You should Let Go, My Mate

I stood in my friend Nina Harper's office, my heart pounding like a drum in my chest. "Nina, I want to break the bond. Help me draft the papers. I'm walking away with nothing."

After five years of being secretly bound to Derek Vaughn, I finally saw the truth: he didn't choose me out of love. So, I decided to end it without him knowing and gift him the papers for our fifth anniversary. A bitter little present, right?

Nina's eyes widened, her voice soft but laced with disbelief. "Rachel, are you sure? Five years of being bound isn't something you just let go of."

I lifted my chin, my gaze steady as steel. "I'm sure. This bond was a mistake from the start. I'm done."

A few minutes later, Nina pulled a file from her desk. "Alright. This is the paperwork, drafted by Brian Whitaker. He's out today, so he asked me to pass it to you. Get your mate to sign it. Also, make sure the pre-bond agreement is clear. There's a one-month cooling-off period, so brace yourself."

I took the papers, nodding lightly. "Got it."

With the documents tucked under my arm, I said goodbye to Nina and hopped in a cab to Derek's pack office.

When I pushed open the door to his office, Derek was behind his desk, flipping through some file. He looked up, and a grin tugged at his lips. "Running late today, huh? Don't think being my mate gives you a free pass to slack off."

His tone was warm, like a big brother joking around, but there wasn't a hint of real affection in it. Not the kind I craved.

"Traffic was a mess," I said, stepping closer. I handed him the papers, taking a deep breath to steady my voice. "Derek, I closed a new deal. This is the contract. Needs your signature."

The moment he took the papers, I looked up and met his sharp, piercing eyes. My heart skipped, terrified he'd see through my lie. But he didn't even glance at the pages. He flipped to the end, signed with a flourish, and said, "Another deal? You're killing it, Rachel."

Watching him sign, a sour ache twisted in my chest. Five years of being bound, and his warmth was only because I was useful to him-not because I was his equal, his true mate.

His phone buzzed. He glanced at it, and his whole demeanor shifted. The easygoing vibe melted into something tender, almost lovesick. "Hungry?" he said into the phone, his voice soft as velvet. "I'm at the office, but if you're starving, I'll grab some food and swing by, okay?"

Anyone listening would've thought the she-wolf on the other end was his mate of five years. But no one except me knew how long I'd loved Derek.

We grew up together, pups running wild in the same pack. For him, I gave up my own dreams, diving into finance and joining his pack office as his