I stormed into the Red Moon Pack’s municipal building, my body aching from the fresh bruises Leonel had left on me. My face was a patchwork of cuts and swelling, but the clerk, Remi Hansen, barely glanced at me before dismissing my plea with a cold, “You’re still not eligible for mate bond rejection.”

This was my ninth attempt to sever the bond with Leonel Wheeler, the Alpha of the Red Moon Pack, and each time, my rejection papers had been swapped with reconciliation agreements. The system was rigged, and I was done playing by their rules.

“Reconcile for what?” I shouted, my voice cracking with rage. “You’ve never endured my suffering, yet you demand my forgiveness!” In a swift motion, I pressed the utility knife against Remi’s neck, my hands trembling but resolute. “In ten minutes, I want to see the person who tampered with my rejection papers. For every minute I wait, I’ll draw more blood.”

The room erupted into chaos. Omegas and Deltas alike cried out, calling me a lunatic, accusing me of taking my anger out on them, my packmates. But I spun the knife leisurely, watching a thin bead of blood form on Remi’s neck. “One minute’s gone,” I said coldly. “I only want the person who swapped my documents.”

I knew that person was in this building.

Five minutes earlier, I had been in the Municipal Director’s office. He sat comfortably behind his desk, legs crossed, his Alpha aura filling the room with an oppressive weight. “Adeline,” he said, his tone patronizing, “you should give your mate another chance. No bond stays broken forever.”

I slammed the utility knife into his desk, the blade embedding itself into the wood. “Another chance?” I snarled, my wolf growling in the back of my mind. “How many chances does he deserve? How many more bruises, broken ribs, or lost pups do I have to endure?”

He flinched but held his ground, his Alpha tone sharp as he barked, “I’ve told you time and again; it’s your mate who refuses the rejection! Are the signatures on the agreement forged? The fingerprints are his!”

“If this bond isn’t severed,” I hissed, leaning in close, “it’s worth taking some of you down with me.”

The sound of sirens outside interrupted us, and a familiar voice called out: “Adeline, let them go; let’s talk.”

It was Officer Robin Harrison, a Gamma warrior who had mediated conflicts between Leonel and me before. Through the glass, he gestured, “We’ve filed your mate’s abuse case. Come out, and we’ll make sure justice is served.”

I burst into laughter, tears streaming down my face. Did he really think I believed those words anymore? This was my ninth plea for mate bond rejection after being battered by Leonel.

I had been the perfect Luna, managing the pack’s affairs seamlessly and standing by Leonel’s side. But after he became reckless, life turned into a nightmare. The first time he left me with a black eye, I told myself it was a moment of weakness. The second time, he kicked me so hard I miscarried. I took the hospital certificate to file for rejection, only to be told the agreement was invalid. The third time, with four fractured ribs, I returned with a report documenting my injuries, but once again, I was told I didn’t meet the criteria.

I refused to accept this. I compiled evidence repeatedly, but every rejection application disappeared without a trace. This time, I made three secret marks on the agreement and watched as Remi stored it in the file. But when I returned the next day to check, I was told the documents had turned into blank sheets.

Now, I stood in the pack hall, the knife steady in my hand, my wolf growling in defiance. I stared at the surveillance camera and pressed the blade further. “I’m done waiting,” I said, my voice low but firm. “If the system won’t give me justice, I’ll take it myself.”

"I want to see the person who altered my mate bond rejection papers. If they don’t appear within ten minutes, I'll harm a person for every minute that ticks by."

"Four minutes have passed."

I watched the clock on the wall, the knife's edge tracing a delicate line on the clerk's neck, a bead of blood forming on the blade.

"Ah!!!"

Her breathing became ragged, and she let out an involuntary scream.

The cries in the pack hall suddenly hushed, and I heard the sound of dress shoes approaching from behind.

"Adeline Wheeler, put down the knife, and let's have a conversation."

I didn’t need to turn to know it was Beta Owen Lane—the deputy of the Red Moon Pack and one of Alpha Leonel Wheeler’s old allies.

The last eight times I applied for a mate bond rejection, he'd rejected me with excuses like "incomplete paperwork" or "invalid conditions."

"So, Beta Lane finally shows up, does he?"

I sneered, "Every rejection I submit turns into a reconciliation agreement by the time it passes through your hands. Quite the magic trick, isn’t it?"

Owen adjusted his tie, maintaining a professional smile: "It’s just procedural. Mate bonds are sacred, and we need a cooling-off period for both parties..."

"Cooling-off period?"

I cut him off, pulling my collar to reveal a burn scar on my collarbone, "This is from last week when he burned me with a cigarette! And this so-called cooling-off period has already dragged on for six months! How much longer until you're satisfied?"

Gamma Robin Harrison’s voice boomed from the loudspeaker: "Adeline, don’t do anything reckless! Alpha Leonel is downstairs. He says he’s ready to sign the mate bond rejection papers!"

My hands started to shake.

Leonel willing to reject me?

That’s about as likely as pigs flying.

Last time, he made all sorts of promises in front of a mediator and then tied me to the radiator that night, beating me until dawn.

"He’s lying!" I yelled.

"He’ll never let me go! He wants to drag me down until there's nothing left of me!"

At that moment, the clerk crouched by my feet whispered, "Maybe the security room... has what you're looking for."

I froze, looking down at her.

The woman who always dismissed me with "it can’t be done" was now showing a flicker of shared understanding in her eyes.

Owen seemed to catch on and barked sharply: "Remi, what are you saying?"

Remi visibly tensed.

She was under control too.

Owen tightened his grip on the briefcase at his side:

"Adeline, don't overreact. Remi might be mistaken. Alpha Leonel did sign the rejection papers himself, and they're certified at the pack registry."

He approached me, "Here, this is the original document."

I looked at the tidy signature of "Leonel Wheeler" and couldn’t help but laugh.

"Do you think I'm blind? Leonel’s handwriting looks worse than chicken scratch; this signature is as neat as if it were printed."

His smile wavered for a moment before he regained his composure.

But I was done watching him play his part.

"Gamma Harrison!" I yelled toward the door.

"I need to speak with someone from the Omega Advocacy Group! Immediately!"

After some commotion, a middle-aged woman in a beige suit appeared at the entrance.

I recognized her; three months ago, I asked for her help, but she told me "it’s difficult to judge mate bond disputes."

Janiyah Dean looked at me, immediately showing disdain.