Chapter 1

I stepped down from the altar right after I spoke the rejection vow. Hot blood rushed into my throat.

The backlash from forcefully tearing the Moon Goddess contract alone was savage and violent. The mate mark below my collarbone burned like an open wound. Inside me, my wolf whimpered, completely broken.

I knew the truth. Griffin hadn't spoken the words "I accept your rejection." The bond wasn't gone yet. It would stay like a rotting wound, poisoning us both on every full moon.

Still, I refused to wait another second.

I dug my nails into my palms and swallowed the blood. Cold sweat soaked the back of my gown.

Right then, Griffin called.

"Rowan, why is the custom nerve stabilizer in the car cooler gone? Kendra needs it."

His voice sounded strained and irritated. The bond-snap clearly shook him, but he was too arrogant to see it. He just blamed his own wolf for being restless.

A bitter smile crossed my lips. Five minutes ago, Kendra had facetimed me from that private club, swirling her juice. She laughed and said, "They wouldn't stop chasing after me. I'm so annoyed."

Now, all I heard was her weak, fake sobbing.

"She saw us rush in," Griffin said, breathing heavily. "She panicked and started convulsing from the guilt. Ordinary meds won't cut it. We need your formula."

The great hall stood empty. The guests had all cleared out.

I leaned against a stone pillar, forcing my trembling fingers to stay still. My voice came out flat and dead. "That's my private research sample. There's none for her."

"No extras?" Tabitha shrieked through the line. "How cruel can you be, Rowan? Kendra was worrying about you, and now her wolf is going berserk! You won't even spare one dose to save your sister?"

Kendra's weak whimpers cut in right on cue. "Tabitha, please don't blame Rowan. It's her private work. I can handle it. Don't ruin her ceremony, even if my nervous system collapses..."

Shuffling noises came through the speaker. Griffin was probably wrapping his hands around her trembling wrists.

He took the phone back and exhaled deeply. His voice softened, dropping into that familiar patronizing tone.

"Grow up, Rowan. Stop acting out. I know this feels unfair, but we can reschedule the ceremony. Kendra is in critical condition. I can't walk away from her. You're a scientist, so stop acting on petty anger. Bring the serum here and calm her down. Once she's stable, I'll come home and make it up to you tonight."

I walked out the front doors. The crisp autumn wind slammed into my face. Every breath ripped through my chest, but my face never flinched.

"Save it," I said. "There won't be another ceremony. It's done. I rejected you on the altar."

Dead silence hit the line.

Then Griffin let out a low, arrogant chuckle.

"Stop being ridiculous, Rowan. Do you really think a one-sided vow counts? As long as I don't accept it, the bond will never break. Who are you trying to scare? We've been mates for seven years. Chosen by the Moon Goddess herself. Where else could you possibly go?"

He paused, his voice turning cold. "Listen to me. Don't make a fool of yourself. The future of both the Reyesfield and FrostWolf packs depends on us. Act like an adult."

Tabitha sneered in the background. "Griffin, you spoil her too much. Without our packs backing her, she wouldn't survive a single day out there."

I hung up without another word.

I drove straight to my beachfront penthouse.

I bought this place with my own trust fund left by my father. Paid in full.

The cold ache from the severed bond crept into my limbs. Every step felt like claws tearing at my bones. But the air in this apartment, thick with Griffin's scent, felt even colder.

I pulled out a few large cardboard boxes and blankly swept all his clothes, watches, and personal items from the cabinets into them.

I taped the boxes shut and called a courier. The drop-off address: FrostWolf Industries front desk.

Then, I dialed my real estate broker.

"The beachfront penthouse. I'm putting it on the market right now."

"Price it ten percent below market value if you have to. Just one rule: change the locks tonight and throw out anything that isn't mine."

Next, I dialed my international corporate lawyer.

"Miss Rowan, how can I help you?"

I leaned against the glass, staring at the grey waves crashing outside. I swallowed down another wave of blood.

"Three things. First, draft the termination of our betrothal. Rip up the pack merger agreement with FrostWolf Industries and send it to Griffin's legal team. Second, revoke Tabitha's proxy rights over my twenty-seven percent shares in Reyesfield. Third, notify the patent office. The royalty-free license for my three gene-suppression patents expires in forty-eight hours."

The lawyer gasped. "Miss Rowan, if you pull those licenses, both companies' main production lines will shut down completely in two days."

I touched the cold, blackened mark on my collarbone. My eyes stayed completely dead.

"Then let them shut down."

Everything that belongs to me stays with me. I won't leave them a single drop.