CHAPTER 30

CHAPTER 30
After I got back to my chamber, the morning came slowly, dragging its light through my window like it was reluctant to face me. My head ached from too many thoughts and almost tears, and my body felt like it had been split between my wolf and human halves. Most times, after I wolfed out, I realized how much more human I am than a wolf.

I got up from the floor, my eyes heavy and my thoughts even heavier. My reflection in the mirror told the same story — tired eyes, swollen lids, a face that looked like it carried the weight of a whole pack.

The memory of the wolf from last night played on repeat in my head. That calm, lonely wolf sitting under the tree… the one that ran before I could reach it. I could still feel its presence — powerful, quiet, and sad.

Whoever that wolf was, they weren’t just anyone. Almost everything about it was different. It had this depth… like pain carved into its soul.

And then it hit me. Elias. The lone wolf who barely spoke, who barely came around. What if it was him? I'd never seen his wolf before.

I didn’t waste another second. I changed into something simple — black sweatpants and a hoodie — and left my chamber. The pack house was quiet, only the distant sounds of early morning footsteps echoing faintly in the halls.

When I got to Elias’ chamber, I knocked once, twice and the third time. No answer. I pushed the door open slightly and peeked in. The room was dim and smelled faintly of cedarwood and rain — his scent.

He was there, sitting by the window, his eyes fixed on the woods beyond.

“Elias?” I called softly.

He turned slowly, his expression guarded but calm. “Alpha.”

“You can call me Alaya,” I reminded him gently.

He nodded once, but didn’t speak..

“Can I come in?” I asked, and he nodded.

I walked further in, closing the door behind me. The silence between us was thick — the kind that could either suffocate or comfort.

“I came to see how you’re doing,” I said. “You weren’t in your chamber last night.”

He looked down. “Yeah, I needed air.”

Something in his tone made me pause. “Air… or space?”

He hesitated before replying, “Both.”

I sat on the chair across from him, studying his face. His eyes were a deep, stormy grey — like he’d seen too much, felt too much, and was still trying to live with all of it.

“Elias,” I began softly, “you’ve been distant since the night Dolphus was attacked. I know
you were in your chamber, but…” I trailed off, unsure how to finish.

He finally met my eyes. “You think I did it?”

“No,” I said quickly, shaking my head. “I don’t. But I think you know more than you’re letting on.”

He leaned back in his chair, exhaling slowly. For a long moment, he said nothing. Then, quietly, he spoke:

“I don't know about that. But I'll tell you something. My pack was destroyed by humans.”

The words hit me like a cold wind. I froze, my breath caught.

He continued, his voice low but steady, “They came at night. Hunters. They set fire to everything. My mother, my father… they didn’t make it out. I was the only one who survived. I watched my home burn to ashes. The screams, the smell of blood…”

He stopped, his hands trembling slightly. “That night never leaves me. Every time I close my eyes, I see it again.”

I swallowed hard, my heart aching for him. “Elias… I’m so sorry.”

He shook his head. “I don’t tell people that story because it changes how they look at me. They either pity me or fear me. And I don’t want either.”

I leaned forward, my voice soft but firm. “You deserve neither pity nor fear. You deserve healing. What happened to your pack was cruel, but not all humans are like that.”

He looked at me sharply, his eyes narrowing a little. “You talk like you know.”

I hesitated. My fingers tightened on the armrest. Maybe it was time he did know.

“I do know,” I said quietly. “Because I’m half-human.”

His eyes widened, disbelief washing over his face. “What?”

“My father was a wolf,” I explained. “My mother was human. That’s why I’m different — why my powers sometimes fade, why I don’t sense things the way full-bloods do. I’ve lived with both sides of the world, Elias. And I can tell you this — not every human is a monster. Some are just… scared of what they don’t understand.”

He was silent for a long time, processing. Then, slowly, his expression softened. “You’re half-human, that's halfblood.” he repeated, almost like he didn’t believe it. “And you’re still Alpha?”

I smiled faintly. “I am. It’s not easy, but it’s possible.”

A quiet laugh escaped him, the first I’d ever heard. “Maybe there’s hope after all.”

I smiled, but then — something changed.

His scent.

It hit me all at once — faint, but distinct. The same earthy, cold scent that lingered in the woods last night. My heart quickened. My wolf stirred.

I leaned in a little, taking another breath, trying to be sure.

“Elias…” I said slowly. “You were in the woods last night, weren’t you?”

He froze.

“I saw you,” I continued, watching his face. “A wolf sitting under a tree. You ran when I got close.”

His eyes darkened, a mix of shock and guilt flashing through them. “You… you saw me?”

“Yes.”

He looked away, his jaw tightening. “I didn’t mean for you to see me. I go there when I need peace. I didn’t want anyone to follow.”

“Why did you run?” I asked.

“Because,” he said, voice low and trembling slightly, “I didn’t want you to see me like that — broken. I was training to be Alpha of my pack, but the wolf you saw isn’t Alpha material, or warrior material. He’s just… a survivor trying to forget.”

My chest tightened again. “Elias,” I whispered, “you don’t have to hide your pain from me. We all have pieces of ourselves we wish no one would see. But running doesn’t make it go away.”

He looked up at me, his eyes glossy with unspoken emotion. “And what if I can’t stop running?”

I took a deep breath. “Then I’ll find you every time you do.”

For a moment, we just stared at each other — Alpha and lone wolf, both carrying scars from different worlds.

“I saw the way you looked at the moon last night,” I said softly. “You weren’t just lonely, Elias. You were mourning.”

He nodded slowly. “The full moon reminds me of my pack. That’s when they were taken. It’s when I lost everything.”

I reached for his hand, placing mine over his. “Then let this pack remind you of what you can still have. You’re not alone anymore, Elias.”

His gaze lingered on our hands before drifting back to my face. “You really believe that?”

“I do,” I said. “And maybe, one day, you will too.”

We sat there for a while, just… breathing. The air was heavy but calm — like two storms meeting in stillness.

When I finally stood to leave, Elias spoke again. “Alaya…”

I turned.

“Thank you,” he said quietly. “For not seeing me as the enemy.”

I smiled faintly. “You never were.”

As I walked out of his chamber, my thoughts were a whirlwind. Rory’s warning. Tatum’s confession. The reverse harem I supposedly had. And now Elias — the wolf who carried the scent of loneliness and pain.

Everything was tangled together in a way I couldn’t yet understand. But one thing
was certain — there was more to Elias than he let on.

And something deep inside me whispered that this was only the beginning.