, this money and research represents my own hard work," I said, struggling to keep my voice even.

My response only fueled his anger. He kicked the coffee table with such force that it splintered against the wall with a deafening crash.

"Money, money, money! Is that all you think about, Grace?" His eyes flashed dangerously, his wolf close to the surface. "Why can't you be more like Sylvia—unconcerned with fame or fortune, genuine and easygoing? She's never asked me for a single thing!"

He was breathing heavily now, spittle flying from his mouth as he continued his tirade. "Sylvia was right about you. Your origins are beneath us. Being mated to someone of your low status has been a complete waste of time. We're simply not from the same social class."

His lip curled in disdain. "Your 'hard work'? Are you serious? I am the Alpha of Stormfang Pack! Everything you have is because of me! Everything you own should belong to me!"

I couldn't help but laugh bitterly.

Of course Sylvia never fought or grabbed for anything—she already had everything. She only needed to exist, and Dominic would hand her the world on a silver platter, along with his heart.

Seeing my silence, Dominic's expression turned vicious.

"Fine, Grace," he snarled, his words cutting like claws. "Take your precious money back. I won't 'manage' it for you anymore! Such a trivial amount means nothing to me."