Chapter 77
ELARA’S POV
Those words lingered in the atmosphere, dense and oppressive, like a heavy veil draped over everything. “Alpha Ronan from the Mountain Dew Pack has arrived at our borders.” The sentinel had declared, his tone resounding through the compact office space.
“And…” The guard continued, his gaze shifting toward me. “He specifically asks to have a word with Miss Elara.”
My breathing faltered sharply. Ronan. Right here? After all that had transpired? What could have possessed him to make such a bold move? A shiver coursed through my body, a frigid blend of terror and an odd, unwelcome surge of excitement. My eyes darted to Kael, whose own had shifted to a perilous hue of deep black. His jaw was locked tight, a vein pulsing angrily along his cheekbone.
“You stay right here,” he snarled, his words strained with rage he was barely holding in check. “I’ll take care of this.”
Take care of this? As though Ronan were just some minor inconvenience he could dismiss with a wave of his hand. I felt the urge to argue, to yell at him not to go out there, but a weird numbness gripped me, keeping me frozen in place. He had a point, naturally. I wasn’t ready to confront Ronan at this moment. Not after everything we’d been through. He’d nearly lost his life because of me, and the mere idea of laying eyes on him again twisted my insides into knots.
Kael let go of my arm, his fingers lingering just a heartbeat longer than necessary. He shot me one final, inscrutable glance, accompanied by a brisk nod, before striding out of the office, shutting the door with a firm click that left me isolated amid a swelling wave of dread.
My knees buckled beneath me, and I dropped to the floor, my hands instinctively clutching my abdomen. A choked cry slipped from my throat. ‘Why did your dad choose now to show up?’ I murmured softly, my palm gently shielding the tiny life growing inside me.
A soft tap on the door jolted me out of my thoughts. A rush of relief washed over me when Clara’s concerned expression appeared in the doorway.
“Alpha Ronan has arrived, Miss Elara,” she informed me, hurrying over to my side and assisting me back to my feet. “Would you like me to help you back to your room?”
I shook my head, the action sending a wave of lightheadedness through me. “I’m not sure what I want at this point,” I confessed, my voice scarcely louder than a breath. “Maybe I should just sit down for a minute.”
I felt utterly adrift, floating aimlessly in a whirlwind of clashing feelings.
Clara grimaced, her forehead creasing with worry. She led me over to a nearby chair and carefully lowered me into it. Dropping to her knees before me, she grasped my hand firmly in hers, her grip surprisingly steady. “I can’t just abandon you in this state,” she insisted, her tone filled with sincere concern. “You’re looking as white as a sheet.”
“I’ll manage,” I assured her, attempting to summon a comforting grin. “Kael will sort it all out.”
Even as I said it, the statement rang false in my ears. Kael, with his bubbling jealousy and thinly disguised fury, I seriously doubted he could deal with Ronan without things escalating.
No sooner had those words left my mouth than two voices suddenly exploded from just beyond the office door—two voices that sent a bolt of pure energy surging through my veins. Ronan. And Kael. The clash I’d been so desperate to evade was on the verge of erupting right before my eyes.
Clara and I both whipped our heads toward the entrance, which flew open with a bang, exposing the Alpha and the Lycan King entangled in a wordless, seething standoff of dominance.
My breath seized in my lungs. Ronan. He appeared altered… more rugged and intimidating, fully healed from his injuries, yet there was a grave air about him. His golden eyes, which had once been so welcoming and affectionate, now burned with a restrained fury that left my legs feeling unsteady. He wasn’t the same merciless Alpha I’d encountered nearly a year earlier; he seemed even more formidable now. But the instant his eyes met mine, the blaze dimmed, giving way to a raw, exposed yearning that tugged painfully at my heartstrings.
He began advancing toward me, but Kael intercepted him, positioning himself like an immovable barrier.
“I can put up with you barging your way in here,” he hissed at Ronan, his words low and threatening. “But this is where I draw the line—turn around and get out now.”
Ronan cocked his head slightly, a hazardous spark gleaming in his gaze. “Oh, and I guess it’s perfectly fine for you to show up at my pack under false pretenses, hiding behind some phony alliance, right?” His tone was laced with biting irony, but beneath the sharp retort lurked a fearsome wrath that echoed deep in my core. He looked primed to dismantle Kael piece by piece.
Kael stayed composed, his face a stoic veil of cold contempt. “Get out, Ronan. You don’t belong here.”
“I most certainly do,” Ronan shot back, his eyes briefly flicking to me, his voice gentling with a warmth that squeezed my chest. “She’s my concern.”
Kael’s jaw tightened further. “The only reason my guards haven’t dragged you out yet is out of respect for your status as an Alpha—don’t test me.”
The pressure in the room was palpable, so dense it felt like you could slice through it. I felt like a mere piece on a board in a perilous contest, caught between two formidable powers battling for supremacy.
Abruptly, Clara’s hold on my hand grew firmer, anchoring me back to the present. I turned to look at her and noticed she was shaking, her eyes wide with alarm. Sweat beads glistened on her brow.
“Clara, you should go,” I instructed firmly, despite the chaos raging inside me.
“But—” her gaze implored me, but I stood my ground.
“Leave. I can manage this. You shouldn’t be involved.” It was a falsehood, obviously. I had no clue how to navigate this mess. But Clara needed to be out of here.
She paused for a second, her eyes darting anxiously between the two men and me, then with a resigned exhale, she nodded and hurried out of the room, leaving me by myself with Kael and Ronan—the two wolves on the brink of ripping into each other.
I pushed myself up, my legs unsteady beneath me, and approached Kael, resting a hand on his shoulder. His muscles were rigid under my fingers, tensed and prepared for action.
“Elara?” He uttered, his tone a peculiar blend of bewilderment and territorial instinct.
“Kael…” I drew in a steadying breath, compelling myself to hold his stare. “Please step out. I need to speak with him.”
His eyes flashed with a feeling I couldn’t fully identify. Disloyalty? Rage? Pain? It was a swirling mix in the depths of his shadowed gaze. He let out a brief, acrid laugh, shook off my touch, and marched out of the office, slamming the door with such intensity that it shook the glass panes.
The moment he was gone, Ronan surged forward, enveloping me in a fierce hug. “I was afraid I’d lost you forever,” he whispered, his words heavy with feeling, as he nestled his face into my hair. “I realize it’s overwhelming, but I’m ready to listen and comprehend now.”
I remained rigid in his embrace, unable to return the gesture. The remorse weighed heavily on my chest, choking me.
I extricated myself, carefully but resolutely. “Please,” I said, lifting my eyes to meet his. “You need to go, Ronan.” My voice quivered on the final words.
His expression darkened at my plea. The absolute last thing I desired was to cause him more pain, but I understood that any chance of mending things in a moment like this was nothing but a naive fantasy.
I’d nearly lost him before; I couldn’t bear the thought of enduring that agony again.