I wiped the flour from my hands, surveying the mess I had made in the kitchen. Baking had always been a way to channel my restless energy into something productive. The sweet, buttery scent of freshly baked cookies was already making my mouth water.

As I began cleaning up the countertops, a sharp knock at the door startled me. I paused, my brow creasing. Who on earth could that be?

Since I moved out of Kieran’s house, no one knew the address to my new house. I didn’t move into my mother’s house because I knew he was going to find me there easily.

Drying my hands on a dish towel, I made my way to the front of the house, my socked feet padding softly against the hardwood floors.

Peering through the peephole, I was surprised to find Tristan, one of Kieran's trusted omegas, standing on my doorstep. What was he doing here? I drew in a sharp breath before pulling the door open.

"Tristan," I greeted, my voice cautious. "What are you doing here?"

He offered me a tentative smile. "Selena, I have a delivery for you. From Alpha Kieran."

My heart sank at the mention of Kieran's name. The memory of our last heated conversation still stung and I didn’t want anything to do with him ever again.

I had to confirm if the delivery was actually for me and asked Tristan with a skeptical look on my face.

Tristan nodded, holding out a neatly wrapped parcel telling me he was asked to bring it to me personally.

I eyed the package warily, debating whether to even take it. The last thing I wanted was another reminder of Kieran and his grand, sweeping gestures. Still, my curiosity got the better of me. Reaching out, I grasped the box, feeling its weight in my hands.

"What is it?" I asked, turning it over.

Tristan shrugged. "I'm not sure. Alpha Kieran didn't share the contents with me."

I let out a soft sigh, my fingers tracing the neat edges of the wrapping. Part of me wanted to refuse the gift outright, to send Tristan back empty-handed. But the other part - the part that still yearned for Kieran's affection, urged me to see what was inside. It wasn’t going to kill anyone if I just checked it.

I turned the box over in my hands, and with a small shrug unwrapped it.

As the layers of tissue paper fell away, I forgot how to breathe for a few seconds. It was the most breathtaking wedding dress I had ever seen. My fingers traced the soft fabric carefully as I lifted the gown from the box, completely awestruck. There were a pair of shoes too that probably cost like a million bucks.

In that moment, my phone began to ring. I glanced down to see Kieran's name flashing on the screen.

Swallowing hard, I answered the call.

"Kieran? Did you...did you send me this?" I asked,barely hearing my own voice.

Years ago, months ago and even weeks ago I would have been super excited to see this sweet gesture coming from him but not anymore. In our previous wedding, he hadn’t even bothered to accompany me to the dress fitting or any of the bridal shopping because his heart wasn’t in it. Even when I said I wanted a lace wedding dress, he didn’t seem to care. When I got to the shop he directed me to and I couldn’t find the one I really wanted, he barked at me over the phone to just pick any dress and stop making a big deal out of it.

And now, he was suddenly getting me an expensive dress out of the blue?

"Selena!" Kieran's voice rang out, sounding almost giddy."You got the package! Do you love it? I picked it out especially for you."

I stared at the dress, my heart pounding. "Kieran, ....l don't understand. What is the meaning of this?"

"Why, it's your wedding dress, my dear!" Kieran exclaimed joyfully. "I wanted everything to be perfect for our special day. I spent time searching for the perfect dress. I know how much you've always loved lace, and the shoes will complement it beautifully."

"Kieran, I think there's been a mistake," I said, my voice strained. "I don’t think this package belongs to me."

"What do you mean? Of course it's for you, my darling. You're my bride-to-be, after all."

I scoffed.

"Your bride-to-be? I think you have the wrong woman. I'm not marrying you."

There was a beat of silence on the other end of the line before he continued, "But Selena, we discussed this. I proposed to you, and you accepted."

"No, Kieran," I said firmly. "I did no such thing. I practically begged you to marry me before now and you left me on the altar and now you think getting me a wedding dress would fix everything? Give it to Nina, it would fit her perfectly."

The previous wedding dress, I had already burnt it so that I wasn’t reminded of how he humiliated me that day. Now I wasn’t going to take another one from him.

"Selena, please," Kieran begged. "Just try it on, see how beautiful you'll look. I know it will fit perfectly."

"I don't want to try it on!" I snapped, my grip tightening on the phone. "I'm not your bride, and I'm not accepting this gift. Please, just leave me alone."

Before Kieran could respond, I ended the call, exhaling loudly.

Tristan stood nearby, looking utterly bewildered by the exchange.

I let out a shaky breath, thrusting the package back into his hands. "Take this back to Kieran," I said, my voice tight. "I don't want it."

Tristan hesitated, his brow furrowed in concern.

