Three years later, at the Whitecrown pack house.

The beef smelled rich as Freya stirred the stew; she added a final pinch of salt to the pot. She had spent hours preparing this anniversary dinner. She made the roast exactly how Niklaus liked it, selected a bottle of wine from his collection, and had the chocolate soufflé batter ready for the oven.

"Why are you doing this yourself, Freya?" Margaret asked as she walked into the kitchen. "We have plenty of staff to handle the cooking."

"It's our three-year anniversary," Freya replied, her heart raced with anticipation. "I wanted to prepare everything myself tonight."

"That's so romantic, dear," Margaret said with a warm smile. "In that case, I will stay out of your way and give you two some privacy tonight."

Freya smiled as her mother-in-law left the room, her mind drifted back to last night.

Niklaus had come home after midnight, his tie was loose and he looked wiped out. She had been waiting for him, as always.

"You should be sleeping," he said, his voice rough from fatigue.

Instead of going to bed, he pulled her against his chest and breathed in her scent. Soon they were in bed together, his body moving against hers.

Freya's face heated up at the memory, their chemistry hadn't faded one bit over the last three years. Before he fell asleep, he had promised her that he would definitely be home early today.

Three years ago, Niklaus brought her to the Whitecrown Pack with nothing but a contract. No wedding, no party. Their deal was strictly business. She would play the role of his Luna for three years, and in return, he would clear her father's massive debts.

The first year was hell. Pack members whispered about the "disgraced Omega" who didn't belong in their pack. They ignored her orders and looked right through her, but Freya didn't break.

Margaret, Niklaus's mother, became her only ally. The older she-wolf looked at Freya and said, "This one has backbone." With Margaret behind her, Freya gradually earned the pack's respect.

Niklaus was ice-cold at first. He barely touched her until the mate bond became impossible to ignore, but over time, something changed. He knew exactly how she liked her coffee. He texted her if he was running late to tell her not to wait up. He even brought her flowers occasionally. These small things gave her hope.

Like last night. The way he looked at her, touched her, and whispered her name. Surely that meant something?

Today completed exactly three years since they signed the deal. Their contract would expire at midnight, and Freya had no idea what Niklaus was thinking. Part of her hoped he would ask her to stay. She hoped he had developed feelings for her, just as she had for him.

The dining room table was set with their finest china and crystal glasses. She'd placed a small gift box beside his plate. It contained a small canvas she had painted in secret. She knew from Beta Dale that Niklaus had recently become obsessed with the work of a mysterious artist named 'F'.

Freya looked at everything with satisfaction, waiting for Niklaus to come home.

"What if he rejects us today?" Vicki asked, voicing the fear that had kept Freya awake for weeks.

"Then I'll hold my head high and walk away," she answered, though her voice trembled.

Suddenly, Freya received a mind-link from Niklaus.

"Are you almost home? "she asked hopefully.

"I'm not coming home, Freya, " Niklaus said coldly through the mind-link.

Freya felt her stomach plummet. "Why? Is everything okay?"

"Rebekah is back," his tone indifferent. "I'm at the airport picking her up right now."

The silence in the kitchen became suffocating.

Freya stared at the candles she had just lit, overwhelmed with humiliation.

"Oh, "she whispered. "And you're telling me this because you'll be late?"

"No. I want you to meet us for dinner," he ordered." I've already made a reservation at Le Ciel for eight o'clock. Grab a cab and meet us there. I think it's time you two met properly."

"You want me to meet you there? At a restaurant?"

"Yes. Rebekah was an important part of the pack before she left. As my Luna, I think you should be there."

"Of course, "she replied. "I'll be there at eight."

Before he could say anything else, she ended the mind-link.

Freya stood motionless in the kitchen. The stew on the stove bubbled over, but she barely noticed.

Rebekah was back on their anniversary.

She thought of the beautifully set table, the hours she'd spent cooking, the gift she had prepared for so long. All for nothing.

Niklaus had forgotten their anniversary completely. Worse, he wanted her to have dinner with the woman he truly loved.

He's going to reject us, Vicki whimpered. He's bringing her back to replace us.

"It's fine," Freya whispered, though her heart was fracturing. "This was always the plan. Three years, then we go our separate ways."

She moved mechanically to turn off the stove, her mind racing.

The timing couldn't be more obvious. Their contract ended today, and suddenly Rebekah was back in town? Niklaus must have planned this, planning the perfect transition from fake mate to real one.

The dinner at Le Ciel was clearly his way of letting her down easily in public where she couldn't cause a scene. She could already picture it, his apologetic face as he explained their arrangement was over, Rebekah's smug smile across the table.

