Chapter 8

"You bitch! Who the hell are you to talk to me like that?! I'll kill you!!"

Tessa was driven to the edge of insanity. Her mind snapped completely, and she lunged at Rae with a deafening scream.

They clawed and wrestled, stumbling backward right to the terrace railing. A twisted, lethal rage flashed across Tessa's face. She threw her entire weight into one brutal shove, blasting Rae over the yacht's railing!

"AAAH!!"

Wind whipped through the air as half of Rae's body dangled over the freezing ocean.

In that split second before falling, Rae hooked her hand around Tessa's wrist purely on instinct. The sheer downward force yanked Tessa forward, slamming her against the railing with most of her body hanging in mid-air.

"Help! Colton! Save me!!" Tessa turned pale as a ghost, screaming her lungs out.

Frantic footsteps rushed onto the terrace.

The second Colton stepped outside, he took in the horrifying scene.

"Rae! Tessa!"

Colton's pupils shrank to pinpricks, his face turning paper white. He bolted toward the railing like a hunting panther, throwing his arms out—

On the left was Rae, dangling on the very outside edge, her grip slipping by the second. On the right was Tessa, crying uncontrollably and clinging onto Rae for dear life.

Without a single second of hesitation, Colton's arms reached straight over Rae's head purely on instinct. He locked his hands around Tessa's arms, pulling her back onto the safe deck with everything he had!

"Colton! Save me!" Tessa sobbed, throwing herself into his chest.

In the exact moment Colton grabbed Tessa, Rae opened her eyes, looking up at the man in front of her.

His eyes were filled with lingering horror and worry for Tessa. He hadn't even had time to glance back down at her.

Look at that—his so-called "only one," his "instinctive choice."

The corners of Rae's mouth curved into a cold, self-deprecating smile.

She completely gave up. Without a shred of expectation left, she let go of Tessa's wrist.

"NO—!! RAE!!"

As Colton gasped, screaming in pure horror, Rae fell straight into the freezing sea like a broken butterfly.

SPLASH!!

The ice-cold ocean swallowed all the noise instantly.

When she opened her eyes again, the yacht's emergency rescue team had pulled her out and moved her into the VIP lounge.

Soaked to the bone, she changed into fresh clothes with cold efficiency.

Her phone on the table lit up with over a dozen messages from Colton:

[Rae! Are you okay?! The doctor said you just swallowed some water. I'm taking Tessa to the hospital right now, she's completely traumatized! Please let me explain, I just grabbed whoever was closer...]

[Wait for me! Once I handle Tessa's injuries, I'll come right back to you! I'll make it up to you, I'll give you anything you want!]

"Make it up to me?"

Rae let out a cold laugh and blocked all his contacts without hesitation.

The next second, a dead serious official system alert popped up:

[Notice: Dear Ms. Rae, by order of the Werewolf High Council of North America, your mate bond with Alpha Colton has been forcefully dissolved! The dissolution certificate has been sent to your private email.]

Staring at the words "Bond Dissolved," Rae finally let out a long breath.

An agonizing, ripping pain shot straight through her chest, like her heart was being torn out alive. The raw, crushing force yanked her dormant wolf awake, leaving it thrashing in pure torment.

Rae went deathly pale. Cold sweat poured down her face as she clutched her chest, biting her lip to blood to choke back a scream.

But as her eyes landed on the phone alert, her gaze remained deadly ice-cold. Even through the gut-wrenching, soul-shattering pain, a faintly vicious smile of freedom crept onto her lips.

Without wasting a single second, she grabbed her pre-packed bag, got into a cab, and drove straight to the Werewolf High Council headquarters.

After collecting the physical certificate stamped with a gold seal, she got into a private car heading for the international airport without looking back once.

Thirty minutes before departure.

Inside the terminal hall, announcements echoed over the speakers.

The moment Rae turned on her backup phone, calls flooded in like crazy.

"Colton" flashed across the screen over and over again. Once, twice, ten times... The sharp ringing sounded like a death sentence.

Even his personal assistant and the pack elders were calling her like mad.

Clearly, Colton had felt the mate bond snap. He was going totally feral.

Rae watched the name that used to break her heart so deeply. Not a single ripple moved through her eyes.

Her slender fingers swiped the screen, popped the SIM card out, snapped it in half, and tossed it into a trash can nearby.

[Private flight BA882 to London is now boarding. All passengers please proceed to the gate.]

At the gate, Rae handed over her passport and boarding pass.

The flight attendant offered her a sweet, professional smile: "Ms. Rae, have a wonderful trip and enjoy your new life."

Rae smiled softly, stepping onto the jet bridge with high heels, elegant and unshakeable.

Goodbye, pathetic past where she begged for love.

Goodbye, Colton.

The massive jet roared into the sky, tearing through the night toward the distant, free continent of Europe.