Chapter 44: Finally Severed!
Chapter 44: Finally Severed!
(Aria’s POV)
Alexander’s hand felt heavy and foreign on mine. His touch no longer sparked the familiar warmth it once did. I stared at our joined hands, then firmly pushed his away.
“Alexander, I don’t love you anymore,” I said coldly.
My words hung in the crisp morning air outside the Territorial Registry Office. The love I had nurtured for twelve years had withered away with my tears on the day my mother died. In this one–sided, courageous love affair, I had sacrificed my youth and indirectly caused the death of my beloved mother.
“You can’t mean that,” Alexander whispered, his voice strained.
His amber eyes widened with confusion, searching my face for any sign of hesitation.
“I do mean it,” I replied. “The only emotion I have left for you is hatred.”
My wolf lay weary within me, tired of the constant emotional turmoil. She had once recognized Alexander’s wolf as our mate, but now she remained quiet, almost indifferent to his presence.
Alexander shook his head in disbelief. “No, I don’t believe it. You must still be angry with me, right?”
His Alpha scent spiked with desperation. It used to affect me so strongly, but now it barely registered.
I took a deep breath, too tired to argue. “Alexander, do you think discussing this is meaningful? Claire is pregnant with your pup!”
yours… And I, the one severing our mate bond, am carrying your true flesh and
I couldn’t help thinking: Although that pup blood. But you will never know this.
Alexander’s face crumpled as he
“Alexander! Stop it,” I cut him off sharply.
me again. “Aria, that night I was drunk on wolf–whiskey, I mistook Claire for you…”
90 in and get the mate bond severance procedures done.”
I turned away from him and walked toward the imposing stone building. The Territorial Registry Office was built generations ago, when werewolf packs first established formal territory agreements.
Alexander hesitantly followed. His powerful Alpha scent betrayed his inner turmoil – a mixture of regret, confusion, and lingering possessiveness.
The lobby was surprisingly quiet for a weekday morning. Only a few werewolves sat in the waiting area, some looking excited, others nervous. This was where all major life events were officially recorded – territory claims, pack transfers, mate bonds, and in our case, mate bond severances.
We approached the reception desk where an older she–wolf with graying temples smiled warmly at us.
“Good morning,” she greeted cheerfully. “Are you here to register for a formal mating ceremony? You make such a lovely Alpha pair.”
My wolf bristled beneath my skin at her assumption.
“No,” I corrected firmly. “We’re here for a mate bond severance.”
The official’s smile faltered. Her nose twitched slightly as she scented the lingering bond between us.
“Oh, I see. I’m sorry to hear that,” she said, her tone shifting to professional sympathy. “You both seem so well–matched. Are you certain this is what you want?”
“Yes,” I stated firmly. “This isn’t an impulsive decision.”
My hand instinctively moved to my belly where our pup was growing. The irony wasn’t lost on me severing our bond while carrying Alexander’s heir.
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The official nodded and handed us a numbered ticket. “Please have a seat. We’ll call your number when it’s your turn.”
We sat in uncomfortable silence. Alexander kept glancing at me, opening his mouth as if to speak, then thinking better of it. I
<Chapter 44 Finally Severed!
kept my eyes fixed on the electronic display, willing our number to appear.
+4 Points
Thankfully, our turn came quickly. We followed the official to a small, private office where the scent of official territory ink and binding magic hung in the air.
“I’ll need both your identification documents and mate bond registration papers,” she instructed.
I pulled out my papers and the silver mate bond registration pendant that hung around my neck. It felt heavy, the weight of my role as Luna of the Storm Pack suddenly suffocating. I unclasped it and placed it on the desk alongside my documents.
Alexander reached into his inner jacket pocket and removed his papers, but he hesitated before handing them over. His powerful Alpha aura fluctuated with emotion. I noticed the pain and struggle in his amber eyes, his wolf’s scent spiking with distress.
“Is there a problem?” the official asked, noticing his hesitation.
“No,” Alexander finally replied, placing his documents on the desk.
The official reviewed our paperwork carefully. “Everything seems to be in order, except for this.”
She pointed to a handwritten addition on the last page of our agreement.
“This clause about territory rights to a den in the neutral zone wasn’t in the original document,” she observed.
Alexander cleared his throat. “I added it. It’s my compensation to Aria. I want her to have the den she chose and oversaw the
renovation of.”
I stared at him in surprise. The den in the neutral zone had been my project for years – a place I’d dreamed we would raise our family in. I’d spent countless hours designing every detail, from the moonlight windows to the herbal garden.
“That wasn’t necessary,” I said quickly, annoyed by his gesture but more worried about anything that might complicate the
severance. “Can we remove that part? I don’t want the den.”
“It’s yours,” Alexander insisted.
”
won’t take it back.”
His jaw was set in that stubborn way I recognized all too well. My wolf anxiously paced beneath my skin, sensing the possibility
of complications.
“If both parties agree to this amendment, we can proceed,” the official explained. “But Mr. Reed will need to sign and stamp it officially.”
Alexander took the document, signed his name with a flourish, and pressed his Alpha seal beside it. The ink glowed briefly as it
recognized his authority.
Relief washed over me as the official continued processing our paperwork. I felt Alexander’s intense gaze on me throughout the process, his amber eyes never leaving my face.
J
“Now, I need both of you to sign the severance application,” the official said, sliding a formal document across the desk.
The paper was thick and cream–colored, with official territory seals embossed along the border. At the bottom were two lines for
our signatures.
“Once you’ve signed, there will be a thirty–day waiting period before the severance becomes final,” she explained. “You’ll need to return then to receive your mate bond severance certificates.”
“Thirty days?” I asked, surprised. “Why the waiting period?”
“It’s standard procedure,” she replied. “The waiting period allows your wolves time to adjust to the separation and prevents any physical shock to your systems. During this period, either party can revoke the severance if both agree.”
A sense of unease settled in my stomach. What if Alexander changed his mind during those thirty days? What if Claire’s pregnancy manipulations gave him second thoughts?
My wolf whimpered with uncertainty. I hadn’t expected this complication.
“It’s just a formality,” the official assured us, misreading my concern. “Most separations proceed without issue.”
I nodded, taking the pen she offered. I quickly signed my name on the line, feeling a strange mixture of relief and apprehension. When it was Alexander’s turn, he hesitated again. His hand trembled slightly as he took the pen. I watched his claws briefly
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Chapter 44 Finally Severed
extend with emotion before he controlled himself and signed the document.
“That completes today’s process,” the official said. “Please return in thirty days, on May 15th, to finalize the severance.”
We thanked her and left the office. In the lobby, Olivia was waiting for me, practically bouncing with anticipation.
“Aria, how did it go? Is it done?” she asked excitedly, her wolf’s energy practically vibrating with enthusiasm.
+4 Ports
“Yes,” I confirmed, a small smile playing on my lips despite my lingering concerns about the waiting period.
Olivia’s joy was infectious. She grabbed my hands and squeezed them tight. “You’re finally free! Well, almost free. Thirty days, right?”
“How did you know about the waiting period?” I asked.
“Everyone knows that,” she laughed. “But it’s just a formality! The important part is that you’ve both signed!”
Alexander had been standing silently behind us, but now he stepped forward. His voice was low and tinged with bitterness.
“Are you that happy to sever our mate bond?”
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