Chapter 2 Mate Bond Severance

Aeris' POV

By the time I got home, Caius was already there.

The instant I saw him, my mind went blank for several minutes because it had been far too long since I last laid eyes on him.

He wore a black dress shirt that was buttoned all the way up. The fabric fitted snugly against his tall, lean frame. His shoulders were broad, and the shirt stretched over his firm muscles. His wavy dark brown hair was cut short. Above his deep-set eyes, his eyebrows were slightly lifted at the ends.

His olive green eyes once held passionate love and adoration for me. Now, they carried nothing but coldness and hatred.

I shook the water from my body. There had been a heavy downpour outside. Rain droplets slid from my clothes and hair onto the carpet.

Caius' gaze grew colder as he questioned me, "Where on earth did you go in such horrible weather?"

I didn't flatter myself into thinking it was a concern. I knew very well that if I hadn't agreed to the bond severance, he wouldn't have bothered to see me at all.

"Would you even care?" I asked softly.

Caius chuckled icily. His reply, like himself, carried no warmth at all.

He replied, "Of course not. I only worry that if you die before our bond is severed, it will complicate things for me."

His cruel words would have hurt the old me, and I would have been unable to hold back tears.

But now, I merely blinked my dry eyes. Nothing came. No tears and no emotion. I no longer held any expectations of him.

I took out a folder from my bag and set it before him. "Here's the mate bond severance agreement. I've already signed it."

Caius froze and stared at me intently, as if shocked by my sudden change. For nearly a year, I had stubbornly refused the bond severance. We had given each other the cold shoulder since then.

After a while, he looked at me with eyes full of doubt and asked, "What do you want?"

"Ten million dollars."

His expression shifted into one of mockery, as if to say, "I knew it."

"I should've guessed. There's no way you'd give up our bond so easily. So it's money you're after? Ten million dollars? Do you think you're worth that much?" he sneered.

Now, his cutting expression really hurt me. He looked at me as though I were nothing but a gold digger. It was as if all the years I showered him with my love had been nothing more than a ploy to extort him at the end.

Were our sweet moments together utterly meaningless? We had once been the closest of mates. During happier times, we had walked hand in hand. I used to lie in his arms and dream about our pup's future.

We once looked forward to a blissful life together while awaiting her birth.

While we were in a terrible position in our relationship now, that didn't erase those memories.

I drew in a deep breath to keep his words from wounding me.

After a while, I finally spoke, "Mr. Everett, as the Alpha of the Darkclaw pack, surely you're worth more than this. Also, as your mate, I have the right to half of your assets. But I'm only asking for ten million dollars now."

I tilted my head and added, "That amount shouldn't mean much to you."

Caius had become the Alpha based on his own abilities, but the Everett family had always been wealthy. They even had franchise businesses in the human world.

But as for me? I had nothing. Not a single cent. Soon, I wouldn't even have my life. I had no choice but to acquire funds for Dad's treatment. After I died, ten million dollars should be enough to sustain him for a while longer.

Caius stepped closer and pinched my chin, forcing me to lift my face to meet his gaze. As he towered over me, I became shrouded completely in his shadow. I felt the pressure from the Alpha's dominance bearing down hard on me.

"What did you just call me?"

I didn't back down like I once would have, tiptoeing on eggshells to appease his temper. The looming threat of death had given me the courage to burn all bridges.

"Mr. Everett," I repeated, lifting my head lightly with a small smile. "If you don't like it, I could also call you my former mate."

Caius went rigid. His piercing eyes locked onto me as though he might lunge forward at any second and tear out my throat.

But I didn't retreat. I stood tall with my back straight.

"Once you sign the agreement, you can leave," I said evenly.

Caius stepped forward and closed our distance, intimidating me with his presence. His gaze was sharp and cold, as if I were a criminal awaiting trial.

"Why should I leave? If I recall, this is my house," he countered.

Yes, it was his house.

I had nothing. Soon, not even life itself.

Suddenly, I laughed. I laughed so hard that my body bent forward as I clutched my stomach. Tears even started to form at the corners of my eyes from how hard I was laughing.

"Yes, Mr. Everett. You're right. The one who should leave is me… Once our mate bond is severed, I'll move out with all my belongings immediately."

Caius looked at me as though I had lost my mind. I swear, in the past year combined, he hadn't looked at me this long.

I lifted my chin, curling my lips into a roguish smile. "Mr. Everett, tomorrow morning at 9:00 am. We'll sever the bond at the Moon Goddess altar. I'm sure you've been waiting a long time for this, haven't you? You will get the freedom you've longed for."