Rejected Mate’s Final Winter

The next day, the pack lawyer I contacted swiftly drafted the mate bond dissolution papers. We didn’t have much to divide in terms of assets. Celia had already depleted most of our shared savings. I decided she could keep the house; I didn’t have much time left to concern myself with such matters anyway.

Oddly, the thought of severing our bond left me feeling calm when it came to Celia. She returned late that night, as usual, and walked into the kitchen, her voice casual. "Alpha, I’m hungry. Can you make me some dinner rolls and pulled pork?"

Instead of reacting with the anger or silence I’d shown in the past, I quietly got up and prepared her a plate of pulled pork sandwiches. She seemed surprised by my composure. Over the last two years, every time I’d discovered her sneaking around with Ivan, I’d give her the cold shoulder for days. But now, there was an unsettling peace within me.

She softened, a faint smile playing on her lips. "Alpha, you’re so good to me." I watched her, trying to figure out how to bring up the dissolution of our bond. She picked up a piece of spiced honey cake and offered it to me. "What’s on your mind? Try the cake I made."

She’d done this countless times before, but now the thought of her submitting to Ivan made me recoil instinctively. A wave of repulsion washed over me. I leaned back, my voice steady. "No, thanks. You have it."

She didn’t push, just continued eating her sandwiches and casually remarked, "The day after tomorrow is our anniversary. Let’s go out and celebrate. I’ve already reserved a spot at the restaurant."

We’d marked our anniversary every year. With Ivan back in town, I’d assumed she’d forgotten, but to my surprise, she brought it up herself. Maybe she wanted to make this farce of a bond official with one last celebration.

I considered it and decided it might be best to discuss the dissolution after the anniversary. "Alright."

She looked pleased, her tone almost playful. "If you’d always been this considerate, I’d have treated you better."

"I know I was a bit harsh yesterday, but…"

She suddenly stopped, her eyes narrowing as she stared at my face. "Alpha, why are you having another nosebleed?"

A ringing in my ears drowned out everything else. When I regained awareness, Celia was frantically pressing tissues against my nose, trying to stop the bleeding. But the blood kept flowing, unstoppable, like a river breaking through a dam.