The Day the Contract Ended, He Lost Her Forever

A werewolf only has one fated mate in their lifetime. But my Alpha husband Derek refused to acknowledge me. All because I was human. Six years ago, to be with him, I was forced to sign a humiliating breeding contract with the pack elders. Bear an heir within one year: receive ten million. Bear an heir within three years: receive three million. If no pregnancy occurred within six years, I could not interfere with my husband's affairs outside the marriage. Derek's eyes burned red as he roared at me: "Did you become my mate because of me, or because of the Thorn Pack's fortune?!" From that day on, to punish me, he deliberately brought his assistant Camilla to every event, doting on her right in front of me. Until the sixth year, when he moved Camilla into the villa and put my Luna necklace around her neck in front of everyone. "Camilla is pure and kind. She deserves this necklace more than you do." He thought no matter what he did, I would never leave. But he didn't know there was another clause on the second page of that contract: If we still hadn't produced a child within six years, either party could choose to terminate the mate bond. Our contract was set to expire in seven days. Chapter 1 At the Moonlight Gala, my husband Derek brought his assistant Camilla for the fifth time. Everyone toasted her, and when she couldn't handle the moonwine, Derek's arm shot out to block the drinks for her. He picked the tenderest venison and placed it on her plate. He even draped his own cloak over her shoulders. I watched it all. Didn't argue. Didn't make a scene. Didn't say a word. I just quietly got up and left. Because six years ago, the pack elders had forced me to sign that humiliating contract: Bear an heir within one year: ten million. Bear an heir within three years: three million. If no pregnancy within six years, no interference with my husband's affairs. And this year was the sixth year. The entire pack was waiting to see me humiliate myself. They were waiting for me to run up to Camilla with red eyes and start a fight, just like the last four times. The young wolves had even started a live thread on the Moon Night Forum: "What's Chloe going to do to Camilla this time?" The comments were on fire. "Everyone knows Chloe's just a human who clawed her way to Luna status on a breeding contract. Six years and not even a hint of a pup? She deserved to be replaced." "Camilla's bloodline is way purer than Chloe's. She should be the pack's Luna." "Chloe's just a greedy leech. She should crawl back to the human world where she belongs." "Haha, if Chloe sees this, she's definitely going to throw another tantrum!" A year ago, those comments would have kept me up all night. I'd have argued with every single one of them, desperately trying to defend my marriage. Now I felt nothing. I calmly liked the comment supporting Derek and replied: "You're right." That move shocked the entire pack. Even Derek's beta, Ryan, couldn't resist. He started a live stream and tracked Derek down at the gala to ask him directly: "Derek, even that proud human Chloe has been tamed by you? Tell me your secret." Derek didn't answer. He was staring at his phone at a new message. [Alpha, the Luna just entered the pack's private vault.] Derek let out a cold laugh. Then he sent me the link to Ryan's stream and sneered at the camera: "Tamed? Please. Only money shuts her up." "I bet this time it'll take at least ten million to make her happy. Am I right, my Luna?" Watching my husband mock me like that, my heart ached with a sharp, stabbing pain. The mate mark over my heart kept burning, reminding me— A werewolf only has one fated mate. The bond forged under the Moon Goddess is unbreakable. But in Derek's eyes, I was always just that pathetic human who sold herself for money. Even after six years. Even with both our marks on each other's skin. He still thought money was all it took to shut me up. I brushed away the tears I hadn't even realized were there, closed the stream, and walked into the private vault. Moonstones. Gold bars. Century-old antique jewelry. Everything was there. One piece could buy a mansion. I didn't look at any of it. I walked straight to the back, opened the drawer, and took out a yellowed piece of parchment. The truth was, when I married into the Thorn Pack six years ago, I'd signed two contracts. The one Derek had seen was only half the story. There was another one—a termination clause. "If no child is produced within six years, either party may choose whether to continue the bond." I stared at the words until my vision blurred. Memories flooded back. At eighteen, I met Derek at a campus ball. He'd spotted me from across the room and immediately recognized me as his fated mate. He pursued me relentlessly. He wanted to bond with me. And I fell for him just as hard. So our first year of marriage was pure bliss. In spring, he took me to the islands, where we ran barefoot along the shore chasing the ebbing moonlight. In summer, we escaped to the Moonlight Springs, where he swore under the stars that he'd love me forever. In autumn, we walked the Maple Avenue, and he clumsily carved our names into the falling leaves. In winter, he took me to the far northern snowfields, shifted into his wolf form, and carried me across the tundra chasing the northern lights. We were drowning in happiness. Our cross-species marriage was celebrated throughout the pack. Until the Moonlight Gala in our third year, when the elders started pressuring me to produce an heir. And the contract I'd signed with the council found its way to Derek's