Chapter 7

Patience's POV

Madison glared viciously but was at a loss.

Finally, she gritted her teeth and said, "Alright, but no backing out!"

I sneered. I just wanted to sever ties with this disgusting relationship.

In the afternoon, I met my friend Yvette Hammond for shopping.

As one of the few humans who knew my true werewolf identity, she wholeheartedly approved of my decision to divorce and end the mating bond.

She whispered excitedly, "You should've done this long ago! A mate betrayer and a shameless homewrecker—do they think everyone's blind?"

I said indifferently, "Their actions no longer concern me."

In the evening, Yvette and I arrived at a restaurant, planning to return to the Ironclaw packhouse afterward to pack my things.

No sooner had we ordered than my heightened hearing picked up a conversation from the next private room.

It was filled with Kelsey's familiar pheromones and a cloyingly sweet, unfamiliar scent of another woman.

"Kelsey, when will you formally mark Hazel? We must throw a grand ceremony in the pack square and drink the finest moonshine!"

"Shouldn't be long. What is Patience, anyway? Her bloodline is so diluted she's barely wolfish. If it weren't for you offering her shelter, she'd be a rogue by now! And yet she occupies the Luna's position—disgusting!"

"Hazel's different—pure blood from the Bluemoon Pack! She's earned her place through strength, worthy of you, Alpha Kelsey!"

I recognized the voices—members of Ironclaw, Kelsey's friends.

Yvette's face turned ashen.

Though she couldn't sense pheromones, she understood the insults.

Her hands shook with fury.

I said calmly, "I'll handle it."

Taking a deep breath, I stood up, pushed open the door to their room, and strode in.

The laughter died instantly as my undeniable aura filled the room.

"Why not let everyone here witness the ceremony you've been anticipating?" My voice cut through the silence.

The pack members gaped at me, their expressions shifting from shock to unease.

The lower-ranked ones instinctively shrank back, avoiding my gaze.

Kelsey, seated at the head of the table, frowned deeply.

"Patience! Don't make a scene!" Kersey spoke up hurriedly.

He unleashed his Alpha aura, trying to suppress me. "They were just joking—no harm intended. Remember your place!"

"What constitutes harm, then?" I locked eyes with him, unflinching against his aura.

The bond between us, already weakened by multiple breaches, flickered faintly.

His influence over me had waned.

My voice dripped with sarcasm, "Must I formally request a bond dissolution and offer my blessings for you two to be satisfied? Kelsey, don't forget—it was you who swore by the honor of the pack under the moonlight to be my mate!"

Gasps rippled through the room.

Clearly, they hadn't known it was Kelsey who had initially sought the mating.

Even Hazel, who had been sitting beside him pretending to be elegant, had her smile freeze on her face, her usually sweet pheromones faltering.

Fury flashed in Kelsey's eyes.

He stood abruptly, reaching for my wrist.

"Take this back to the packhouse! This isn't your stage for tantrums! Don't embarrass the pack!"

"No, we'll settle this here." I shook him off so hard he stumbled back.

Raising my voice for all to hear, I declared, "You two are perfect together—one committing adultery, the other a willing homewrecker."

I sneered, "I won't stand in the way of your 'noble' union. I hereby dissolve our mating bond. May you two be blissfully happy and cease desecrating the word 'mate.'"

Kelsey's face darkened menacingly. His Alpha rage was almost palpable, fueled by humiliation.

Hazel turned pale, slamming her wine glass down, her nails digging into her palm.

At that moment, Lionel—the beta of Ironclaw, always fawning over Hazel—shot to his feet.

"Patience! Who do you think you are? A college dropout—what qualifications give you the right to judge Hazel? Do you honestly believe Kelsey would choose someone like you..."

"Shut up." I didn't shout. A low growl suffused with pure, ancestral aura burst from me.

The aura hit Lionel like a invisible shockwave. His words died in his throat.

He paled, stumbling back, nearly collapsing onto his chair.

Several lower-ranked wolves in the room even let out soft whimpers of submission.

Everyone stared at me in stunned silence, as if seeing me for the first time.

Kelsey gaped in disbelief, his eyes wide with shock.