No. She wouldn't be humiliated in public again.

Freya went upstairs to their bedroom and pulled out her suitcases. If she was leaving, she would do it on her own terms.

As she packed her clothes, a plan formed. She needed somewhere to stay while she figured out what to do next. Somewhere comfortable where she could think clearly.

Once her suitcases were full, she looked around the room that had been hers for three years. Her eyes stopped on the bed where she and Niklaus had spent so many nights, where she'd stupidly started to hope their fake marriage might become real.

"Goodbye," she whispered, blinking back tears.

Downstairs, she grabbed the black credit card Niklaus had given her from her purse. She rarely used it, preferring to live off her modest salary as his assistant, but today was different.

Grabbing her painting, she walked out of the home she'd shared for three years and slid into the black Aston Martin-the most expensive car in Niklaus's garage". The engine roared to life as she drove toward the city.

Twenty minutes later, she walked into the lobby of the Royal Crescent Hotel, the city's most exclusive hotel.

"I'd like the Presidential Suite," she told the receptionist, placing the black card on the counter. "For three months."

"The Presidential Suite is one hundred and fifty thousand for three months, ma'am. There's a 30% penalty if you check out early."

Freya nodded. "Just run the card."

By tomorrow, she expected she wouldn't be able to spend a penny of Niklaus's money. Her lawyer's divorce agreement proposed splitting their assets equally, but Niklaus's legal team would fight to ensure she got nothing.

Which was exactly why she decided to spend big while she still could. Any money she didn't use would probably end up with Rebekah anyway.

After the transaction went through, the receptionist handed over her key card with new respect. "Please enjoy your stay, Mrs. Lockwood. Our concierge service is available 24/7."

In the elevator, Freya caught her reflection in the mirrors. She looked different. Her chin was higher, her eyes sharper. No longer the desperate girl who married for survival.

But as the elevator doors opened to her luxury suite, Freya couldn't ignore the pain in her chest. She loved Niklaus. And that hurt the most.

At 8,10 PM at Le Ciel, Niklaus sat in a private room, checking his watch again. Freya was late.

Rebekah sat across from him, her brown hair falling over her shoulders. She sat with perfect posture and her designer dress fit perfectly. She sipped her champagne before sighing.

"Your Luna certainly likes to make an entrance," she said with a fake sweet voice. "Is she always this late?"

Niklaus felt annoyed. Freya was never late. She was always ready five minutes early.

"Traffic might be bad," he said shortly.

Flex growled in his mind. "She's speaking ill of our mate."

Niklaus told his wolf to calm down.

Rebekah pressed her painted lips together but quickly smiled brightly. "Well, while we wait, let me tell you about Paris! The ballet academy was incredible. The director said I have the best extension he's seen in years."

Niklaus nodded, barely listening as Rebekah talked about her European trips. His mind went back to three years ago. When he hadn't properly explained finding his fated mate, she ran off to Europe.

The guilt had bothered him ever since. He knew Rebekah really cared about him, and she had been groomed to be his Luna. Finding out he had a fated mate must have hurt her badly.

But he needed to be clear with Rebekah now. Three years had passed, and no matter how his arrangement with Freya started, she was his Luna now. Having Freya here for dinner would make that clear to Rebekah without any awkward talks.

His phone buzzed. Niklaus looked down at the screen and frowned. It was a credit card alert. Freya had just spent a huge amount at The Royal Crescent Hotel.

"What the hell?" he said, staring at the screen.

What was Freya doing there instead of coming to dinner?

His jaw tightened. The card was linked to his personal account. He'd given it to Freya. In three years, she barely used it.

"Is everything alright?" Rebekah asked, leaning forward with fake concern.

Before Niklaus could answer, a loud crash of breaking glass filled the restaurant. He looked up and saw a man in black clothes charging toward their table with a gun.

The attacker fired without hesitation.

Niklaus's instincts kicked in. He could have dodged the shot, but Rebekah was faster. She threw herself in front of him just as the gun fired. The silver bullet hit her in the lower back, and she collapsed, screaming in pain.

Chaos broke out in the restaurant. Security guards tackled the shooter, and Niklaus knelt beside Rebekah. Her face had gone white.

"Someone call an ambulance!" he shouted, pressing his hand on her wound to stop the bleeding.

Rebekah whimpered in pain. "Nik... it hurts so much."

His stomach dropped. Silver bullets were deadly to werewolves. Even a small hit could paralyze temporarily. A hit near the spine could be terrible.

"Hold on," he said, lifting her carefully. "I'm taking you to the hospital."

