Chapter 290 Ethan and Clara had divorced

Chapter 290: Chapter 290 Ethan and Clara had divorced

Author’s POV

On the other side of town, Ethan and Clara had gone through the formalities today.

The petition to sever the bond had been filed with the Pack Council.

By pack law, a mated pair couldn’t have the bond formally severed until the next full moon had passed—a mandatory waiting period meant to give the bond one last chance to fight for itself before it was cut for good.

The mate bond wasn’t something to be discarded lightly, even when it had been tainted by lies. Technically, they were still mates for another cycle.

Clara knew there was no escape. Ethan was determined to sever their bond, and continuing to beg would only backfire spectacularly.

The Alpha knew about her deception now. He was still seething with rage, his wolf practically clawing at the surface every time he looked at her. If she fought the divorce tooth and nail at this point, she’d only drive whatever remained of their relationship into complete ruin.

Clara decided to leave herself some breathing room. She had one month left.

At the very least, she needed to ease the tension between them first. Maybe if she proved herself useful, if she reminded him of what they’d once had, his wolf might soften toward her again.

Seeing that Clara had stopped struggling, they grabbed a quick meal at a nearby diner after leaving the courthouse.

The meal was silent. Clara kept serving food onto Ethan’s plate, picking out the things she knew he liked. The Alpha neither refused nor acknowledged her efforts, his jaw tight as he ate mechanically.

She didn’t push conversation like she normally would have.

On the way back, she accompanied him to the Pack clinic to get his bandages changed.

Ethan’s injuries were all external. He could move around fine, but after Clara dropped him off at home, she still made a separate trip to the grocery store to stock up on supplies for him.

When she returned to the house, she found Ethan upstairs in the media room, playing video games.

"I’m leaving now," Clara called softly from the doorway after putting everything away.

The man didn’t turn around. Didn’t respond. As if he hadn’t heard her at all. The bond between them pulsed weakly, a ghost of what it had once been.

Clara had never imagined their ten explosive years together would come to this.

But she knew that when it came to matters of the heart, following your emotions was the most foolish thing you could do. The more it hurt, the more rational she needed to be.

"Take care of yourself," she said quietly. "And don’t worry about the Silver Creek situation. Even after we’re divorced, I won’t let anyone hurt you."

Clara didn’t wait for a response she knew wouldn’t come. She turned and walked away.

It wasn’t until the sound of the front door closing echoed through the house that Ethan finally put down his controller.

He shook his head in a defeated gesture and let out a bitter laugh.

---

After leaving, Clara realized it was already late. She had deliberately delayed her return flight to the capital by one day, leaving tomorrow instead of traveling with Julian. She had an early morning departure.

By all rights, she should have headed back to her hotel to rest.

Instead, Clara found herself at Lily’s favorite bar, drinking herself into oblivion. Lily was her friend, one of the few who knew the full truth about her situation.

Lily felt her heart break for her best friend. She’d repeated every comforting phrase she knew, over and over, fully aware that none of it was making a damn bit of difference.

Women who gambled their entire lives on love never came out winners.

Ethan was a complete bastard.

And Aria? She was no better.

Clara drank until she threw up, then threw up and drank some more. Finally, she stumbled to the bathroom and didn’t come back out for ages.

Lily was starting to get worried and was about to go check on her when Clara’s phone rang. Someone was calling.

Seeing an unfamiliar name on the caller ID, Lily didn’t think much of it and answered.

"Where are you right now?" a deep male voice demanded without preamble. The Alpha command in his tone was unmistakable, sending an involuntary shiver down Lily’s spine.

"Um, hello. I’m Clara’s friend. She can’t come to the phone right now. Who’s calling?"

Julian paused on the other end of the line. His wolf had surged the moment he heard a stranger’s voice instead of Clara’s. "I’m her boss."

"Oh!" Lily’s eyes widened in recognition. Clara had mentioned him briefly. So this was the big shot CEO from Sentinel Energy who’d taken such an interest in her friend’s career.

The one whose wolf had apparently recognized Clara as something significant during their first business meeting.

"Hi, sorry about that. Clara’s had a bit too much to drink. She’ll probably need to call you back later."

It was late as hell. Even if there was work to discuss, surely the man could cut his employee some slack.

But Lily’s casual explanation only seemed to deepen Julian’s concern.

"Drinking?" His tone sharpened, his wolf pushing forward with sudden protectiveness. "Did something happen to her?"

"Well..." Lily hesitated, unsure if she was overstepping.

But the way he sounded genuinely worried about Clara made her think twice. And hell, Clara had just walked away from Ethan. If there was another Alpha interested—one who actually deserved her—why should she turn that down?

"Would it be possible to get your location?" Julian asked, his voice carefully polite despite the urgency thrumming through him.

This morning when he’d gotten Clara’s call saying she had personal matters to handle and would be returning to the capital separately, something had felt off. His wolf had been restless ever since.

Julian hadn’t wanted to pry into her private business, though.

As it happened, he’d ended up meeting with an old friend and his own return schedule had shifted anyway. He’d decided to stay an extra night in the city.

He’d just finished a business dinner and wanted to check in on Clara’s situation. If her matters were resolved, they could still fly back together tomorrow.

But now his instincts were screaming that his second chance mate needed him.