As Harlow helped me slip into a light jacket, a sudden thought struck me. “I should check on Alpha Sebastian before we leave.”
Harlow raised an eyebrow, a teasing smile playing on her lips. “Your gallant knight in shining designer armor? Seems like the least you could do, considering he took a knife for you.”
“It’s not like that,” I said quickly, feeling a slight blush rise to my cheeks. “He’s my boss. And he saved my life. Again.”
Harlow’s knowing smile only grew wider, and I rolled my eyes in mild irritation.
When we reached the doorway of Alpha Sebastian’s private room, I hesitated. Through the partially open door, I spotted several people inside-the imposing Beta Sawyer, Lian in his usual sharp suit, and a doctor. The last thing Alpha Sebastian needed was gossip about his personal life spreading around.
The Blood Moon Pack already viewed me as someone with a complicated, troubled past. I didn’t want the Silver Peak Pack to think the same.
“Maybe I’ll check on him later,” I whispered to Harlow, stepping away from the door. “When he’s back at the apartments.”
Harlow nodded, her expression softening with understanding. “Probably for the best.”
After leaving the hospital, we made a brief stop at the police station where I gave an additional statement about the attack. The detective in charge shared some updates: they had caught the man dressed in black who had abducted me, but he claimed to be “just a friend” of Cira’s, acting on his own after seeing me “bullying” her.
Meanwhile, Cira was playing the victim, claiming memory loss and presenting medical certificates from Shadow Pack doctors stating she suffered from mental health issues.
“Classic Alpha privilege nonsense,” Harlow muttered as we left. “Though stabbing Alpha Sebastian complicates her story. Even the Shadow Pack can’t easily dismiss assaulting an Alpha from Silver Peak.”
“Let the legal system sort it out,” I said wearily. “I’m done with all of it.”
That afternoon, Harlow received a call from Xavien’s lawyer. After she hung up, she looked at me with a serious expression.
“He’s agreed to the divorce,” she said quietly. “And with the full two hundred million compensation we requested.” She hesitated. “His lawyer says Xavien will meet whenever you’re ready to finalize the paperwork. Just name the time.”
I nodded, feeling an odd emptiness inside-not relief, not anger, just a hollow sense of finality.
“Tomorrow,” I said firmly. “Ten o’clock at the civil affairs bureau.”
Harlow studied me carefully before nodding. “I’ll inform them.”
She sighed, running a hand through her dark hair. “You know, as much as I want to hate him completely, I can’t help but wonder-if he hadn’t made that one fatal mistake, maybe you two would have been the fairytale romance I always believed in.”
I smiled softly, turning toward the window where the afternoon sunlight streamed in warmly. “Fairytales are just pretty lies, Harlow.”
She looked up thoughtfully. “Well, if fairytales are broken, maybe it’s time to aim for a myth instead.”
My mouth dropped open as I caught the implication. “Harlow!”
Sebastian
Despite the spacious hospital room, the air felt stifling and close. I shifted against the pillows, trying to find a position that didn’t pull painfully at my stitches while scrolling through documents on my tablet. Lycan healing was faster than human, but knife wounds-especially those deep enough to slice muscle-still demanded time.
Doctors had insisted I remain under observation for a full day, despite my protests.
Setting the tablet aside, I took a sip of water and asked as casually as I could manage, “How is she doing?”
Lian looked up from organizing my medication. “Celina? She was discharged this morning.”
I frowned, my eyebrows knitting together before I could stop the expression.
“She did come by earlier, Alpha,” Lian added quickly, noticing my reaction. “I think she wanted to see you, but there were several people in your room, so she didn’t come in.”
My frown deepened. “She didn’t come in because there were others present?”
“Yes, Alpha Sebastian.”
“How thoughtful of her,” I said, my tone cooler than I intended. “Always so careful about appearances.”
Though my words sounded polite, the bitterness beneath them was clear. Lian gave me a curious look.
“She was probably just respecting your position,” he offered diplomatically.
I didn’t answer, turning back to my work with more intensity than necessary. After a few minutes, I felt Lian’s gaze still on me.
“What?” I asked without looking up.
“Nothing, Alpha Sebastian,” he replied, though I caught a hint of a smile he tried to hide.
