Chapter 23
Elara's POV
The silence stretched between us like a taut wire. I turned to face Kael, ready to say something—anything to break this weird tension. Maybe "I just couldn't stand listening to her talk" or "Don't read too much into it."
But he spoke first.
"You shouldn't have interfered."
His voice was low, flat. Not grateful. Not embarrassed. Just... cold.
I froze. Wait, what?
"Grey." He said my last name like it left a bad taste in his mouth. "I don't need an Omega defending me. Whatever you said to her only made things worse."
His amber eyes were completely blank—like I was some stranger who'd just caused him an inconvenience.
My chest tightened. Not the asthma kind of tightness. This was different. Sharper.
"So you're saying I should've just stood there?" The words came out harder than I intended. "Watched her humiliate you?"
"This isn't your business."
"Not my business?" My voice went up a notch. I couldn't help it. "Yesterday in the gym, when you stopped Sophia from clawing my face off—was that your business?"
His jaw tightened. Just barely. Like he hadn't expected me to throw that back at him.
"You can stand there and take her shit," I continued, heat rising in my throat. "That's your choice. But don't act like my speaking up was some kind of burden on you."
"I didn't do it because I care about you." The lie tasted bitter on my tongue, but I pushed forward anyway. "I said what I said because she was wrong. That's it."
Kael stared at me. For a second—just a flash—something complicated crossed his face. But then it was gone, buried under that infuriating mask of indifference.
"You don't understand the situation."
I laughed. Actually laughed. It sounded harsh even to my own ears.
"You're right. I don't." I took a step closer, ignoring the way my legs were still shaky from the run. "I don't understand why you let her talk to you like that. Why you'd rather be called a monster than defend yourself."
My voice dropped, turned cold. "But I know one thing—you're acting more Omega than I ever have."
The air shifted.
Kael's eyes went sharp. Dangerous. That Alpha pressure slammed into me like a physical force—heavy, suffocating, demanding submission.
My body wanted to fold. Every instinct in this weak frame screamed at me to lower my eyes, bare my throat, apologize.
But I'd been the world's strongest Alpha. I'd stared down Alphas twice his size without flinching.
So I bit down hard on the inside of my cheek and met his gaze head-on.
"What?" I said quietly. "Did I hit a nerve?"
Kael stepped forward. Close enough that I could see the muscle ticking in his jaw.
"Watch yourself." His voice was barely above a whisper, but it carried a lethal edge. "You're in no position to lecture me about anything."
He leaned down slightly, bringing us almost eye-level. "Remember what you are, Grey. An Omega who can't even shift. So maybe keep your opinions to yourself."
The words hit like a knife to the gut. Precise. Cruel.
But instead of backing down, I smiled. Not a nice smile.
"Thanks for the reminder," I said, voice dripping with sarcasm. "Yeah, I'm a useless Omega. But at least I'm not hiding behind some bullshit mask, letting people walk all over me."
I tilted my head, holding his stare. "And you? You call yourself an Alpha? You're just a coward in expensive clothes."
The space between us crackled. I could feel the fury radiating off him in waves. His hands were clenched at his sides, knuckles white.
For a second, I thought he might actually lose it.
But I didn't care. The anger burning in my chest felt good. Clean. Better than the weird guilt and confusion I'd been drowning in since last night.
I turned on my heel.
"I take it back," I said over my shoulder. "You're worse than an Omega. At least we know what we want."
I started walking. Fast. My legs protested, but I ignored them.
"Grey."
His voice stopped me in my tracks. I didn't turn around.
"Don't follow me again." Each word was deliberate, controlled. "And if you interfere in my life one more time, I won't hold back."
A cold laugh escaped me.
"Don't worry," I called back without looking. "I'm not interested in guys who can't figure out what the hell they want."
Then I walked away. Faster this time. Out of the narrow street behind the art building, through the park gates, onto the main road.
I didn't look back.
---
By the time I reached the edge of the park, my chest was heaving.
The combination of anger and exertion was pushing me dangerously close to an asthma attack. My lungs felt tight, constricted. Each breath came shorter than the last.
Dammit.
I leaned against a tree trunk, forcing myself to slow down. Inhale for five seconds. Hold for three. Exhale for seven.
The technique worked. Slowly. My heartbeat started to even out, the tightness in my chest easing just enough to breathe normally.
But the frustration didn't fade.
What the hell was wrong with me?
In my past life, I never got angry over someone being cold. I never expected warmth. Gratitude was a foreign concept in the pack hierarchy—you did what you had to do to survive, and if someone didn't appreciate it, so what?
But just now... I'd actually been hurt by Kael's reaction.
I pressed my palm against my sternum, feeling the residual ache there.
Maybe it was this body. Elara's emotions bleeding into mine. Or maybe it was the Grey family's kindness softening me, making me forget what it meant to be alone.
Either way, it was dangerous.
I couldn't afford to care. Not about Kael. Not about anyone outside my family.
I pushed off the tree and started walking again, slower this time.
Focus, Elara.
Today at noon, there's the lunch meeting with the Goldmans. Uncle Derrick hadn't contacted the family in years, and now suddenly he wants to "discuss something important"?
That was the real priority. Not some frustrating Alpha with mommy issues.
I needed to prepare. Figure out what Derrick wanted, what leverage he might try to use, and how to protect my family if things went south.
The anger in my chest gradually cooled, replaced by the familiar clarity of strategic thinking.
By the time I reached the main road, my breathing was steady. My mind was clear.
Kael Harrington could go to hell for all I cared.
I had more important things to deal with.