“The cooling-off period is over,” Harlow said. “Once Celina returns, you’ll both go to the civil affairs bureau. It’ll be done.”
Xavien said nothing.
“She asked me to remind you,” Harlow added sharply, “that if you try to cheat her out of the compensation, she’s ready to fight-to the bitter end. Your little mistress was generous with the evidence. I doubt either of you wants another charity gala scandal.”
Under the table, Xavien’s hands clenched tightly, the edges of the contract crumpling in his grip.
“When did she find out?” he asked hoarsely, his voice rough and broken.
Harlow’s temper flared.
“Oh, now you care?” she snapped. “Now you want to feel guilty?”
She leaned forward.
“Did you feel guilty when you slept with Cira? When you whisked her away to Switzerland for your romantic getaway? When you held her hand and made those stupid heart shapes at sunrise for your little photo op?”
Xavien remained still.
Harlow continued, her voice sharp as glass.
“How long has it been since you came home? Since you sat down and ate a meal with your mate like a husband should?”
“You promised to take her to see the Northern Lights in Iceland. Instead, you lied-told her it was a business trip, then took your mistress instead.”
“She knows everything, Xavien.”
“She couldn’t sleep for weeks. Lived on sleeping pills just to get through the nights. Yet she kept showing up at work like nothing was wrong. The only time she broke down, she cried for hours. I’ve known her since we were children. I’ve never seen her like that.”
Harlow’s voice trembled but she pressed on.
“She gave up everything for you. Do you remember that?”
“She wanted to study medicine, but she changed her major to finance-just to be at your university. She defied her parents for the first time. She agreed to a secret marriage. She worked herself to the bone for four years just to prove she was worthy of you.”
“And you destroyed her.”
“She’s not divorcing you because she’s weak, Xavien. She’s doing it because she’s strong enough to walk away quietly.”
“She sold everything. Even the wedding ring. Burned your wedding photos right in front of you-to remind herself never to look back.”
Harlow paused, lowering her voice, quieter but no less cutting.
“I’m not telling you this to punish you. I’m telling you because she’s not coming back. If there’s anything left in you that resembles a man, you’ll give her the final shred of dignity she deserves.”
Silence filled the room.
Then Xavien hunched forward, as if something inside him had snapped.
A low, guttural growl tore from his throat-animalistic and broken.
And then, with a sudden, violent motion, he ripped the divorce papers in half.
“I won’t divorce her,” he snarled, his eyes flashing gold.
“Who says I don’t love her?” he shouted. “I love her! I love her! I love her!”
Harlow stared at him.
For the first time in all the years she’d known him…
She wasn’t sure if he was trying to convince her-
Or himself.
Harlow
“Are you serious? You say you love her, yet you slept with Cira?” I slammed my fist hard against the desk, anger surging through every fiber of my being. “Why don’t you just disappear already?”
Calv
My knuckles throbbed from the impact against the wood, but I barely noticed. If I wasn’t standing face-to-face with an Alpha wolf capable of tearing me apart in an instant, I swear I would have smashed that ashtray over Xavien’s head.
Xavien sprang to his feet, the torn divorce papers slipping from his lap and fluttering to the floor like scattered leaves. His golden eyes burned with a dangerous intensity-the wolf lurking just beneath his skin ready to pounce.
“All those things she sold, everything she destroyed-I will take back every last piece,” he growled, his voice low and fierce. “And that stubborn heart of hers?” His fangs glinted sharply in the dim light as his Alpha presence thickened the air around us. “Mark my words, my Luna Celina is bound to me-not just in this life, but in every rebirth the Moon Goddess grants.”
Without another word, he spun on his heel and stormed toward the door, his broad shoulders tense with barely contained fury.
I stood there, frozen for a moment, then dashed after him. “What you just ripped up was a copy, you idiot!” I yelled after his retreating back. “That won’t stop the divorce! It won’t work! I’m telling you, it won’t!”
Damn him.
Playing the devoted mate now? Where was all this fire when he was sneaking around with that Snauow Pack woman behind Celina’s back?
Regret is a cheap scent.
I rubbed my temples, battling a growing headache. With an attitude like that, this divorce was going to get messier than I ever imagined.
Xavien
The cold spring rain fell around me, sharp and biting like autumn’s chill, as I sat on the stone steps outside our villa. I stared at the security footage from the night she burned our wedding photos. There she was, standing in the yard, her eyes reflecting a deep, sorrowful grief as she looked straight at me before decisively dropping the lighter into the metal bin.
What was I doing in that moment?
The video showed me inside, casually chatting on my phone, oblivious. Seeing it was like watching a ghost-I couldn’t bear to look, to remember, or to think too deeply about it. If I could rewind time to that night, I’d never be such a bastard again. I’d beg her forgiveness, tell her she was the only one I truly loved.
–
Rain soaked my face, but the tears that slid down burned with a fierceness the storm couldn’t match.
Beta Henric stood behind me, holding an umbrella, but the downpour was relentless. He wouldn’t pry into my personal affairs, but today’s outcome was unavoidable. My Luna was too sharp not to have uncovered my betrayal.
“Buy back all the jewelry my mate sold. Put everything exactly where it was,” I commanded, my voice rough with emotion.
“Yes, Alpha,” Henric replied without hesitation.
“And the wedding photos-recreate them precisely as before. Same frames, same spots on the walls.”
“Of course, Alpha.”
Henric agreed to every order, but we both knew the truth: things bought back weren’t the originals. Wedding photos resurrected from ashes were mere substitutes. The meaning she once poured into them had been burned away. Would she feel anything but scorn for such hollow gestures?
My phone buzzed against my thigh.
I answered slowly, as if wading through water.
“Alpha Xavien, Singapore.”
I frowned. “Singapore? That’s impossible. I checked all flight records-there was nothing.”
“We found exit documents. She left yesterday afternoon on a Gulfstream G650 private jet. The owner’s information is protected.”
My expression darkened as a lightning bolt of realization struck.
Ending the call, I stepped into the rain without care for the soaking wet. “Prepare the pack jet. I’m leaving for Singapore immediately. And find out if Alpha Sebastian is there.”
In all of Denver, only one Alpha had the power and resources to spirit my mate away without leaving a trace.
I should have known it was him.
–
The next morning, after finishing her breakfast, Celina returned to her room to change. She selected a business casual outfit paired with comfortable flats-perfect for the upcoming factory inspection. Before leaving the hotel, she slipped a voice recorder into her bag and quietly stepped outside.
Meanwhile, as Sebastian prepared to leave for the summit, he noticed Celina was missing.
“Where is she?” His deep voice carried the unmistakable edge of Alpha authority, even in casual conversation.
“She went to check the factory,” Beta Sawyer replied evenly. “She noticed some discrepancies in the data and wanted to investigate.”
Sebastian’s eyes narrowed, suspicion flickering. “Is she skipping work because she’s upset?”
He was clearly thinking about the confrontation from the night before-how he’d grabbed her roughly.
Beta Sawyer quickly added, “No, no, she genuinely went to the factory. The issue isn’t major, but it’s not trivial either. We were going to tell you, but your schedule was packed today, so she decided to handle it herself.”
Sebastian studied him for a moment, then nodded, apparently satisfied.
–
I took a taxi to the factory, letting myself enjoy the scenic coastal views along the way. Singapore was stunning-so different from the mountainous territory of Denver where Xavien’s Blood Moon Pack ruled.
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