While Dawn and Daryn knew this was coming, Gayle narrowed his eyes. "Caleb, Pia is going to get banished from the clan. Unmarking her would mean that she would be completely disowned by all. Even her family members won't be able to accept. Besides for unmarking, we need rings of both the groom and his bride, which will be given to the Shaman and he will burn them in the fires of Goddess Skadi's temple. That's the only way that werewolf couples who aren't the mates, can be unmarked."

"I know…" Caleb replied.

​​

"Pia isn't here. How do you think this thing is going to work out?" asked Gayle. For some reason Pia had decided to stay away from the meeting. And Gayle now understood why. "Did you— does she— does she know that you wanted to unmark her?" By being absent from the meeting, she would lengthen the life of her marriage.

Usually after the couples decided to be separated, the council would convene after a month's notice, giving the couples time to sort out their problems. However, now Gayle understood that since the council was already coming for the meeting, Caleb took the chance and announced that he wanted to unmark Pia. No wonder Pia was absent.

"Of course she knows," Caleb shrugged. "She isn't here because she knew that I would announce it in the meeting." He looked at the Shaman. "But I don't care." He removed his wedding ring and got up to give it to him. "I have no intention of being married to a woman who is now an outcast. It wouldn't look good on the Silver family. Apart from that I do not wish to live with her for a moment more. So kindly burn that ring for me in Skadi's temple. As for her, you can always find her and seize her ring. I am done with her."

There was so much detest in Caleb's eyes for her that none of the Lunar Council members had the heart to say anything to him. All the werewolves in the room sensed his misery. The Shaman lowered his head and then said, "It is fine Caleb. We will find her and get the ring." Then he looked up to gaze at him. "But you must know that until even her ring is not burnt, you can't unmark her and you can't remarry."

"At least I am free…" he muttered. "I know," he said aloud.

Shaman nodded. "Okay then. In that case we will conclude the meeting. We will be going to Pia's house to seize the ring."

"Thank you for coming," said Gayle as he rose to his feet. He felt how much lighter the atmosphere was now.

The Lunar Council members left soon after.

Dawn went back to her room. She needed a lot of rest, both physical and mental. She left Daryn with Caleb for some brotherly talk in which she didn't want to intervene.

"I am sorry for how the events turned out," said Daryn as soon as only the two were left in the room. There was guilt on his face. "I didn't know that Pia—"

"Daryn," said Caleb. "Don't feel guilty. I— I have been putting up with her schemes for a long time now. The person who has to be sorry is I and not you. The amount of distress Pia and I have given both you and Dawn ever since you've married is immeasurable. I won't lie by saying that I was driven by my lust to get the Silver crown on my head, but it was Pia who fueled my desire by constantly planning something evil. When I came to know that Pia was pregnant—" he laughed a little at his misery, "I was the happiest person on earth. The feeling that I would become a father was so beautiful that I can't tell you. I would talk to my unborn child at night and thank Pia profusely for the gift she had given me. It was a blissful feeling." His voice became hoarse. "I ignored how you must have felt about your child. I was so consumed with my desires to fulfill all the wishes of Pia…"

"It's fine brother…" said Daryn hoping to console Caleb.

"No Daryn, it isn't fine. When I came to know that Pia had faked her pregnancy and that she had done it only to mentally stress Dawn so that she miscarries… that feeling—I was mortified, traumatized. I can't even think how you must have felt for your wife, for your baby. And Dawn—she is about to become a mother. How she must have felt? Time and again Pia had come up with one or the other plan to throw her out of the house." Caleb brought his hand to hide his face. He rubbed it and said, "I was being a part of a horrible conspiracy to get rid of your child Daryn." Tears stung in his throat. "There is no redemption, but I want to distance myself from all of you. I had become a monster. I just want to go back to my old ways, old feelings." He couldn't tell Daryn that Pia lusted after him. It was so hateful, so disgusting that he shook his head.

Daryn was simply speechless. He had been very patient with his brother. However, over the last few months because of the way he had treated Dawn and him, he had stopped talking to him. But now… He found his voice somehow and said, "Caleb, you don't have to dwell in the past. None of us can change it. Please don't be sorry. We are a family at the end of the day. Focus on the business and you will soon forget her."

"Do you think that is possible?" asked Caleb. "I want to purge her out of my system." He took a deep breath. "I have decided to go on a long vacation from here. I don't want to look after the business or the family. I want to be me. I have to discover myself." He fisted his hair and said, "I am leaving Bainsburgh, this country for some time. I have no idea when I will return because I have taken a one-way ticket, but I won't be returning soon…"

"What?" Daryn asked with shock as his eyes became wide. "Where are you going?" His brother really wanted to unwind.

"Yorkshire. That's one of the places where I have never visited with Pia."

"But that's where—"

"Dawn was?" he chuckled. "Yes I know."

Daryn smiled seeing a genuine smile from his brother. He offered him excitedly, "Dawn has a small cottage there which is on the brink of a meadow. She said that it was one of the most beautiful vistas you can ever experience from there. Why don't you go there? It's going to be very quaint but you will experience the life of a small quiet town, nothing big. Like no discos or giant eateries—small places, less folks and even less human interaction."

Caleb relaxed back on the sofa. He put his arms behind his head and said, "Give me the keys of that place. I would love to go there!"

"When are you leaving?" asked Daryn.

"In a few hours!"