Unspoken Tensions

(Vivian's POV)

Elizabeth's cold eyes remained fixed on me after her lengthy criticism of my decision to dismiss Martha. The silence stretched between us, heavy and uncomfortable.

"So, Vivian," she finally said, her voice deceptively gentle. "Have you considered what I asked of you earlier?"

I stiffened, my hands clasping tightly in my lap. I knew exactly what she was referring to. For the past six months, Elizabeth had been dropping hints about my mating bond with Sylvan.

"I'm not sure what you mean," I replied, although we both knew I was stalling.

Her perfect eyebrows arched slightly. "Don't play dumb, dear. It doesn't suit you."

She leaned forward, her expensive perfume wafting toward me.

"I've made my position clear from the beginning," Elizabeth continued. "This mating between you and my son was a mistake."

"With Sylvan's return, perhaps it's time to consider what would benefit you both," she suggested, her tone almost sympathetic if you didn't know better. "A severance of the mating bond."

The words hit like physical blows. Despite our strained relationship, the thought of breaking my bond with Sylvan sent a sharp pain through my chest.

"You know that's not a simple process," I said quietly.

Elizabeth waved her hand dismissively. "Nothing worthwhile ever is. But surely you must see that this arrangement isn't working."

She wasn't wrong. Sylvan and I barely spoke. We shared a house but not a life.

"The mating was Elder Margaret's idea," Elizabeth continued. "We all know that. But even she must see by now that it was a mistake."

Phoebe growled in protest inside me. My wolf had always been drawn to Sylvan, even when my human side recognized how poorly matched we were.

"Think about it, Vivian," Elizabeth urged. "You could be free to find someone who truly wants you. And Sylvan could make a more... advantageous match."

The implication stung. In Elizabeth's eyes, I would never be good enough for her son.

"I'll discuss it with him," I finally conceded, even as Phoebe howled her objection.

Elizabeth's lips curled into a satisfied smile. "Excellent. We're having dinner tonight. The Alpha wants to hear about Sylvan's work with Blood Moon."

She rose gracefully, our conversation clearly over. "Be presentable by seven."

After she left, I sat there alone, feeling hollow. The truth was, I had deep feelings for Sylvan. I always had. But those feelings weren't returned.

Maybe Elizabeth was right. Maybe we'd both be better off apart.

I spent the afternoon walking through the gardens of the pack house, trying to calm my racing thoughts. By the time I returned to change for dinner, my resolve had solidified. I would talk to Sylvan about severing our bond.

I chose a simple navy dress that complemented my pale skin and unusual golden eyes. I left my white-blonde hair loose around my shoulders and applied minimal makeup.

Seven o'clock arrived all too quickly. From the top of the grand staircase, I could see Sylvan entering the pack house with his father, Jonathan Thorne.

Sylvan looked striking in a charcoal suit that accentuated his broad shoulders. He was smiling at something his father had said, his face relaxed and open in a way I rarely saw.

Then he looked up and saw me. The smile vanished instantly, his expression shuttering closed like blinds in a storm.

My heart sank, but I descended the stairs with as much dignity as I could muster.

"Alpha, Luna," I greeted Jonathan and Elizabeth with proper respect, before turning to Sylvan. "Hello, Sylvan."

He gave me a curt nod. "Vivian."

"Let's proceed to dinner," Elizabeth announced, leading us to the formal dining room.

The grandeur of the Thorne pack house always impressed me. Crystal chandeliers, ancient tapestries depicting pack history, and furniture that probably cost more than most pack members' homes.

We took our seats at the massive oak table. Jonathan sat at the head, with Elizabeth to his right and Sylvan to his left. I sat beside Sylvan, hyperaware of his presence just inches from me.

"So, son," Jonathan began as servers brought out the first course. "Tell us more about Blood Moon's recent successes."

Sylvan launched into an overview of his organization's achievements. I listened in surprise as he detailed operations I'd never heard of before.

"We've expanded into three more major cities," he explained. "The human authorities remain unaware of our true nature, of course. To them, Blood Moon is just another security firm."

"And the financial returns?" Jonathan asked.

"Substantial," Sylvan replied. "We've tripled our income in the past year alone."

I sat quietly, pushing food around my plate. The conversation continued around me, focusing entirely on Sylvan's accomplishments.

