When I finally found my voice, it was a fragile whisper.
"So you agreed?"
Kael's patience was already wearing thin. "Evelyn, this is just to help her wolf heal!"
"Gritte is family. Can't you care about her for once? You're still my fated mate."
I opened my mouth, but Finn's voice cut me off.
"Mom, Gritte is a good person. We all love her."
"Why can't you just try? She's suffering in the infirmary!"
After six years of love and sacrifice, I was the one they deemed disposable. Abandoned by my parents and brother, and now by my own mate and child.
I met Kael's gaze, my voice terrifyingly calm.
"Fine. I agree."
He drew in a sharp breath. "You... you're serious?" Then, he clumsily grabbed my hand, hastily petitioning the Moon Goddess to sever the bond, as if terrified I would change my mind.
"Merciful Moon Goddess, I petition you to allow us to sever our mate bond..."
My wolf bled within me, the curse's power flaring as our bond tore apart. It felt as if my wolf's own spirit was being torn in two. Tears blurred my vision as I hoarsely repeated the vow.
Six years of a sacred bond, gone in an instant.
After the ritual, I turned to leave, but Kael grabbed my wrist.
"Evelyn... you did the right thing."
"As soon as Gritte is better, I'll re-establish our bond. I promise."
Finn threw his arms around me, his smile radiant. "Mom! I'm so proud of you! You're finally being selfless!"
Their happy faces tore the last shred of hope from my heart.
I prayed for death to come quickly.
I stood up, my throat parched, intending to get a glass of water from the kitchen, but darkness swallowed my vision as I crumpled to the floor.
"Evelyn?"
Kael's voice sounded distant. When I forced my eyes open, their looks of disgust pinned me down.
"See, Dad?" Finn said with a sneer. "There she goes again with the theatrics. Just another pathetic attempt to make us feel guilty."
Kael scoffed. "We have an agreement, Evelyn. The bond stays severed until Gritte has recovered. Did you really think this pathetic act would change my mind?"
I grabbed a chair and hauled myself to my feet. My reflection in the mirror showed no sign of my decay—a cruel trick of the suppressants—but the dying whimper of my inner wolf echoed through my bones.
"If you're done wasting our time," Finn snapped, "we're going to see Gritte."
"I'll go with you," I said, my voice cold as ice. "There's another document she needs to sign."
Kael said nothing. My parents must have already told him.
In the pack infirmary, Gritte was holding court from her bed, a triumphant queen attended by her devoted subjects.
"Evelyn! How sweet of you to visit me." Her sickeningly sweet tone couldn't mask her glee.
"Oh, Evelyn!" my mother gushed. "Aren't you lucky? Gritte is taking all that tedious work off your hands!"
I slowly placed the deeds to all my personal properties on the bedside table.
"These are my personal lands," I announced to the room. "I want Gritte to have them, too."
The room once again fell silent.
