(Azaria's Point of View)
The room seemed to close in around me, the air thick with tension and judgment. The ornate chandeliers above cast their glow over the gathered Elders and Council members, their eyes fixed on the proceedings. Every breath felt like a struggle, every heartbeat a thunderous echo in my ears. I tried to focus, to center myself in the moment, but my mind kept drifting back to Stephanie.
I couldn't help but replay the argument in my room over and over again. Although I told her she didn't have to choose me, some part of me had hoped—desperately—that she would. I had hoped she would see what Ethan truly was, would see the strength and independence in our bond, and choose to stand by me willingly.
But when I looked into her eyes during the meeting, I saw the uncertainty. I saw the conflict, the fear. And it broke something inside me. My heart felt like it was being torn in two, and I knew I had to steel myself, had to remain composed. I couldn't let it show; I couldn't afford for my emotions to be misconstrued as weakness.
Forcing my focus back to the present, I caught the tail end of Ethan's speech, his voice loud and grating against the silence of the room.
"…and for those reasons, although she may be good at her Luna duties, she left far too much to be desired as a wife and partner. Her body even rejects to give me an heir after eight years!" His voice rose to a near scream with his final words, sending murmurs rippling around the room like a wave of disapproval.
My stomach clenched at his words, and a cold anger washed over me. Ethan had just practically confessed to breaking the marriage contract in one heated moment, revealing his true nature to everyone present, and I didn't need to lift a finger. It was as if his anger and arrogance had made him careless, and in that carelessness, he had exposed his own faults.
Realizing what he had said, Ethan quickly glanced over at me, his eyes wide with panic. Before I could fully turn to face him, a voice echoed from above, commanding and firm, halting the proceedings.
"Alpha Ethan," came the authoritative voice of Elder Jones, standing from the seats above where the Elders observed the room. His voice carried with it the weight of decades of wisdom and a stern reprimand. "It would do you good to face the council and not the Luna. The other Elders may or may not have the knowledge of how this marriage came to be, but I'm an Elder that still remembers the horrid details of your deranged fairytale."
Elder Jones's words cut through the tension like a blade, and I felt a grim satisfaction at his reprimand. Ethan's face flushed red with embarrassment and anger, his fists clenching at his sides as he turned away from me to face the council.
The Elder then shifted his gaze, settling on me. His expression softened slightly, but his eyes remained sharp, calculating. "Luna Azaria, do you oppose this divorce?"
I met his gaze, my voice steady and clear as I responded, "No." My answer was firm, leaving no room for doubt or hesitation. Elder Jones chuckled softly, a knowing look in his eyes, before turning back to the council.
"This divorce will be approved, and we shall attempt to remove the bond today," he declared. "Anything Luna Azaria requests will be approved without protest. Alpha Ethan's requests may be approved as long as the Luna is comfortable with them. All those in agreement…" He raised his hand, and, one by one, the rest of the Elders followed suit.
A surge of relief washed over me, mingled with a strange sadness. It was done. The bond that had chained me to Ethan was being severed, my path to freedom finally open. But it came at a cost—a cost I am more than willing to pay, but a cost nonetheless.
(Ethan's Point of View)
As the words left my mouth, I knew I'd made a mistake. The room's murmurs were a wave crashing against the shore, but I didn't care. I was angry—no, furious—that Azaria would defy me, that she would dare to humiliate me in front of everyone. She had been the perfect Luna in public, but behind closed doors, she was cold, distant, and unyielding—always playing a victim. I wanted to destroy her in this trial, to expose her as the failure of a wife she was. I had prepared my speech to do just that—to pin every problem on her, to make her look like the unfit mate she had been.
But then, she had the gall to bring Stephanie into this. My mind had been reeling since I caught them together. I thought Stephanie had chosen me; she came back to me after later that night, after all. I had been certain that she would be the key to proving Azaria's unworthiness, that she would validate my claims of Azaria's inadequacies as a wife.
But seeing them together, the way they looked at each other, I felt a pang of something I couldn't quite place—a mix of jealousy and rage. How dare she touch what was mine? How dare she taint what I had claimed? Azaria had always been an enigma, but this was too much.
And now, the Elders are siding with her. I can feel my anger boiling over, my fists clenching at my sides as I glared at Elder Jones. He had always favored Azaria, always seen her as something special. But to approve the divorce, to let her walk away so easily—it was a betrayal of everything I had built, everything I had worked for.
As the Elders raised their hands in agreement with Elder Jones's decree, I felt a red haze of fury cloud my vision. "No," I wanted to scream, "She is mine! I will not let her go!" But I knew that would only make things worse. I needed to play this smart, to find a way to turn this to my advantage.
