Wooing My Ex-wife Again Novel – Anastasia Alpha Julian. Two words that summed up my existence. Two words around which my world revolved. He was my husband, my chosen mate, and the love of my life. And as I sat on the chair, peering down at the files and trying to get work done, I heard exactly two words leave his lips again. “I’m sorry” Two words that brought my world crashing down and made me feel as if somebody was squeezing my heart and ripping it to shreds. “Is that all you have to say?” I asked as he looked away, pushing the chair away to get up. “Yes, but don’t worry. I have thought this through. I am not going to reject you even if I found my fated mate.”
He answered. And those lines made the very ground under my feet cave in. It was as if I was being swallowed alive by the ground and the person digging the ground was none other than the person I used to think was my soulmate. Was that supposed to be a consolation? Was I supposed to feel relieved that he was not tossing me out of his life? Fated mates. I had never believed it would be two words again that would change my life. Julian and I had been happily married for three years. Alpha Julian was not just the strongest alpha in the werewolf world but also the alpha of my heart. I am Anastasia Gilbert, alpha Julian’s chosen mate.
Three years ago, he found me at a party where all the prominent pack leaders were gathered to discuss a treaty. And Julian spearheaded the discussion, cutting down the long and winding meeting that would go on and on for hours to a mere two hours, finally signing off the treaty. I was the daughter of alpha Rick, and had not found a mate yet. So hadn’t Julian. Rumors were ripe that he was on the hunt for a chosen mate since he had not found his fated mate yet. And I could not believe my luck when he started pursuing me. Julian was charming, elegant, and drop-dead gorgeous. He was every girl’s dream with his ocean blue eyes and a charming smile.
I, on the other hand, was a shy and reserved girl. My family had advised me not to fall for his tricks since he was a little older and I was quite young. My mother reminded me that I had a few years of time to wait for my fated mate, and that there was no rush to pick Julian. But against their better judgment, I went ahead and decided to marry him. Alpha Julian Blackwood chose me as his mate and vowed to stop searching for a fated mate. So did I. And we have lived happily ever since then. Or so I believed. That was the case until last week when we had to attend one of the charity events organized by a neighboring pack. I did not want to go, feeling a little ill and the need to just relax for a while. For the last three years, Julian and I had worked hard for the betterment of the pack, negotiating treaties, signing new deals, finding new trading partners, and increasing the funds required to train the young generation.
Back then, Julian and his pack were not so influential, but he was slowly trying to make his name in the werewolf society. “Remember, he is already in his late 20s, so the chances of him finding a mate are slim. You, on the other hand, are just twenty-one.” My father cautioned me. But I remember how I shook my head and proudly told my father. “I have made up my mind. Julian is the one for me.” It took a bit of coaxing from me, but my parents finally agreed to our wedding. And I could not have been happier. The memories of all the good times I had with him began flashing in front of my eyes as he stood in front of me impassively. “Why?” I asked in a strained voice, trying not to show how much it hurt me. I knew I was not his fated mate, but I had loved him like one. I had worked hard to turn his dreams into reality, leaving my pack and the riches I had grown up with to embrace him and his life.
Silvermoon pack was now a highly respected pack with a booming business and alphas from far and wide would come in to request meetings with us. We got so busy that we had to hire a secretary for him. He ran a hand through his hair, clearly struggling for words. “I told you. The pack always came first. You and I both decided on that when we took the vow to lead our pack to the glory it has achieved today.” The pack. Duties. Work. Business. It had always been that for him. I wondered now if he ever saw a wife and a lover in me or if it was more of a business deal. He knew I was the daughter of the most influential alpha back then. “Julian, I gave three years of my life to you and this pack. Three years of blood, sweat, sleepless nights, and a tiring work schedule. Does it all mean nothing to you?”
