Chapter-53
Elysia's rejection was a slap in the face, leaving me reeling as I stumbled back towards the mansion. The taste of the whiskey I had drank, still lingered on my tongue, momentarily numbing the pain she had caused. Yet, the ache in my chest remained, and it seemed it was growing with each step I took away from her. I didn't understand how she couldn't feel that the bond still existed. Every fiber of my being knew it was there. Weak, yes, but there.
Changing into my wolf form, it didn't take me long to reach the mansion, but as I ran, my mind raced. I needed to get control of myself again, to take charge of the chaotic mess I had become.
As I entered the backyard of the mansion, I changed back into my human shape, and moving forward, I peered into the shadows dancing in the light breeze, sensing a few members of our pack. A figure emerged, followed by several more and as they stepped into the moonlight, I could see their expressions were a mix of desperation and fear.
One of them stepped forward from the other and I recognized Evangeline. "You must help us. Your brother has gone too far this time," she pleaded.
I'd heard the whispers of his cruelty, but I'd always dismissed them as merely exaggerations. But at hearing her words, and seeing the furtive glances from the others, I couldn't dismiss what their actions meant.
"What's he done?" I asked, my voice harsher than I'd intended.
At my tone, Evangeline flinched, and her eyes grew wet with unshed tears, before her own voice hushed, she breathed, "He's taken everything from us. Our freedom, our pride, and now, our hope. He's not just a bully; he's a monster. He's turned our sanctuary into a prison, and we can't take it anymore."
Desperation was practically weeping from them, and the heavy weight of what I was learning pressed down on me. One by one, each of them stepped forward, telling me of their experiences with my brother's cruelty. Their words were of a man I didn't recognize, a man who had become heartless.
The more I heard, the angrier I became. My hands clenched into fists, but I showed no other outwardly sign I was seething. "Tomorrow, I'll talk with him," I told them, my voice steady and firm.
With my heart heavy, I watched them scatter into the night, their whispers carrying on the breeze. As the last of them disappeared into the shadows, I stepped inside, the door closing with a solemn finality behind me. Mistress Ainsley emerged from another room, a figure of elegance and power in a tight black dress that accentuated her curves. Her eyes searched my face, looking for answers I wasn't sure I had.
"What was that all about?" she asked, her voice a seductive purr.
I took a deep breath, the scent of her perfume mixing with the stale mansion air. "They need my help," I said. "Something to do with my brother."
"Your brother?" she inquired, a hint of something unreadable in her tone.
"Yes, Mistress Ainsley, my brother," I confirmed, my jaw set firmly.
Her smile was slow and knowing. "Ah, your responsibilities to the pack," she said, a slight arch in her eyebrow. "It's easy to get lost in personal matters, but you know where your priorities lie."
Her words were a nudge to remember my role as the owner of the club, and I frowned at her, a slight growl erupting from deep within my chest.
Her eyes searched my face, and seeing my displeasure with her, she murmured, "You know I'd do anything for you, Alex. I'm always here to serve, to support." Her voice was low and intimate.
"I know," I replied, my anger with her diminishing slightly.
"And don't you want to be with someone who understands you, who's devoted to you completely?" she pressed, moving closer, her hands reaching for my shoulders.
Her touch was a gentle caress, but it was the underlying challenge in her words that had my attention. Did I want someone who knew the depths of my darkness, or would I rather chase after a mirage of something with Elysia? I swallowed hard, the whiskey burning my throat as I thought of her rejection.
"I appreciate that, Mistress Ainsley," I said, stepping back slightly, "but I need some space to think."
Her smile didn't falter, but the light in her eyes dimmed ever so slightly. She nodded, understanding my need for solitude. "As you wish," she murmured, her hands slipping away.
Moments later I climbed the stairs, each step echoing through the empty halls of the mansion even as the noise from the fully packed club reached my ears.
With a sigh, I pushed the door open to my room, and going over to the mini bar, I poured myself another whiskey, the amber liquid glinting in the low light. I needed to think, to figure out how to navigate the tangled web of allegiance and desire that was my life.
With a sudden burst of anger, I tossed the tumbler, the glass shattering against the wall, the fallen pieces reflecting the moon's glow like a thousand tiny mirrors.
Restlessness thrummed through me, and I began pacing my room, the thick carpet muffling the sound of my footsteps. I was the one with the power to change things between Elysia and myself. I was the one with the bloodline to challenge my brother's rule and change things for the pack. But the thought of facing either, filled me with a cold dread that I hadn't felt in years.
The sound of the wind howling through the trees, and branches scraping against the window panes caught my attention, momentarily distracting me before my thoughts turned to the club, to the control and dominance I wielded there. It was a different kind of power, one that didn't involve breaking hearts or spirits, but it was power all the same.
I took a deep breath, inhaling the scent of leather and desire from the club downstairs, tempted, but it was time to stop running from my responsibilities to the pack and face the monster that lurked in the heart of it.
The decision brought a clarity that washed away the alcohol-induced haze. I knew what I had to do, and I would, no matter the cost.