I narrowed my eyes but said nothing. The ache in my lower back reminded me of the knife I’d taken for Celina. I wondered if she would have come in if she knew I’d been thinking about her constantly since pulling her from that bathroom floor.
Soren, my wolf, growled in frustration inside our shared mind. [She’s ours. Why is she avoiding us?]
[She’s not ours,] I reminded him firmly.
[She’s just coming out of one mate bond. The last thing she needs is another wolf sniffing around her.]
[We saved her,] Soren insisted. [Again.]
[That doesn’t give us any claim,] I replied firmly.
Soren’s dissatisfaction rumbled through our shared consciousness.
Celina
The next morning arrived bright and clear-perfect weather to end a marriage.
I reached the civil affairs bureau fifteen minutes early, clutching the original divorce papers. Xavien pulled up exactly at ten o’clock, looking exhausted. Dark circles shadowed his eyes, and stubble covered his usually clean-shaven jaw.
When he approached, his hand instinctively reached up to brush my bruised lip. “Still not healed?” he asked softly.
I flinched away, but not quickly enough to avoid his touch.
Part of me wanted to snap at him, but the weariness and the lost look in his bloodshot eyes cooled my anger. “Let’s just get this over with,” I said instead, turning toward the entrance.
“Right,” he nodded, but stayed where he was.
I didn’t wait for him, walking ahead and hearing his footsteps fall behind me. A small, irrational part of me had worried he might change his mind, try to make me stay. But the Xavien following me now seemed resigned, defeated in a way I’d never seen before.
The divorce proceedings were swift and smooth. As somewhat public figures-Xavien especially, as Alpha of the Blood Moon Pack-the officials recognized us and, seeing our signed agreement, didn’t waste time trying to reconcile us.
When we stepped outside, Xavien surprised me by handing me his copy of the divorce certificate.
“What are you doing?” I asked, staring at the document in confusion. “This is yours.”
“You keep it,” he said quietly.
I stared at him, wondering if he’d lost his mind. “Are you serious? This isn’t our marriage certificate, Xavien. This is proof our marriage is over.”
When he made no move to take it back, I pulled him aside to a quieter spot, not wanting to create a scene.
“You’ll need this if you remarry,” I said firmly, pressing the certificate against his chest. “So, Alpha Xavien, keep it yourself.”
Xavien
A sharp ache gripped my chest as I gazed at Celina’s face, each expression cutting deeper than the last. Inside me, Kael-my wolf-whimpered softly, a mournful sound that echoed my own despair. He could feel it too: our mate was slipping through our fingers, vanishing beyond reach.
“I won’t marry again,” I murmured, the words scraping out of my throat like shards of glass.
“I won’t be with anyone else…” The thought alone made my voice falter.
Celina didn’t even flinch. Her voice was calm, steady-too steady given everything we’d been through together.
“Whether you choose to remain single forever, Xavien, it’s no longer my concern. You’re free now. And so am I. I truly hope we both find peace in our own ways.”
“Peace?” I echoed, the word lodging in my chest like a splinter, bitter and dry on my tongue.
“With who, Celina? Who’s supposed to give you that peace?” My voice cracked, desperation creeping in.
And then, as if summoned by my own tortured thoughts, the image of Alpha Sebastian Black flashed through my mind-the Alpha of the Silver Peak Pack. Always nearby. Always watching her.
Celina exhaled softly. Not with irritation or anger, but with a weary exhaustion that seemed to drain the very air from the room. That quiet sigh shattered something inside me more completely than if she’d screamed.
“Can’t I just be happy on my own?” she asked quietly, yet with undeniable strength.
“Do I really need a man to prove I matter?”
I stared at her, speechless.
Because deep down, I already knew the truth-she didn’t need anyone. And whatever happiness she found next would have nothing to do with me.
Her words eased the crushing tension in my chest, even if only slightly. Though we never completed the mate bond, and though the Blood Moon Pack never fully accepted her, the thought of her with another wolf-especially Alpha Sebastian-set my blood on fire.
“Really?” I pressed, searching her face with desperate hope. “You plan to be alone? No other mate?”
I watched her silently, eyes pleading for a sign that she wouldn’t form a bond with another Alpha.
She didn’t answer.
Instead, she smiled gently-that very smile that had captured my heart eight years ago-and said with surprising calm, “I should go. Goodbye, Alpha Xavien.”
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