Filed to story: Watch Me Win Alpha (Olivia & Ethan)
I read it twice. Then again.
No apology. No long paragraph of regret. Just surrender.
And that was what I’d wanted, wasn’t it?
I turned to Ava and gave a small nod. “Tell him I’ll be there.”
She looked at me carefully. “Are you sure?”
I smiled. Or something like a smile. “It’s done. Let it end where it should.”
Ava didn’t say anything more. She just pulled me into a brief hug and left the room.
As the sun dipped behind the buildings of New York, I stood by the window, staring out over the city I had once dreamed about building a future in-with him.
Eight years.
And tomorrow, I would sign his name away like it meant nothing.
Except, of course, it had meant everything.
I wrapped my arms around myself and whispered to the quiet,
“10:00. Tomorrow. Let it be done.”
Olivia’s POV
Ava glanced at me from the driver’s seat. “You gave it your all.
Eight years isn’t nothing.”
I didn’t answer. What was there to say? Her sigh filled the silence between us.
“I mean, it’s a damn shame,” she added, tapping the steering wheel. “If anyone had told the eighteen-year-old me that Ethan Hawthrone-the ‘golden alpha’-would end up ruining the only real thing he had, I would’ve said they were out of their minds.”
I gave her a small, tired smile. “That’s because fairy tales sound sweet… until they start rotting from the inside.”
She didn’t argue. Neither did I.
When we arrived at the Silvermoon courthouse, the skies were draped in a sheet of gray, the moonlight slipping in between clouds like pale silk. The entire building was sleek steel and stone-modernized to accommodate our kind. Inside, everything was pristine. Gl?ss walls. Echoing floors. Cold marble counters manned by expressionless werewolves in navy uniforms. The unbinding hall was bathed in a soft silver glow, light filtering down through the skylight above.
Ethan was already there.
He stood near the sensor platform, dressed in a dark wool coat, hands stuffed in his pockets. He looked up when he saw me.
His eyes dropped instantly to the cut on the corner of my mouth-the fading bruise that no amount of makeup could quite cover. Guilt flared in his expression, then vanished as quickly as it came. He didn’t say anything. Neither did I.
We walked up to the mate unbinding platform together.
The technician in charge, a middle-aged wolf with streaks of gray in her hair and a matte black uniform, gestured to the twin sensor plates. “Palms on the plates, please. Blood and fingerprint required!”
I rolled up my sleeve, exhaled, and placed my palm on the sensor. I felt a tiny prick as the system drew a drop of blood. A soft hum followed.
“Olivia Whitmore, Alpha-rank. Verified,” the system intoned in a neutral tone.
Ethan did the same. His hand brushed mine briefly. It was warm. Familiar. It meant nothing.
“Ethan Hawthrone, Alpha-rank. Verified.””
On the large screen above the dais, a blue display opened with the heading:Mate Contract: ActiveMatch Duration: 8 years, 3 months, 14 daysStatus: Pending Unbinding
“Request number #230718 recorded,” the officer continued, flipping a page on her clipboard. “Do both parties confirm their desire to voluntarily dissolve the mate contract?”
“I confirm,” I said clearly, looking ahead, not at him.
There was a pause.
Then Ethan said, “I confirm.”
A second screen appeared, flashing bright white:Mate Bond
SeveredStatus: Complete
Two printouts slid from the terminal slot. The officer picked them up, stapled them, and handed one to each of us. “These are your official divorce and unbinding papers. You are no longer mated under werewolf law.”
I took the document without hesitation.
Ethan hesitated for a second longer… but he took his too.
But then I watched Ethan’s hand extend the divorce papers toward me, the leather folder reflecting a faint sheen under the courthouse lights. My pulse ticked a little faster as I reached for it. He frowned-curious, unsettled.
“Keep them,” he urged softly. “You never know when you might need them.”
I paused. “Use them,” I said slowly. “If you ever… I don’t know, remarry.”‘He stumbled slightly. “I-I won’t remarry!” His voice trembled, as if he were testing himself.
“Then why do you need them?” I asked, trying to keep my tone steady.
“I-“Ethan swallowed, glanced away. “I just thought you should hold onto them. Safer that way!”
I let it go. If he really wasn’t going to remarry, it wasn’t my concern. I nodded and tucked the folder into my bag.
“I hope you find happiness,” I offered quietly. “Wishing well, right?”
He blinked, confusion flashing in his eyes. “Who do you want that happiness with?”
I kept my expression calm, composed. “With me,” I said simply.
“On my own terms.”
Ethan’s gaze softened. He straightened. “You deserve that!”
“Thank you.” I found the much-needed courage to finish.
“Goodbye””
We parted ways-he lingered a moment, as if expecting more, but I did not hesitate. I walked out into the brisk evening air, the weight of eight years resting in that folder and in my posture. I breathed deeply, the crisp air bringing clarity. The courthouse steps disappeared behind me, replaced by the comforting blur of city lights. I felt oddly lighter, as if a final cord had been severed.
Walking home, I tried to summon gratitude-but my emotions felt neutral. Numb, not sad, just worn. At my door, I paused and closed my eyes, letting relief wash over me. No collateral damage. No lingering doubts. Just space to breathe again.
Inside, Ava greeted me with a soft hug. She’d waited, cautious, ready to support. “How are you?”
I touched the folder nestled inside my bag. “Free,” I whispered. “Let’s just stay in tonight.”
New Book: Veiled Desires of the Alpha King Novel
Dayson was the alpha of the largest pack in North America. Powerful figures from other packs sought to offer gorgeous girls as potential mates for Dayson. He steadfastly rejected these advances, he was not a pawn to be manipulated. But eventually there came a mysterious girl he could hardly say No. Who was she?