Chapter 38 Chapter Thirty-Eight
Kaelani slammed the door behind her, the sound echoing through the quiet house like a warning shot. She tossed her keys onto the coffee table with a sharp clatter, pacing once before sinking onto the edge of the couch.
Her heart was still racing. Her lips still tingled.
What the hell was that?
One minute he was rambling nonsense, the next—gripping her like he couldn’t stand the thought of her slipping away. Kissing her like she was air and he was drowning.
Now he wants her?
No. No, this had to be something else. A mind game. A conquest. Something to prove to himself—maybe even punish her for making him feel things he didn’t want to feel. Her stomach twisted.
Am I a fucking game to him?
A knock at the door made her flinch.
She froze, eyes locked on the wood like it had personally betrayed her. Her pulse kicked harder.
It better not be him.
Another knock—sharper this time. More persistent.
Jaw tight, she rose, yanking the door open mid-sentence. “You just don’t give up, do y—”
But it wasn’t Julian.
It was a polished blonde in a designer coat, heels too clean for small-town dust, and a smile sharp enough to cut glass.
Elara.
“Well, if it isn’t the little Omega rat,” she purred, eyes glittering with venom.
Kaelani’s eyes widened the moment she saw who stood on the other side of the door.
Instinctively, she went to slam it shut.
But Elara was faster.
She shoved the door open with a forceful push, sending Kaelani stumbling back a step. Still, she didn’t cower — her spine straightened, chin lifted, eyes burning with defiance.
Elara stepped inside like she owned the place, her heels clicking against the floor with deliberate grace.
“Now, now,” she said smoothly, shutting the door behind her without permission. “That’s no way to greet a pack member… or more importantly, the daughter of your Alpha.”
Kaelani’s jaw tightened. “I have no Alpha.”
Elara’s smile twisted, her eyes glinting with cruelty. “Tsk tsk… disrespectful comments like that used to earn you a good smack. Remember?” She tilted her head, mock-thoughtful. “One of my favorite pastimes, actually. You were always my favorite punching bag.”
Kaelani stared at her, her rage rising like bile.
Elara smiled, slow and chilling. “Shame my brother never got his turn. Daddy stepped in just in time. Otherwise, you’d have learned exactly how he handles mouthy little Omegas.”
She laughed, cold and cruel. “You should really thank your Alpha for that. You think I’m bad? Christian would’ve ruined you.”
Kaelani’s stomach churned—rage and revulsion warring in her eyes. She’d never forgotten that day, but she’d never let herself remember it this clearly, either.
Elara’s gaze swept the modest living room, her lips curling.
“What a quaint little place you’ve got here,” she said. “So… domesticated. Like a stray mutt playing house and pretending she belongs somewhere.”
Kaelani didn’t flinch. “What do you want, Elara?”
Elara took a slow, deliberate step closer. There was venom in her eyes — not the kind that burned fast and hot, but the cold, calculating kind that waited years to strike.
“There’s a lot I want,” she said, her voice low and laced with restrained fury. “A lot I held in the palm of my hand. And never — not in a thousand lifetimes — did I think someone like you would come along and try to rip it away.”
Kaelani blinked, genuinely baffled. “What are you talking about? I left that pack years ago. Moved across the damn country just to get away from all of you.”
Elara’s lip curled. “Not far enough. Just close enough for my Julian to get snared like some lovesick hound dog by your little Omega heat.”
Kaelani’s stomach dropped. “Wait… You and Julian—?”
Elara’s smile was slow and scalding. “Now she gets it.”
Elara’s heels clicked against the floor as she stepped closer, her voice brimming with contempt. “You’ve got his head all twisted, you know that? He’s not thinking straight. He’s forgetting who he is. What matters.”
Kaelani’s jaw tightened, eyes narrowing.
“But there’s a reason he didn’t stay,” Elara continued, a cruel smile tugging at her lips. “There’s a reason he ran off the moment he got what he wanted from you.”
Kaelani’s breath caught—just barely—but Elara saw it, and pounced.
“You see, your body was good enough for his rut. Your pussy—just another warm hole to dump his come in,” she hissed, eyes glittering with malice. “But the rest of you?” She scoffed. “The rest of you will never be good enough to stand beside an Alpha. And Julian knows that.”
Kaelani’s jaw tightened. She straightened, fire flashing in her eyes. “Sounds like you’ve got nothing to worry about—yet here you are, standing in my home like I’m a threat.” Her voice was low, steady, but each word landed like a strike to the chest.
That did it.
Elara’s face contorted with rage.
In a blur, she closed the distance, her hand snapping up to Kaelani’s throat. Her claws unsheathed mid-motion, slicing skin as she slammed Kaelani against the wall. The drywall cracked behind her.
“You think I’m threatened by you?” Elara hissed, laughing, but there was nothing amused in her eyes. Only venom. “No, darling… I just don’t tolerate trash contaminating what belongs to me.”
Kaelani’s nails clawed at her wrist, but Elara didn’t flinch.
“You know, I still remember the day Christian asked Daddy if he could keep you. Said he’d take you as a breeder — hide you away somewhere, break you in himself.” She let out a dry laugh. “But Daddy shut that down real quick.”
She tilted her head, studying Kaelani like a specimen under glass.
“Funny thing though… the more Christian pushed, the more disgusted Daddy seemed. He never said why, but it was all over his face — like the idea of you anywhere near our bloodline made his skin crawl.”
She paused for effect, watching Kaelani’s expression tighten.
“In fact,” she whispered, “Daddy went so far as to give him an Alpha order to stay away from you. Not just no — but never.”
Elara tilted her head, faux innocence painted over venom. “Everyone knows you’re only good enough for the lowly wolves. The desperate ones. The ones looking for a quick fix and something to nut in.”
“But not my Julian…” Elara said, each word clipped and brittle. “He’s mine. You might’ve confused him—distracted him with your scent, your heat—but you’re not worthy of him. You never were. I am. That’s why tomorrow, he’ll mark and mate me. That’s why I’ll be his Luna. I’ll bear his pups… not someone like you. Because you’re just a pitiful, wolfless freak.”
Her voice dropped, cold now. Calculated. “Unfortunately for you, there are consequences for Omega filth hiding in human towns, triggering an Alpha’s rut with that pathetic little scent of yours. And as a loyal, law-abiding Lycan—” her smile sharpened, “—it’s my duty to report violations like you to the Council.”
A loud crash came from the front door.
Kaelani’s head whipped toward the sound—too late.
A group of men in dark suits, badges bearing the Lycan Council’s insignia, flooded the entryway.
Elara stepped back, her grip releasing from Kaelani’s neck with almost theatrical grace.
She straightened her blouse, smoothed her hair, and said sweetly, “Take her away, boys.”
Kaelani lunged forward, only to be grabbed by two men at once—one at each arm.
She thrashed, snarling, furious.
Her eyes locked on Elara’s.
“You vile bitch.”
As the suited men dragged her toward the door, Elara tossed her hair back with a twisted smile, eyes locked on Kaelani.
“Oh, darling… I’ve only just begun,” she taunted, her voice dripping with venom.