Chapter 89
Elara's POV
The car pulled up to a building I'd never seen before. Old brick. Peeling paint on the window frames. The kind of place that blended into the background of any small town.
Victoria's apartment.
Kael put the car in park. Killed the engine. The sudden silence felt too loud.
I watched Victoria's hand hover over the door handle. She didn't move for a long moment. Just stared at her own fingers like she'd forgotten how they worked.
Then she turned. Looked at Kael.
"Today..." Her voice came out rough. Barely above a whisper. "Thank you."
My eyes went to Kael. He blinked. Like he'd been slapped.
I'd never seen him look surprised before. Not really. But right now his expression was completely unguarded. Raw.
"You're safe," he said. His voice was carefully neutral. "That's what matters."
Victoria's gaze shifted to me. Her eyes were red. Swollen from crying. But there was something else there now. Something that looked almost like resolve.
"Elara." She cleared her throat. "Could you walk me to the door? I'd like to talk to you. Just for a minute."
I felt Kael's attention snap to me. Sharp. Questioning.
"Sure," I said.
I unbuckled my seatbelt. Opened the door. The night air hit my face. Cold. Clean after the stuffiness of the car.
Victoria was already out. Walking toward the building entrance with her arms wrapped around herself.
I followed.
Behind me, I heard Kael shift in his seat. Felt his eyes on my back. Confused. Maybe a little worried.
I didn't look back.
---
Victoria stopped at the building's entrance. Under a flickering overhead light that made everything look sickly yellow.
She leaned against the brick wall. Her hands still clutching her own arms like she was trying to hold herself together.
"I owe Kael so much." The words came out in a rush. Like she'd been holding them in too long. "These past years... I've never been a real mother to him. Never."
Her voice cracked on the last word.
I didn't say anything. Just waited.
"You were right," she continued. Her eyes were fixed on the ground. "Everything you said in that basement. I am a coward. I've been running. From him. From the truth. From all of it."
She looked up. Met my eyes.
"Every time I see him, I see his father. And I remember..." She stopped. Swallowed hard. "I remember losing his brother. And I can't breathe. I just... I can't."
My chest felt tight.
I thought about Kael's face when she'd rejected his help earlier. That blank, empty expression. Like he'd been expecting it all along.
I thought about the way he'd stood there in the forest. Alone. Always alone.
"The past can't be changed," I said. Kept my voice steady. "But you can start now. If you really want to."
Victoria's eyes widened slightly.
"Small things," I continued. "Just... be there. Maybe tomorrow we could—" I stopped. Reconsidered. "What if we spent some time together tomorrow? The three of us. Nothing big. Just... walk around town or something."
I didn't say "surprise." Didn't want to make it sound like some grand gesture that would put too much pressure on her.
Just time. Together. That's all.
Victoria stared at me. "Tomorrow?"
"Before you lose your nerve," I said. Blunt. "Before you start overthinking it and talk yourself out of it."
She was quiet for a long moment.
Then she nodded. Slow. Uncertain.
"Tomorrow afternoon," she said. "Two o'clock. The fountain in the town square."
"I'll get him there," I said. "But I won't tell him you're coming."
Her eyes got shiny again. "Thank you, Elara."
I nodded. Turned to go.
"Wait." Her voice stopped me. "Why are you doing this? For him?"
I looked back at her.
"Because someone should," I said simply.
---
I got back in the car. Kael's eyes were on me immediately.
"What did she say?"
I buckled my seatbelt. Kept my face relaxed. "Nothing important. She wants me to help her pick up some stuff tomorrow. Shopping or whatever."
His eyebrows drew together. "Shopping."
The skepticism in his voice was obvious.
"She feels bad about tonight," I said. Made myself sound casual. "Wants to buy me dinner to say thanks. I couldn't really say no."
Kael's jaw tightened. But he didn't push it.
He started the car. Pulled away from the curb.
I could feel his doubt. It sat between us like a third passenger. But he didn't ask again.
We drove in silence.
---
The car turned onto my street. But instead of stopping in front of my house, Kael pulled into the driveway next door.
The garage door opened automatically. He drove inside. The door closed behind us with a mechanical hum.
He turned off the engine.
The garage was quiet. Dark except for one overhead light.
I should go. Just get out of the car and walk the twenty feet to my own house.
But I didn't move yet.
"About tonight," Kael said. His voice cut through the silence. "The wolf who got away. You don't need to worry about him."
I waited.
"That's pack business," he continued. "Internal. I'll handle it. He won't be a threat to you or your family."
His voice was firm. Certain.
I nodded. "Okay."
I reached for the door handle.
"Elara."
I stopped. Turned back.
He was looking at me. Really looking. His amber eyes caught the light. For a second he looked younger. Less guarded.
"Thank you," he said quietly.
My chest got tight again.
I knew what he was thanking me for. Not just tonight. Not just helping his mother escape.
For standing up for him. For saying the things he couldn't say himself.
For seeing him.
"You're welcome," I said.
I meant it.
I got out of the car. Walked to the door that connected the garage to the outside. My hand was on the handle when I heard him get out behind me.
"Elara."
I glanced back.
He was standing by the car. Hands in his pockets. Looking at me with an expression I couldn't quite read.
"Sleep well," he said.
"You too."
I slipped out into the night. The door closed behind me with a soft click.
I stood there for a second. In the narrow space between his house and mine.
My heart was still doing that weird thing. That too-fast, too-hard beat that made my ribs ache.
Tomorrow. I had to get him to the town square tomorrow at two. Without him figuring out why.
That was going to be fun.
I walked to my own front door. Unlocked it quietly. Slipped inside.
The house was dark. Everyone asleep.
I made my way upstairs. Every step careful. Quiet.
In my room, I closed the door. Leaned against it.
My phone buzzed.
A text from an unknown number.
Tomorrow. 2pm. Don't be late. - V
I deleted it. Just in case.
Then I lay down on my bed. Closed my eyes.
Tomorrow was going to be complicated.
But tonight... tonight I'd done something right.
I'd given Kael something he'd never had before.
Someone who fought for him.
That had to count for something.
I fell asleep with that thought.
And for once, I didn't dream of blood and snow.