Born with rare healing abilities, Scarlett Rhys found herself bound to Steven Greymark, heir to the Alpha King throne and the most powerful werewolf of his generation, through an arranged mating that seemed perfect on paper. He gained a mate with precious healing powers; she gained access to unlimited pack resources and luxury. But during their first year together, Steven departed to the Northern Territories to expand pack influence, leaving their mate bond dormant and their relationship purely political. Three years later, upon his cold return, Scarlett threw mate bond severance papers at him, tired of their loveless arrangement. Steven calmly pressed the papers down. After three seconds, he replied with characteristic composure: "Scarlett, while I respect your decision, perhaps you should review our pre-mating agreement. After severing our bond, you might find it difficult to continue collecting rare healing crystals, using private pack portals to attend sacred ceremonies, or casually acquiring fifteen-carat moon-blessed ceremonial pendants..." "Wait!" Scarlett suddenly came to her senses, her golden healing energy flickering nervously around her fingers. "I think... I can endure this arrangement a bit longer." After all, a mate who indulged her expensive tastes was better than no mate at all... right?