Elara Thorne POV:
The stranger’s stormy grey eyes searched my face for a long moment, a silent assessment that made the fine hairs on my arms stand up. He didn’t press the issue. Instead, he gave a curt nod, his expression unreadable.
“Be careful of them,” he said, his deep voice a low rumble. Then, as silently as he arrived, he turned, vaulted back through the open window, and melted into the night.
The second he was gone, I flew to the door, slamming the bolt home. I leaned against the wood, my heart hammering against my ribs. I stalked to the mirror, my reflection a stranger. The amethyst-violet eyes staring back were no longer clouded with uncertainty; they were sharp, clear, and filled with a chilling coldness I didn't recognize.
*His scent is clean,* my wolf murmured in my mind, a stark contrast to her earlier fury. *Not like the traitor’s.*
“Quiet,” I commanded her, my own voice a harsh whisper in the silent room. “This is not the time.”
I knelt, my fingers finding the loose floorboard beneath my bed. From the hidden compartment, I retrieved a sleek, black satellite phone, a relic from my life before—my life as ‘Summer,’ a phantom in the world of high finance.
My fingers flew across the keypad, dialing a heavily encrypted number. It rang once before a crisp, professional female voice answered. “Summer? You’ve been dark for three years.”
“Nina,” I said, my voice hoarse. “I need you to run a check for me.” I gave her the details, asking her to track every asset, every transaction, every single dollar tied to the name Elara Thorne.
A sharp knock on my door made me jump. It was my adoptive mother, Eleonora. I shoved the phone back into its hiding place and instantly reassembled my mask of fragility.
I shuffled toward the door, deliberately letting my foot catch on the edge of the rug. I went down with a soft cry, my body hitting the floor in a clumsy heap.
The door opened before I could get up. Eleonora stood there, her perfectly coiffed blonde hair not moving a single inch. Her blue eyes held no concern, only a familiar, weary annoyance. “Get up, Elara. Zane and Lyra are here to see you.”
A cold, humorless smile touched my lips, one she couldn't see as I pushed myself up. Of course they were. They needed to know how much the blind girl had ‘heard’.
They appeared behind her a moment later. Lyra rushed forward, her face a picture of false sympathy. “Oh, you poor thing! Did you fall?” She grabbed my arm to help me up, her fingers digging into my bicep with a sharp, punishing pressure.
I flinched but bit back the cry of pain, letting her think her petty cruelty had gone unnoticed. Her smile widened.
Zane played the part of the concerned mate, his voice smooth as silk. “Elara, about last night… that intruder. What did you hear?”
I let my eyes go wide with fabricated fear, my body trembling. “I don’t know,” I stammered, clinging to the story I’d prepared. “It was dark. I heard a strange man’s voice, and then… then you were all gone. I didn’t see anything.”
The relief that washed over their faces was palpable. They exchanged a quick, smug glance. My act had worked. They believed I was still the same clueless, helpless burden.
“It was just a rogue, my love,” Zane cooed, patting my hand condescendingly. “He’s gone now. Nothing to worry about.” He and Lyra made their excuses and left, their mission accomplished.
I waited until their footsteps faded down the hall. Then, using my newly enhanced hearing, I focused on the sound of their whispers as they rounded the corner.
“She didn’t suspect a thing,” Lyra giggled. “The blind idiot is completely in the dark. Our plan is safe.”
Zane’s voice was low and greedy. “Good. At the Alpha’s birthday party next week, we’ll announce your pregnancy. Marcus will have no choice. He’ll have to transfer Elara’s inheritance to you. No one wants an heir from a wolf-less cripple.”
My fists clenched, my nails digging so deep into my palms that I felt the sting of breaking skin. The Alpha’s birthday party. That was their deadline. That was my deadline.
My satellite phone buzzed. A message from Nina. It was a preliminary report. My breath hitched. Zane hadn’t been waiting for my trust to mature. He’d already started. Over the past year, using a forged signature, he had systematically transferred nearly a third of my timberland holdings into entities controlled by his family.
A wave of pure, unadulterated rage washed over me. The water glass on my nightstand vibrated and then cracked, a thin line spiderwebbing across its surface from the sheer force of my contained fury.
I took a deep, shuddering breath, forcing the white-hot anger down. I couldn't do this alone. I needed an ally. A powerful one. Someone who played by their own rules.
My thoughts immediately went to the stranger from last night.
I didn’t know who he was or where he came from. But my wolf did. *I can smell him,* she whispered, a low thrum of interest in her tone. *On the edge of the territory. In the forest.*
I moved with purpose, pulling on durable leggings and a dark tunic. I grabbed the white cane I hadn’t needed for years, a perfect prop for my escape.
Slipping past the staff was easy. They were used to ignoring me. I used a servant’s passage and a side door I knew was rarely guarded, emerging into the crisp morning air.
Once I was under the cover of the trees, I tossed the cane aside. I closed my eyes, letting my senses guide me, following that intoxicating scent of snow and pine. I ran, my feet barely touching the ground, the forest a blur of green and brown around me.
The trail led me to a series of rocky outcrops, and there, nestled amongst them, was a small, hidden cave. The scent was strongest here.
I stopped at the mouth of the cave, my heart pounding a steady, determined rhythm. I didn't need to see him to know he was inside.
“I know you’re in there,” I called out, my voice clear and steady. “I’m here to talk about a deal.”
