Chapter 26 Unable to con
Chapter 26: Unable to Conceive
Chapter 26: Unable to Conceive
(Aria’s POV)
The apartment felt strangely empty after Dominic left. I sank into my sofa, exhausted by the day’s events. My wolf whimpered within mè, confused by everything that had happened.
The sudden ring of my mobile phone made me jump. Alexander’s name flashed across the screen, sending a jolt of anxiety through me. My finger hovered over the decline button, but something made me answer.
“Hello?” My voice sounded small even to my own ears.
“Come downstairs.” Alexander’s voice was curt, devoid of its usual warmth. “I’ll sign your papers.”
My heart stuttered. “What?”
“You heard me. If you want the severance, come downstairs. Now.”
The call ended abruptly. I stared at the phone, wondering if this was some kind of trap. After his reaction to Dominic earlier, I wouldn’t put it past him.
Still, if there was even a chance he’d sign the papers… I grabbed my jacket and a small silver–tipped letter opener from my desk drawer, slipping it into my pocket. Protection, just in case.
The elevator ride down felt interminable. My thoughts raced wildly, my wolf pacing anxiously beneath my skin. What had changed Alexander’s mind so suddenly?
Outside, the cool evening air hit my face. Alexander was leaning against the old oak tree near the entrance, partially hidden in shadow. His usual confident Alpha demeanor was gone, replaced by a brooding anger. A purple bruise bloomed on his jawline where Dominic had struck him.
“That was fast,” he remarked as I approached, keeping a safe distance between us.
“You said you’d sign the papers,” I replied, my voice steadier than I felt.
Alexander’s amber eyes studied me, searching for something. “What’s really going on between you and
Blackwood?”
The question caught me off guard. “I don’t see how that’s your business anymore.”
“You’re still my mate,” he growled, then caught himself. “For now.”
I wrapped my arms around myself, suddenly cold despite the mild temperature. “Where are the papers?”
“So it’s true then?” Alexander pushed himself off the tree, taking a step toward me. “You and Blackwood?”
My wolf remained quiet within me, not reacting to her mate’s presence as she once would have. I took that as
a sign.
“Believe what you want,” I said coldly.
Alexander shook his head, disbelief evident in his expression. “It can’t be real. It’s a charade, isn’t it? He’s just
using you to get to me.”
I didn’t answer, letting his assumption hang between us. Let him think what he wanted if it meant getting my
O
1/4
Charter 26 Unable to Con
freedom.
It won’t work, you know,” he continued. “Dominic Blackwood wouldn’t tie himself to a she–wolf from a low ranking bloodline. Not permanently.”
The words stung more than they should have. “At least he hasn’t abandoned me at our mating ceremony.”
Alexander flinched as if I’d struck him. His wolf’s scent shifted–the sharp tang of aggression fading into something more complex. Remorse, perhaps.
“I’m sorry,” he said quietly, surprising me. “For Claire. For the ceremony. For your mother.“.
I stared at him, caught off guard by his sudden change in demeanor.
“I handled everything wrong,” he admitted, running a hand through his hair. “When Claire called that day, telling me she’d taken those pills… I panicked. I couldn’t let her die because of me.”
“And our ceremony?” I asked, my voice barely a whisper. “Our guests? My mother?”
Alexander’s eyes clouded with genuine pain. “I was coming back, Aria. I swear it. By the time I reached the hospital, Claire was already stable. Her attempt wasn’t…” he paused, choosing his words carefully, “wasn’t as serious as she made it sound.”
My wolf growled softly within me at this confirmation of what I’d suspected all along.
“I was driving back to the ceremony when you called,” he continued. “I had no idea your mother had collapsed
until I reached the venue.”
Part of me wanted to believe him. The part that had loved him for twelve years, that had dreamed of being his Luna, of bearing his pups.
“Give me another chance,” Alexander pleaded, his voice dropping to that tender tone he’d used in our early days together. “There’s nothing between me and Claire. It’s you I want, Aria. You I need.”
He took another step toward me, his scent wrapping around me–familiar and once–beloved.
“I’ll make it up to you for the rest of our lives,” he promised, his amber eyes searching my face for any sign of softening. “Please. Don’t throw away three years of mating over one mistake.”
I stood frozen, momentarily stunned by his unexpected plea. For a brief, dizzying moment, I imagined saying yes. Returning to our life together, to the comfort and safety of being Luna of the Storm Pack.
My wolf remained oddly silent, offering no guidance. She should have been yearning for her mate, especially
with him standing so close, emanating such raw emotion.
