Chapter 110 Chapter 110
Violet
“Its ten” Veronica clarified.
"Huh?" Madison asked.
"Elijah hasn't made a public appearance in ten years."
Were they keeping track of him already?
"Oh my God," Madison clutched her chest dramatically. "I've heard about him. The photos do not do him justice."
I felt something hot and uncomfortable twist in my stomach. Jealousy. I was actually jealous of two vapid socialites gawking at Elijah through a window.
Which was ridiculous. I had no claim on him. We'd slept together during my heat, and now I was not sure if I wanted to avoid him because of my guilt or do as Lady Aurelia said for the safety of my pack.
"He's doing pull-ups," Veronica whispered. "Look at his back muscles. That should be illegal."
"I think I'm having a religious experience," Madison said solemnly.
Nate's jaw tightened. "I work out too, you know. Maybe we could…"
"Shh." Madison waved him off without looking at him. "The adults are talking."
I choked on my coffee. Cassie didn't even try to hide her snicker.
Nicole's smile had frozen on her face, her earlier excitement completely deflated. "Girls, maybe we should focus on the wedding plans."
"Does he have a girlfriend?" Veronica asked, turning to Cassie with desperate hope.
"Or a boyfriend?" Madison added. "I'm open-minded."
"He is completely off-limits," Cassie cut in smoothly, her voice carrying a warning edge. "And perhaps you two should remember that you're here for Nicole's wedding, not to hunt eligible bachelors."
"Right. Yes. Of course." Veronica tore her gaze away from the window with visible effort. "Sorry, Nicole. You were talking about the ring?"
But Madison was still staring. "He's doing burpees now. Who does burpees shirtless? That's like... athletic poetry."
"Madison," Veronica hissed.
"I'm looking respectfully!"
"You're drooling."
"Can you blame me?"
Nate stood abruptly, his chair scraping against the floor. "I should probably go check on some wedding vendor confirmations. Excuse me."
Nobody acknowledged his departure. Nicole looked like she wanted to sink through the floor.
Cassie leaned toward me, her voice low. "Is it wrong that I'm enjoying this?"
"Probably," I whispered back, fighting a smile. "But I am too."
It was petty, watching Nicole's big moment being completely overshadowed. Watching Nate's ego get bruised by being ignored in favor of Elijah. But after everything they'd both put me through, a moment of delight felt earned.
"He's doing handstand push-ups now," Madison reported, still glued to the window. "Against the wall. His core strength must be insane."
The two wiggled their eyebrows at that line and I grabbed my spoon a bit too fast, dreaming of poking it in their eyes.
"Okay, that's it." Cassie stood, marching over to the window and yanking the curtains closed with more force than necessary. "Breakfast is for eating, not for creeping on my brother like he's some kind of zoo exhibit. Show some dignity."
Both women pouted but finally turned their attention back to the table.
"Fine," Veronica sighed. "But just so you know, if he's single and interested…"
"He's not," I said before I could stop myself.
Every eye at the table turned to me. Lady Aurelia's eyebrow arched slightly while Nicole's expression sharpened with interest. Cassie fought back a grin.
"Oh?" Veronica's gaze turned calculating. "And you would know this because...?"
Heat flooded my cheeks. "I just, I mean, I've heard…"
"Violet's staying here as our guest," Lady Aurelia interjected smoothly. "She's naturally aware of the household dynamics."
"Guest." Nicole's voice dripped with false sweetness. "Is that what we're calling it?"
Veronica had opened her mouth to say something but she stopped mid-sentence, her gaze shifting to something behind me. Both Veronica and Madison turned to look, their conversation dying mid-breath.
I didn't need to turn around to know who had just entered. The subtle shift in the room's energy, the way Nicole's expression tightened it could only be one person.
Elijah walked past our table toward the sideboard where fresh juice and fruit were laid out. He had put on a moisture-wicking shirt that clung to his frame in ways that should be illegal. His hair was slightly damp with sweat, and there was a towel draped around his neck.
He'd clearly just finished training.
"Oh my God," Madison whispered, not quite as quietly as she probably thought. "I might faint"
I felt my jaw tighten involuntarily.
Elijah seemed oblivious to the attention, reaching for a glass and filling it with some kind of green juice from a pitcher. He grabbed an apple from the fruit bowl, tossing it once in his hand before turning to leave.
"Elijah, darling," Aunt Thelma called out. "Don't run off. Come sit with us for a moment."
He paused, glancing at the table full of people. His eyes swept past Nicole, past her friends, past Nate, and landed briefly on me. Something flickered in his expression, too quick for me to read.
"I don't want to intrude," he said politely.
"Nonsense," Lady Aurelia said, though I detected a note of amusement in her voice. "You're hardly intruding on your own family breakfast. Sit."
Elijah made his way to the table, sliding into an empty seat that happened to be directly across from me.
"I'll just have something quick," he said, gesturing to one of the staff. "Boiled eggs, please. And maybe some spinach."
"Boiled eggs?" Madison repeated, as if he'd just announced he was eating gold. "That's so disciplined."
Elijah glanced at her briefly, his expression polite but uninterested. "Just part of the training regimen."
"What kind of training do you do?" Veronica leaned forward, propping her chin on her hand in a way that pushed her chest forward.
"Combat training, mostly. Some cardio." He took a sip of his green juice, and I watched both women follow the movement of his throat as he swallowed.
Good lord!
"That's so impressive," Madison gushed. "I've been trying to get into fitness myself. Do you have any tips?"
"Consistency," Elijah said simply, his attention already drifting to his phone as he checked messages.
Nate cleared his throat loudly. "I do combat training too. Actually, I'm planning to implement a new training program for my pack after the wedding"
"That's nice," Veronica said absently, not taking her eyes off Elijah. "So, Elijah, do you train alone or do you have a partner?"
"Depends on the day."
His responses were brief, almost disinterested. He wasn't being rude, exactly, but he clearly had no interest in engaging with Nicole's friends. The staff brought his eggs and spinach, and he began eating.
"You're so dedicated," Madison said, watching him eat with an intensity that was borderline uncomfortable. "Most guys would be loading up on pancakes and bacon."
She said giving Nate’s dish a side eye that exactly had those things. His face grew red and he pushed the plate away, asking for boiled eggs for himself as well.