Elara POV
The next morning, the storm had passed, leaving the air smelling of wet earth and crushed pine needles.
My mother walked into my bedroom, carrying a small porcelain jar.
She sat on the edge of my bed and gently lifted my injured feet onto her lap.
She opened the jar, and the sharp, minty scent of Moon-herb filled the room.
“Will you be canceling the Marking ceremony?” she asked softly, her fingers working the cool, Goddess-blessed salve into my cuts.
“Yes,” I answered without hesitation, staring blankly at the wall.
My mother sighed, a sound full of regret and quiet fury.
“I misjudged the boy,” she murmured, her eyes flashing with the golden light of her wolf. “I had believed his lineage held more substance. I was wrong.”
She wrapped my feet in soft white bandages.
“Move back to the new villa,” she suggested, looking up at me.
“The one our pack funded and built on the border for your future role as Luna. Do not let our territory become a playground for outsiders.”
I nodded slowly. “I will go there today.”
A tightness constricted my chest at the thought of that house. I had spent weeks weaving our scents into the very fabric of the place—his winter pine into the damask curtains, my night-blooming jasmine into the velvet upholstery. It was a disquieting thought, that a space so meticulously prepared for a shared future could now feel so alien.
Later that night, the clock on my wall ticked past one in the morning.
I was staring at the ceiling when a violent pressure slammed into my skull.
Kael was forcing a Mind-Link, pushing past my mental barriers with sheer Alpha dominance.
Elara, answer me, his voice boomed in my head, heavy with irritation.
What do you want, Kael? I hissed back, rubbing my temples.
Your temper tantrums are upsetting my wolf, he complained. He feels your distance.
I squeezed my eyes shut, disgusted by his lack of self-awareness.
Selene is running a high fever, Kael continued, his tone shifting to one of demand.
She is terrified. I need you to come to the villa tomorrow morning. Use your high-rank scent to soothe her. It will calm her nerves.
I sat up in bed, my knuckles turning white as I gripped the blankets.
You want me, I started, making sure every mental word was laced with venom, to use my aura to comfort an Omega who is actively trying to seduce my Alpha?
She is not trying to seduce me! Kael roared in my mind. “My father swore on our pack's honor she is nothing more than the orphaned daughter of an old ally! She is sick and alone! There was a time you possessed compassion, Elara. Why must you be so petty?”
A cold, heavy weight settled in the pit of my stomach, solid as a block of iron.
I didn't say another word.
I gathered every ounce of mental strength I possessed and built a wall of pure titanium in my mind, violently shoving his presence out.
The mental tear left me dizzy, but the silence that followed was worth the pain.
When the sun rose, I summoned my driver and directed him toward the border where the new Luna villa stood.
I only intended to grab a few personal items, things that held sentimental value to my family.
I unlocked the heavy oak door and stepped into the foyer.
Instantly, my nose was assaulted by a sickeningly sweet smell.
It was the scent of green tea, spiked with the artificial distress of an Omega.
I looked down at the entrance mat.
A pair of cheap, wet sneakers were kicked off carelessly next to my custom-made slippers.
I walked further into the house, my footsteps silent on the hardwood floor.
In the open-plan living room, Selene was sitting on my favorite velvet armchair.
She was wearing my pure silk pajamas.
The fabric hung loosely on her small frame, the delicate lace dragging against the cushions.
She was holding a ceramic mug that my father had bought for me in Europe.
And then, Kael walked out of the kitchen.
He was wearing an apron over his casual clothes, carrying a plate of warm pastries.
He stopped when he saw me, his eyes widening slightly.
He was standing in my house, serving another woman in my clothes, letting her low-rank scent completely suffocate my territory.
And the most damnable part was the utter absence of shame in his eyes.