As he carried Rebekah to his car, a thought crossed his mind, if Freya had been here, she might have been hurt instead. With her smaller frame and weaker wolf, a silver bullet could have killed her instantly. Maybe her absence wasn't such a bad thing.

At the hospital, the emergency team rushed Rebekah into surgery immediately. Niklaus was left alone in the waiting room.

Four hours later, the surgeon came out of the operating room. Rebekah was being wheeled out, her face as pale as the sheets covering her body.

Niklaus walked quickly to the doctor. "How is she?"

The doctor looked at his chart. "The silver bullet grazed her spine but the damage could be severe. We need to watch her closely though."

Rebekah, now awake but groggy, looked up at the doctor. "Will this affect my dancing career?" Her voice shook slightly.

The doctor looked cautious. "We'll have to wait and see how you recover, but there's hope."

Tears filled Rebekah's eyes. She turned to Niklaus. "Thank you for staying with me. You should go home now, I'll be--"

"No," the doctor said firmly. "She needs someone to stay with her."

Rebekah started to object, but Niklaus cut her off. "I'll stay tonight. You need to rest."

After knowing each other for so many years, Rebekah knew his tone meant no arguing. Still, she looked uncertain. "I'm grateful, but should I call Freya to explain?"

Niklaus paused, his jaw tightening. "That's not necessary."

He spent the night in an uncomfortable hospital chair, watching Rebekah's vitals and thinking about the hotel charge. Every time he thought about calling Freya, something stopped him. Pride, maybe. Or the worry that she might not be alone at that hotel.

"She wouldn't do that to us," Flex growled. "She's our mate."

"But she doesn't love us," Niklaus said quietly.

By dawn, Niklaus was exhausted and irritable. He left the hospital only after the nurse said Rebekah was stable.

When he finally got home, his housekeeper Martha was already busy in the kitchen. She looked up in surprise.

"Alpha, you weren't home last night? Would you like some breakfast?"

"No," he replied shortly. His head was pounding from no sleep, and his mood was bad. He asked, "Where's Freya?"

"I think Luna Freya went to the office already. I haven't seen her since I got here," Martha replied. She didn't seem to know anything was wrong. Freya had given the staff the night off yesterday for their anniversary dinner.

Niklaus looked at his watch. It was almost 8 AM, and Freya was usually eating breakfast now. She hadn't come home last night. Was she still at that hotel? And with who?

His face darkened. Martha, still not noticing his mood, came over with a package.

"Alpha, this was delivered this morning. Someone sent you a package."

Niklaus took it without thinking, tearing open the envelope as Martha poured him coffee. The bold words "Divorce Agreement" at the top of the first page made his blood run cold.

He quickly scanned the document, his anger rising with each page. When he reached the asset division section, he let out a cold laugh. "How thorough."

Every property, car, bank account, and stock he owned were neatly divided in half.

"You've got quite the ambition, don't you?" he murmured.

Martha, who had seen the word "divorce," froze in place. She clearly wanted to disappear.

Niklaus grabbed his phone and dialed a number, divorce papers still in his hand.

After several rings, a sleepy female voice answered.

"What is it?"

"Freya, what the hell is this divorce agreement supposed to mean?"

Niklaus's dark voice jolted Freya fully awake.

"Exactly what it says."

Niklaus let out a cold laugh. "Come to my office and take this garbage with you. Eight o'clock tonight, I want to see you at the pack house, along with... your luggage."

When Niklaus went to their bedroom, he found that Freya had already packed and taken all her clothes.

Freya said helplessly, "Niklaus, you..."

The line had already gone dead.

Freya didn't understand why Niklaus wouldn't just sign the divorce papers. Their contract was already over. She had graciously stepped down from the Luna position, hadn't she?

After washing up, Freya went to Lockwood Enterprises. As Niklaus's Luna, besides handling pack affairs for him, she also helped with company matters.

The first thing Freya did at the company was write her resignation letter. Passing colleagues saw this, and the news spread through the administrative building immediately.

By the time she headed to print it, voices drifted from the break room.

The usual venom filled the air.

"So last night's news was true. Rebekah got hurt, Alpha carried her to the hospital. He's definitely choosing Rebekah."

"Poor Freya's getting kicked out. Everyone says she stole Rebekah's Luna position."

"She claimed at the ceremony that she was his fated mate. So manipulative."

"A divorced Omega? She'll end up Rogue."

Fury blazed through Freya. Three years of biting her tongue, of trying to earn their respect through kindness and hard work--and this was what she got. Malicious gossip and backstabbing.

Enough.

Freya walked straight into the break room. "Actually," she said, loud enough for the entire floor to hear, "I'm the one resigning."

Dead silence.

"Must be hard being rejected by an Alpha," one woman said with false sympathy.