"Selena, are you sure? Alpha Kieran seemed quite insistent-"

"I don't care what Kieran wants," I snapped, my patience wearing thin. "This dress is not for me, and I will not be his bride. Now, please, take it and get out."

Tristan opened his mouth to protest, but I didn't give him the chance. Stepping back, I slammed the door in his face, cutting off any further discussion.

The next evening, a new email notification pulled my gaze away from my laptop screen, where I had been reviewing my cover letter one last time before hitting send. My heart raced as I saw that the sender of the email was the prestigious tech company I had applied to just a week ago. I had already resigned from Kieran’s company and I knew I had to get a job elsewhere and fast. So I decided to apply in all the big companies hoping to get a chance to shine.

With a deep, steadying breath, I clicked on the message, my fingers trembling slightly.

"Dear Selena,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been selected for an interview with our firm. We were impressed by your impressive credentials and believe you would be an excellent addition to our team.

Please come to our office at 8 AM sharp tomorrow morning for a formal interview. We look forward to meeting with you in person.

Sincerely,

The Hiring Team"

I stared at the words, barely able to process the surge of emotions that hit me. Excitement, relief, and a touch of nervous anticipation all mingled together in a dizzying swirl. Oh thank the moon goddess for such an opportunity!

For years, I had lived in Kieran's shadow, following his lead and bending to his will. But not anymore. This job, this opportunity, it was my ticket to independence. No more would I be seen as just the Alpha's mate, destined to serve at his beck and call. I was Selena, a capable and driven woman, and I was about to take the city by storm.

Pushing away from my desk, I strode to the kitchen to go grab a bottle of wine. I rarely drank anything because Kieran forbade it but tonight I was going to celebrate it all by myself.

My gaze landed on the bottle of merlot sitting in the bar nearby, and without a second thought, I snatched it up, twisting the cap open.

As I poured the deep, ruby liquid into a crystal glass, a sudden, insistent knock at the door drew my attention, causing me to nearly spill the wine. I set the glass down and made my way to the entryway, wondering who could be there at this hour.

The moment I opened the door, a man I didn't expect appeared in front of me.

There, standing tall in a dark form fitting suit, was Kieran, his brown eyes piercing into mine. I should have checked the peephole before opening. That way, I wouldn’t have opened the damn door in the first place.

"Kieran," I breathed, my fingers curling around the edge of the door. "What are you doing here?"

He offered me a small smile, his gaze roaming over my body in a way that made my skin crawl. "Selena, my love. I've missed you."

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes, instead leaning against the doorframe and crossing my arms over my chest. "How did you even find me?" I asked, bypassing his sentimental declaration.

He chuckled, as if the answer should have been obvious. "We're mates, remember? I can always sense where you are, just as you can sense me. It's a bond that can never be broken, no matter how much you may wish it so."

My jaw tightened, and I remembered that we were technically still mates. None of us had rejected each other, which meant we were still linked. I had hoped, foolishly, that in this new apartment, in this fresh start, I might be able to finally free myself from Kieran's all-encompassing presence. I was definitely going to reject him but I was not going to do it where no one was watching. It was going to be out in the public so I could humiliate him just like he had done to me. He needed to have a taste of his own medicine.

"So what do you want from me now?" I asked in an exasperated tone.

Kieran's expression softened, and he took a step closer, his hand reaching out to caress my cheek. I fought the urge to lean into his touch, to allow myself to be drawn back into his orbit. "My darling Selena, I simply can't stay away. Not when I know you're hurting."

I scoffed, pulling away from his gentle touch. Now I was his darling Selena? He always referred to Nina in that manner and not me.

"I'm not hurting, Kieran. I'm free.For the first time in years, I'm finally able to breathe, to live my own life. Can't you understand that?"

He opened his mouth to argue, but I held up a hand, cutting him short. "Look, I don't have time for this right now. I have a lot going on, and the last thing I need is you complicating things further."

He shot me a narrowed gaze, his jaw tightening. "What do you mean, you have a lot going on? What's more important than us?"

He took a step forward, and I instinctively retreated, my back pressing against the door frame. His eyes traveled down the length of my body, and I couldn't help but feel a bit self conscious.

I had chosen to wear a simple, black dress - nothing too fancy, just comfortable lounge wear for a night in. But the way Kieran's gaze lingered made me quite aware of the way the fabric hugged my curves.

"You look breathtaking, Selena," he murmured, a small smile playing on his lips. "Even just sitting at home, you take my breath away."

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes again, instead fixing him with a pointed stare. "Kieran, I thought I made it clear that I don’t have time for any of this.You need to leave right now."

His expression shifted, but he regained his composure quickly. "Didn't you get my texts?"

I sighed deeply and replied him. "Yes, I got your texts. All twenty of them. Didn’t you get mine where I said I wouldn’t be attending your mother’s birthday party?."