My fingers fidgeted with my napkin as anxiety built inside me. Could I really bring myself to discuss severing our bond with Sylvan?

"Is the food not to your liking, Vivian?" Jonathan suddenly asked, noticing my barely touched plate.

Before I could answer, Sylvan interjected. "She's as picky an eater as that common rabbit she's keeping."

The table fell silent. Elizabeth's eyes narrowed. Jonathan looked confused.

"Rabbit?" he asked.

"Vivian has taken in an injured rabbit," Sylvan explained, his tone mocking. "Apparently, our villa is now a wildlife sanctuary."

I felt heat rise to my cheeks. "It was injured. I'm a healer. That's what I do."

The uncomfortable silence stretched on until Elizabeth smoothly changed the subject to upcoming pack events.

Dinner concluded after what felt like eternity. Jonathan invited Sylvan to join him in the study to discuss pack affairs, leaving me alone with Elizabeth once more.

"I'll be in the drawing room if you need me," Elizabeth said, her meaning clear – don't need me.

Left to my own devices, I wandered to one of the comfortable sitting rooms and sank onto a plush couch. The stress of the day caught up with me, and before I knew it, my eyes had drifted shut.

"Miss Bennett?"

I startled awake to find a young pack servant standing over me. How long had I been asleep?

"I'm sorry to disturb you," he said politely. "But Alpha Thorne and Mr. Sylvan will be occupied for some time. Luna Thorne suggested you might want to rest in your old room."

My old room. Before I mated with Sylvan, I'd lived in the pack house for years after Elder Margaret had arranged for my adoption into the pack following my parents' deaths.

"Thank you," I replied, rising and smoothing my dress. "I think I will."

The room remained exactly as I'd left it three years ago when I moved into the villa with Sylvan. Soft blue walls, a queen-sized bed with a white duvet, and bookshelves filled with medical texts and novels.

I noticed a box of my personal belongings in the corner – childhood mementos I hadn't taken with me. Old photographs of my parents before they were killed. A small stuffed wolf toy that had been my only comfort in the orphanage.

Feeling a sudden urge to reconnect with these pieces of my past, I gathered them into the box. These things belonged with me, not stored away in a room I no longer occupied.

With the box in my arms, I headed downstairs. The Alpha and Sylvan must have finished their discussion because the study door stood open.

Just as I reached the bottom of the staircase, Sylvan emerged from the hallway. His eyes immediately locked on the box in my arms.

"What's that?" he asked, a curious gleam in his eyes.

"Just some of my things," I replied, shifting the box slightly. "From my old room."

His face paled slightly, something flickering in his eyes that I couldn't identify.

"Your things," he repeated, his voice suddenly tense.

"Yes. Childhood keepsakes mostly. I thought I should bring them home."

His jaw tightened. "Home."

The tension between us thickened. I remembered his comment at dinner and couldn't stop myself from saying, "By the way, please don't make that kind of joke about me in front of your parents again."

"What joke?" he asked, his expression hardening.

"About the rabbit. About me being picky."

His lips curled into that familiar mocking smile. "Wasn't that your own words? Did you give birth to the rabbit?"

His sarcastic echo of our morning conversation silenced me. How had we reached this point? Where every interaction became a battlefield?

I clutched the box tighter, unable to find a response that wouldn't escalate the situation further.

"If you're taking your belongings," Sylvan said coldly, "perhaps you should take all of them at once. It would be more efficient."

His words struck a nerve, and my temper flared. "These are just personal items from my childhood. Things that actually belong to me, not to the Thorne pack."

His eyes narrowed dangerously. "Is that how you see yourself? Separate from the pack?"

"That's how you've always made me feel," I shot back before I could stop myself.

We stood there, the truth of our broken relationship laid bare between us.

Looking at him now, it was hard to reconcile this cold man with the one I'd first met. Back then, Sylvan had been outwardly polite, even charming when he wanted to be. It was only after we'd mated that I discovered the coldness that lay beneath the surface.

My wolf had sensed it early on, trying to warn me. But I'd ignored her, believing that our mating would smooth out any rough edges between us.

How wrong I'd been.

"The car is waiting," Sylvan finally said, breaking our standoff. "If you're ready."

I nodded, not trusting myself to speak further.

The ride back to our villa was filled with suffocating silence. I stared out the window, clutching my box of belongings, while Sylvan kept his attention fixed on his phone.