My voice was shaking, and I fought to maintain my composure. Part of me wished this was all a big, cruel joke. But I knew the voice he used when he meant business. There seemed to be no hint of remorse or guilt in his voice when he said that. Julian raked a hand through his hair again, and I fought the urge to bury my fingers in it. I had spent so many nights cuddling with him, letting him claim me, my heart, and my soul. “This is very complicated, Ana. I don’t like it either.” Typical business communication. I felt like I was expired goods he did not need anymore. Easily discardable. Tears stung at the back of my eyes as I took a step forward. “Who is it? Your secretary?” I hated the way my voice sounded so jealous and needy. I hated how my body wanted to run to him and have him embrace me and console me. That was not going to happen. I could not see any emotion on his face.
He was something I thanked the Moon Goddess over and over for letting me have beside me every day. Somewhere at the back of my mind, I used to have this fear that maybe one day his fated would show up and everything would turn to dust. At every mating ball, I used to hesitantly step inside, fearing that today was the day his fated would find him. But with the passing of time, that possibility grew slimmer as no such thing happened. Turns out, I was wrong. “Answer me!!” I screamed, and he came forward, speaking in a stern voice. “There is no need to cause a scene, Ana. We can talk about this like civilized people.” I remembered how he had started spending more and more time in the office, and slowly pulling himself away from me. It had not been my imagination. It was my wolf sensing the betrayal long before I did. I couldn’t help it. I reached for the collar of his shirt and grabbed it.
“She is not the secretary, Ana. You know her, though.” He answered in that same emotionless voice. “Who then?” “Angelica.” Anastasia “Angelica” I kept staring at him hoping this time that he was really making a cruel joke. Angelica was his mate? She had been a common friend. Julian was our senior at the academy, but we somehow became friends. Back at the Alpha Academy, we used to often hang out together with our other friends. In fact, we had grown so close that we became an inseparable group of friends. She had transferred to another academy out of the country and then we lost touch as she got busy in her life and we in ours. I could not believe my rotten luck. It would have been easy to blame an unknown woman for the misery this was causing.
But having a friend replace you was gut wrenching. “How? Were you both dating at the academy?” I asked, disbelief evident in my voice. “No, Ana. Had I known back then that she was going to turn into my fated, I would have never pursued you.” He answered in the same blunt, honest voice. And I was not sure if I was supposed to laugh at myself or cry. He was being so calculative and dry to me all of a sudden. It was as if his heart and mind had already accepted the decision and his wolf had made up his mind. “Then?” He gently reached for my wrists and pulled my hands away from his crisp, ironed shirt. “I don’t know, Ana. I had never felt like this for her before. She was always a friend to me. But last week, her father, Alpha Logan, invited me to a meeting. I was not aware that she had returned and her father casually mentioned that she was back in town.” I kept hearing him while trying to hold the pieces of my broken heart together. “I…I did not know she would turn out to be my fated mate.
I and her father were just chatting, and she casually walked into the office. And the moment she stepped in, my wolf roared in my head and the scent was unlike anything I had picked up on before. I…I could not take my eyes off her, Ana.” I clenched my fingers into fists. Here was the man I had loved to the moon and back, casually explaining how his heart suddenly started to beat for another woman. This could not be happening. “The mate bond. I had given up on finding a fated mate. I was happy and content with you. But, the Moon Goddess finally gave me a fated mate. And now I am not sure what to do.” He looked at me with a miserable expression. Was I supposed to tell him what to do? Was the answer not clear? “When we put the pack first, we also made another promise to each other. We promised that we would stick with each other even if we found our fated mates.
You promised me that you would reject her.” I argued. “I remember that, Ana. And that is why I am here to tell you that I am finding it hard to resist. You have no idea of the pull and strength of a fated mate’s bond. It calls to you, it makes you have eyes only for them. Your heart cannot think of anybody else.” “Enough!!” I shouted. I did not want to know what type of fantasies my husband of three years was having for his fated mate. I recalled Angelica’s face. She looked quite ordinary and belonged to one of the low ranking packs. She was the daughter of a gamma. So it was weird that a gamma’s daughter found a mate in an alpha. Usually, mate bonds were within the same level of blood or at most a step, low or high. Gamma blood ranked quite low compared to alpha blood. But then I could not do anything about it. Even if she was an omega or a human, he would still want her. Such was the pull of a fated mate’s bond. I looked into his eyes, desperately trying to search for the trace of love, the slight flaring of his eyes when he would look at me. I had spent several nights staring into those blue eyes, wondering how on earth did I get so lucky to have him as my husband. Guess, my luck ran out. Now he did not want me.
