Chapter 38

Chapter 38


Kaiden's POV.

Elara’s emerald green eyes twinkled under the moonlight, a seductive gleam in her eyes. Her hands drew closer to me, reaching for my chest but I stepped back immediately, eyeing her with caution.

Hurt flashed in her eyes for a second but she quickly masked it, picking up her momentum.

“You see Kaiden,” she drawled, blinking between her lashes.

“From the first time I set my eyes on you, I knew. You're the only one I want. Forget about Maya, I'm here and I want you. You don't have to pin onto someone who doesn't even deserve you. I'm right here, and I'll give you everything you want.” She stated, a seductive edge to her voice but all I felt was disgust.

I couldn't imagine myself with anyone but Amelia, and no form of seduction will change how I feel about her.

Sure, Elara was a beautiful woman, with long hair in beautiful waves, and she carried herself with such elegance, always majestically adorned. Still, I wasn't even marginally interested in her.

No matter how much I tried, I could not just turn off my feelings for Amelia. And Elara needed to know that.

I cleared my throat, eyeing her hopeful expression.

“Listen Elara, you're a beautiful woman but I don't harbor any feelings for you. I'm a one-woman type of man and I'm already in love with Maya. Don't try looking for a way to sway me towards you, because you'll just be wasting your time. I’ve chosen her, and I won't stop until she tells me to.” I stated, not hesitating to confess the truth of my feelings. She deserved to know that she had no place in my life.

I couldn't string her along or try to sugarcoat what I was feeling. It was best she knew the truth now, and not expect anything different in the future.

I watched as her lips began to quiver. She sucked in a shaky breath with glassy eyes trying to blink away tears.

I would’ve expected her to look away, embarrassed after getting rejected by me, but she stared straight into my eyes, almost like a challenge and I stared back, my eyes an emotionless mass of blue.

Didn't she understand that her feeling's meant nothing to me?

I wondered to myself, deciding the best thing to do was to walk away. I had been the one to hurt her, it would make no sense to comfort her. That would only be sending mixed signals.

Amelia owned my heart, and I couldn't let myself be bothered by anyone else.

Despite the sour nature of our relationship recently, my feelings had stayed, unchanging and fiery as ever.

I turned my back to a quivering Elara, taking large steps away from her but her raw voice, dripping with unhinged emotion, stopped me in my tracks.

“Kaiden! Are you really doing all this just for her?” She screamed into the dead of the night, her question bouncing off the vastness of the forest.

“Yes.” I stated without turning to her, hearing her strangled sobs from behind. I stood there, hearing her struggle to calm herself down.

“Well then,” she started after a few moments of silence.

“I have some information that might be useful for you.” She continued and I rolled my eyes.

‘This is probably just another way to try to capture my attention.’ I thought to myself, about to walk away again but her next words killed my movements altogether.

“It's about Damien. He might not be Alpha Donovan’s legitimate son.”

My mouth formed an ‘oh’ and I turned around swiftly, shocked at the revelation. It was almost unbelievable infact. But I had to make sure.

I stared at her expectantly.

Elara had my full attention now. This wasn't a small accusation, and it could mean big things for the pack, for Amelia and her plans for revenge.

It would make the process so much faster and we could be done with all this and get back to the Silvermoon pack, where things would hopefully go back to normal.

I couldn't stand seeing Damien anywhere close to Amelia. Every time their skin touched it sent a jolt of electricity through my veins, my heart raced and it took every will power in me to not rip his arms off their hinges.

He didn't deserve to be anywhere near her. I figured she wanted Freya to feel her pain, but it was an incredibly uncomfortable part of the plan for me. I couldn't help the part of me that wondered if she still had feelings for Damien.

“Keep talking,” I said, my voice devoid of emotion, my mind spinning into theories.

I heard her swallow hard before she spoke again. 

“I overheard my father speaking with his assistant,” she admitted, intertwining her fingers. 

“They were talking about Damien… speculating that he might not be Alpha Donovan’s real son.”

“What? Are you sure?” I asked, still trying to keep my disbelief at bay. I wanted to believe it so bad, but I needed to know this was actually the truth.

She nodded, her expression serious now.

“They weren’t certain, but my father seemed convinced enough to discuss it privately. If Damien isn’t actually Donovan’s son… you know what that means.”

I did.

If Damien had no true blood claim to the pack, his entire position was built on a lie. His power, his future, his very identity—it would all crumble.

But only if the truth was revealed. If it was already being whispered about, it was only a matter of time before the rumors spread.

I needed to be careful though,this might not be the truth. But would she lie just to get back at me for rejecting her?

I studied Elara’s face, searching for deception. 

“Why are you telling me this?”

She blinked at the ground, a smile that didn't reach her eyes framing her face as she looked up at me.

“I just have a feeling it's something you’ll be interested in. And I won't withhold it just because you don't feel the same way.”

Guilt tugged at my heartstrings for a mere second but I nudged it away. I wasn't obligated to return her feelings…and neither was Amelia to return mine.

My heart thumped painfully in my chest at the thought, but there was a much more important matter on ground. That could wait.

If Amelia had the chance to use this against Damien, she could destroy him before he ever had the chance to hurt her again.

Still, I wasn’t about to act on a rumor alone. 

“You said it was just speculation.”

Elara nodded. 

“Yes, but my father wouldn’t have brought it up if he didn’t think there was something to it. And if you want to start investigating, you should look into Bella.”

Bella. Damien’s mother.

I frowned. 

“What about her?”

Elara hesitated before answering. 

“I think you should find out if she had any relationships before or during her time with Alpha Donovan. If Damien isn’t his son, then someone else is his real father.”

I let her words sink in. It wasn’t much to go on, but it was a start.

If Damien wasn’t truly the Alpha’s heir, this wasn’t just a secret—it was a ticking time bomb.

Elara crossed her arms. 

“So, what are you going to do?”

I exhaled slowly. 

“I’m going to find out the truth.” I stated, deep in thought.

I turned to walk away once again but her soft voice stopped me, thick with emotion.

“Kaiden. I hope you know my feelings for you are true. If you change your mind, I'll be here.”

I swallowed, feeling pity lodged at the pit of my stomach. My heart was no longer mine, and there was nothing I could do about it.

“Thank you for the information.” I stated in a voice devoid of emotion, before walking away, leaving her to nurse her broken heart.