4. She’s mine

Jaxon

I wake up with my dick hard as steel, the image of Nina burned into my brain. Fuck. My skin’s slick with sweat, my sheets a twisted mess around my legs, and my breathing’s all over the place.

The dream was so fucking vivid. I can still see her underneath me, her nails dragging down my back, her lips parted, that little gasp she always made when I was inside her.

“Shit,” I mutter, dragging a hand over my face. I stare at the ceiling, my body still buzzing, the need to fuck her not fading one damn bit.

But she’s gone.

I throw off the covers, pissed at myself. Pissed at her. Pissed at everything. My cock’s still rock-hard, aching, but there’s no way I’m calling her. Not after the way she walked out. No, fuck that.

I head for the shower, my chest tight with frustration. The water’s scalding, but it doesn’t do a damn thing to cool me down. My mind’s still on her—how she felt, how she smelled, how she’d wrap her legs around me and pull me deeper until I couldn’t think straight.

“Fucking hell,” I groan, grabbing my cock, jerking off under the hot spray. I squeeze my eyes shut, trying to focus, but it’s no use. It doesn’t feel the same. Not without her.

But I keep going, my hand moving faster, rougher, desperate to get rid of this ache. My breath comes out in harsh pants, my mind filled with nothing but her—Nina in every damn way I’ve ever had her.

I come hard, slamming my fist against the tile, my body tense with frustration even as the release hits me.

And then it’s gone. She’s gone. And I’m still fucking angry.

I step out of the shower, drying off quickly before throwing on my suit. I glance at my reflection in the mirror, my jaw clenched, my hair still wet. I don’t even bother with it. I can’t. My head’s too fucked up, and I’ve got a meeting in an hour that I can’t blow off.

But as I’m adjusting my tie, that gnawing feeling creeps back in—the one that’s been there ever since she walked out. I thought she’d come back. I thought... fuck, I don’t know what I thought. That our bond would be enough to hold her? That she’d realize how important this was?

Instead, she’s gone. She left me. And now, I’m staring down the barrel of a divorce I didn’t see coming.

I head downstairs, the smell of coffee hitting me as I enter the kitchen. My mother’s already there, sitting at the counter, looking at something on her tablet.

“Jaxon,” she says without looking up. “You’re late.”

“I’m not late,” I mutter, pouring myself a cup of coffee. I take a sip, the bitter taste doing nothing to cut through the knot in my chest.

She glances at me, raising an eyebrow. “You look terrible.”

“Thanks,” I say dryly, leaning against the counter.

She sighs, setting her tablet down. “It’s for the best, you know.”

“What is?”

“Nina leaving.” She says it so casually, like it’s just another part of the day, like it’s not ripping me apart. “She wasn’t right for you. You know that.”

I grit my teeth, staring into my coffee. “No, I don’t.”

“Jaxon, come on. She’s not—”

“She’s my mate,” I snap, my voice harsher than I intended. “She’s mine.”

My mother lets out a small, condescending laugh. “Oh, please. Mates. That bond isn’t everything, Jaxon. You know that. There are other things more important—your responsibilities, your legacy, your pack.”

I slam the mug down on the counter, the coffee sloshing over the edge. “I’m aware of my responsibilities, Mother.”

“Well, then act like it,” she says sharply, her eyes cold. “Nina was never fit to be your Luna. She’s weak. Emotional.”

I laugh bitterly, shaking my head. “You have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Don’t I?” she challenges, standing up. “You saw it yourself. Look at what she did—ran off, couldn’t handle the pressure. She’s not made for this life, Jaxon. You know that.”

I grit my teeth, trying to keep my temper in check. I don’t want to have this conversation with her. Not now. Not ever. But the words are already boiling up inside me, and I can’t stop them. “She lost our child.”

My mother stiffens, her expression shifting for a brief moment before settling back into her usual mask. “That’s unfortunate,” she says, her tone clipped. “But it doesn’t change anything.”

“It changes everything,” I growl, my fists clenching at my sides.

She sighs, picking up her tablet again like she’s bored with this conversation. “What changes, Jaxon? She’s gone. The divorce papers are filed. There’s nothing left to discuss.”

I stare at her, feeling the frustration bubbling up inside me. “You didn’t even know who she was, did you?”

She looks up at me, her brow furrowed in confusion. “What are you talking about?”

“Nina. She’s not just some girl I married. She’s Valens. Alpha heir of the Valens Pack.”

My mother freezes, the tablet slipping slightly from her hands. “What?”

“You heard me,” I say, my voice low. “She’s the fucking Valens heir.”

For the first time, my mother looks genuinely shocked. She stares at me, processing the information, her lips parting slightly. “How... how did you not know?”

“She didn’t tell me,” I say, running a hand through my hair, frustrated. “She never said a word.”

My mother blinks, trying to gather herself. “She’s... she’s Valens?”

“Yeah.” I take another sip of coffee, though it tastes like ash in my mouth. “And now she’s gone.”

There’s a long silence as my mother absorbs this information. When she finally speaks, her voice is softer, but still cold. “Well, that changes things.”

“No shit,” I mutter, setting the mug down. “She’s the heir to one of the most powerful packs in the country, and I let her walk out.”

My mother’s face hardens again, her usual calculating expression returning. “Then you need to fix this.”

“Fix what? The divorce is happening. There’s no fixing it.”

“You can stop it,” she says, stepping closer, her eyes sharp. “You’re an Alpha. You don’t just let something like this slip away.”

I shake my head, laughing bitterly. “She doesn’t want me. She made that pretty fucking clear.”

“She doesn’t get a choice,” my mother says, her voice tight. “She’s your mate, Jaxon. You can’t let her go.”

I stare at her, my jaw clenched. “She’s not a fucking prize to be kept, Mother.”

“She’s Valens,” she snaps, her voice rising. “Do you have any idea what that means? The power that comes with that? You can’t let her leave.”

I take a step back, my chest tight. “This isn’t about power.”

“Of course it is,” she hisses. “Everything is.”

I shake my head, backing away from her. “Not to me.”

“You’re making a mistake, Jaxon,” she says, her voice sharp and cold. “A huge mistake.”

“Maybe,” I say, turning toward the door. “But it’s mine to make.”

I walk out, the frustration simmering inside me, my thoughts a fucking mess. Divorce. It’s actually happening. I thought the bond would be enough to hold her, but clearly, I was wrong.

Now, I don’t know what the fuck I’m supposed to do.