“This cannot happen, Ana. What about us? He claimed us.” My wolf, Xena, cried in my head. She was having it a lot worse than me. My wolf was sensitive and took a lot of time to open up to Julian. “I…we will be fine, Xena,” I answered, though I hardly believed it myself. Nothing was going to make it fine. “Please, Ana. I am not doing this to hurt you. But the pack needs a true luna.” Julian added, wanting to put an end to the discussion. That felt like a tight slap on my face. I had spent so much time building our name and reputation, and all of that was tossed into the bin after his fated mate’s arrival. “Tell me one thing, Jules…Julian” I corrected myself. Jules was the nickname I had given to him. He did not deserve any love or sympathy from me. “What if I found my fated mate before you? What if I was the one to deliver this news to you? What if you were the one on the receiving end?” I asked, and I saw anger rise up in his eyes. His gaze turned icy. That was good. At least there was some reaction.
“That is never going to happen. I found my mate before yours, so let us not talk about what-ifs. Plus, I have a solution.” Julian added, and I looked up at him, wondering for the first time if this was the same man I had fallen in love with head over heels with. “And that is?” I asked, not able to keep the sarcasm off my voice. It was getting very difficult to process everything, to maintain my calm and not dissolve into a fit of sobs. “We will live together. We can work this out. You know we have no heir and a true alpha heir would never be challenged by anybody in the future.” Another tight slap was pulled across my face, though he never raised his hand. We were childless, not because we had never tried but because we both had decided to put the pack first and ensure our child would have everything he or she needed to not just survive but thrive. We took the pack to such glory that now everybody wanted to be associated with us. “So you are saying that you will put a baby in her belly? And then what? Toss me out or her?” I fought to keep my voice from breaking. How could he say all this with a straight face? “I am not leaving either of you. We three will stay together and make this work. I can put a baby in your belly too, if you wish.”
Anastasia That was when I realized my life had come to a point from which there was no return. Julian had all planned it out, not bothering to give me time to adjust to the news or even consider my opinion. And I couldn’t help myself. My hand reached for the table cloth, gathered it in a fist, and yanked it down forcibly. All the papers, files and other stationery that was placed on it came crashing down. The glass paperweight shattered into a million pieces and paper was flying everywhere. And amidst that destruction, I stood facing him. I wanted to cry, I wanted to howl in pain, I wanted to just make the pain go away but I did not give him the reaction he thought I would. If this was a business deal, so be it. I would cry alone when nobody was watching me. “I forbid you to touch me, Julian. I am not a disposable piece of tissue or some wannabe mistress who would gladly strip for you.” I said in an icy tone, my chin held up. But that seemed to anger him. He came forward and stood facing me, his eyes staring into my soul. “You are going to do no such thing. You are my chosen mate, and that is how it is going to be.
You are going to accept Angelica in our pack and welcome her. You both are going to learn to co-exist.” Co-exist my foot! I had never had any personal grudge against Angelica, but I could not bear the thought of sharing him with another woman. He was either mine completely or not at all. There was no middle road for me. “I am not going to do any such thing, Alpha Julian. It looks like you have made up your mind and it seems futile to try to beg you to change your opinion. So be it.” His eyes widened as if he was looking at me for the first time. He forgot this was the same attitude, the sass and fierceness in me, which made him pick me as a wife. He used to like me for my boldness and that I was not a crying weakling who would dissolve into sobs every time something happened. “Since we are not fated mates, as per your words, our relationship won’t end with the standard rejection. But I need some sort of closure. So, I will get a lawyer and the divorce papers will be sent to you shortly.”
