[Elara's POV]
A flicker of light ignited in Ethan's eyes.
"It's settled, then. I can get you the best legal counsel on the continent. They'll handle the dissolution," he said immediately.
"That won't be necessary. I'll handle it myself," I replied.
Ethan's brow furrowed. "What's the hesitation?"
"There isn't any. I just don't want to drag this out," I explained. A formal court proceeding could take months. "If I run into trouble, I'll call you. I promise."
The tension in his shoulders finally eased. "Alright. I'll be waiting for the good news."
After dinner, we went to the Enforcer's station so I could give my final statement. Liana and Ethan insisted on coming with me, with Liana adding her own witness account of the events at the gala.
I learned from the lead Enforcer that Giselle and Adelina were still in custody, their bail set at an astronomical sum. The two Rogues had already confessed, admitting they were acting under the women's orders. As for Seraphina, with no concrete evidence linking her to the plot, she had been released after giving a statement.
When we left the station, I was about to summon a Magi-tech vehicle.
"I'll take you home," Ethan said.
"It's easier if I just call my own ride. I've already taken up enough of your time," I said, trying to decline.
"I'm taking you," he insisted, a hint of his old, stubborn petulance in his voice. "Unless… you don't want me to, Sis? Do you hate me now?"
I looked at the man before me. Five years ago, his father, the Alpha of the Northwind Alliance, had dumped him at our clan's elite training grounds. He had been a young wolf then, all sharp edges and a hair-trigger temper. Now, he was a powerful, self-assured Alpha. Time had sculpted him.
"Don't be ridiculous. I've never hated you, not from the first day you set foot in the training grounds," I said.
A triumphant smirk touched Ethan's lips. "Then let me drive you."
I sighed in surrender. "Fine. Liana, you head home. Ethan is taking me back to the Alpha's House."
Liana nodded, shrugging as she watched the tall, handsome Alpha open the car door for me like a loyal sentinel. She was probably wondering what the nobles of the North would think if they saw their infamous "Little Tyrant" acting like a well-behaved pup in front of a woman.
Ethan's vehicle glided to a silent stop in front of the villa.
"So this is where you live. Not far from my place," he remarked.
Not far at all. Yet in three years, we had never once crossed paths.
"The Eternal Sanctum isn't that large," I said flatly.
"Then I'll come visit you," he said immediately.
"Don't," I began.
The light in Ethan's face instantly dimmed, but it flared back to life at my next words.
"I'm moving. I won't be living here anymore."
"Good," his mood brightened instantly. "Mind-link me when you're packing. I'll come help."
After saying goodbye, I walked into the villa.
Kaelen was waiting just inside the door, his handsome face a mask of cold fury, his eyes burning holes into me.
"Who was that? A Northwind Alpha?" he demanded.
My brow furrowed. I could feel it, the faint, lingering scent of Ethan's Alpha essence on me—cold and clean like a northern blizzard. Kaelen's inner wolf had caught it, and a low, possessive growl rumbled in his chest.
The beast in him was jealous.
"He's an old friend from my training days," I explained.
"A friend?" Kaelen didn't believe me for a second. "Since when are your 'friends' so wealthy? That vehicle is worth a fortune."
I was too tired to engage with his pointless interrogation. All I wanted was a hot shower to wash away the exhaustion and the lingering scent of another male. But as I moved to pass him, his hand shot out, his fingers clamping around my arm like a manacle.
"Lost for words? You throw Seraphina in my face, but you're the one stepping out of another Alpha's vehicle. How long has this been going on with Northwind?"
I froze. I couldn't believe the words coming out of his mouth.
"There is nothing between Ethan and me. Kaelen, just because your own heart is filthy, don't assume the rest of the world is the same," I said, my voice dripping with ice.
A flush of shame crept up his neck, but it was quickly replaced by rage. "If you're so innocent, then why did you orchestrate that scene at the gala? You did it on purpose! You wanted everyone to see, just to humiliate me and my family!"
I wrenched my arm from his grasp. "I don't need to prove my innocence to you. And as for what happened, you can thank your mother and sister. If not for their disgusting little plot, I never would have been forced to take such drastic measures."
"What?" Kaelen stared at me, stunned.
I ignored him and went straight upstairs to the bathroom. The hot water sluiced over my body, washing away not just the grime of the day, but the last lingering traces of affection I had for him.
When I emerged, dressed in fresh clothes, Kaelen was sitting on the edge of the bed, waiting.
"Elara, I'm sorry," he said, rising to his feet. "I shouldn't have doubted you. I was just… worried."
"Worried?" I let out a short, sharp laugh, the sound filled with pure scorn. "Do you really think I'm foolish enough to believe that?"
A look of profound shame crossed his face. "Regardless, I know my mother and sister hurt you. But they are my family. If you would just submit a letter of forgiveness to the Elder Council, we can put all this behind us."
"I will not be submitting any letter of forgiveness," I refused, my voice absolute. "Kaelen, what they did is unforgivable."
Annoyance flashed in his eyes. "They are my mother and my sister!"
"So what? Because they're your family, I'm supposed to forgive them, no matter what they do? Do you have any idea what would have happened to me if they had succeeded?" My voice trembled with a rage I could no longer contain.
"I would have been assaulted by two Rogues. The entire humiliating ordeal would have been recorded and spread across the continent! And your mother would have watched with satisfaction while your sister documented my violation! All to force me out with nothing!"
"Would you still ask me to forgive them then? To pardon them?"
My words were hammer blows, draining the color from his face and leaving him speechless. The cold disappointment in my eyes seemed to cause him a physical pain, as if a great weight had just been dropped on his chest.
It was a long moment before he spoke, his voice hoarse. "I promise, nothing like this will ever happen again. Just this once, forgive them. My mother is old, she can't handle the stress. And Giselle is young. A criminal record would ruin her life."
A dead, empty smile touched my lips. "So I'm the one who must be sacrificed, is that it?"
A sudden panic flared in his eyes. My extreme calm, my utter detachment—it was as if I were a gust of wind, about to vanish from his life forever.
"Elara, I'll be good to you. From now on, I'll be better, I swear!" he surged forward, pulling me into a desperate embrace.
I stood motionless in his arms.
He had said those same words to me, once, when he'd asked me to be his mate. That he would be good to me, that he would cherish me.
But he had never once lived up to that promise.
And I had been a fool to believe him for three years.
I pushed him away.
I looked at him, my gaze steady, and in a voice as calm and final as a death sentence, I announced our end.
"Kaelen, I'm moving out. Until our bond is officially dissolved, we shouldn't see each other anymore."