The Cold Alpha's Runaway Mate

For four years, I was the invisible, wolfless Mate of Alpha Duke Blake.

At his grandmother's deathbed, she demanded we produce an heir. Duke agreed without a hint of emotion, treating me as nothing more than a breeding vessel.

Days later at the funeral, he stood shoulder-to-shoulder with his beautiful Beta, Jossie.

He even let a neighboring Alpha offer condolences to Jossie as his "future Luna," while I was completely ignored.

I had enough. I signed the formal Mate Rejection papers, left them with the butler, and escaped the pack to start a new life.

But a week later, the electronic lock on my new apartment was silently bypassed in the dead of night.

Duke stood in the shadows. He ignored my frantic screams, kidnapped me, and dragged me back to his estate.

He threw me onto his bed, his eyes burning with a dark, primal fury.

"You will perform your duties as my Mate. And you will not leave this room until you are carrying my child."

I didn't scream or fight anymore. I just pressed my back against the cold wall and let silent tears of absolute despair fall.

For four years he gave me nothing but cold neglect. Why couldn't he just let me go? Why did my freedom have to be crushed by a bond he didn't even want?

Seeing my broken state, his hand froze in mid-air. The cold Alpha facade finally cracked as the echo of my agony hit him.

He backed away in horror and fled the room, refusing to accept my rejection.

But as the door locked behind him, my tears stopped. If a piece of paper couldn't sever this bond, I would have to find a way to tear it apart myself.