The Rejected Mate Is A Billionaire Heiress

Kira Beaumont POV:

The scorching summer sun beat down relentlessly, the glaring heat making it almost impossible to keep my eyes open. I walked out of the H.Y. Corp building, my clothes soaked in a mixture of my own blood and sweat. The silver bullet wound in my shoulder throbbed with a blinding, agonizing rhythm, the toxic metal burning through my werewolf healing abilities like acid.

I looked down at the secured alliance contract in my bloodstained hands, a bitter, hollow smile touching my pale lips. To get this intel, to secure this vital treaty for the Sterling Pack, I had taken a silver bullet at point-blank range. I had dug it out myself in a dirty alleyway, the agony tearing screams from my throat that no one heard.

This would be the very last thing I ever did for Aiden Sterling.

He had pursued me relentlessly for three years. We had been mated and married for one year. And then, suddenly, he said he was tired of me.

At first, I had fought for us. I had argued, I had cried, I had pleaded with the Moon Goddess to fix whatever was broken between us. But all my tears only earned his cold, merciless mockery. "Kira, the pathetic way you look right now makes me sick to my stomach. Let's just break the bond and separate," he had sneered.

It was only later that I learned the truth. Aiden hadn't just grown tired of me; he had found his "true destiny." Lila Carlisle.

Ever since he first brought up breaking the mate bond, he hadn't returned to our shared home in two months. Dragging this out any longer was utterly meaningless. My inner wolf, once so full of love for her mate, was now curled up in the dark, whimpering in a pain that went far deeper than the silver in my flesh.

I hailed a taxi by the side of the road and headed straight for the Sterling Pack headquarters.

When I arrived at the towering skyscraper, I didn't stop at the front desk. I took the private elevator directly to the top floor, the Alpha's executive suite. The expensive wood polish scent of Aiden's office filled the hallway, mingling with his crisp cedar scent-the scent of my Mate.

But as I approached the heavy oak door, which was left slightly ajar, I heard it.

A woman's voice, sickeningly sweet and dripping with a coquettish whine, spilled into the quiet hallway. "Aiden, you're so rough... my lips are all bruised."

My heart gave a violent, vicious lurch, as if a physical hand had squeezed it tight. The blood in my veins turned to ice, freezing the last remnants of warmth I held for him. But to force myself to completely give up, to shatter any lingering illusions, I pushed the heavy door open.

Inside the luxurious, sunlit office, the scene was a knife to my eyes.

Lila Carlisle, her face flushed red with arousal, was sitting sideways on Aiden's lap. It was obvious they had just finished an intense make-out session, if not more. Her lips were visibly swollen, her dress slightly rumpled.

Seeing me walk in, a flash of calculated panic crossed her delicate face. She quickly scrambled off Aiden's lap. "Sister, I..."

Sister. It was a laughable title. Lila and I were the classic case of switched at birth. She was the true Carlisle heiress, while I was the fake. This mating was originally supposed to be hers. And now that she was back, she was eagerly playing the mistress, desperate to reclaim what she believed was hers.

I didn't even look at her. I walked straight to the massive mahogany desk and dropped the blood-speckled contract, along with a signed Rejection agreement, onto the polished surface.

Only then did I lift my eyes to look at the man sitting behind the desk. Aiden Sterling, the Alpha King, the wealthiest and most powerful man in Silverwood City. He wore a tailored black shirt and dark trousers, exuding a noble, lazy elegance. His handsome, almost demonic face was framed by dark hair, his ice-blue eyes staring at me with a profound, piercing disgust that made my chest ache.

"The alliance with H.Y. Corp is secured," I said, my voice eerily calm, completely devoid of the desperation I used to show. "Underneath it is the Rejection and divorce agreement. I've already signed it. It's currently two in the afternoon. Let's go to the Pack Hall and sever the bond right now."

My tone was flat, as if I were discussing a mundane business transaction rather than the end of our souls' connection. But my face was deathly pale, my slender frame swaying slightly from the blood loss and the lingering silver poison.

A flicker of genuine surprise crossed Aiden's deep eyes, but it was quickly swallowed by his habitual, freezing indifference. "Well, well, Director Kira," he drawled, his deep voice dripping with contempt. "You actually managed to get a contract that dozens of top packs failed to secure. I'm incredibly curious... just what kind of methods did you use to get him to sign?"

His implication was clear and utterly insulting. He thought I had used underhanded, shameful tactics.

I clenched my fists so tightly my nails dug into my palms, forcing down the overwhelming tide of grief. I offered him a faint, detached smile. "Does the Alpha King care about the process when he already has the result? Are we going to the Pack Hall to reject the bond or not?"

Lila looked at Aiden nervously, her hands clutching his sleeve. "Aiden, you promised you would make me your Luna. Kira only took my place to mate with you. Now that I'm back, you have to keep your promise."

Aiden's long fingers gently stroked her pure, delicate face. He shot me a dark, unreadable look. "Of course I'll make you my Luna. I'll go with this woman and sever the bond right now."

The way he looked at Lila was so incredibly gentle, it stung my eyes. It suddenly dawned on me that in all our years together, Aiden had never once looked at me with such tender affection.

*"Oh, Aiden, I knew you loved me the most,"* Lila cooed, leaning happily into his embrace. Over his shoulder, she shot me a victorious, provocative smirk.

I lowered my eyes, refusing to look at the heartbreaking scene. I could barely tell if the agony was coming from my silver-burned shoulder or my shattered heart.

Aiden picked up the Rejection document. His eyes scanned the paper, and his pupils suddenly contracted. His voice dropped an octave, heavy and dangerous. "You're leaving with absolutely nothing? You modified the terms to take zero pack assets?"

I used every ounce of my remaining strength to keep my voice steady, though it came out slightly raspy. "If we are breaking the bond, we are severing it completely. I want nothing from you. I leave with nothing."

Since it was over, I wanted no ties left between us. Once I made a decision, I never looked back. Four years. My four-year promise to myself was up. It was time for me to go.