“No.” Bella shook her head, and she honestly wasn’t really interested in knowing either. “I’m sure she’ll be lovely though.”
“I heard she yelled at the Alpha already.” Becky huffed.
Bella snorted and shook her head. “He’ll yell back, he’s got a temper. I’ve seen it once.” And directed at her just once, had been enough for her to decide she wouldn’t incur his wrath again. “They’ll settle once they’re marked and mated, and things will be all good once I’m actually gone from the pack. Likely, his Goddess-Gifted is unhappy about him already having a mate is all. It’s a completely normal reaction, I would think.”
“I don’t want you to go.” Becky told her. “None of us do.”
“Hmm, that is lovely to hear, but that is not up to any of you. Up to Parker himself, he has found and brought his Goddess-Gifted here, so it’s only right that I step aside and leave. I was always going to be rejected by Parker, it was just a matter of time.
“I knew that coming here, and you all knew that I wasn’t his Goddess-Gifted as well, he did tell all of you I was his Chosen Luna.” she reminded her.
She had always known, as had the pack. It was why her leaving wasn’t all that hard for her to do. She still had that ache inside of her chest, from the severing of their bond. But she had seen many rejections over the years, and spent time comforting those that needed it, using her Luna’s Calm to help them through it as much as Shannon had his Gamma Charm.
She understood that she was going to feel that ache there inside of her chest for a long while, likely a few months. It would eventually settle into just a dull ache always there to be felt, because one was now alone. It too would pass with time, and eventually she’d let it go and forget all about her time here. Likely even how she had come to be here. Let it go and move on completely.
Bella strolled along with Becky. There was no real rush. She technically had until lunchtime tomorrow to leave, so they walked down into the town, and she got coffee for herself and iced tea for Becky, used her own money for it, paid for her first cup of coffee in her new free life. That felt really nice, she smiled and sipped it, sighed a little. She could have sworn it tasted better than the last time she’d had it.
She strolled back towards her car, to say her final goodbyes to those there waiting for her and snorted just a little right as Becky’s hand gripped onto her arm, and she gasped in pain, as a contraction hit her, and then her water broke right there next to Bella’s car. She shook her head a little and smiled at Becky. “That desperate to have me deliver your little girl.” She teased her playfully. “Come on, to the pack hospital with you, I’ll stay and deliver your little girl, cheeky woman, tricking me into staying until you went into labour, by going and getting coffee I see.”
“I really didn’t mean to.” Becky sighed “But, thank you.”
She heard Freya snort inside her mind ‘She needs you, or she and that pup will not make it.’
‘You don’t know that,’ Bella muttered. She didn’t like the thought of that at all, losing both of them, a mother and a pup. Hell no, not her bloody watch.
‘Yes, I do.’ Freya stated matter-of-factly.
‘Well, let’s not see that happen then. Get ready to use that Luna’s Calm’
Freya snorted ‘I’m always ready, drink that coffee and get a shot of espresso. You’re the one on two hours’ sleep.’
That she was, but Freya had slept most of the day, and Bella somehow wasn’t feeling all that tired right this minute, knowing she had a baby to deliver, she’d always been able to pull herself together, no matter how tired she was to deliver a baby and keep its mother safe at the same time.
One last pup she would deliver here, inside this pack, the Lustrous Moon; her last duty here as a pack doctor. That was nice for her, not just pack and go, deliver a cute baby and then go. She liked that ‘me to.’ Freya told her ‘it’s what we’re Destined for.’
Parker
Parked saw her walk into the Packhouse and just knew, this was it. Kane had just finished telling him everything was pretty much done. That the next time she came into the packhouse it would be to sign that separation agreement. Her office in the hospital was packed up. Kane himself had helped her do that.
Kane had also given Bella that car Parker had bought her years ago, that she’d never once asked for. He knew she had a driver’s license, had seen it, but he’d never seen her drive a car. Though again knew she did at times inside the pack, usually a pack members cars when trying to get a pregnant she-wolf from their home to the pack hospital so they could give birth safely.
Now here she was walking into the packhouse and this was it. She was going to leave in just a few short minutes, he supposed. His jaw tightened as he looked at her. She was still walking around as though nothing mattered to her at all. He turned and stalked away. He wasn’t going to bloody do it. Sign her out of the pack,
‘You can bloody do it.’ he shot down the mind-link to Kane, his Beta, and he’d stalked himself right out of the packhouse and into the woods and Vex ripped out of him to go and hunt and stalk something to kill, which took them right out of the pack at one point.
