Severed Ties

Lumina POV

The moment my father hits the floor with that sickening thud, my mind races in terror. My mother pushes her chair back, demanding we leave right now. Her urgent command jolts me from my frozen stance. I spin around and sprint up the stairs to my room, taking the steps two at a time.

I drag my large duffle bag from the cramped closet. My hands shake so hard I can barely work the zipper. I throw clothes, shoes, and anything else I can carry into the open bag. Hot tears blur my vision as I look around this familiar space. This room securely holds years of precious memories, remnants of a deep love I once foolishly thought was unbreakable. The harsh reality of how wrong I was settles heavy in my chest.

I step over to my nightstand, pulling the thick, framed pictures of Harper and me from the wooden surface. I carefully shove the photos into the side pockets of the canvas bag. We were supposed to be sisters. I pray she won't harbor dark hatred for me due to leaving so abruptly, but the bitter truth is that they took our sisterly bond from me, too.

"Better get a real move on, Lumi."

Declan steps quietly into the room. He crosses the floor in two long strides and pulls me into a fierce, protective hug. His familiar strength anchors me.

"We need to put some untraceable distance between us and the pack borders. Don't ever shed your tears over those two selfish cowards. They don't deserve a single drop. Now, Mom's waiting for us downstairs. She has one more crucial thing to do before we leave this raging mess behind us for good."

Trembling, I pull away from him. I follow Declan down the wooden stairs. My mother sits perfectly still at the dining table. Her cold stare drills down at the unconscious form of my father, Voss. My heart squeezes in my chest like it is caught in a vice. The horrifying realization of what she is about to do to her own fated mate crashes over me in waves.

Tears slide rapidly down my cheeks. I step forward, reaching out a hand, and attempt to stop her madness.

"Mom, please wait."

She holds up a steady hand, cutting me off before I can take another step.

"Don't you dare even try, Lumina Skye. None of this disaster is your fault. Voss made his deliberate choice. I refuse to stay bound with a man that doesn't protect his own family."

Taking a massive, deep breath, she squares her shoulders. My chest tightens with breathless tension. She finally speaks the ancient, devastating words I never thought I would hear her say.

"I, Helena Joy Vance, formally reject and permanently break all sacred bonds with Voss Alaric Vance."

The exact second the words leave her lips, a visceral snap echoes throughout the silent room. Her legs give out from underneath her. The sheer, unparalleled physical and spiritual pain of severing a finalized fated bond takes over, but Declan’s lightning reflexes catch her securely before her knees hit the hardwood floor.

A loud, horrific groan of sheer agony rips through the air. Even knocked out by the heavy dose of wolfsbane, Voss thrashes wildly. His large hand instinctively flies upward, clutching his chest directly over his heart where the severed bond once thrived.

Declan hoists our heavily struggling, panting mother higher against his side, his expression masked in grim determination.

"Mom only used enough poison to temporarily incapacitate him. She wants him to wake up and live with the excruciating aftermath of what he's done today."

He carefully helps our mother out the back door. We walk quickly into the cool air, and he secures her frail form into the passenger seat of his car. Declan turns his intense gaze directly to me.

"Lumi, I need you to get in the back seat, lay flat on the floorboards, and keep your head down until we are out of the pack territory. The border guards have been given strict, explicit orders to ensure you don't leave under any circumstances. They are instructed to take you directly to the Alpha if you even try."

Heavy, suffocating guilt rises like bile in my throat at the brutal chaos I have caused my loved ones. He spots the regret in my eyes. He leans closer, his eyes blazing with fierce loyalty.

"Staying in this hell is not a viable option for us. Where you go, we go without question."

Overwhelmed with immense gratitude, I lean up and softly kiss his rough cheek. I open the heavy car door and smoothly slide into the confined back seat. My mother reaches her shaking hand back toward the rear. I tightly grip her perspiring fingers as Declan starts the roaring engine.

The car cautiously approaches the heavily fortified boundary of the Obsidian Thorn territory. My lungs burn in the cramped space as I hold my breath. Gravel crunches loudly under the thick tires. An imposing armed guard steps out into the bright headlights and halts our vehicle. Declan rolls down the driver's side window. His voice remains solid, betraying zero fear.

"Hey man, where are you off to?" the guard asks gruffly.

"Dad set me up on urgent business to visit some of the neighboring allied packs. Figured I would take the extra time to see if I can finally find my fated mate while I am at it."

The desperate, flawless lie works. The guard nods, waving his hand toward the security booth. The loud, mechanical sound of the heavy iron gate slowly sliding open sends my frantic heart racing into terrifying overdrive.

As the car lurches forward and we clear the gates, I chance one last look at the pack that was meant to be our home—a place I now just want to forget.