Chapter 1

"Sign this, Kallum."

I pushed the thick stack of clinical reports across his desk, my index finger pressing firmly against the very last page.

Kallum strode in, bringing the outside chill with his heavy wool coat. He looked down at me with his usual cold detachment. "Phase three gene reports? Since when do you rush me in person, Sierra?"

"The Elders need them urgently." I forced a polite smile, playing the dutiful subordinate.

Beneath my palm lay our Mating Bond Severance Agreement.

In thirty days, his signature would invoke the Moon Goddess's law and tear our souls apart.

Kallum's long fingers reached for the edge of the papers, about to flip them over.

My heart skipped a violent beat. The hidden mating mark on my neck burned hot with tension.

"Kallum."

The sharp click of high heels echoed from the hallway. Scarlett walked in, glowing in a designer pink suit with a soft smile on her lips.

Kallum's hand stopped instantly.

The cold guard in his eyes melted the second he saw her. He didn't even glance back down at the page. He grabbed the black pen on the desk and signed his name on the bottom line.

"What are you doing up here?" Kallum tossed the signed papers back to me and rushed to her side, his voice softer than I had ever heard it. "Didn't I tell you to wait downstairs?"

"I missed you." Scarlett looped her arm through his, her eyes drifting over his shoulder straight to me.

A flicker of knowing mockery danced in her gaze. Then, she gasped in fake surprise. "Oh, isn't that Miss Sierra? Why is the former Alpha's daughter delivering papers herself? All those hundreds of pages... you must be exhausted."

My fingernails bit into my palms as I clutched the folder to my chest, fighting to keep my smile intact. "It's my job."

Four years ago, an enemy pack attacked, and my father died in battle. I fought off the elders to place the Alpha ring on Kallum's finger, then stepped back into the shadows of the lab.

Four years ago in the Rocky Mountains, his wolf went feral and nearly destroyed him. I risked my life to steady his soul and left behind my soothing serum. To protect his new Alpha authority, I ordered everyone to stay silent.

Yet when he woke up, he saw Scarlett holding the empty vial by his bed and named her his savior.

Hearing Scarlett's words, Kallum turned slightly, delivering the final blow with utter indifference: "She runs the pack's new drug development now. This kind of grunt work is part of her job."

He slipped his arm around Scarlett's waist and led her toward the door. "Let's go. I booked that rooftop restaurant you love. No business today. Just you and me."

Down in the private driveway, four custom armored SUVs stood ready.

That was the ultimate honor reserved for the Alpha. My father once used that escort to protect me. Now, Kallum used it day and night to guard an outsider woman who had just separated from her husband.

I walked into the restroom and locked the door behind me.

In the mirror, my face was pale, framed by my stiff research uniform.

I reached up and unclasped the wolf-fang pendant around my neck. He placed it around my neck four years ago with a promise of forever.

I opened my hand. The necklace dropped into the trash.

Late that night, Kallum returned to the penthouse reeking of expensive liquor.

He loosened his tie and walked toward me, his heavy Alpha scent flooding the room. His large hand reached for the back of my neck out of habit, then froze.

He stared down at my bare collarbone, his brow furrowing deep. "Where's your necklace?"

"I forgot to put it on." I lowered my eyes, keeping my voice mild and obedient.

A flash of annoyance crossed his face, but he didn't press. He pulled a sleek gift box from his coat pocket and tossed it onto the coffee table.

"Picked this up on the way back." He threw the words over his shoulder and headed straight for the shower.

I opened the box. Inside was a custom bottle of hyacinth car fragrance.

The overwhelming, sweet scent hit my nose, and my throat instantly tightened.

Four whole years. He still had no idea I was deathly allergic to hyacinths—one deep breath could suffocate me.

I looked down at the expensive bottle and let out a quiet, self-mocking chuckle.

I didn't confront him. I didn't shed a tear. I simply walked over and dropped it straight into the trash.

The heavy glass shattered.

Water ran loudly inside the bathroom. I held my aching chest in the dark, silently counting down.

Our invisible bond had officially entered its thirty-day death countdown.