I spoke and was proud of the way my voice did not shake. But Julian grabbed my hand and spoke through gritted teeth. “You were not listening, Ana. This is not a choice. I am your alpha and I have marked you. As your alpha, I command you to submit to my wishes.” I shook my head. “No, please don’t do that.” I begged. My willpower was strong, but what he said was true. I was his pack member, so my wolf and body could not disobey a direct command even if I wanted to. I panicked at the thought of seeing Angelica move in and having to shift to the guest room. My heart froze at the thought of seeing the pitiful looks in everybody’s eyes who had always looked at me with respect. I could not let that happen. “Please, if I ever meant anything to you, please don’t do this. You found your fated, so let go of me. I promise I will never show you my face again.”
But Julian was in no mood to listen. “Submit to me, Ana. Do as I say. Your alpha is ordering you.” Julian spoke in a stern voice, and I had no choice but to listen to him. “Say that you will obey!!” He added sharply, and a whimper left my mouth even if I tried to stop it. “O-okay” “Good. I know we can make this work. Now, I will have Angelica move in here shortly. See to it that you don’t create any unnecessary drama.” Julian went on and on but my brain fazed out after I heard that she was going to move in right away. I knew what he wanted me to do. He wanted to maintain his image of a loyal and decent alpha who did not let go of his chosen mate when his fated mate showed up. Usually, fated mates were always helmed as the gift of the Moon Goddess, so the pack would readily take them in and be happy that their alpha found their match made in heaven.
If an alpha had a chosen one, she would usually leave quietly, ask for a big fat sum of money to start over elsewhere, or just die of heartache. I did not know of any chosen mate who had stayed back in the pack and made it work. Julian seemed too pleased with his plan and walked out of the room, leaving me to my thoughts and misery. The door closed behind me, and that is when I finally allowed myself to cry. There was nobody around me to put up the mask of a Luna. Was I even going to have that title anymore? My knees finally gave in after standing firm on the floor as Julian delivered one heartbreaking news after another to me. I was not sure how well educated Angelica was in the pack business or how much she understood about pack dynamics and other functions, but I knew she was going to slowly replace me, if not right away. I knew Julian and his calculative mind.
He always saw the profits first before offering any deal. Fat drops of tears splattered on my dress as I let the realization sink in and allowed myself to cry. My wolf let out a pained howl in my head, our emotions making it extremely difficult for me to think straight. “But he promised us that he was going to reject his fated. He promised us!!” She shrieked in my head as white hot grief sliced through me like a hot knife through butter. I wanted the earth below me to cave in and swallow me whole. What had I ever done to anyone to deserve this? I looked outside the window where the moon was visible, casting its white light on all of us. I used to believe in the Moon Goddess and thank her every day for the life she gave me, for blessing me with a loving husband and a pack. “How could you do this to me?” I howled, letting my nails dig into the carpet and the furniture behind me, until my nails chipped and blood began to flow out of it. I wanted to claw out my heart and put it aside so that I would not have to deal with this pain tearing through me like hot molten lava was running through my veins.
I sobbed bitterly, wondering where I had gone wrong in the three years that I had been married to him. No matter how hard I tried, I could not find any answers. Exhausted and depressed, I was not even aware of when I fell on the floor and my eyelids closed after hours of crying. The next morning, I was woken up by our maid who found me lying on the floor amidst the papers and broken pieces of glass. She let out a shriek and made me sit up while calling the guards to help me sit in the chair. The guards rushed in and I saw the dreaded look on their faces- one filled with pity. They did not say a word to me, but their expressions were loud enough to tell me that the news had spread throughout the pack already. They must have been elated that their alpha found a true Luna and would eventually have a true heir, but did not show their excitement in front of me.
The maid gathered all the papers and sorted them into files while she called another to clear the mess. The guards asked me if I needed anything, but I shook my head politely. I could not stand their gazes of pity. So I straightened my back and walked out of the office before walking towards the bedroom. I had barely taken a few steps when I heard the excited whispers of the servants and maids bringing up bags and suitcases. It was as if there was some festival, but to me, it felt like they were rejoicing in the death of my marriage. I wiped the tears threatening to leak out of my eyes, reminding myself to hold my chin up. And from the opposite side, I saw the love of my life step inside our home with his fated mate and someone who once used to be my close friend.