ears. His eyes went wild and red as he demanded: "Chloe, did you become my mate because of me, or because of the Thorn Pack's fortune?!" After that, everything fell apart. No matter how many times I explained that I'd only signed it so I could marry him, he'd already decided I was nothing but a greedy fraud. From that day on, Derek was a different man. He stopped using my name. In public, he only called me "Luna." He promoted Camilla—who'd been just a regular office worker—to his personal assistant. He deliberately brought her to every gala. He danced with her in front of me. He draped his jacket over her shoulders. He hovered over her like a devoted husband. The elders said the Alpha treated Camilla more like a wife than he'd ever treated me. At first, I cried. I screamed. I fell apart. Derek just watched me break, cold and distant. Then he turned around and showed Camilla even more affection, using it as a knife to carve me open again and again, forcing me to confess to a crime I never committed. He thought no matter what he did, I would never leave. But he didn't know there was another clause on the second page of that contract: If we still hadn't produced a child within six years, either party could choose to terminate the mate bond. And now the six-year contract was up. Time for this whole farce to end. I took the contract straight to the town hall and started the final process. In seven days, the mate bond would be severed. I would disappear from Derek's world forever. Chapter 2 When I walked out of the town hall, it was pouring rain. Derek's call came through. His voice dripped with sarcasm. "Chloe, you've been in the private vault long enough. How much more do you plan to take?" I was quiet for a moment. My voice came out rough. "What do you want?" "What do I want?" He let out a cold laugh. "We have important guests coming to the villa tonight. Get your ass back here and prepare the banquet. Since you're taking the Thorn Pack's money, at least do your job as Luna." Even though I'd already made up my mind to leave, his open contempt still cut deep. It took me a moment to swallow the bitterness. "Fine." But my obedience didn't satisfy him. If anything, it made him angrier. "Of course. As long as there's money involved, you'll do anything, won't you?" "Let's see how long you can keep up this little act." He hung up. By the time I got home, I was soaked to the bone. There were guests coming tonight. I didn't want any drama. I just wanted to get through this banquet quietly and leave. But when I pressed my fingerprint to the smart lock, an error flashed. [Unauthorized entry.] I froze. It took me a moment to understand. They'd revoked my access. I let out a bitter laugh, then knocked on the door. No answer. I rang the bell a dozen more times. Still nothing. In that downpour, wearing nothing but a thin soaked dress, I huddled in the corner by the door for two full hours. Finally, the villa door swung open. The butler stepped out, his face cold as stone as he looked down at me. "Luna, you may enter. The Alpha said that since you're taking the pack's money, you should follow the pack's rules. Two hours is just a small punishment. He hopes you'll behave yourself in the future." I was shivering, pale as death, but I understood. Derek had made me stand in the rain on purpose. I let out a hollow, bitter laugh and stumbled inside. Dizzy and sick, I somehow managed to get everything ready for the banquet. That night, the villa blazed with light and laughter. Camilla stood at the top of the stairs in a silver gown I'd never seen before. And around her neck hung my Luna necklace. She walked toward me with a wine glass, her voice soft and sweet where everyone could hear. "Luna, I hope you don't mind. I asked Derek if I could borrow this necklace to try on." My head was spinning. I didn't answer her. I just turned to leave. Then she grabbed my wrist. "Luna, you really can't forgive me, can you?" Her voice suddenly shot up. "Ah! Luna, why are you pushing me—" Before she even finished, she was falling backward, tumbling down the stairs. "Camilla!" A blur of motion. Derek caught her, pulling her close to his chest. The whole hall gasped. Camilla trembled in his arms, her voice shaking with fear. "Derek, I know Luna didn't mean to. She just doesn't like me. I don't blame her..." Derek slowly lifted his head. His eyes were bloodshot, fixed on me, burning with rage. "Chloe, I didn't think you'd sink this low." I stood frozen. "I didn't push her. She fell on her own." "You didn't push her?" He tightened his grip on the trembling woman in his arms and let out a bitter laugh. "Everyone in this room saw you grab her wrist." "Camilla is too kind to even say a harsh word about you, and you still can't leave her alone." "Is that what you do? Tear down anyone who's genuine, just to get my attention?" There was no point in defending myself. In his eyes, everything I did was wrong. Derek looked down at me, his voice cold as ice. "Since you refuse to change, you'll stay in the basement storage room until you've reflected on your behavior. You'll come out when you understand what you did wrong." The butler hesitated. "Alpha, the Luna is terrified of the dark..." Derek didn't even blink. "I know." "That's exactly why she'll remember this." Chapter 3 "No!" My eyes went wide with terror. I wanted to beg Derek, to plead with him. But he just waved his hand impatiently. "Take her away." The guards dragged me through the hall and threw me into the underground storage room. The heavy iron door slammed shut behind me. The last sliver of light vanished. Suddenly, I was