Chapter 4 4

Elyse POV

The next morning, the Alpha's study smelled of stale coffee, old parchment, and the sour edge of Jace's cedar scent.

He sat behind his massive mahogany desk, rubbing his bloodshot eyes. The Pack Elders had kept him up all night, grilling him over his blatant disrespect toward me and his blatant favoritism of Ciera. He was exhausted, his guard completely down. It was the perfect hunting ground.

I walked in, my posture the very picture of a submissive, dutiful Luna. I set a mug of black coffee in front of him, along with a thick stack of papers.

"What is this, Elyse?" he grumbled, his Inner Wolf, *Titan*, letting out a low, agitated rumble in his chest.

"Quarterly tax reports and the new portfolio allocations," I lied smoothly, keeping my voice soft. "The Pack accountants need your signature before lunch. I've already highlighted where you need to sign."

I spread the documents out, strategically fanning them so the dense financial jargon covered the true nature of the bottom page. Only the signature line of the Rejection agreement was visible. My heart hammered against my ribs like a trapped bird, my bandaged hand sweating, but my face remained a mask of calm.

Jace groaned, pressing his fingers to his temples. He didn't even glance at the text. He just wanted the headache to end. He picked up his silver pen.

The nib hovered a millimeter above the paper. *Just do it,* I prayed to the Moon Goddess. *Sign it.*

Suddenly, a theatrical, blood-curdling shriek echoed from the first floor.

*"Jace!"* Ciera's voice wailed.

Jace's body went rigid, as if struck by lightning. His protective Alpha instincts hijacked his brain. His hand jerked, the pen slashing a long streak of black ink across the paper before he hastily scribbled his signature at the bottom.

The moment the ink settled, a sharp, tearing agony ripped through my chest. The mate bond severing. Jace gasped, clutching his chest for a fraction of a second, but his panicked mind clearly blamed the pain on his terror for Ciera.

He dropped the pen and bolted. He didn't care who or what was in his way. He shoved me with the brute force of a frantic Alpha.

I flew backward. My hip slammed violently into the sharp corner of the heavy oak bookshelf. A blinding flash of pain shot down my leg, forcing me to my knees.

Jace didn't even look back. He kicked his expensive leather chair out of the way and vanished through the doorway, his frantic footsteps thundering down the stairs.

I stayed on the floor for a moment, breathing through the throbbing pain in my hip. Then, a cold, triumphant smile touched my lips.

I pulled myself up and snatched the document from the desk. There it was. His legal, binding signature, severing our union and relinquishing all his claims over me.

Downstairs, I could hear the chaotic aftermath. Ciera was sobbing loudly.

"My finger! The door slammed on my finger!" she cried.

"Someone get the Pack Healer! Now!" Jace roared, his voice trembling with disproportionate panic.

I pulled out my encrypted phone, snapped a clear photo of the signed Rejection agreement, and sent it to Talia.

Ten seconds later, my screen lit up with her reply: *You are free, Elyse.*

A heavy, suffocating weight lifted off my soul. I was no longer bound to the Blackmoon Pack. I was no longer his.

Just then, the screen of Jace's forgotten phone lit up on the desk. It was a text from Ciera, sent just moments before her dramatic scream.

*Thank you for being my true Alpha.*

I stared at the message, listening to the Alpha of the Silvermoon Pack mobilize his entire household over his mistress's pinched finger, completely oblivious to the fact that he had just signed away his Luna and his marriage.

"Fool," I whispered into the empty room.

I gathered the decoy tax documents and dumped them into the recycling bin. Smoothing down my skirt, I ignored the dull ache in my hip and walked out of the study. It was time to go downstairs and see what other damage Ciera was eager to inflict upon herself today.