Chapter 159 The Alpha's Embrace, the Brother's Shadow

Chapter 159 The Alpha's Embrace, the Brother's Shadow
Elara pov

To be honest, I was still in shock.

I had never imagined that Victor would one day tell me he loved me.

The silence between us became uncomfortable, and neither of us seemed to know how to break it.

Once I finished bandaging his hand, I stood up.

“I'll clean this up,” I said, mostly because I needed something to do.

I quickly went to the kitchen, grabbed the broom and dustpan, and returned to the room. The glass he had broken was scattered across the floor, so I carefully swept every piece into the dustpan, making sure there were no tiny pieces left behind.

Victor remained seated and didn't say anything while I cleaned.

When I was done, I threw the broken glass away and placed the broom back where it belonged.

I was about to leave the room when I heard Victor call my name.

“Elara.”

I stopped and turned around.

He had already gotten to his feet and was walking toward me.

For a moment, neither of us spoke.

“I know I can't have you,” he finally said. “And I know you're with my brother. I'm not going to ask you to leave him or choose me. I just wanted you to know how I feel.”

I remained silent.

Victor took a small breath before continuing.

“I hope that someday, I'll find someone like you. Someone who makes me feel the way you do. Until then, I'll probably always have a part of me that loves you.”

I didn't know how to respond to that.

Before I could say anything, Victor stepped forward and wrapped his arms around me.

I froze.

I couldn't hug him back. My arms remained at my sides as I stood there, unsure of what to do. His confession had already left me confused, and the hug only made everything more uncomfortable.

After a few seconds, he finally pulled away.

I looked at him briefly, then turned around and walked out of the room.

As I made my way down the hallway, I kept replaying his words in my head.

Victor loved me.

The same Victor who had bullied me, annoyed me, and acted as though he couldn't stand me had apparently been hiding feelings for me all this time.

I still couldn't believe my ears.

Getting back to the room, I was shocked to find Kiran awake.

He was sitting on the bed, his back resting against the headboard, his expression serious. His robe was slightly stained with blood, and the sight immediately caught my attention.

“Where were you?” he asked.

I froze for a moment.

Should I tell him what Victor said? I wondered. No. I shouldn't.

They were brothers, and I didn't want to be the reason something happened between them. If Kiran found out that Victor had confessed his feelings to me, he would definitely get angry, and I didn't know what that anger could lead to.

I quickly forced myself to act normal.

“I just went to grab some fresh air,” I said. “I was hearing some strange noises.”

It was a lie, but I hoped he wouldn't notice.

Kiran studied my face for a few seconds before getting off the bed and walking toward me.

“If you were hearing strange noises, you shouldn't have gone out alone,” he said, taking my hand. “You should have woken me up. Don't you know how dangerous it can be? Unknown people can come into the pack and try to kidnap people. We've heard so many cases like that.”

His voice wasn't angry. It sounded more like he was genuinely worried about me.

“You can't just walk around alone at night because you hear a strange sound. Promise me you won't do that again.”

I nodded. “Okay. I promise.”

He squeezed my hand gently before leading me back toward the bed.

“Good.”

I lay back down beside him, and almost immediately, Kiran wrapped his arms around me, pulling me against his chest. I rested my head comfortably against him, listening to his steady breathing.

Normally, being in his arms made me feel safe.

But tonight, my mind refused to settle.

No matter how hard I tried to push the conversation out of my head, Victor's words kept coming back to me.

I had always thought he hated me.

Every argument, every insult, every time he deliberately annoyed me, I had believed it was because he genuinely couldn't stand me.

But apparently, I had been completely wrong.

He had liked me,how was that even possible?

I frowned as I stared into the darkness.

He must be really... impossible.

How could someone hide feelings like that while treating the person they supposedly loved so badly?

I didn't understand him at all.

I shifted slightly in Kiran's arms, trying to make myself comfortable.

“Are you okay?” Kiran suddenly asked.

My heart skipped.“Yeah,” I quickly replied. “I'm fine.”

He was quiet for a moment.

Then he pulled me a little closer.

“Then go to sleep.” I closed my eyes.

“I'll try.” But sleep didn't come easily.

My thoughts kept circling back to Victor, his confession, and the look on his face when he told me that he loved me.

I didn't love Victor.

I loved Kiran, that much was certain.

Still, I couldn't stop wondering how long Victor had been carrying those feelings alone.

I sighed quietly and tried to clear my mind.

Whatever happened between Victor and me, I couldn't let it come between the brothers.

I had already made my choice.

Kiran was the man I loved, and that was the only thing I needed to remember.

All my life, I had wanted to be with Kiran. I had loved him for so long, even when I was too afraid to admit it to myself.

For a long time, I kept those feelings hidden because I was scared of what everyone would think. Kiran was the Alpha of the pack, and I couldn't stop wondering if people would judge me for being with someone like him. I never believed someone like me could actually stand beside the Alpha and be accepted as his mate.

But now, everything had changed.

Kiran was mine, and I was finally going to have a place beside him. Soon, the pack would hold a welcoming ceremony for me, and everyone would know that I belonged with him.