Chapter 3 Fragile And Innocent
Elara's POV
Damian's voice cut through my shock, warm and slightly apologetic as he called back to the vehicle. "We're leaving now." He turned to me with a rueful smile and lowered his voice. "Don't mind him. Kaelen isn't known for his patience."
My heart still hammering, I followed Damian to the vehicle. A guard opened the door, and I climbed inside, immediately understanding why that brief glimpse had affected me so strongly.
The man sitting in the far seat looked to be in his early twenties, with features carved from stone—sharp jawline, high cheekbones, a straight nose. Pure black hair, cut short and impeccably styled, framed ice-blue eyes that were cold and brilliant as glacial lakes.
Everything about him screamed Alpha dominance, but this was different from anything I had ever encountered. His presence filled the entire vehicle, suffocating and absolute.
I had never felt anything remotely close to this crushing pressure. My fingers trembled slightly as I forced myself to breathe slowly, carefully, afraid that even the sound might draw his attention.
Those ice-blue eyes flicked toward me once, a brief glacial sweep that catalogued every weakness I possessed. His expression remained completely blank before he looked away.
I quickly averted my gaze and turned to Damian as he settled beside me. "Is he... also from our family?"
Damian smiled gently and shook his head. "No, this is Kaelen Thorne. He was handling some business in the area, so I invited him to join us in welcoming you home."
"Convenient." The single word came from Kaelen, his voice low and cold. Two syllables, nothing more.
I swallowed hard. "Thank you."
He gave no response. Instead, he leaned back against his seat and closed his eyes, making it clear he had no interest in conversation.
Damian turned to me with warmth in his amber eyes. "Elara, I'm taking you home now. Tthe family are waiting for you."
I nodded, my fingers clutching my worn backpack strap tightly.
The landscape gradually changed as we entered a forest of ancient silver birch trees. The air carried the clean scent of pine and something wild. Through the window, I caught glimpses of silver light flickering deep within the forest.
Damian noticed my fascination. "The Silverstone territory covers three thousand square kilometers. It includes the main peaks of the Silver Moon Mountains and all the surrounding forests and lakes."
The convoy approached a massive stone archway. As we passed beneath it, I felt warm energy wash over me. A feeling of rightness settled into my chest, as if some displaced part of me had finally clicked into place.
I had never felt anything like this in Shadowveil.
In the distance, an enormous structure appeared. "That's the Silverstone Pack House," Damian said, pointing ahead. "Our home."
I stared at the magnificent estate built from gray stone and dark wood. The convoy pulled into a large parking area where dozens of Pack members in matching deep blue uniforms stood in formation.
Kaelen's vehicle stopped near the entrance. He rolled down his window slightly and gave Damian a curt nod. "I'm leaving now. I'll visit another day."
"Thank you for your help today, Kaelen," Damian replied.
As Kaelen's SUV disappeared, I felt the crushing pressure finally lift.
Damian opened the door and offered me his hand. "Come on, Elara. Everyone's waiting to meet you."
The moment my feet touched the ground, every person in formation spoke in unison. "Welcome home, Miss Sterling!"
Heat flooded my cheeks. Damian squeezed my hand gently and leaned close. "Just smile and nod. That's all you need to do."
I forced a smile and nodded, my heart racing. This was the first time in my life I had been treated with such respect.
The massive front doors swung open, revealing an interior that took my breath away. The great hall had soaring ceilings, a massive crystal chandelier scattering rainbow light, and walls decorated with ancient weapons and family portraits. In the center, a fireplace burned with silver flames.
At least fifteen family members stood waiting. Some faces held curiosity, others careful assessment, a few genuine warmth, and more than one pair of eyes held thinly veiled disapproval.
An elderly man seated in the center rose slowly. "That's Grandfather," Damian murmured.
The old man had silver-gray hair and sharp amber eyes that radiated authority. Those keen eyes studied me carefully before his stern expression softened into a warm smile.
"It's good that you've come home, child," he said, his voice deep and resonant.
My nose stung with sudden tears. "Thank you, Grandfather."
Standing beside Grandfather was a tall man radiating commanding presence. Damian guided me toward him. "Elara, this is Father. Sebastian Sterling."
I looked up at my biological father. His eyes met mine, and the Alpha pressure radiating from him was immense. Sebastian stood absolutely still, his gaze locked on my face with painful intensity.
"F-Father," I stammered.
His throat worked as he swallowed hard. "Mm." He turned his head away sharply. After a long silence, he spoke again, his voice rough. "It's good that you're back."
Damian smoothly continued the introductions. "This is Uncle Edwin and his wife Aunt Moira."
Edwin nodded with formal politeness. Moira immediately rushed forward, grabbing both my hands. "Elara! We've finally found you!"
"Thank you, Aunt Moira," I replied politely, but something about her enthusiasm felt excessive. Her smile was sweet, but her eyes held a calculating gleam.
"And this is Uncle Allen and his wife Aunt Clara."
Allen studied me with cool assessment. Clara smiled.
Damian gestured to younger people nearby. "These are your cousins. Nolan, Ryan, Lily, and James."
Nolan gave me a distant nod. Ryan stared with curiosity. Lily offered a shy smile. James stood in the corner looking bored.
Moira spoke up again. "Elara, I've already had a room prepared for you on the third floor, east wing!"
"Thank you for going to such trouble, Aunt Moira."
Clara's voice cut through coolly. "My, Moira, you're certainly being helpful today."
Moira's smile tightened. "We're all family, aren't we?"
Then a soft sound from the staircase drew everyone's attention. A petite girl with wavy pale gold hair and light blue eyes descended gracefully. Her simple cream-colored dress made her look fragile and innocent.
When she saw me, something flickered in her eyes before her expression settled into a soft smile. "You... you must be Elara?"
Damian stepped forward. "Elara, this is Aurora Winters. Her parents were elite warriors of our Pack. They died in a border conflict ten years ago, and we've raised her as part of our family ever since."
I nodded politely. "Hello, Aurora."
Aurora approached with hesitant steps, her voice barely above a whisper. "I've been so happy since I heard you were coming home. All these years... you must have suffered so much." Her eyes were filled with sympathy.
Before I could respond, Grandfather rose again. "Elara, now that you're home, there's something I need to give you."
He withdrew a small velvet box from his pocket. "This is the moonstone bracelet your grandmother left behind. It's a Sterling family heirloom, passed down through the women of our line. Now that you've returned, this bracelet rightfully belongs to you."
I stared at the box, my emotions tangled.
However, James's voice rang out sharply,"Grandfather, that's not appropriate! You said before that you would give that bracelet to Aurora for her eighteenth birthday! Aurora has been part of our family for years now. She's practically a Sterling. The bracelet should go to her!"