Chapter 5 Forsaken Bonds: The Sinclair Legacy

They had made their decision five years ago. They chose to believe Winona Sinclair’s lies, to trust her accusations, and to abandon Tessa. If that was their choice, then Tessa had nothing to do with them anymore. “Tessa, how dare you say such things? Do you have any idea how disgraceful your actions were? You’ve humiliated the entire Sinclair family and the Frostmoon Pack in Navoris! And you still show no remorse?” Lila’s words were sharp and unforgiving. Tessa’s disappointment ran deep. As her mother, Lila had never believed her—not once. “Since your disgrace of a daughter has already been cast out of the Sinclair family and Frostmoon Pack, my life and death have nothing to do with you anymore. Don’t come looking for me, and stop meddling in my affairs.” Tessa’s voice was cold as she turned away to collect her bag from the classroom and leave. Lila watched her go, her frustration growing. Can I really leave her be? No matter what, she is still my daughter—my blood runs in her veins. And with Walter Sinclair, the former Frostmoon Pack alpha and Tessa’s grandfather, set to return, things would only get more complicated. Walter adored Tessa. If he found out they had abandoned her in Falindale, there was no telling how he’d react. “Alpha, Tessa has been expelled from school,” Nathaniel reported to Landon. “Also, she’s the youngest daughter of the Sinclair family from Navoris—the one they abandoned here in Falindale.” “The sister of Cedric Sinclair, Frostmoon Pack’s alpha?” Landon asked. While the Frostmoon Pack wasn’t particularly large, Cedric was a known figure in Navoris. “Yes, that’s her. She used to be quite infamous in Navoris. There were rumors that she eloped with a Rogue at just twelve years old—and even had an abortion.” “Rumors? And you believed them?” Landon’s voice was sharp. What kind of Rogue could convince someone like Tessa to elope and have a child at twelve? It didn’t add up. Nathaniel scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. “Well, it was her sister Winona who spread the story.” “Winona?” Landon tried to recall but found the name unremarkable. “Alpha, this is a family matter. Are you planning to get involved?” “Tessa intrigues me,” Landon replied thoughtfully. “Bring her in. We might find her useful later.” “Wait, Alpha—are you planning to have her work for Thorne Corp?” Nathaniel was stunned. Thorne Corp was the powerhouse of Montedra, responsible for half the continent’s werewolf GDP. Talented werewolves had to pass rigorous tests just to get a chance to work there. And now the alpha wanted to bring in an unawakened teenager? “Got a problem with that?” Landon’s gaze sharpened. Nathaniel quickly shook his head. “Nope, not at all. Whatever you say, Alpha.” That evening, Lila was at her wit’s end. She hadn’t even managed to meet Mr. Caldwell, let alone resolve the situation with Tessa. She considered washing her hands of the matter entirely, abandoning Tessa to her fate, when Walter Sinclair reached out through Mind Link. “No matter what, bring Tessa back. If you don’t, you won’t need to come back either,” Walter commanded sternly. “Dad, bring Tessa back? You know what happened five years ago…” But before she could finish, Walter ended the link. Lila clenched her fists in frustration. Everyone in Navoris is just waiting to see me fail. If I bring Tessa back, the rumors will only get worse. Her train of thought was interrupted when Cedric arrived unexpectedly. “Aren’t you supposed to be on a business trip in Celandria? What are you doing here?” Lila asked. “I came personally to bring Tessa back,” Cedric replied curtly. “Cedric, you know her reputation in Navoris. If we bring her back, the Sinclair family won’t be able to recover from the disgrace.” “The truth of what happened five years ago has never been clear,” Cedric said firmly. “We chose to believe one side of the story, but I’ve never truly thought Tessa did anything to bring shame to the Sinclair family or Frostmoon Pack. At the time, I was worried about her mental state in Navoris, so I thought sending her away would help. But now, it’s time for her to come back. She needs to prepare for university.” Seeing Cedric’s determination, Lila could only relent, though her distaste for Tessa remained. “She won’t agree to go with you. You know how stubborn she is,” Lila said bitterly. “I’ll handle it. You can leave now,” Cedric said, cutting the conversation short. Tessa never expected to see Cedric in Falindale. What’s he doing here? Still, it didn’t matter. The Sinclair family had nothing to do with her anymore. They had chosen Winona over her, and that was that. As Tessa tried to walk past him, Cedric grabbed her wrist.