Azaria spoke then, her voice clear and unwavering. "I thank the Elders and the Council. I want nothing more than my freedom and complete control over my life. I have served as an agent of peace; I have even trained the soon-to-be Luna by his side so that the pack will still thrive in my absence."
Her words were measured, deliberate, each one a nail in the coffin of our marriage. I could see the council members nodding in agreement, their expressions sympathetic. It made me sick.
"I do not want to be found by the Thornwolf pack," she continued. "I will not return to the Bloodwolf pack either. I will leave the pack premises within the next 72 hours and never be spoken of or cause any problems for either pack as long as my safety is not threatened."
I seethed inwardly, barely able to contain my rage. She was making herself out to be the victim, the noble martyr sacrificing herself for the good of the pack. It was infuriating.
Azaria paused, and for a moment, I thought she might say something else, something that would change the course of the proceedings. But then she spoke again, her voice soft but firm. "I will not covet the name Thorne, nor return to the hollow echoes of Millo. Instead, I shall embrace Alidan, in honor of Helena Alidan, the only mother fate ever allowed me."
I felt a jolt of anger at her words. Helena Alidan. That name was like a dagger to my heart, a reminder of everything I had lost, everything I had sacrificed. Helena had been my mentor, my guide, and her pregnancy with Azaria had taken her from me. And now she dared to invoke her name, to claim her legacy as her own.
As she finished speaking, Azaria's gaze flicked over to me, her expression unreadable. I glared back at her, my fists clenching at my sides. I wanted to lash out, to tear her down, but I knew I couldn't. Not yet.
(Azaria's Point of View)
I glanced at Ethan out of the corner of my eye, his face twisted in fury. I knew my words had hit a nerve, but I didn't care. I was done playing his games, done letting him control me. I turned back to the council, my expression calm and composed. "Oh, and one more thing— a rejection from my fated. "
The council leader, a distant cousin of mine, gave me a weak smile before responding. "Your requests are quite reasonable and will be upheld. Please, let us know who your fated is, and we can have them here by the end of the day. Or tomorrow morning, depending on the doctor's clearance after breaking the mated bond."
I chuckled softly, shaking my head. "With all due respect, I do not plan to stay here longer than needed. Anticipating today's divorce, I have my private doctor waiting to heal me upon arrival. I will leave after both bonds have been removed. You can also find out his requests then; as long as he doesn't look for me, I don't care what he does."
I glanced at Ethan again, catching his eye before looking back at the council. "As for my fated, she is here already and just needs to say the words that match her choice."
The room erupted in murmurs once again, the shock evident on everyone's faces. I turned to my left, meeting Stephanie's wide-eyed gaze. She opened her mouth as if to speak, but then closed it again, looking down at the floor. My heart clenched at the sight, but I forced myself to remain calm, to stay focused on the task at hand.
The council member nodded, her expression thoughtful. "Understanding the current situation a little better, we shall dismiss now to head up to the top floor to remove both bonds as requested by the Luna. Any objections to today's proceedings can be addressed now."
She paused, waiting for anyone to speak up, but the room remained silent. "We will reconvene in the ritual room within the next few minutes," she concluded, her tone final.
I let out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding, my shoulders relaxing slightly. It was almost over. Just a little longer, and I would be free.
(Ethan's Point of View)
I could feel my blood boiling as I listened to Azaria speak, her calm demeanor only fueling my anger. How dare she stand there and demand her freedom, demand to be released from our bond? She was mine, bound to me by the contract we had both agreed to. She had no right to walk away, no right to leave me.
But as I looked around the room, I could see the writing on the wall. The council was on her side, the Elders were on her side. Even my own pack members were watching her with a mixture of sympathy and respect. I had lost control of the situation, and I hated it.
As the council member dismissed the room, I felt a surge of frustration and rage. This wasn't how it was supposed to go. Azaria was supposed to be exposed, humiliated, and forced to stay by my side. But instead, she was being celebrated, praised for her bravery and independence.
I wanted to scream, to lash out, to make them all see what a mistake they were making. But I knew that would only make things worse. I needed to keep my cool, to find another way to turn this to my advantage.
As the room began to empty, I turned to my Beta, Gamma, and Grandfather, my expression dark. "This isn't over," I growled, my voice low and dangerous. "I will not let her walk away so easily. She will regret this. They all will."
Grandfather nodded, his expression sympathetic. "I understand your frustration, Ethan. But you need to be careful. The council and the Elders are on her side. If you push too hard, you could make things worse for yourself."
I clenched my fists, my jaw tightening. "I don't care," I snapped. "I will own her until she dies. She's far too important to me to release over this… this tantrum."
With that, I stormed out of the room, my mind racing with thoughts of revenge. Azaria would pay for this. I would make sure of it.