Freya laughed. "Rejected? I filed for divorce. I moved out. And honestly? I got tired of playing with just one Alpha. There's a whole world out there."

Shocked gasps filled the room. Freya knew she was being scandalous--suggesting she'd grown bored with an Alpha was practically blasphemous. But the stunned looks on their faces? Worth it.

"Social gathering?" Niklaus's voice sliced through the tension.

Everyone scattered like startled deer.

His eyes found hers immediately.

"My office. Now."

Freya lifted her chin, refusing to show weakness. She walked past him into his corner office.

Niklaus was leaning against the desk, arms crossed, eyes dark.

"Care to explain what I just witnessed out there?" he asked.

Freya placed the envelope on the desk.

"My resignation," she said, voice clipped. "Effective immediately."

His gaze flicked to the envelope, then back to her face. She looked different somehow. Colder. More distant.

"And that comment about 'playing with Alphas'?"

As an Alpha, his pride was everything. The idea that she saw their relationship as a game made his blood boil.

Her mouth curved, just barely. "I gave them something to talk about. They gossip about me anyway."

That did it.

"So that's what I was to you." His voice turned cutting. "A game. Three years of marriage, and you turn it into gossip?"

She opened her mouth to explain, then closed it. What was the point?

"I want a divorce."

He let out a cold laugh. He reached for a folder and tossed it onto the surface. Papers slid free--the divorce documents she'd had delivered.

"You came prepared," he said. "Very thorough."

"Our contract expired last night--this is just making it official."

He stilled completely. The contract expired last night? He had completely forgotten about it. But Freya--Freya had remembered it clearly. She'd been counting down the days, hadn't she? Waiting for her freedom.

For a heartbeat, nothing moved in the room. The silence stretched between them.

"You remembered." The words came out sharp, bitter.

"Yes."

His jaw tightened. "You didn't even speak to me first. Didn't think I deserved a conversation before you decided to blow up our lives?"

"There was nothing left to say."

"Nothing left to say. Right." His voice turned ice-cold. "And what about your little trip to The Royal Crescent Hotel? Was Jonas Saltzman there waiting for you?"

Freya's eyes widened in genuine shock. "Jonas?"

Why would he think she was with Jonas? Was he actually accusing her of cheating?

"I would never cheat on you," she said, her voice sharp with hurt and anger.

"But it doesn't matter anymore. I've already moved out, and my lawyer has drawn up a fair settlement. All you need to do is sign."

"I'm not signing this," Niklaus said coldly.His tone brooked no argument.

For a moment, hope flickered in Freya's chest. Did he not want to divorce her?

"Half of my assets?" He jabbed his finger at the papers.

His voice was getting sharper, crueler. "Really? Is that what this was always about? A big payday? Did you spend three years playing sweet and obedient just to cash out?"

The hope died instantly. Even now, he thought the worst of her.

"You've always thought I was a gold digger?"

"What else should I think? The moment our contract ends, you want half of everything I own."

Niklaus was beyond reason now, his anger making him cruel. "You married me to pay off your debts, didn't you? If it wasn't about money, what was it for? If you hadn't caught me at that party, you would have climbed into another Alpha's bed just the same."

Every word cut like a dagger. Three years of bowing her head, of enduring whispers and cruel gossip--every cruel rumor she'd ever heard about herself was now pouring from his lips like poison.

That was the cut that went deepest.

So this was it--this was the end.

"Keep your money," she said, her voice trembling with hurt and fury.

He looked up, confusion flickering across his features.

"I don't want your money," she continued. "Your name or anything from you except my freedom."

She straightened, gathering every ounce of dignity she had left.

"I, Freya Gilbert, reject you, Niklaus Lockwood of the Whitecrown Pack."

The formal words of rejection rang through the room clearly.

Pain ripped through her chest as she severed the mate bond herself. Each word felt like cutting away a piece of her soul.

He stared at her, completely stunned. Niklaus hadn't expected her to have the nerve to reject him first. Rage and panic flooded through him. He was supposed to be in control of this relationship, of this situation. How dare she reject him!

"The divorce papers included asset division because it's a legal requirement. I don't need your money."

She took a shaky breath, fighting to keep her tears from falling.

"Thank you for clearing my father's debts." Her voice wavered slightly.

"Thank you for giving me a home when I had nowhere else to go."

The words came harder now, each one a struggle. "This is goodbye, Niklaus. I hope you and the woman you love will be happy together."

She turned toward the door. Every step felt like walking through glass, but she forced herself to keep moving.

"No." Niklaus's voice rang out, hard and final.

She froze.

"I don't accept your rejection."