Finn’s POV
I slamd the door shut behind . Flicked off the lights.
Darkness swallowed the room whole.
What a goddamn disaster.
I loosened my tie. Yanked it off. Threw it sowhere I couldn’t see.
Tonight had been... unexpected. Aria had actually challenged . Cut our mate bond. In front of everyone. Hundreds of wolves had watched my own wife reject .
My jaw clenched so hard my teeth ached.
But I wasn’t worried. Not really.
She’d co crawling back. She always did.
I walked to the window. Stared out at the empty driveway. The moonlight cast silver shadows across the pavent.
Aria was pathetic. A Shadow Moon Oga with nothing to her na. Her own family despised her. Her mother used her. Her sisters mocked her. Even her own daughter preferred Celestia.
I was the only one who’d given her anything. A ho. A family. Status.
Without ? She had nothing.
And her new "mate"? I almost laughed.
Kael. The Alpha heir who made no secret of his hatred for Ogas. Everyone in ridian Territory knew it. He’d probably claid her as so kind of joke. A ga. Entertainnt for his bored, privileged existence.
The mont he got tired of her—and he would—she’d co running back.
She always ca back.
I shrugged off my jacket. The expensive fabric whispered against my fingers.
A shadow moved behind .
My lips curved. Well, well. That was fast. Even faster than I’d expected.
I didn’t turn around. Kept my back to her. Let her stew in her guilt.
"Do you know what you did wrong? Aria?"
The words ca out cold. Controlled. The way I always spoke to her when she needed to be reminded of her place.
The shadow froze.
Silence stretched between us. Heavy. Uncomfortable.
"Mr. Nightfang..." A trembling voice. Female. But wrong. "It’s just , sir."
I spun around.
The housekeeper stood in the doorway. Gray hair. Wrinkled face. Definitely not Aria.
Embarrassnt burned through . Hot and sharp.
I flicked the lights back on. Squinted against the sudden brightness.
"What is it?"
The housekeeper’s hands twisted together. Sweat beaded on her forehead. She looked terrified.
Good. She should be.
"Sir, when Mrs. Nightfang left..." She swallowed hard. "She said she left sothing for you. Asked to make sure you saw it."
Left sothing?
The papers. Right. She’d ntioned sothing about papers at the ceremony. Divorce. Custody. So dramatic nonsense ant to get a reaction out of .
I waved my hand dismissively. "Fine. I’ll look at it later."
"Yes, sir." The housekeeper practically fled.
The door clicked shut behind her.
I stood alone in the room. The silence pressed against my ears.
A soft knock interrupted my thoughts.
"What now?" I snapped.
The door cracked open. Golden hair caught the hallway light.
Celestia.
My entire body relaxed. The tension drained from my shoulders.
She stepped inside. Hesitant. Beautiful. Wearing that worried expression that made want to protect her from everything.
"Finn?" Her voice was soft. Musical. "I’m sorry to bother you. I know tonight was..."
"It’s fine." I crossed to her. Took her hands. "What do you need?"
She bit her lip. That adorable nervous habit.
"It’s about tomorrow." She looked up at through her lashes. "I have that performance. The one I’ve been preparing for months. The charity concert downtown."
"I rember."
"But Lilith’s school..." She paused. Squeezed my hands. "They’re having a Family Fun Day. Parents are supposed to attend. I promised her I’d go, but now..."
Her eyes glistened. Guilt written across every delicate feature.
"I feel terrible," she whispered. "She was so excited. But I can’t cancel the performance. People are counting on . Tickets have been sold. I just—"
"Aria will handle it."
The words ca out automatically. Simple. Obvious.
Celestia blinked. "But after tonight... Do you think she’ll—"
"She’s still Lilith’s mother." I shrugged. "Whatever gas she’s playing, she won’t abandon her daughter. She’ll go."
Relief flooded Celestia’s face. She threw her arms around my neck.
"Thank you, Finn. You always know what to do."
I held her close. Breathed in her perfu. Expensive. Elegant. Everything Aria wasn’t.
"I already told Lilith that her mommy would take her," Celestia murmured against my chest. "I hope that’s okay. I just didn’t want her to be disappointed."
"It’s fine."
"You’ll let Aria know? When you have a chance?"
"Don’t worry about it." I pulled back. Cupped her face. "Focus on your concert. You’re going to be incredible."
She smiled. That radiant, perfect smile that made everything else fade away.
"Goodnight, Finn."
"Goodnight."
She slipped out. The door closed softly.
I pulled out my phone. Scrolled through my recent calls.
Aria’s na should have been near the top. It always was. She called constantly. Every day. Multiple tis a day. Checking if I’d be ho for dinner. Asking about my schedule. Desperate for any scrap of attention.
I scrolled.
And scrolled.
Her na wasn’t there.
I stopped. Frowned.
When was the last ti she’d called?
I thought back. Two days? Three? She’d been working extra shifts at that club. Coming ho late. Leaving early.
But even then, she always called. Always checked in. Always made sure I knew she was thinking about .
Pathetic. Clingy. Predictable.
Except... she hadn’t called. Not once in the past few days.
Weird.
I found her contact. Tapped the call button.
It rang once.
Then: "The number you are trying to reach is not available."
I pulled the phone away from my ear. Stared at the screen.
Not available?
That had never happened before. Not once in five years of marriage.
I tried again.
Sa result.
Again.
"The number you are trying to reach—"
I hung up.
What the hell was going on?
I considered using the mind link. The ntal connection between mates that let us communicate without words. It wasn’t sothing I used often—why would I need to talk to her that badly?—but it existed.
Or it had existed.
I reached for it. Reached for that familiar thread of connection.
Nothing.
Empty space where the bond used to be.
Right. She’d rejected . Severed the mate bond. The mind link had died with it.
Frustration coiled in my chest.
Fine. I’d text her. Like so kind of teenager.
My thumbs moved across the screen:
*Lilith has Family Fun Day at school tomorrow. She needs you there. The kindergarten. 2 PM.*
I hit send.
Delivered.
I stared at the ssage for a long mont. Waiting for the three dots that ant she was typing. Waiting for her response.
Nothing.
Minutes passed.
Still nothing.
I tossed my phone onto the bed. Ran a hand through my hair.
She was probably busy. Sulking sowhere. Licking her wounds after her dramatic little performance at the ceremony.
She’d see my ssage. She’d show up for Lilith. She’d rember what she was giving up.
Everything would go back to normal. Aria would calm down. She’d realize how stupid she’d been. How impulsive. How reckless.
And I’d be here. Waiting. Generous enough to take her back.
Just like always.
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