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 assistant. Five years ago, after a night we never planned, things happened between us. When I woke up, Derek said he'd take responsibility, that he'd form a sacred bond with me. I was over the moon, saying yes without a second thought. But then he dropped the truth: it'd be a hidden bond, a contract, nothing more. If either of us found our true mate, we'd break it. I crashed from that high but couldn't resist becoming his mate, even if it was just to keep his parents off his back. For five years, I worked my tail off for him, closing deals, thinking maybe he'd see me as more than the pup he had to protect. But Derek stayed distant. Even our nights together felt like checking a box-purely physical, no heart. Then I learned the real reason he'd been drunk that night five years ago. His goddess, the she-wolf he truly loved, had bound herself to another wolf. That she-wolf? Alyssa Vaughn, the fake daughter his family once took in, his so-called "sister." When she got bound, Derek couldn't handle it. He confessed some feelings, nearly got caught, and rushed into our bond to throw his parents off. The truth stung at first, but I convinced myself time would spark something real. I thought I could win him over. Then, a few weeks ago, I found the secret in his phone. Alyssa had left her old pack, was breaking her bond with her mate. With nowhere to go, Derek stepped in-renting her a hotel, taking her to dinner, walking with her, even helping with her legal fight to become unbound. Meanwhile, a month ago, when I was ambushed and kidnapped by a rival pack office, I called Derek for help. His phone was off. Later, a video from an unknown number showed me why: he was in Alyssa's bed, lost in her. That was the moment I knew I had to shatter this bond for good. With a bitter laugh, I turned and left his office, mailing the signed papers to Nina. Back home, I started packing. Clothes from the closet, books from the shelf, jewelry from the drawer-I sorted through it all, feeling no attachment. Derek didn't notice until hours after he got home. "What's with the packing?" he asked, his tone casual. "Getting new stuff?" I didn't look up. "It's all old. Time for something new." He chuckled. "Fair enough. You work hard for me-you deserve to treat yourself. Buy whatever you want." I didn't respond, just kept packing. That night, after his shower, Derek slid his arms around me, his voice low and suggestive. "Wanna.?" I steeled myself and pushed him away. "I'm on my cycle. Not feeling it." He blinked, surprised. "Didn't it end four days ago?" "Still not feeling it," I said, my face blank. In five years, I'd never turned him down. Even right after my cycle, when I was still aching, I'd grit my teeth and go along with it to please him. Not anymore. I was done bending over backward. From now on, I'd put myself first, say no, and let go of the pain and regret. This bond was over. Thirty days from now, after the cooling-off period, I'd be free.