Chapter 70
Elara's POV
The red on Kael's ears deepened. Spread to his cheeks.
He realized how he sounded. How he looked.
Desperate. Possessive.
Over a girl he claimed meant nothing to him.
Kael took a deep breath. His shoulders straightened. I watched him physically shove the embarrassment down. Bury it under layers of ice and control.
When he spoke again, his voice was flat. Professional.
"I just don't want incidents happening in my territory," he said. "Dealing with bodies and missing persons cases is... complicated. It draws human police attention."
I stared at him.
Bodies? Missing persons paperwork?
Was he serious right now?
He was an Alpha. The heir to one of the most powerful packs in the Northwest. He had Betas. He had people whose entire job was handling this kind of mess.
Since when did Kael Harrington personally worry about filing reports?
But I kept my face neutral. "I understand. You need to maintain order in your territory."
Kael nodded. Like that explanation made perfect sense. Like he hadn't just made up the most ridiculous excuse I'd ever heard.
"So what actually happened?" he asked. His eyes moved between me and Cole. "Details."
I kept it simple. "We found Vivian. The kidnappers had her in that warehouse. One of them had an Eastern European accent. Big guy. Strong."
"Eastern European?" Kael's eyes sharpened. "Finally. One of them showed themselves."
"It wasn't just a random kidnapping," I said carefully. "This was... planned."
Kael's gaze shifted to Cole. "And you just happened to be there to help?"
Cole's expression didn't change. "I was passing by."
The lie was smooth. Practiced.
Kael stared at him. Cole stared back.
Neither of them blinked.
The silence stretched out. Heavy. Thick.
I could feel the testosterone radiating off both of them. Two predators sizing each other up.
Vivian shifted beside me. Her hands were twisted together. She kept glancing at Cole.
That soft look was still in her eyes.
Damn it.
"Well," Vivian said suddenly. Her voice was too bright. Too cheerful. "Maybe Cole could drive me home? I mean, since he's already here and—"
"No," I said immediately.
Vivian blinked at me. "But—"
"Cole has his own things to handle," I said. My tone left no room for argument.
Cole nodded once. "I do have some... private matters to attend to."
He almost said "Alpha." I saw it. The word formed on his lips. But he caught himself. Changed it to: "Elara asked me to handle something."
Kael's eyes narrowed slightly. But he didn't push.
"Then I'll drive you both back," Kael said. It wasn't a question. It was a statement.
Vivian's face fell. She looked at Cole like a puppy watching its owner leave.
I grabbed her arm. Gently. "Come on. Your parents are probably worried sick."
Cole turned to leave. He paused at the edge of the parking lot. Looked back at me.
Our eyes met.
Just for a second.
Then he disappeared into the shadows.
---
The interior of Kael's SUV smelled like leather and pine.
Vivian sat in the back seat. Her phone was out. She was typing furiously.
I could see the screen from where I sat in the passenger seat. Messages to her parents. Reassurances that she was okay.
I pulled out my phone. My fingers moved quickly.
Take the car I drove here. Park it at the north side of the school parking lot. I'll pick it up tomorrow morning.
I switched to the other channel. Warren's frequency.
Mission complete. Target recovered. Scene needs cleanup.
Warren's response came within seconds.
Received. Status?
Complete. Suspect escaped. Scene requires containment.
I felt eyes on me.
I looked up.
Kael was watching me in the rearview mirror. His ice-blue eyes locked onto mine.
I held his gaze. Didn't look away.
He turned his attention back to the road.
My phone buzzed. Cole's response.
Understood.
Simple. Clean.
I tucked the phone back into my pocket.
"So," Kael said. His voice was casual. Too casual. "Your mother invited me to lunch tomorrow."
My head snapped up.
"What?"
Vivian stopped typing. She looked up from her phone. Her eyes went wide.
Kael's lips twitched. Almost a smile. "Emily called me this evening. Said she wanted to thank me properly for... helping you at school."
My mind raced.
Mom. What are you doing?
"Oh," I managed. "I... didn't know about that."
"You don't sound happy about it," Kael said. His eyes found mine in the mirror again.
"It's not that," I said quickly. "I just... wasn't expecting it."
Liar.
I was already imagining the disaster that lunch would be.
Mom would probably grill him about his intentions. Dad would sit there in awkward silence. Ethan would glare at him the entire time.
And Kael would sit there at our tiny kitchen table in our rundown house and—
God.
This was going to be a nightmare.
"I can decline if it makes you uncomfortable," Kael said.
There was something in his voice. Something I couldn't quite identify.
"No," I heard myself say. "It's fine. You should come."
What was I saying?
Kael's shoulders relaxed slightly. "Good."
Vivian was staring at both of us. Her mouth was slightly open.
I turned to look out the window.
The streets were dark. Empty.
My reflection stared back at me in the glass.
I looked exhausted. Pale. There was a smudge of dirt on my cheek.
Behind me, I could see Kael's profile. Strong jawline. Sharp features.
He glanced at the mirror again.
Our eyes met in the reflection.
He looked away first.
I closed my eyes.
Tomorrow. Lunch. Kael at my house.
This was going to be a complete disaster.