Neither of them wanted to be there when she actually left. He’d feel it the minute she was no longer in pack territory, if he was in territory as well. Out here in the wilds of Rogue territory all he would know, was that they were away from her.
They’d only know if she was or wasn’t there when they got back, not the exact moment she actually left the pack, crossed the border and left them, to never come back. Neither he nor Vex wanted to know the exact moment of that happening. Or be there for it, it might see them lose it completely and roar in full Alpha fury and drag her back to them. Mark and Mate her all over again; even if she didn’t want it.
So, away out in the wilds of Rogue territory was the best thing for both of them.
She was gone from his pack when he returned to it just after midnight. Had sat down at his desk and listened to Kane tell him, how calm Belladonna had been throughout the process, as they erased her from the pack life she’d known here. Closed out her life as his Mate and Luna, as well as a pack doctor.
That she’d refused the monetary sum he had told Kane to give her for her time here as his Mate. That she’d stated she didn’t want any of it in reality. Only accepted the bare minimum, so she had something to start her life over, out there unaffiliated with anyone.
That she had believed he’d never paid her a wage because she wasn’t entitled to it, had been sold to him.
That spoke volumes to him.
But he’d not done it on purpose. She had access to unlimited funds, so she didn’t need a wage, she could buy whatever she wanted whenever she wanted it. He’d never realised she’d seen it like that; as he didn’t think she deserved it. She’d had everything she wanted, and he’d not ever mentioned what she’d spent. Never frowned at her about it.
The pack’s accountant had never flagged anything, she hadn’t already given him invoices to, and that was always hospital related. New equipment, uniforms for the staff working there. All of his pack’s conglomerate hospitals were well staffed and well-equipped now, and his pack was better off for it.
There was a manilla folder sitting on his desk which had her name neatly printed on it, Kane’s handwriting ‘Belladonna Harrington’ was all it read, there was no attached title to her name, and he knew what was going to be in it.
Their mating alliance and separation agreement, her pack photo as well in all likelihood. She’d followed everything to the letter, according to Kane, not kicked up a single fuss over anything. She just nodded, looked at the list, and they’d moved on doing what was needed.
Kane had seen her comfort one of the pregnant she-wolves before leaving, had heard she’d stayed and delivered that pup as well. That she had even sat one last time in her scrubs at the nurse’s station and filled out the necessary paperwork, to be handed to the new Luna, so that the pup could be registered to the pack officially.
That paperwork was sitting on his desk, it couldn’t go to Carina. He’d not even initiated her into the pack, so it was up to him to log it all from now on until he had a legitimized Luna once again. She’d always signed them off as Luna Belladonna of Lustrous Moon Pack. Her official title.
He could see there on the bottom of that registration form was her signature, a pretty flourish that he’d gotten used to seeing over the years. But there was no title there today. Under her signature was printed neatly Dr. Belladonna Harrington.
There was a line of doctors’ advice on that form, where she voiced her opinion ‘I wouldn’t recommend any more pups. Rebekah haemorrhaged during the birth and had to be transfused two pints of blood. Wolfen birth control is advised from now on. Then her initials were next to her advice, B.H.
She was a good doctor, and having that Luna Calm as well, also helped to deliver pups safely into the pack. He knew that Annette suspected that was why none had died in childbirth, a combination of a Luna being a doctor. But he thought it was because Belladonna was dedicated to delivering pups safely, looking after the mother’s well-being and knowing when to call for a caesarean.
Belladonna had studied hard, learned everything, worked long hours at the pack hospital, never stopped learning, and he knew she gave advice to others wanting to train up as well. He didn’t want her to leave the pack, leave him.
But everything she’d voiced over the course of the day and not only to him but to Kane as well now. Told him all he needed to know, she believed she’d been sold to him, was a glorified slave not worth anything to him or this pack. Just here to do as that mating alliance stated, sate all his needs and wants as a Luna should.
It was no wonder she never fought with him over anything. That she never attached herself to him in anyway, that Freya her wolf wouldn’t let herself be mated by Vex, her wolfen Mate, in wolfen or human form. They considered themselves a slave that he owned, and nothing more.
Now she was gone and to who knew where? Not him, Kane had asked, and she’d not given a defined answer. A vague reference to other packs looking for doctors and that was it. She was going to be an asset to whoever took her in. He only hoped she knew how to pick the right pack to align herself with. That she knew who to avoid.
