Chapter 86 Chapter 86
THIRD PERSON POV
Elara closed the door behind her carefully. She didn’t want to bang the door even if she was angry at what he had seen. She went back to her room angrily and shut the door. She leaned her back against the wood for a moment, anger running through her
veins.
The image still burned in her eyes, Lucian’s hand at Ailsa’s waist, the way he kissed her with passion and love, the intimacy in that kiss was so natural that it made Elara’s teeth ache. She digger her nails into her skin till it drew blood.
“No!!” She screamed in her room.
The rumors hadn’t lied. Lucian had chosen a Luna. Her fingers curled at her sides again.
When she had first heard it, whispers carried by messengers and traders, a careless mention in the pack. She had laughed. She knew Lucian was not ikr to do things impulsively. He did not give his heart easily and he did not replace.
Ailsa
She thought about the name bitterly. A rogue. A woman who had walked into her place and had been crowned. How did Lucian even meet a rogue woman?
That was why Elara had come back. Not because she was desperate and had nowhere else to go. But because she wanted what was hers.
Lucian was hers.
She moved away from the door and crossed the room, moving with practices steps. Everything about her was going to be deliberate, the softness of her steps, the way her hands trembled only when someone was watching. She was here to deceive everyone and make them pity her.
She was succeeding in doing that especially with Lucian. She had seen the concern in his eyes when she had arrived here pleading for a place to stay in the meantime. Lucian had always been predictable when it came to human emotions.
He pitied. He carried the wounds of others, like they were his own and she had learned long ago how to use that. She had watched it happen with injured warriors, grieving pack members and broken souls who came for his mercy.
So she had crafted her return carefully. The story. The fear and the panic attacks. And it had worked in her favor. She smiled faintly.
The irony was that parts of it weren’t even lies. The man she had ran away with had been cruel. He hadn’t hurt her physically but he had lied to her, he was no Alpha. He was just a mere right hand man. She had gone to get those marks on her body to make her story more believable. She had seen the rage in Lucian’s eyes when she had showed him the marks. She wanted him so angry so when he sees the man, he wouldn’t think twice before killing him.
She knew Lucian hated cruelty to women and even when he had given her somewhere to stay even though he had restricted her, she collapsed and cried. She made sure to do it in the morning, so Lucian would come to her aid quickly.
And Lucian, predictable and caring had reacted exactly as she had hoped. He had even allowed her to walk freely in the pack house. She knew Lucian still cared for her and she wanted him to realize that.
But there was a little obstruction. Her. Elara’s jaw tightened when she remembered the kiss she had witnessed. She had talked to Ailsa earlier and was not expecting to see her in Lucian’s office. She wanted to feed him more of her lies.
‘They are not bound yet” she thought to herself.
Yes! That’s exactly what she would use against her. Lucian hadn’t marked her. She knew that as surely as she knew her own breath. Lucian had hesitated. He always did when ghosts lingered, and she was his oldest ghost. She knew the mark on her neck was part of the reason. And she was going to use that to manipulate them. She had no intentions of removing the mark, she never wanted to remove it.
A soft knock interrupted her thoughts. She turned just as the person opened the door. Dahlia stepped inside without waiting for permission. Elara had expected her.
She had sensed her presence, her sharp looks and calculated silence. Dahlia was ambitious and bitter and was going to be very useful in her mission. Elara put on her meek facade. Dahlia closed the door and faces her squarely.
“That won’t work with me. You lied to Lucian” she said without preamble. Elara tilted her head, her eyes wide and innocent.
“I don’t know what you mean” Dahlia laughed harshly and humorless.
“Save it. You are not being maltreated. You just used that to get Lucian to pity you”
“That’s not true” Elara defended herself. “There are evidence to refute your claim. I can show you my body”
“There won’t be any need for that. You can deceive everyone but not me. I heard what really happened” Dahlia said flatly.
“How do you think you knew about what was going on here?” Dahlia asked and Elara’s eyes widened.
“That was you?”
“Yes, that was me. I can get any information I want to”
The air shifted then. Elara was scared that someone knew why she ran away but she didn’t want Dahlia to know how she felt. Elara’s expression cooled.
“And yet, you haven’t told him” Elara said softly.
“Not yet”
“Why?” Dahlia stepped closer.
“Because I believe we can work together for a greater good”
Understanding slid into place smoothly. Elara was not wrong about Dahlia after all, she smiled secretly. She was going to use her but Dahlia had other plans.
“So…we want the same thing” Elara said calmly. Dahlia’s lips curled.
“I want her gone” Dahlia said.
“And I want him back” Elara spoke but Dahlia shook her head.
“Do you really think Lucian would take you back after everything you did?”
“He loves me” Dahlia laughed in her face, that it made Elara’s blood boil.
“Don’t be deceived. Even though Ailsa goes, Lucian would never look at you twice”
Silence stretched between them. Each of them planning how to use the other. Elara now fully understood the reason why Dahlia wanted to work with her. She also wanted Lucian. Over her dead body, would she let that happen but she needed Dahlia’s cooperation to achieve her aim.
Elara moved first. She crossed the room slowly, deliberately lowering her voice.
“It seems we both want them same thing. You know, if you expose me, you expose yourself too. We can come to a compromise”
“No, I’m not the one lying to stay close to Lucian. Once Ailsa is gone, you leave with her and never return. I’ll give you enough money that we’ll last you for a lifetime”
“You drive a hard bargain. We don’t have to be enemies. Not when coopération wolof be efficient”
“And what would you suggest?” Dahlia asked warily. Elara smiled then, sweetly and with the confidence of someone who knew exactly where to press.
“I’ll only request for one thing, you let me stay here after we’ve sent Ailsa away. I really have no place to go” Elara said it in the most pitiful tone.
“I’d consider that but I was asking how you want us to make Lucian chase her”
“We won’t attack her. We’ll just keep poking her” Dahlia frowned.
“She’s stronger than she looks and moreover you have only five days remaining here”
“How did you know that?”
“I know every decision that Lucian takes. Don’t underestimate my capabilities” Dahlia said proudly and Elara smiled. She had picked the right person.
“That’s where you come in. You’ll need to increase my stay here by three weeks more”
“I don’t think that’s possible” Elara frowned.
“Why? I thought you can influence Lucian’s decisions”
“In case you have forgotten. Nobody can influence Lucian’s decisions. Whatever we are going to do has to be done within these five days”
“The time is too short to achieve our aims. Ailsa looks like someone that won’t crack in such a short time” she met Dahlia’s gaze directly.
“We need to make Lucian doubt her and then make him doubt his judgment” Dahlia’s breath hitched. She hadn’t thought about that all this while. Elara leaned in closer.
“By the time he realizes what is happening, the damage would already be done” Dahlia straightened slowly. A slow, vicious smile spread across her face.
“When do we start?” Elara’s eyes flicked briefly towards the door.
“I already have” she said with a small smile.
“Faking panic attacks is not going to help. You have to act more drama, so that Lucian would spend less time with her. She also needs to start doubting Lucian, it would make our work easier if she leaves by herself”
Elara smiled.
“Leave that to me. I know the perfect way to get her to start doubting him” Dahlia raised a brow.
“How?”
“I’ll make sure she catches us in an intimate position”