Chapter 80: Tied Together

Hearing those words from Julian felt like watching a blade slide straight through Camilla’s chest.I understood that kind of pain too well. When someone you once trusted turns cold, it doesn’t just hurt it empties you. It leaves nothing behind but a hollow ache that keeps echoing.

Whatever games Camilla had played, her feelings for Julian hadn’t been entirely fake. You don’t spend years beside someone, sharing nights, secrets, routines, without something real taking root. Bonds like that don’t disappear just because someone decides to cut the thread.

And now she stood there alone.

Carrying his child. Rejected in front of everyone. Cast aside by the man whose scent she still carried.

The shame clung to her like smoke. Thick. Suffocating.

Lewis’s voice sliced through the room, calm and flat, like a verdict already decided.

"Since there’s no objection, this matter is settled."

Vivian finally broke.

She’d been holding herself together all this time, but now her restraint cracked. Her jaw tightened, her eyes sharp with disbelief.

"Camilla barely knows Yenik," she said. "There’s no bond between them. And her condition " She stopped herself, fingers curling into her palm. "She isn’t well. I won’t support this."

She couldn’t say it. Not now.

Revealing the child at this moment would only turn Camilla into a bargaining piece. It would make her look desperate. It would stain the child before it even had a chance to breathe freely.

Melissa stepped in, her tone softer, practiced. She knew how to smooth rough waters.

"Vivian, think of it as a temporary measure," she said gently. "You know how our circles work. If this isn’t handled, the whispers will never stop. A quiet marriage now can calm things down. Later, when the noise fades, they can part ways. Cleanly."

Vivian’s control snapped.

"Do you think mates are toys?" she shot back. "She ties herself now, breaks free later and then what? She’s marked forever. Branded as discarded. You call that protection?"

Melissa shifted, uncomfortable, but the truth slipped out anyway.

"After last night... who else would even take her?"

The words hung in the air, ugly but honest.

Camilla hadn’t been herself. But no one would care about that. They would only remember the scene. The chaos. The damage.

Vivian’s eyes flared.

"What did you say?"

Melissa fell silent. No one defended her, but no one denied it either.

Anthony finally spoke, his patience clearly gone.

"Enough," he said. "This is about order. About image. Both sides benefit from closing this properly. The Hudsons won’t mistreat Camilla. We’ll follow tradition. Gifts. Announcements. Everything done right. If you have terms, say them now."

Malcom’s posture shifted immediately.

I saw it in the way his shoulders straightened, the way his eyes sharpened. For him, this was no longer about Camilla. It was about gain.

Her standing was already ruined. No strong pack would touch her now. But the Hudsons? They still carried weight.

He nodded quickly. "We’ll follow custom," he said. "A formal Marriage. Proper ceremony. Who knows feelings can grow with time."

The forced optimism made my stomach twist, but no one challenged him.

Anthony leaned back slightly. "Then state your conditions. Let’s finalize this."

The elders moved aside, voices dropping as negotiations began.

Behind them, Lincy stood frozen.

She’d arrived clinging to Yenik, certain of her place. Now she’d been shoved out without a word.

Her fingers tightened around his arm, and she pulled him away, demanding answers in a sharp whisper as they left the room.

I turned to Grant, curious.

He usually hovered around Lincy, always indulgent. But this time, his attention wasn’t on her.

It was on my mother.

That alone startled me.

Mom looked different today.

She was always graceful, always composed. But now there was something softer about her. A quiet glow. Her eyes were brighter. Her presence lighter. Like someone who’d finally exhaled after holding her breath for years.

She looked younger. Stronger.

My mom had always believed in loyalty.

Once she bonded with someone, she stayed. No matter how empty it became. No matter how much it hurt. Part of me wished she wouldn’t hold on so tightly to something already broken. She deserved more than quiet disappointment.

But that wasn’t my place.

Their bond, tangled and worn thin, wasn’t something I could fix for her.

My throat felt dry, so I walked toward the table and picked up a few pieces of fruit, trying to steady myself.

That was when I saw Camilla.

She was following Julian again, close enough to beg, far enough to be ignored.

Julian stopped. Turned to face her.

His expression was flat. His eyes cold. Whatever warmth he once gave her was gone, stripped away like a scent washed clean by rain.

He looked like someone she’d never known.

The shift was almost unreal.

Just two months ago, everything had been different.

Back then, Julian barely noticed me. His focus was always on Camilla. Even with our bond ceremony approaching, he treated it like a burden. Something forced on him. I wasn’t someone he chose I was something he owed.

He thought I had cornered him. That tying himself to me meant losing his freedom. He wanted one last taste of a life without rules before being bound.

That version of him no longer existed.

I had died once.

His illusion of Camilla had shattered.

And now he stood here, distant and unmoved, ready to bind himself to someone else entirely.

Life had a cruel sense of balance.

The coldness he once used to push me away was now cutting into her.

Camilla’s voice trembled. "Julian... are you really going to bind yourself to that woman?"

"Yes."

One word. No hesitation.

He didn’t even look at her when he continued. "Even if it wasn’t Sera, it would’ve been someone else. You were never the one, Camilla. Stop chasing something that was never real."

Her face collapsed. "Then what about the child?"

Julian’s tone sharpened. "You’ll bind yourself to Yenik. I’m moving forward with Sera. If you keep the child, that’s your choice. If you don’t, I won’t stop you. But don’t expect anything from me."

Her voice cracked. "When did you become like thisJulian?"

"Don’t say my name," he snapped. "It makes me sick. Focus on your life with Yenik. That’s all you have now."

Then he turned away.

As he passed me, he didn’t look down or away. He stared straight at me, bitterness burning in his eyes.

"Is this what you wanted?"

Everyone knew I had played a part in how things unfolded.

I didn’t deny it.

I smiled, just a little. "Yes."

He looked at me like I was a stranger. "You’re heartless. You’re nothing like her."

Then he walked off.

What he didn’t understand was simple.

She was me.

I am Elena.

But the woman who loved him had died with her shattered heart. What remained was someone else. Someone who wanted balance. Someone who wanted things set right.

When Julian disappeared from sight, Camilla turned on me.

She wiped her tears, but her eyes were sharp now. Bitter.

"You," she hissed. "I never hurt you. Why are you doing this to me? Why are you so cruel?"

I laughed. Short. Cold.

"Cruel?"

I met her gaze without blinking.

"Did I force you to trick Yenik into seducing me? Did I make you spike my drink? Did I push you into betraying me?" I shook my head. "No, Camilla. You chose all of that yourself."

She opened her mouth, but I didn’t stop.

"This is the outcome of your choices. You took a risk. You lost. That’s not on me."

Her glare darkened. "Don’t think you’ve won, Riley. Standing beside Sera won’t protect you forever. That woman isn’t as gentle as she pretends to be. One day, she’ll turn on you too."

I crossed my arms, unimpressed.

"And who should I stand with instead?" I asked calmly. "You? The one who tried to destroy me and drive me out of this place?"

I leaned closer, lowering my voice.

"Here’s some advice, Camilla. Don’t cry about losing when you’re the one who dealt the cards. You played dirty and now you’re paying for it."