Chapter 87 The Divorce Papers Are Coming Through Fast

"If I’m dropping the charges, shouldn’t there be some payback?" Eira shot back, calm as ever. "Besides, I’m just making her wait a bit. I’ve got class this weekend. Unless you think I should skip it."

Alpha Sebastian sighed. "Of course you should go. But once you quit and move back home, we can start trying for a baby."

"Sure." Eira’s voice stayed flat. She turned and walked off, leaving the roses sitting on the chair.

Alpha Sebastian grabbed the flowers and chased after her, insisting on driving her to class himself. He shoved the roses back into her arms and pulled her into a hug, right there in front of everyone.

"That’s Mrs. Hale, right? Her husband drove her here himself. They’re so sweet together."

"Man, what a good husband. Spends money on his wife and brings her flowers too. Mine would never do anything that romantic. I had to beg for weeks just to sign up for this class."

Alpha Sebastian caught every word, and his mouth curved into a smug little smile. He soaked up every envious glance like sunlight.

He pulled Eira a little closer.

Her whole body went stiff. "Class is starting."

"Okay." Reluctance flickered in his eyes as he finally let her go.

With him still watching, Eira had no choice but to walk into the classroom. She grabbed a seat in the back corner, just like she and Rachel had planned. Keep it low-key.

Eira sat through the first half of class like a model student, eyes forward, spine straight, giving nothing away.

The moment she was sure Alpha Sebastian had left, the act dropped. She slipped out to the restroom and swapped clothes with Rachel again.

Rachel whispered, "Okay, I’ll admit sneaking around like secret agents is kind of fun. But we can’t keep this up forever, right?"

"We won’t have to." Eira ran the numbers in her head. "By next weekend, you won’t need to be careful at all."

"Why not?"

Because by then, the divorce will be final.

"Never mind, forget I asked." Rachel rubbed her belly gently, her face soft. She was already pregnant.

Eira noticed. "Congrats. I recorded the first half of class for you. You can catch up later."

"You’re the best." Rachel pulled her mask up, let her hair fall forward to hide most of her face, and slipped back into the classroom.

--

Eira got back to Number Nine Southridge Estates around four.

Alpha Killian was already gone.

She walked into the dining room, sleeves rolled up, ready to bus the table like she always did back at the Hale place. Then she froze. The table gleamed. Tablecloth smooth, dead center, not a wrinkle in sight.

She actually looked around for a second, half expecting to find a stranger in the house.

Outside, the sky hung gray and heavy. A breeze slipped through the cracked window and flicked a note off the table.

She picked it up.

One word, written in Alpha Killian’s messy handwriting.

Kitchen.

She headed in and pushed the door open.

Spotless. Sink didn’t have a single crumb in it. A pair of pink and blue rubber gloves sat on the counter like they were on display. And there, a brand new dishwasher, sleek and white, practically screaming I cost more than your car.

She popped it open. Dishes inside sat clean, dry, still warm from the cycle.

Another note on top.

Fridge.

—Killian

Eira stood there a beat, taking in the whole spotless setup. Something warm and unfamiliar crept into her chest.

She opened the fridge. A few plates sat wrapped up inside, leftovers from lunch.

One more note.

You hate wasting food. Go eat it.

—Killian

She cracked a smile before she could stop herself.

He wasn’t wrong. She’d rather go hungry than toss out a single bite. Growing up in the Omega group home, wasting food just wasn’t a thing. Too many nights going to bed on an empty stomach to ever throw something away.

The Hales used to rip on her for it constantly. Called it trashy, said marrying in didn’t scrub the low-class off her.

Eira reheated the leftovers, sat down, and actually took her time eating. Savored it. Couldn’t remember the last time a meal alone felt this good.

She finished, plate wiped clean, and snapped a pic for her feed. Hales blocked, obviously.

Caption: Clean plate club.

Then she loaded her dishes into the new machine and fired off a text.

Eira: The dishwasher’s great, by the way. Thanks.

Killian: Sterling Group makes those.

Eira could practically hear the quiet pride behind that one line.

Eira: Impressive, Alpha Sterling.

His mouth twitched into a smirk.

Killian: Save the flattery.

--

Two days later, Alpha Sebastian swung by the Hale estate.

His parents were in the middle of a hushed conversation about the divorce papers when they heard the lock click. They shut up fast, voices dying mid-sentence.

Then the door opened and it was their son. Thank the Moon Goddess for sharp wolf hearing, or they’d have never caught themselves in time.

"You’re back." Luna Margaret walked over. "Serena said you’ve been swamped. You haven’t been answering her much."

Alpha Sebastian hung up his coat. His parents looked way too happy.

"What’s going on? You two look like you won the lottery."

Of course we do. We’re about to get rid of that useless, jobless, barren daughter-in-law.

"It’s a surprise." Luna Margaret kept it light, though she noticed the exhaustion on his face right away. "We’ll tell you once it’s locked in. You look wiped out, sweetheart."

"Work’s part of it." The other part was what Eira said to him. Her words kept looping in his head, wouldn’t let him rest.

He didn’t want to suspect Serena.

Maybe he should just talk to Isabella first.

"Where’s Isabella?" Just saying her name darkened his whole face.

Luna Margaret’s smile slipped. He was still stuck on that.

"Siblings don’t hold grudges overnight, Alpha Sebastian. Don’t come at her with that face when she gets back. You’ll scare her half to death."

"Where is she?"

"Serena took her shopping. That big procurement bid’s coming up, right? Serena wants a killer outfit for the signing ceremony." Luna Margaret’s excitement kept climbing. "Once your company wins that contract, you’ll be repping Hale Group, she’ll be repping the federal project team. The press is gonna eat that up. Power couple of the year."

Especially since the divorce would be final before the bid even got announced. Luna Margaret was practically giddy over the timing.

Alpha Sebastian only caught one thing out of all that.

"She screwed up and she’s out shopping?" His voice dropped, sharp as a blade. "She should be figuring out how to say sorry to Eira."

He pulled out his phone and called his sister. "Wrap it up. Come home. We need to talk."

Alpha Roger set down his magazine, eyes on his son. "You’re actually gonna make Isabella apologize to Eira?"

"She has to, if Eira’s dropping the charges." Alpha Sebastian caught the look on both their faces and sighed. "Mom. Dad. Isabella messed up. She should say sorry. And it’s not just anyone she wronged, it’s Eira. Eira’s my Luna. She’s Luna to this whole Pack. Every wolf in Hale Pack owes her respect. That includes my own sister."

He paused, Eira’s voice cutting back through his head. Isabella barely knows how to run a coffee maker. You think she’s got a dealer on speed dial?

"And there’s something else I need to ask her about."