Chapter 81 Elara's POV
"Selena raises valid points."
Xavier's words echoed in my head as everyone waited for my response.
I kept my eyes on the table, focusing on the wood grain, on the pattern in the surface, on anything that wasn't the triumphant gleam I knew was in Selena's eyes.
She had won. Again.
Used my injuries, my pregnancy, my genuine limitations against me. Twisted concern into a weapon. Made herself look capable and reasonable while making me look weak and incapable.
And Xavier the Alpha who'd saved my life, who I had welcomed personally had sided with her.
"Elara?" Kaden's voice was tight. "You don't have to agree to this.
But I did. Because Selena was right about one thing I was injured. I was exhausted. The thought of organizing an event for hundreds of guests and multiple Alphas made my entire body ache just thinking about it.
And if I fought this, if I insisted on hosting despite my obvious limitations, I would look stubborn and foolish. I would undermine the very image of strength and capability I was trying to build.
Selena had boxed me in perfectly.
"It's fine," I said quietly.
"It's not fine—" Kaden started.
"Yes, it is." I forced myself to look up, to meet his eyes. "Selena has a point. I'm not in any condition to organize a major event. She has the experience and the health to do it properly."
Selena's smile widened. I wanted to tear it off her face.
"Then it's settled," Xavier said, as if he hadn't just handed Selena exactly what she wanted.
"Selena will host the celebration. Kaden retains final approval on all decisions, of course, but the day-to-day organization falls to her."
"Of course," Selena said, her voice dripping with false humility. "I'm honored to serve the pack in this way."
I couldn't stay in that room another second.
"If you will excuse me," I said, nodding to Kara. "I'm not feeling well. I need to rest."
Kara immediately came to push my wheelchair.
"Elara-" Kaden stood.
"I'm fine, just tired." I didn't look at him. Couldn't look at him without the tears I was holding back spilling over.
Kara wheeled me out quickly, neither of us speaking until we were well away from the dining room.
"I hate her," Kara said quietly. "I hate her so much."
"I know."
"She planned to use your injuries against you in front of Alpha Xavier specifically because she knew he would agree, knowing it would make you look weak."
"I know that too."
"So why did you let her win?"
I was quiet for a moment. "Because sometimes you have to lose a battle to win the war. She got to host the party. Fine. But she also just showed everyone exactly who she is, someone who uses other people's pain to advance herself and that is going to matter eventually."
Kara wheeled me to my room and helped me into bed. My leg was throbbing from sitting up for so long.
"Do you need anything?" She asked.
"Just some time alone please."
She left reluctantly, closing the door behind her. I lay there staring at the ceiling, anger and humiliation warring inside me.
But underneath both was something else. Fear.
Because I kept thinking about the figure I had seen last night. The dark shape that had moved toward my bed and vanished when I turned on the light.
Was it real? Was I losing my mind from the stress and the medication and the silver poisoning?
Or was something actually in my room?
I spent the entire day in bed, refusing visitors except Damian when he came to check my vitals and change my bandages.
"You are running a low-grade fever," he said, frowning at the thermometer. "The silver is still affecting your system."
"Will it hurt the baby?"
"No. The lunar pulse is protecting the baby. But it's taking a toll on you."
He gave me more medication. "Rest today, no wheelchair excursions. No confrontations with Selena, just rest."
"That's the plan."
He studied my face. "Are you okay? Beyond the physical symptoms?"
"No but I will be."
After Damian left, I lay there thinking. About Selena hosting the party about Xavier siding with her, about the dark figure in my room.
About how I was supposed to fight back when everything kept knocking me down. Around five in the evening, Kaden knocked on my door.
"Can I come in?"
"It's your house."
He entered, looking frustrated and concerned in equal measure. "You have been in here all day."
"I'm resting like Damian ordered."
"Elara-"
"What do you want, Kaden?"
He was quiet for a moment. "I want you to come shopping with me."
I blinked. "Shopping?"
"For the baby we haven't gotten anything yet. No clothes, no furniture, nothing."
He moved closer to the bed. "I know today was terrible. I know Selena winning felt like a defeat but I thought maybe doing something positive, something for our child, might help."
"I'm not really in the mood-"
"Please just for an hour get out of this room. Get some fresh air."
His voice softened. "Let me try to make today a little less awful."
I looked at him at the genuine concern in his eyes. The desire to help, to fix things, even if he didn't know how.
"Okay," I said finally.
"But if my leg starts hurting, we leave immediately."
"Deal."