Chapter 2 Divorce Paper

Jude's POV

She didn't understand. No one could ever understand how I felt when I had to hold on to a marriage I didn't want, all because of an obligation. Besides, my wife, my Luna, wasn't my mate; my real mate came when I thought everything was finally settled. My mother once said mates often come late, but no one ever told me they could still appear after marriage, and that would shake our feelings.

It was true—I began my life with Moira without love. I had never loved her. Everything happened because of a scheme her father set up to trap me into sleeping with her. Even though I disagreed, I eventually married her after we discovered she was pregnant, in order to maintain my position as Alpha of the Night Hunter Pack. Everyone demanded that I marry, have a Luna, and produce an heir.

She wasn't unattractive. Moira had everything many women lacked, but that was exactly the problem—no matter how much she had, I had never loved her.

"What are you thinking about?" asked Bella, who had just woken up, while I hadn't been able to sleep at all. "Are you still thinking about Moira? She doesn't deserve you, Jude. You asked her not to leave, right?"

"Yes, I did. I always asked her to stay home to take care of Mirielle. What I have and earned from my business is enough to support her, so why does she have to work so hard?"

"I'm sorry for what you're going through, but I'm glad you finally realized Moira isn't a good woman. Look, even her father ended up cheating on her mother. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree. Her mother didn't know how to nurture a man's ego, and Moira repeated the same mistake," she said, unable to soothe the anxiety in my heart.

If I married Bella, what about Mirielle? She would definitely become a problem if she couldn't accept Bella as my mate and wife, or vice versa. I didn't want Bella to feel uncomfortable or burdened by Mirielle's presence.

I took Bella's fingers, kissed them, then embraced her and kissed her lips tenderly. I adored her, and I didn't care what happened to Moira or Mirielle; the most important thing was that I could have Bella.

"I'll handle my divorce from Moira soon. I hope you'll be patient," I said, and Bella nodded. She was running out of patience, but the divorce process was not easy. There were many things we had to take care of, and to make it go faster, I  hired the best lawyer so everything would proceed quickly.

"I'll wait for you, Jude. Even if you want our relationship to stay the way it is, I don't mind. After all, I know you only give your heart and body to me."

I nodded, forcing a smile that was hard to muster. My mate couldn't just be an afterthought. I couldn't stand another day of marriage to Moira. The closer I got to Bella, the stronger my desire became to divorce Moira.

To speed up my plans with Bella, I had contacted the best lawyer and asked him to handle everything— to send the divorce papers immediately and make sure Moira would sign them.

However, before my lawyer could finish the paperwork and send it to Moira and me, a large envelope appeared on my office table.

I opened it and read the contents. Some pages contained the divorce terms, with a column already signed by her, while other pages required my signature. I put those papers aside and checked the rest. It was a resignation letter she had signed.

Moira had made the right decision. I didn't have to wait long for her to choose.

***

I tossed Moira's divorce papers and resignation letter onto the bed. She was nowhere to be found in the room, and even the maid hadn't seen her. I didn't want to ask either. My mind was too clouded to think about her.

I flopped down on the bed, thinking again about how to tell Mirielle about our divorce. If she wanted to stay with me, would Bella agree?

"Dad, can I come in?" asked a voice that made me immediately sit up on the bed, waiting for my daughter to come in and tell me what she wanted. It seemed important, and although I was too tired to listen, I had to do it for her sake. "Will you cancel the wedding with Aunt Bella?"

I frowned at her innocent but rather complicated and confusing question. "Why? Don't you want me to marry her?"

"No. I actually want you to marry her soon. I can't wait to call her Mommy. Aunt Bella's cooking is also delicious, and I want to enjoy it every day."

I smiled and stroked her hair, leaning closer and looking into her pure eyes.

"Listen to me, Mirielle. Aunt Bella and I will definitely get married. But what if your mom disagrees? Of course, we will separate; you may have to choose between us. Who will you choose?"

"Of course you, Dad. Mom already said this this afternoon. That's why I asked. Mom didn't want to agree. She cried and asked me to go with her."

Mirielle's words took me aback. So Moira had planned everything?

"Mirielle, did your mom tell you where she was going? What else did she say to you?" I asked anxiously, desperate for Mirielle to tell me everything that had happened while I was away from home. She must have had a hard time dealing with her mother's unstable emotions.

"She only asked what I liked about her. I said I liked her because she was smart. Then she asked if I liked Aunt Bella. I said I liked her very much. Her cooking, her beautiful face like a doll, her gentle demeanor; and I liked Aunt Bella because she could make you stay home and play with me."

Should I be touched by Mirielle's words? She went further than I expected, which might be the reason Moira finally decided to leave. Since the divorce papers had landed on my desk today, it meant she had taken care of everything after catching Bella and me having sex.

I didn't need to ask more. Mirielle had explained it all. And this meant Bella and I could live the life we had always dreamed of, without hiding from Moira or anyone else standing in the way of our love.

The Moon Goddess had destined Bella and me to be fated mates, and even if it required sacrifice, I would do anything to be with my mate.

After Mirielle went out, I picked up the papers I had previously ignored, took a pen, double-checked everything, and signed. Even though Moira wanted this, I couldn't deny that I, too, wished our forced marriage would end soon.

This was the time. I flipped through the pages, reading what was written. Slowly but surely, I signed my name, placed the documents back in the envelope, and stored it in the nightstand drawer. Soon, everything would be processed and come to an end. Yet a strange feeling crept into my heart. My eyes fixed on the divorce papers she had sent. Wasn't I supposed to be the one divorcing her? Not the other way around.