“The Alpha Council has approved our mate bond dissolution application. You’re no longer my mate.”
Ezra stared at me, his expression shifting from confusion to shock as the gravity of my words hit home. The colour drained from his face, and his confident Alpha demeanour crumbled before my eyes.
“The Council approved what?” he enquired, his voice barely above a whisper.
Before this point, I had forgiven him ten times. Ten broken promises. Ten humiliations. Ten chances for change.
Perhaps in his eyes, those ten forgivenesses represented infinite tolerance—an unspoken permission to do whatever he wanted without consequence.
“You heard me,” I said, standing my ground. “Our mate bond is officially dissolved.”
“Zara, are you joking with me right now?” Ezra’s voice lowered to a dangerous level.
Though he freely engaged in affairs and lived recklessly outside of our relationship, the prospect of actually dissolving our mate bond appeared to strike him like a physical blow.
“This isn’t funny,” he grumbled.
“I’m not laughing,” I said calmly.
The reality was painfully obvious. He wanted both–he couldn’t let go of Alexa’s affection, but he clung desperately to what I gave him. The stability. The loyalty. The unquestionable support. The ideal assistant who kept his pack going while he played Alpha.
“If you’re still upset about Alexa, there’s absolutely no need.” He ran his hand through his hair, a gesture I’d seen a thousand times when he was about to lie. His words were clear. “I’ve told you countless times, Alexa and I are just good friends.”
I gave out a bitter laugh. “Good friends who sleep together and get engaged?” I responded without hesitation. “Does the entire pack know about this special definition of ‘friendship’? Or is it exclusive to you two?”
He froze for a moment, his jaw clenched.
“Zara, listen to me,” he said, softening his tone. He took a step closer, reaching for my hand, which I quickly yanked away. “What happens between Alexa and me has never affected what’s between us. What we have is just physical. You’re the only one I truly love.”
Is it just physical?
It was laughable.
I couldn’t understand Ezra’s brazen audacity–how he could say such things with a straight face.
“It’s complicated,” he said, as if that clarified everything.
“No, it’s really not.”
Wolves have always been loyal companions. We mate for life, choosing one partner with whom we will be forever bonded.
“So, in this monogamous society,” I said, my voice steady despite the anger rising within me, “why should I tolerate my husband having a ‘good friend’ for physical relationships on the side?”
I moved closer to him, no longer intimidated by his Alpha presence.
“Did you ever actually plan to honour our bond? Or was I just convenient-the loyal, devoted mate who would run your pack while you pursued Alexa?”
His silence was the only answer I needed.
Furthermore, Alexa’s presence had far-reaching consequences for our relationship.
She was gradually taking my place, making me look like a disgraced, abandoned mate to the rest of the pack.
As Alpha, Ezra understood the limits of pack law better than anyone else. He knew exactly how far he could push things without facing formal consequences.
