He Was There for Her Baby, Not Mine

Chapter 5: The Second Dissolution

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Elena returned to their room alone.

She packed a suitcase, then went to see the registrar in charge of Blackwood Pack’s mate bonds and bloodline records.

The registrar looked surprised to see her.

“Luna, didn’t the Alpha already pick up the dissolution papers?”

Elena froze. “What did you say?”

“This morning, Alpha Vale asked me to prepare the documents as soon as possible. He just came back and took them. I thought it was strange, myself. ”

“When he restored your bond three years ago, he had me seal the records permanently. Said he’d never let your name disappear from the Luna roster again.”

Elena smiled, a bitter, hollow thing.

That afternoon outside the hospital, he’d sworn he would never agree.

Then he’d turned his back on her and gone to get the papers before she’d even had the chance.

“I see,” she said.

After returning to the top floor of the pack house, Elena finally allowed herself to break.

She stared at the framed photo on the bedside table. In it, Atlas wore a black ceremonial suit, and she wore the Luna’s white dress.

It was taken after they registered their second mate bond. Her smile was so bright, so happy.

That happiness now seemed like a cruel joke.

Elena picked up a pair of scissors, cut the photo of them in two, and hurled the pieces toward the door.

At that exact moment, the door swung open.

The frame hit Atlas squarely in the chest.

The sundered photo fluttered to the floor. He saw the two halves of the image, then bent to pick them up.

“Elena.”

He stepped inside, and only then did Elena see Mara standing behind him.

Just like three years ago, Atlas had brought her back into the Blackwood pack house.

Mara clutched the pup and said cautiously, “Please, just talk. Don’t fight because of me.”

With that, she followed the housekeeper to the same room she had occupied three years ago.

Atlas placed the photo back on the table.

“I was going to let Mara stay at the hospital. But since you already know, I can’t let Rowan’s widow and their son live there alone. The pack house has guards. It’s safer here.”

He walked over to Elena, his voice softening.

“Fortunately, the baby wasn’t hurt. Mara believes you didn’t do it on purpose, and she’s not going to press the issue. ”

“Just promise me you won’t do anything that could harm a pup again, alright?”

Elena said nothing.

After a moment of silence, Atlas finally produced the dissolution document.

“Mara doesn’t want anything else. She just wants the pup to have his full-moon naming ceremony as a member of the Vale bloodline. ”

“If you’re still my Luna, her child can only be an illegitimate son and won’t be recognized.”

“So, we’ll temporarily dissolve the mate bond,” Atlas continued.

“After that, I’ll sign a one-month guardian mate agreement with Mara so her son can complete the ceremony and become part of my bloodline.”

“Once it’s over, I’ll dissolve that agreement and we’ll register again.”

He spoke as if her consent were a given, a procedural detail that required no discussion.

“The Registry requires a full lunar cycle after both parties sign for it to take effect. A month, at most. When our pup is born, I’ll give him or her everything they deserve, too.”

Elena looked at the signature line.

Atlas had already signed his name and stamped it with the Alpha’s black wolf seal.

In that moment, she felt no sadness. Only the profound relief of finally being free.

“Alright.”

She picked up the pen and signed: Elena Hart.

This was the second time she had signed a dissolution document.

There would not be a third.

He could wait forever.

“Elena, thank you.”

Atlas gripped the document, his voice alight with excitement, and tried to hug her.

She took a step back.

“Take it to Mara. I’m sure she’ll be very happy.”