She Was Just Pretending

••• Hayden’s POV ••• I watched Charlotte’s back as she walked out of my study and fell into silence. I was stunned, and it took me quite a while to register what just happened. Charlotte had just walked in, spoke her mind, and left in less than ten seconds. And what did she say? She was going to wait for me tomorrow night when the moon rise at the Moon Goddess’s altar to break our matebond, and she didn't want anything from our divorce? I sneered. She was just an orphan who had no one and nothing and had been dependent on me for the last three years. Everything she had was given by me or bought with the money I gave her. What gave her the confidence to say that she didn't want any compensation for our divorce? And all she wanted was to be free of me and the Red Claw Pack? How ridiculous of her. Suddenly I heard Noah clear his throat. “Alpha, shall I ask someone to pack Luna’s things and prepare for tomorrow night's ceremony? I looked at him as if he was a clown. Did he really believe that Charlotte would have the heart to go through the ceremony and break our matebond? Charlotte had loved me with all her heart since we first met. She was timid, meek, and shy and always tried her best to make me happy. There was no way for her to be able to terminate our mateship. “Do you believe she would be able to leave me?” I asked with a raised eyebrow. Noah didn't answer my question, but it looked like he believed her. “Forget it,” I waved my hand. “Don't bother with it. She wouldn't have the courage to break off her relationship with me.” “But she seemed to have made up her mind and seemed resolute about her decision,” Noah said. I rolled my eyes. “She’s just pretending and throwing a tantrum because I made her kneel and asked her to apologize.” “If you said so,” he said before leaving me alone. His words irked me. What did he mean by if I said so? “Hayden, this is all your fault,” my wolf, Rhett, suddenly growled. “And why is this my fault?” I asked lightly. “You were the one who first mentioned the issue,” Rhett kept growling. I snorted. “You still want someone as vicious as her to be your mate?” “I don't believe she did it,” Rhett said. Rhett was very protective of our mate. Well, it was in his nature to do so. “You don't believe it? Many people saw what happened, and Sofia said it herself,” I snorted. “And you believe Sofia?” Rhett asked. “What? You think she jumped off the cliff by herself? Why would she do that? She loved her baby. Why would she endanger herself and kill her baby?” I tried to make Rhett see the truth and not be biased. “Charlotte was right. You treated your mate in contempt, yet you treated someone else lovingly. You even trusted Sofia more than your own mate. It isn’t a wonder she is adamant about breaking the matebond. But Hayden, if you break your matebond, it will hurt you, and I won't talk to you anymore,” Rhett growled and threatened me. At the mention of how terminating the mateship would hurt me, I became restless. I knew breaking the matebond was different than rejection. It would hurt like hell, but I still didn't believe Charlotte would be brave enough to separate herself from me. “Rhett, you know why I have to protect Sofia,” I sighed and changed the subject. Rhett snorted but didn't say anything. “Sofia is my brother’s widow. You know how much I love my brother. He was the one person closest to me. He stood up for me many times when I was bullied. Taking care of his widow, Sofia, is the least I could do for him now that he is no longer around,” I reminded Rhett. “And you think that justified your action of treating your mate indifferently?” I massaged my temple because of the headache coming from Rhett’s questions. “You know why I claimed Charlotte as my mate,” I told him. “Just because you don't love her doesn't mean you can treat her coldly,” Rhett snorted. “I always treated her nicely. She was never short of anything all this time,” I reminded him. “You are the only Alpha who treated another she-wolf better than your own mate,” Rhett growled. “Enough, Rhett! The only reason I took her as my mate was to make the pack stronger. And also because you wanted me to! So shut your mouth when you know it was partly because of you!” I had no patience to talk to him anymore. Was it wrong for me to take a mate to strengthen myself and the pack? An Alpha and a pack without a Luna would get weaker and weaker, and that wasn't something I wanted. My goal was to make my pack strong, and I had achieved it. The Red Claw Pack was now the third strongest pack in the whole world. “Just remember, if you sever the matebond with Charlotte, I’ll never speak to you again!” he growled one last time before sulking in the corner of my mind. I leaned back on my chair and thought about Charlotte’s words again. Noah was right. She seemed committed in breaking our matebond. Her indifference and cold gaze somewhat made me feel uncomfortable. As I was thinking about it, my gaze fell on a framed photo on my desk. It was a wedding photo of me and Charlotte. I didn't want to put it there, but Charlotte begged me, so I put it there just to stop dealing with her constant annoying begging. In the photo, I was looking straight at the camera coldly while Charlotte was looking at me with a loving gaze and smile. I snorted again. There was no way she would go through the ceremony tomorrow. She loved me too much to leave me. Suddenly I heard a knock on the door. “Come in,” I said, and Sofia appeared. “Hayden, I bring coffee for you,” she said softly. I stood up and went to her. “Sofia, you’ve just recovered. You don't have to do this,” I told her gently. “This is nothing. I just don't want to see you tire yourself out,” she said in her soft voice. Sofia was gentle, elegant, soft, and beautiful. It wasn't a wonder my brother fell for her. With her temperament and appearance, she was the perfect example of a woman who needed to be protected. “Thank you.” I took the cup of coffee from her and placed it on the desk. “Are you busy?” she asked and looked at me with a gentle gaze. “Yeah. I have tons of paperwork to do,” I told her. “Alright, I’ll let you get back to it. Don’t work too hard,” she reminded me and left. I returned to my seat and took a sip of the coffee, but then put the cup back on the desk. The coffee didn't taste as good as what Charlotte used to make for me, I thought. I frowned. What the heck was I thinking? I never cared about it before; why did I think about her now? It must be because she threatened me to break the matebond. Let’s see if she could still pretend tomorrow; I sneered again. ------------------------- ••• Charlotte’s POV ••• The moment I said those words and left Hayden, I felt a mixture of emotions - sadness, heartbreak, and pain. Yet there was also a rare sense of relief. As I left the Red Claw Pack, I saw a familiar figure standing not too far from me as if he was waiting for me. The closer I got to the figure, I realized it was my dad. My memories of what I had done to him came back to me in a rush. I stubbornly left him and my pack for Hayden and cut off my ties with him for three whole years. But despite his objections, there he was waiting for me. “Charlotte, my good daughter,” he said gently and opened up his arms. Looking at him still accepting me even though I had been a bad daughter to him, I felt all the grievances and resentment I had experienced explode, and all my defenses crumbled down. I ran the short distance separating us and threw myself at him. “Dad,” I sobbed.