drowning in pitch-black darkness. And with it came the memories. In our second year of marriage, the rival Bloodmoon Pack had kidnapped me. They locked me in a stone cell with no windows, no fire, no light at all. They demanded a ransom from the Thorn Pack, threatening to use my blood in some dark ritual. I spent seven days in that suffocating darkness. No light. No sound. No way out. I clawed my nails bloody. I screamed until my voice gave out. But no light ever came. On the seventh day, Derek destroyed the Bloodmoon Pack. He broke through the cell door covered in blood, knelt in front of me, and spoke to me in a voice I'd never heard from him before, so gentle it broke my heart. "Chloe, don't be afraid. I'm here to take you home." After that, I developed severe nyctophobia. Even a sudden power outage would send me into convulsions, gasping for air. Derek knew. He knew better than anyone. He'd been the one to pull me out of that darkness. And now he was the one throwing me back in. Back then, even a minute-long blackout would make him wrap me in his arms. He'd let his wolf warmth cover me and whisper, "Don't be afraid. I'm here. It won't be dark." Now he'd locked me in the deepest darkness of my life. I pounded on the iron door until my nails split and bled. No one came. The darkness pressed in. I could feel hands reaching for me from all directions. I could hear screams and howls from the depths, monsters dragging me toward hell. I screamed and sobbed, beating the door with all my strength. "Derek, please let me out!" "I didn't push Camilla! Please don't lock me in here... I'm begging you..." Outside, the guards' footsteps didn't move. "Luna, the Alpha gave his orders." A cramp seized my lower stomach. I stopped moving, curled into the corner, and clutched my belly desperately. Not long ago, I'd gone to the hospital for a checkup. The doctor had given me wonderful news. "Ms. Chloe, congratulations. You're six weeks along. The baby looks perfectly healthy." I'd folded the ultrasound into my bag. I hadn't told a soul. I was waiting for the mate bond to end. Then I'd take this secret to a city where no one knew me and have this baby quietly, alone. Derek didn't love me anymore. But this child was the Moon Goddess's final gift to me. The only thing in six years that was truly mine. The darkness stretched on forever. My consciousness began to fray. Before I passed out, I kept repeating to myself one thing: Baby, I'm sorry. Mommy will find a way to get us out of here. Chapter 4 When I opened my eyes again, cold water hit my face. The iron door was open. The light burned my eyes. The butler stood at the entrance with two guards, his face grim. "Luna, Miss Camilla has been poisoned. The Alpha requests your presence." I could barely stand. The guards half-dragged me upstairs. The master bedroom reeked of medicine. Camilla lay pale in bed, her lips tinged an unnatural blue. She was barely breathing. Derek stood beside her, his eyes so red they looked like they'd bleed. "Why did you do this to Camilla? You know wolfbane is lethal to werewolves. How could you poison her?" "I didn't!" I said, my voice sharp. He threw a bundle of wolfbane leaves at my feet. "The guards found this in your room. The evidence is right here. How much longer are you going to lie?" The healer was urging him from the side. "Alpha, we can't wait any longer. Miss Camilla is in critical condition. The only option is to fight poison with poison, but the antidote might be harmful to werewolves. We need to test it on someone immediately." Derek walked over to me slowly. He looked down at me, his voice cold and deliberate. "Chloe, you're human. You're going to test the antidote." "You hurt Camilla. You have to pay for it." I was trembling all over. "Derek, please. I can't take that medicine—" He didn't listen. He waved the guards forward. They dragged me to the treatment room. I watched the healer walk toward me with the bowl. I begged him. "Please, go tell the Alpha! Tell him I'm pregnant!" "I'm barely two months along. It's his child! The antidote is harmful to werewolves—my baby has werewolf blood. I absolutely can't drink it!" But the healer just sneered. "Luna, you're human. There's no way you could be carrying the Alpha's child. And even if you were, the Alpha wouldn't care. Miss Camilla is the one he cares about." He gestured to the guards to hold me down. The bitter liquid was poured down my throat. At first, nothing happened. A few minutes later, a sharp stabbing pain tore through my abdomen. Something hot and wet ran down my legs. I collapsed on the floor, blood soaking through my clothes... I woke up in a hospital room. The doctor hesitated when he saw I was conscious. Finally, he lowered his eyes. "Ms. Chloe, I'm so sorry. By the time you were brought in, the baby was already gone." I lay there in silence. No tears. No screams. I'd learned that when pain is absolute, there are no words for it. Two days later, I was discharged. I went through the D&C procedure alone. I handled all the paperwork alone. When I returned to the villa, it was empty. Derek had sent everyone to the hospital to take care of Camilla. I didn't pack any of my things. I didn't take a single valuable item. I just placed the yellowed termination contract and the miscarriage report side by side on the nightstand in the master bedroom. When I walked out through the front gate, the first light of dawn was breaking over the horizon. I walked away from the cage that had held me for six years. I never looked back. As the plane lifted off, I said my final goodbye to Derek in my heart. Goodbye, my Alpha.