Chapter 93 Severed Bonds
Elara's POV
The moment Dad and I stepped through the front door of the Pack House, Sophie came rushing down the grand staircase. Her face was flushed with excitement as she grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the living room where the rest of the family had already gathered.
"Elara! Elara! I have to tell you what happened!" Sophie's voice bubbled over with enthusiasm as she tugged insistently on my sleeve. "The binding talisman you gave me worked perfectly! When that bad man tried to drive away with me, I just slapped it on his neck and he froze completely! He couldn't move at all! And then when the car crashed, the moonstone pendant glowed and protected me from getting hurt! I didn't even get a single bruise!"
I listened to her animated recounting with a mixture of relief. Before I could respond or gently redirect her excitement into something more appropriate, Edwin rose from his seat on the sofa and gestured toward James with a subtle but unmistakable command in the movement.
"James, why don't you take Sophie upstairs," Edwin said quietly, his voice carrying an undertone. "She should rest after everything that happened today."
Sophie's face immediately scrunched up in protest. "But I'm not tired! And I want to tell everyone about how brave I was and how Elara's magic saved me!"
"Upstairs, Sophie," Edwin repeated more firmly. "Now."
James moved forward and placed a gentle hand on Sophie's shoulder, steering her toward the staircase despite her continued protests about not being tired and wanting to stay with the adults.
I watched them disappear up the stairs, noting the tension in Edwin's shoulders and the way his jaw was set in a hard line that spoke of barely controlled emotion beneath his calm exterior.
The atmosphere in the living room shifted the moment Sophie's footsteps faded, becoming heavy and oppressive with uncomfortable awareness. Edwin remained standing while the rest of us settled into various seats around the room, and something about his posture suggested he was gathering himself for an announcement.
Finally, Edwin straightened his shoulders and looked around the room at each family member in turn before speaking. "I and Moira have decided to sever our mate bond. Once the lawyers finish dividing our assets and property, we'll proceed with the formal ceremony. The children will all remain with me."
The silence that followed was absolute and suffocating. Everyone else in the room looked as though they had been physically struck.
Matilda's hand came down hard on the arm of her chair with a sharp crack that made several people flinch. "What? Edwin, what are you talking about? Sever your mate bond? Have you lost your mind?"
"We've discussed it thoroughly, and the decision is final," Edwin replied with a calmness. "Our wolves are incompatible, our personalities don't mesh, and continuing to force a bond that doesn't work is doing more harm than good to everyone involved."
Grandfather leaned forward from his position on the opposite sofa, his weathered face creased with concern and confusion. "Incompatible wolves? Edwin, you and Moira have been mated for over a decade. You have children together. This doesn't make any sense."
Ryan's face had gone pale, and I could see his hands trembling slightly where they gripped the armrest of his chair. "This is because of Sophie's kidnapping, isn't it?" His voice came out rough and strained. "Something happened that we don't know about. Tell us the real reason, Dad. We deserve to know the truth."
Edwin's expression remained impassive as he met Ryan's desperate gaze. "I've given you the reason. Our wolves can't coexist harmoniously, and we've realized that continuing this bond is unhealthy for both of us and for the children. That's all there is to it."
"That's not all there is to it!" Ryan pushed himself to his feet, his composure cracking as emotion flooded through. His eyes had gone red-rimmed, and I could see him struggling to hold back tears. "Dad, don't lie to me. Something happened. Something bad enough to make you want to throw away your entire marriage. Just tell us what it is!"
Before Edwin could respond, Moira let out a choked sob from where she sat beside Clara, her face buried in her hands. "Mom, please," she gasped out between tears, her voice muffled and broken. "Please talk to Edwin. I don't want to sever the mate bond. I don't want to lose my family. Think about the children, they need both their parents together. Please convince him to reconsider."
Her shoulders shook with the force of her crying, and Clara wrapped an arm around her in an attempt at comfort, though Clara's own face showed clear confusion about the entire situation.
Grandfather turned his attention to Dad, clearly hoping to find some kind of clarity or support from his eldest son. "Sebastian, what's your take on all this? Do you think they should proceed with severing the bond?"
Dad's response came without hesitation, his voice carrying a finality that left no room for argument. "If their wolves are truly incompatible, then forcing them to remain bonded serves no purpose beyond making everyone miserable. They should proceed with the separation as quickly as possible and move forward with their lives."
His blunt support seemed to hit Moira like a physical blow. She lifted her tear-stained face from her hands and turned toward Dad with an expression of desperate pleading. "Alpha, please."
She began, and then to my horror, she started to slide from the sofa toward the floor as though preparing to kneel before him. "I know I made mistakes. I know I was wrong about so many things. But please give me and Edwin another chance. Please don't let this family be torn apart. I'm begging you—"
Clara and Ryan both lunged forward simultaneously to catch Moira before she could complete the humiliating gesture of kneeling, their hands grasping her arms and pulling her back onto the sofa.
Edwin's voice cut through the chaos with sharp precision. "This has nothing to do with Sebastian!" His usual calm had finally cracked, revealing the anger and frustration that had been building beneath the surface. "I'm the one who wants to sever the mate bond! My decision has nothing to do with what my brother thinks or wants! And need I remind you, Moira, that you agreed we would part amicably? Those were your exact words when we discussed this privately!"
Moira's sobs intensified, but she didn't attempt to respond to Edwin's accusation, instead simply covering her face with her hands again as her whole body shook.
Grandfather let out a long, heavy sigh that seemed to carry the weight of decades. "If you've both truly made this decision and you're certain it's what you want, then I won't stand in your way."
He continued, his voice carrying resignation and disappointment in equal measure. "But I don't want this situation becoming public spectacle. Whatever happens between you two, keep it private and dignified. The Sterling name doesn't need to be dragged through gossip and speculation."
Edwin nodded sharply. "That's already part of our plan. We won't make any public announcements about the separation immediately. Moira will move out under the pretense of pursuing advanced professional training in another city. We'll maintain the appearance of a normal marriage for the next few years, and then when enough time has passed, we'll quietly announce that we've decided to part ways. By then, it won't be shocking news, just a sad but understandable development."
The explanation seemed to satisfy Grandfather enough that he settled back in his chair.
The tension in the room had just begun to ease slightly when Damian cleared his throat and gestured toward Ryan and Aurora, who had both risen from their seats as though preparing to leave. "Ryan, Aurora, wait a moment. There's something else that needs to be addressed while we're all gathered here."
Everyone turned to look at him with varying expressions of curiosity and concern, clearly wondering what other dramatic announcement could possibly follow Edwin's bombshell about his impending separation.
His gaze settled on Aurora with an intensity that made her visibly stiffen. "Aurora has been living in our household for several years now. During that time, we've treated her as though she were our own family, providing her with everything she needed and more. But the fact remains that she isn't actually a member of this family by blood or by bond."
"She's eighteen years old now, and she's been accepted to an excellent university. Given her age and her new circumstances, I think it's no longer appropriate for her to continue residing in our home. It's time for her to establish her own independence and create her own life separate from our family."