Chapter 32

Chapter 32


Amelia’s POV.

The tension that had settled in my chest refused to ease as Kaiden stood at the door of the dining hall, his gaze unwavering, unreadable. He had seen everything—the way I had manipulated the situation, the way I had drawn Damien’s attention to me and away from Freya. And yet, he said nothing.

For a moment, I thought he would simply turn and leave, but then Damien’s voice cut through the silence.

"Kaiden," he called, his tone lighter than before. "You’re back. Come, join us for dinner."

Bella turned in her seat as well, nodding in agreement. "Yes, you should eat with us."

Kaiden’s gaze strayed to me for a few seconds before turning back to Bella, shaking his head lightly.

“That won't be necessary, I only came back to tell you that I have to leave for a few more days.” He said, his voice flat and emotionless.

I felt something inside me sink.

"You’re leaving?" I asked, unable to keep the disappointment from slipping into my voice.

Kaiden’s gaze hardened slightly, but he answered me with a rigid nod regardless.

“Do you need me to come with you?“ I offered, feeling desperate to have him around all of a sudden but before I could even complete my statement, he shook his head.

"Not at all. You seem busy anyways," he said, voice impassive. 

"I won’t want to bother you."

I felt like he’d just slapped me straight across the face, with that simple statement.

Maybe it was the heavy weight of guilt hovering over my head, but my heart thumped painfully in my chest. 

I summoned every will power in me to keep a straight face, when all I wanted to do was bawl my eyes out.

The weight of his words settled heavily on my chest. ‘I won’t bother you’.

His words held no emotion but I could imagine the pain he’d been feeling all this while.

I recalled how sweet Kaiden had been to me at the Silvermoon pack. He’d been all laughs and smiles, a joy to be around. But the past days we’d spent here, had sucked him dry of his true nature.

Every move I took to get closer to my plans for revenge seemed to drain him even more.

Now, it was as if I had made him feel like he was nothing but a distraction, a mere afterthought.

My lips parted open and I stumbled through my words, looking like a fish out of water. I desperately wanted him to know that his thoughts weren't true, that I wanted, no- needed him here with me.

But before I could utter a word, he was already turning on his heel, walking away without a second glance.

It felt like the wind was knocked out of my lungs with a sucker punch. I sucked in a painful breath, blinking away the tears gathering in my eyes.

I wanted to run after him, beg him to stay, tell him how I truly felt about him.

But instead, I remained seated, staring at the doorway he had disappeared through, my fingers tightening into fists in my lap.

Guilt, like a large rodent, was eating away at my core unapologetically. And no matter how hard I tried to breathe it away, it remained, stubborn and unyielding.

‘Am I doing something wrong?’ I thought to myself, doubting my plans.

I didn’t know.

But I felt it.

Something inside me whispered that I was.

\---

Breakfast was a quiet affair.

Freya was nowhere to be seen, and Damien barely mentioned her, as if she had ceased to exist in his mind. Bella was the only one who tried to keep the conversation going, though I barely responded. My thoughts were elsewhere.

On Kaiden.

On the way he had looked at me moments before.

On the way he walked away without hesitation.

I was distracted, lost in my thoughts as the morning passed in a blur. After we finished breakfast, we prepared to part ways for our respective tasks—Damien to his study, Bella to oversee some minor pack affairs, and I to check on Alpha Donovan.

But before I could leave, the doors opened, and a familiar figure strode in.

Elara.

My stomach twisted instantly.

She was beautiful as always—golden hair falling in soft waves down her back, her sharp green eyes scanning the room with purpose. 

Elara had such a feminine aura, carrying herself with elegance and grace. But there was something about her, a silent warning. Maybe it was just because I didn't like her. I mean, how could I? She looked ready to jump Kaiden's bones yesterday.

She stopped in her tracks. Her gaze landed on me, and her lips curled into a knowing smile.

"I was looking for Kaiden," she said smoothly, her voice light. 

"Where is he?"

I tilted my head, mirroring her expression. 

"He left," I said, my tone just as light but carrying a mocking edge. 

"Strange, isn’t it? He didn’t even tell you."

Elara’s expression didn’t waver, but I noticed the subtle twitch of her fingers at her side.

She didn’t like that.

Good.

Elara stepped closer, lowering her voice slightly. 

"I need to speak with you, Maya. Alone."

I arched a brow. 

"Me? Sorry to say, but I don't think we have anything to talk about. Correct me if I'm wrong.”

She didn’t respond immediately, only continued to look at me with that knowing, piercing gaze.

Curiosity won out over irritation, and with a small sigh, I gestured toward the doors. 

"Fine. Let’s take this outside."

I led her out of the dining hall through a small door that led outside. 

It was a windy day, the grassland bowing down in rhythm with every gust of wind.

We stopped at a towering tree, far enough from prying ears.

Once we were alone, Elara turned to me, her expression unreadable. 

"What is your relationship with Kaiden?"

I stiffened slightly. Not even knowing how to respond.

I had expected an array of questions from her, but this hadn't been one of them.

I opened my mouth to respond, but no words came out. I hesitated, pausing in my tracks

What was my relationship with Kaiden?

Friend?

Ally?

Something more?

Truthfully, I had no idea. The true nature of our relationship had become a blur. There were no words I could use to describe it.

We claimed to have nothing but a professional relationship, but surely, that had been out of spite, it was far from the truth.

We acted like friends, but we both get jealous when the other person gives someone else their attention.

It was a complicated situation that I couldn't just decipher on the spot.

Elara watched me carefully, as if gauging my reaction. "You don’t have an answer," she noted, tilting her head. 

"Interesting."

My fingers twitched. "Why do you care?" I countered.

Elara’s lips curled into a slow, knowing smile. 

"Because Kaiden cares."

I felt my breath hitch slightly, but I forced myself to maintain my composure. "And?"

Elara stepped closer, lowering her voice.

"And that means you should start thinking very carefully about what you’re doing, Amelia."

A flicker of irritation sparked inside me. 

"I don’t need advice from you."

Her smile didn’t fade.

"I'm not so sure about that. You don't even know the standing of your relationship. Or do you now have an answer?" She asked, looking cocky, but I could see the gleam of hope in her eyes.

I looked away, feeling the guilt I'd felt only moments ago begin to resurface. Because for the first time, I wasn’t just thinking about the games I was playing with Damien and Freya.

I was thinking about Kaiden.