[Elara's POV]
"I'm busy," I replied, my voice pure ice. "If your mother needs to see the shaman, you and your brother can take her."
Without waiting for her inevitable shriek, I severed the connection and, with a decisive flick of my thumb, dragged her number to my block list.
Then, I focused my mind, feeling for the psychic threads of the mind-link that connected me to the core members of the Blackwood Pack. I located the faint, buzzing line that was Giselle and, without a shred of hesitation, tore her psychic line free.
A faint, distant cry of "Ahhh—" echoed in the back of my mind.
The snap sent a brief, sharp pain through my own head, but it subsided just as quickly.
For three years, every time Kaelen's mother, Adelina, had an appointment at the Temple, I was the one who accompanied her. I secured appointments with the most sought-after shamans, ran her errands, and handled every tedious detail.
But in their eyes, my efforts were not a kindness; they were my duty.
"Who was that?" Liana asked from the other end of the crystal.
"Kaelen's sister. It's nothing."
Half an hour later, however, Kaelen's mind-link tore into my consciousness.
"Elara! You will get to the Temple right now! If anything happens to my mother's eyes, I will never forgive you!" His rage was like a thunderclap inside my skull.
My brow furrowed.
In the end, I decided to go.
The one-month Full Moon Cooling-Off period wasn't over yet. Legally, we were still mates. I didn't want any unnecessary complications.
When I arrived at the Temple, the first thing I saw was the mortifying spectacle of the three Blackwoods.
They were being barred from entry to Shaman Fara's chambers, a small crowd of other wolves gathering to watch, whispering and pointing.
The moment Giselle saw me, she pounced like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.
"Elara! Did you sever my mind-link? I couldn't reach you!" she demanded, her voice shrill with fury.
"Yes, I did," I admitted calmly.
"How dare you!" Giselle shrieked.
The humiliation was fresh. Moments ago, she had swaggered up to the chambers with her mother, only to be stopped by an acolyte for not having an appointment. As the crowd snickered, she had frantically tried to command me through the mind-link, only to find the connection dead.
The shame was unbearable.
"Why wouldn't I dare?" I asked, my tone glacial. "Are you some dignitary that requires my 24/7 attention?"
Giselle was choked silent.
Kaelen strode forward, placing himself between me and his sister.
"Whatever issues we have are between us," his voice was thick with blame. "You shouldn't have used my mother's condition to make a point."
"Make what point?" The absurdity was almost laughable.
"You've always been the one to bring her. To suddenly stop today—what is that if not deliberate?" Kaelen pressed.
"So you do remember that I was always the one to bring her?" I shot back. "She raised you and your sister, not me! The ones who should be by her side are you two! Me bringing her was a kindness, not an obligation!"
"Fine! Even if you refuse to help now, why can't my mother be seen? Did you have something to do with this?" Kaelen demanded, his voice turning vicious.
"Shaman Fara is a recluse. Her time is invaluable. She only grants a handful of audiences a week, and they must be booked months in advance. You can't just show up and demand to be seen," I explained.
"Then how did you always get an appointment?" Kaelen grilled me.
"What do you think?" I countered.
Kaelen fell silent.
I knew what he was thinking. He assumed I'd used some back-channel connection to secure the spots. The truth was, Shaman Fara had always reserved a spot for me.
But I had no intention of explaining that to him.
"Your mother's old injury is stable. If you can't see Shaman Fara, the other healers at the Temple are more than capable," I said.
That was the last straw for Adelina.
She lunged at me like a storm wind, her finger jabbing at my face. "Send me to those common healers? You're trying to kill me! You want my old wounds to fester so I die in agony!"
With a shriek, she raised her hand to slap me.
My eyes hardened. I sidestepped the attack with ease.
But Adelina was relentless, lunging again.
The commotion outside finally drew the attention of the one within.
The door opened, and an elderly woman in a simple linen robe, her hair a cascade of pure silver, stepped out. It was Shaman Fara.
"What is all this noise… Elara?" Shaman Fara's clouded eyes lit with a flicker of warmth when she saw me.
"Shaman Fara—" Before I could finish, Adelina cut me off.
Her face instantly transformed into a mask of tearful victimhood as she pointed an accusing finger at me. "Shaman Fara, you must help me! This woman is vicious! She tried to stop me from seeing you, telling me to go to those common healers! Thank the Goddess, my son will be ending his bond with her soon!"
She shot me a triumphant, gloating look, as if announcing her victory.
"He's going to marry a woman truly worthy of him! The War Master of the Stormcliff Pack!"
Kaelen looked deeply uncomfortable, tugging at his mother's sleeve. "Mother, I've told you, Seraphina and I are just allies."
"Allies? Don't be ridiculous! You've only ever had eyes for her! Seraphina has a noble bloodline, immense power. What is this Elara? A lone wolf from a fallen clan. How could she possibly compare!" Adelina pressed on, her voice dripping with disdain.
Shaman Fara listened silently, the warmth in her face slowly fading, replaced by a cold hardness.
Her sharp gaze swept over the three Blackwoods. Then, in front of the entire crowd, she spoke.
"It seems, from now on, you will have to find another healer."
"What?" The three of them froze, stunned.
"The only reason I ever agreed to treat you," Shaman Fara's voice was not loud, but it carried down the entire corridor, "was out of respect for Elara. Out of respect for her parents, the heroes who sacrificed their lives for every wolf on this continent."
A collective gasp rippled through the onlookers.
"And now, you dare to humiliate their daughter in my very hall." Fara's gaze was now as sharp and cold as ice. "From now on, you will wait in line and pray for an appointment like everyone else."
The words were a lightning strike, crashing down on Kaelen, Adelina, and Giselle.
The three of them stood there, rooted to the spot, the blood draining from their faces.
The curious gazes of the crowd had now turned to open mockery and contempt.
They had been utterly disgraced.
Shaman Fara ignored them, signaling for the Temple acolytes to block their path. She turned to me, her voice softening. "Elara, come inside with me."
I followed her into the quiet solitude of her chambers.
"Child, what is this? You're dissolving the bond?" Fara asked, her voice laced with concern.
"Yes," I nodded.
Fara didn't press, merely sighing. "It's for the best. That family… they are not worthy of you. Our Elara deserves better. Your parents would never have wanted to see you treated with such disrespect. You are their greatest pride."
At the mention of my parents, my eyes instantly welled with tears.
"I heard you brought their Spirit Stones back. Have you laid them to rest?" she asked.
I shook my head. "I'm waiting until the bond is officially severed. Then I will take their stones back to our clan lands for the final rites."
Shaman Fara nodded. "Let me know when you are leaving. I wish to pay my respects."
"I will," I choked out.
Just over three weeks. Once the Full Moon Cooling-Off period was over, I would take my parents' Spirit Stones and leave this place for good.
Leave this place that had broken my heart.