“And so exploring the concept of a free will, what does that look like with a mating bond? What does that mean? Does nature get it wrong sometimes? Does it get it right sometimes? As a writer, I like to find things that make me interested.”
SJM's response to the mating bond rejection reinforces what we've been saying all along: there is a choice when it comes to the bond. It's not something you blindly accept, and Elain's POV (since it looks like future books will feature multiple POVs) will focus on her navigating the instinctive pull of the bond and her own resistance—questioning whether her feelings are truly her own or driven by the bond—unlike her sisters, who fell in love with their mates before the bond was revealed to them.
Aside from the possible multiple POVs going forward, nothing's really changed where Elucien is concerned.