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Chapter 17: Posting on Social Media
Chapter 17: Posting on Social Media
(Aria’s POV)
Three years of my life packed away in a single afternoon.
I stood in the bedroom I had shared with Alexander, surrounded by scattered belongings. Each item held memories – the silver hair clip he’d given me on our first anniversary, the collection of dried herbs I’d arranged in decorative jars, the books on pack history I’d studied to be a better Luna.
My fingers traced the edge of a photo frame–our mating day. Alexander’s smile looked genuine, his hand possessively around my waist. Had he ever truly wanted me? Or had I simply been convenient while Claire was bound to another?
“Garbage,” I muttered, tossing the frame into the growing pile in the corner.
It was surprising how little i actually wanted to take. The clothes, the jewelry, the decorations – they all felt like they belonged to
someone else. To the Aria who believed in her mate’s love.
My suitcase lay open on the bed, containing only essential documents and a few irreplaceable possessions my mother’s healing journals, the unfinished baby hat she’d been knitting, and a small wooden box of rare medicinal herbs passed down
through generations.
A lifetime reduced to a single suitcase.
My wolf whimpered inside me, still struggling with our decision about the pregnancy. She instinctively wanted to protect our pup. while I… I couldn’t imagine bringing Alexander’s child into this mess.
From downstairs, I could hear Elizabeth’s voice, tense and urgent.
“Alexander, you need to come home right now. Aria is packing to leave!”
A pause as she listened to his response.
“I don’t care about the pack meeting! Your mate is leaving you!”
Another pause, longer this time.
“Fine. But don’t blame me when it’s too late.”
I smiled bitterly. Pack business always came first. It always had.
I zipped my suitcase and took one last look around the room before heading downstairs. My ankle still throbbed from the injury
at the ceremony, but the physical pain was nothing compared to the hollow ache in my chest
Elizabeth stood in the entrance hall, her phone clutched tightly in her hand. Her face fell when she saw my suitcase
“You’re really doing this,” she whispered.
“I am.” I pulled out an envelope from my purse and handed it to her. “This is the mate bond severance agreement. Once Alexander signs it, we can proceed with formally severing our bond.”
Elizabeth took it with trembling hands. I never thought it would come to this.”
“Neither did I” My voice was surprisingly steady. “But here we are.”
“Here we are indeed!” Richard Reed’s booming voice came from the doorway to his study. Alexander’s father looked positively gleeful. “Finally ridding our pack of a barren Lunar
My hands clenched into fists. Even now, he couldn’t resist twisting the knife.
“Richard!” Elizabeth hissed. “How dare you!”
He waved her off, approaching me with a smirk. “Three years and not a single pup. What kind of Luna can’t give the Alpha an
heir?”
The irony of his accusation made me want to laugh hysterically. If only he knew.
This is where you’re planning to live? This.. this hovel?
His disgust snapped me out of my shock. “What are you doing here, Alexander?”
“Taking you home, of course.” He gestured impatiently. “Pack your things.”
For a moment, I thought I’d misheard him, “Excuse me?”
“You heard me. This little tantrum has gone on long enough.”
I crossed my arms, anger replacing surprise. “Did your mother not give you my severance agreement?”
A muscle twitched in his jaw. “She did. I tore it up.”
“You what?”
“I’m not severing our mate bond, Aria. His voice was firm, the voice of an Alpha used to being obeyed. “You’re my Luna. You belong at my side.”
I laughed then, a hollow sound that seemed to startle him. “After everything that’s happened, you seriously expect me to come back? Are you delusional?”
His features hardened. “Watch your tone.
“Or what?” I challenged. “You’ll punish me? Force me to return? Go ahead and try
Alexander took a deep breath, visibly struggling to control his temper. “I understand you’re upset about what happened at the ceremony-
“Upset?” I interrupted. “My mother died because of you!”
“That’s not fair,” he protested. “You can’t blame me for her illness.”
1 blame you for choosing Claire over me! Over and over again!”
His expression softened slightly. “Aria, with Claire gone, things will be different”
“Gone? What do you mean, gone? I frowned. “Did she finally realize you were using her as much as she was using you?”
“That’s not He ran a hand through his hair in frustration. “Look, with you gone, I’m free to be with Claire. Isn’t that what you think? But that’s not what I want.”
“Then what do you want, Alexander? Because you’ve made it very clear it isn’t me.”
“I never wanted to sever our bond,” he insisted. “Whatever happened with Claire was about repaying a debt, not love.”
I shook my head, pulling another copy of the severance agreement from à drawer. “I don’t believe you.”
I signed my name with quick, decisive strokes and held it out to him. “Sign it. Let’s end this charade.”
He stared at the paper but made no move to take it. “Why did you leave our ceremony, Alexander? I pressed. “Tell me again.”
“Claire attempted suicide,” he said, his expression pained. “She was rushed to Silvercrest, I had to go.”
“And that was more important than our ceremony? Than me?”
“Her mate saved my life, Aria. I owe him everything.”
“So you say” I replied coldly. “Yet whenever Claire calls, you run. That’s not obligation. That’s desire.”
“It’s not like that,” he protested. “Claire has feelings for me, I admit that. But I don’t return them.”
I pulled out my phone and opened his social media page to the post with Claire. “Then explain this.”
Alexander’s expression changed to one of confusion as he looked at the screen. I didn’t post that.”
His feigned ignorance was the final straw.
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