I even considered blocking him because he was blowing up my phone with stupid texts earlier that morning. He was staring at me now as if he could see right through me and it made me somewhat uncomfortable.

"Kieran, please," I said, my voice trembling with my best efforts to sound firm. "I've already told you, we are not together anymore and I have no intention of celebrating anything with you."

He arched a brow, a flicker of annoyance crossing his features. "Selena, why must you be so stubborn?" he murmured, his thumb tracing the line of my jaw. "I've made it abundantly clear that you're mine, and I have no plans to let you go."

I tensed, the hair on the back of my neck standing on end. "That's where you're wrong," I retorted, "You don't get to decide that for me. I'm my own person, and I won't be bound to you or anyone else against my will."

Kieran's grip on my cheek tightened ever so slightly, a subtle warning. "Against your will?" he echoed, his voice low and dangerous. "Darling, I think you forget – we're still mates and you’re not going anywhere."

"We are over and I do not want anything to do with you. Aren’t you smart enough to understand that Mr Alpha?"

He was confidently going on about this mate thing because he thought that I would never reject him but that was where was wrong. I couldn’t wait to end his delusions on the cruelest way possible.

His hold on my cheek loosened, and for a moment, I thought I saw a flicker of hurt in his eyes. But it was quickly replaced by a cold, calculating expression that sent a chill down my spine.

"Is that so?" he murmured in a deceptively calm tone. "Well, then, I suppose I'll have to change your mind.But now, we have something more important to tackle."

Before I could react, he pulled away, turning his attention to the limo parked just beyond the threshold of my door. "Joe," he called out to his assistant in that authoritative tone of his and ordered him to bring out some package of some sort.

I watched as Joe hurried over with a black box clutched in his hands. My stomach twisted with unease as Kieran turned back to me, a triumphant smile playing on his lips.

"Selena, my love," he purred, "I have something for you."

"Kieran, I already told you – I don't want anything from you," I protested, my voice laced with frustration. "Why can't you just accept that and leave me alone?"

His smile only widened, his gaze not even breaking for a second. "Oh, but you haven't even seen what I've brought you. I'm sure once you lay your eyes on it, you'll change your mind."

With a nod, he gestured to his assistant Joe and the package was thrust into my hands. I stared down at it, and clearly told him that I didn’t want it.

"Didn't I make it clear yesterday that I'm not accepting any of your gifts?" I asked in irritation.

"Ah, yes, the wedding dress. I still have that carefully kept for you but right now you have to focus on this. It is something different entirely, trust me."

I eyed him warily, my grip on the package tightening. "What is it, then?" I asked, my curiosity getting the better of me despite my better judgment.

"Why, it's a dress, of course," Kieran replied, sounding so proud of himself. He got me another dress?

"A custom-made gown, all the way from Turkey. I had it specially commissioned for you, to wear to my mother's birthday party tonight." he added.

I stared at him, dumbfounded. "Your mother's birthday party? For goodness sake, I already told you that I'm not going to be attending any of your family events."

His smile faltered, a flash of annoyance crossing his face. "Selena, don't be ridiculous," he chided, his voice taking on a hint of steel. "Of course you're coming. You're my mate, and it's only right that you be there to celebrate with us."

I shook my head, resisting the urge to throw the offending package back in his face. " I have no intention of going to your mother's party," I retorted, my voice rising with frustration. "How many times do I have to tell you that before it sinks in?

"Okay now, you're being unreasonable," he said, his tone clipped. "This dress is a gift, and I expect you to accept it and wear it tonight. It's the least you can do, after everything I've done for you."

I scoffed, the absurdity of his demand nearly overwhelming me. "Everything you've done for me?" I echoed, my voice dripping with sarcasm. "You’ve done nothing but make my life a living hell. I'm not going to wear some fancy dress to your family's party just because you demand it."

His jaw tightened, and I could see that his temper was beginning to flare. "Selena, you're being incredibly stubborn," he growled, his fingers flexing as if he were itching to grab me.

"Newsflash, I didn't speak Spanish when I wrote that message to you. I meant every word – I want nothing to do with you, your pack, or your family members."

He wasn’t still getting what I was saying. I didn’t even know if he was deaf or just trying to be difficult as usual.

"You don't mean that. All the pack members will be there, important high-profile people. And it's my mother's birthday – you can't honestly expect me to attend without my mate by my side."

I scoffed, crossing my arms over my chest. "When my own mother was dying, where were you, Kieran?" I snapped.

He was nowhere to be found, too busy with his pack duties and his precious Nina to even spare a thought for me.

"That's why I'm trying to make it up to you,” he pleaded. “Let me shower you with love and make you happy."