Though Kane had left a list of their pack’s enemies on the passenger seat of her car, with the words ‘none of these packs they are our enemies.’ Written on it.
She would see it and hopefully avoid them all, be sensible and take the advice given to her. She’d not announced her leaving the pack, there had been no pack wide mind-link, and she could do that was alpha-blooded. Was leaving that up to him to do.
She had just left at some point after handing Annette the paperwork completed for that new pup. Had left he’d heard, wearing a clean set of scrubs, that had her name embroidered on the top pocket. Something Belladonna herself had started. All his pack members working in the hospital had their name and job title embroidered on the scrub top. AIN, EEN, RN, DR, Professor, Surgeon, Educator, Assessor, Receptionist.
Though the oddest one he’d seen was Runner; only those between 14 and 16 had that title, he’d had it explained to him, there were teens that wanted to work in the hospital after schooling finished.
Their job was to run and get things for doctors and nurses, allowing for them to familiarize themselves with the hospital prior to when they came to work there officially, as an AIN, so it was easier to start their actual career inside the hospital.
Parker
Parker finally opened the file before him and turned the pages one at a time, going through it as he was supposed to as the Alpha. Belladonna had signed everything as expected.
Though in there were things he’d not expected, she had made print-outs of things she thought he needed to know. Lists of things of upcoming pack events that were part of the Luna’s duties to maintain. All from her Luna’s diary he realised, and for the next three months, not just one month, but three, so the pack would continue to run smoothly without her here.
She’d printed out a list of all the pregnant she-wolves in the pack’s due dates, not just the ones still due this week, but for every pregnant one. There was a list of teens turning 16 and due to get their wolves on the next full moon as well. A list of the jobs they wanted in the pack which he needed to sign off so they could have the job and be paid. A list of the runners to be moved to AIN positions in the hospital over the next three months, their assessment dates included.
A list of the Mating balls that had been organised by her, for their wolves to attend, including the list of wolves she had signed up to go to each of them. A list of the packs due to come here for a mating ball in two months’ time. There was a note attached to one that he was supposed to attend next month that stated ‘I’ve pulled the pack from this mating ball today, via email. Due to Luna Ceremony for Carina due here.’
He stared at those very words, she’d even gone so far as to pencil in the Luna Ceremony for her replacement. He didn’t think she would have done that, didn’t actually think any Luna being replaced would do that. But his Belladonna, she was considerate, it seemed, even of her replacement.
And once again he was back to not understanding her. Who would do that? It was akin to a human bride planning her ex’s wedding to the woman that stole him from her…
“Where is Carina?” Parked asked.
“In a room upstairs, though she was very unhappy, she wasn’t put in the Luna Suite. I informed her that was where Belladonna lived and got snarled at instantly, about it being her suite and not, and I quote her, ‘That she-wolfs’.”
Parker sighed “And?”
“And nothing. I told her simply that, as a chosen mate, Luna Belladonna did not ever once grace the Alpha’s bed in the Alpha Suite, where she herself would be once marked and mated. That seemed to settle her, and she went willingly to the room next to the Luna’s Suite.”
“Alright.” Parker nodded as he looked at Belladonna’s pack file photograph, one last time. She was smiling in it, and her hair was out, looked happy, he thought, though now he wondered if she had ever actually been happy here. He closed that file on her lovely face, he’d not look at it again. “File this in the archives, please. Where I don’t have to look at it anymore.”
He watched Kane take it and the man stared at him. “So, you’re really just going to let her go then? Not go out there and bring her back?”
“Yes, it’s what she wants.” Parker stated simply, she was inside her mind just something sold to him, even after eight years together. Was to him in her mind something just to be used by him, tossed away by him, when he was done with it.
She’d now been released from him to finally go and live her life as she chose to. He would let her, regardless of the fact that he loved her, she wasn’t his Goddess-Gifted, and she had the right to be free of him.
He’d never actually seen her unhappy here inside his pack, so he’d believed she was happy staying here with him, only now did he realise it was all because that Mating Alliance meant he owned her, and she had to be here. She’d always been indifferent to him but never said no to him.
Again, now he realised that was going to be due to the wording of the mating alliance. He doubted she cared at all about leaving, was likely out there in the human world now, smiling away, truly happy to be free of him and her life, which she considered to be one of enforced s*****y.
His pack was going to be shocked and likely upset about their Luna, not being their Luna anymore, that she was not even here within the pack to be a pack doctor either. That she had just up and left the moment she could, in the middle of the night while they all slept, without even saying goodbye to any of them.
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