Her silence told me everything I needed to know.
“No,” I said softly but firmly. “I can’t just forget what happened, Alexander. You broke something between us that day–something I don’t think can be fixed.”
His face fell, hope giving way to desperation. “Aria, please-”
“You hurt me,” I interrupted, my voice breaking slightly. “Not just at the ceremony, but for months before that. Every time you ran to Claire. Every time you pushed me aside.”
One hand moved instinctively to my abdomen, where our pup was growing. A pup he still knew nothing about.
|||
2/4
Chapter 26: Unable to Con
“I need you to let me go,” I whispered.
Alexander’s eyes reddened at the edges, a sure sign his wolf was close to the surface. “Does it have to be this way?” he asked, his voice rough with emotion.
1
I nodded, a sense of melancholy washing over me despite my relief. We had been happy once, before Claire’s return. Before the strain of trying for a pup had worn us down.
“I’ll sign the papers,” he said finally. “Tomorrow at the Territorial Registry Office. Nine o’clock.”
1 blinked in surprise. The Territorial Registry was where mate bonds were officially recorded–and where they could be severed without the messy legal battle involving pack councils and territory officials. It would be so much simpler than the fight Benjamin Quinn had been preparing for.
“Thank you,” I managed, genuinely grateful for this unexpected concession.
Alexander turned to leave, then paused. “You’ll regret this, Aria,” he said, not looking back at me. “One day you’ll realize what you’ve thrown away.”
He walked away, his shoulders rigid with suppressed emotion. I watched him go, feeling as though I was watching the end of a chapter in my life.
Once he was out of sight, a wave of relief washed over me so powerful that my knees nearly buckled. My wolf relaxed within me for the first time in days, no longer tense with anxiety and uncertainty.
I immediately pulled out my phone and called Olivia. She answered on the second ring.
“Aria? What’s happened?”
“He’s going to sign,” I blurted out, unable to contain my excitement. “Tomorrow at the Registry.”
There was a brief silence followed by Olivia’s delighted shriek. “No way! What changed his mind?”
“I don’t know,” I admitted, making my way back to the elevator. “Maybe Dominic’s involvement? Or maybe he genuinely wants to move on with Claire.”
“Hang on, I need to see your face for this,” Olivia’said, and seconds later, my phone switched to a video call.
Her smiling face appeared on screen, her excitement palpable even through the digital connection. “I can’t believe it! You’re getting your freedom without a legal fight!”
I nodded, grinning despite myself. “It feels surreal, like it can’t possibly be this easy after everything.”
“Oh, honey, there was nothing easy about what you’ve been through,” Olivia said, her expression softening. “But now you get to start fresh! No more pack obligations, no more nasty Richard Reed breathing down your neck, no more pretending to like Claire’s toxic face!”
Her enthusiasm was infectious, and I found myself laughing as I entered my apartment. “It’s really happening,
isn’t it?”
“Absolutely! Do you want me to come with you tomorrow? Moral support and all that?”
I considered for a moment, then shook my head. “I think this is something I need to do alone. It’s just signing
papers, anyway.”
Olivia nodded understanding. “Well, call me as soon as it’s done. We’ll celebrate properly.”
“I will,” I promised.
<
O
3/4
Charter 26 Unable to Con
Happy Mate Bond Severance!” she chirped before ending the call.
I set my phone down, a strange sensation washing over me. Tomorrow, I would no longer be Aria Reed, Luna of the Storm Pack. I would be Aria Summers again–just Arla.
My wolf was unnaturally quiet as I prepared for bed, neither mourning nor celebrating our impending
freedom. Perhaps she was as conflicted as I felt. Three years of mating, twelve years of loving Alexander… it felt like a dream I was finally waking from.
Sleep came easier than expected, my body exhausted from the day’s emotional roller coaster and the constant drain of early pregnancy.
The next morning, I woke with nervous energy thrumming through me. I dressed carefully in a simple blue dress and cardigan, wanting to look composed and dignified for this final meeting with Alexander.
As the hours ticked by toward noon with no call from Alexander, anxiety began to gnaw at me. My wolf paced restlessly beneath my skin, sharing my unease.
Had he changed his mind?
I tried calling him. No answer.
I waited fifteen more minutes, then tried again.
This time, he picked up on the fourth ring.
“Alexander?” I began, ready to ask about our meeting.
But before I could say another word, his voice came through, cold and precise:
“You knew I have weak seed and can’t sire pups, right?”
Comments
Watch videos get points (0/10) >
Vote
