The Plan

I wake up with arms wrapped around my body. Turning, I see Kellan.

"You've been busy." He nods, smiling at me. He looks worn out.

"We need to discuss some things today. So have breakfast with the others, then meet me and Darius." He leans forward, his lips pressing against mine.

"You look like you need sleep."

"I'm fine, don't worry about me. I'm going to go get sorted and find Darius. I snuck away, and I'm not meant to be here."

Laughing, I shake my head. "You're breaking the rules again?"

"They are made to be. He thinks I'm asleep in my room, just shh." Laughing at him, I lean forward and kiss him. His hands grasp me and pull me closer to him.

I push my body closer to his, hearing him groan before he pushes me away. "No!"

Pouting, I sulk and he chuckles, leaning forward he begins to kiss me. My hand tangles into his hair.

"Enjoy your breakfast. See you soon." His words are mumbled against my lips before he climbs off the bed and walks out. I want to sulk that he's gone already, I won't though.

He looks exhausted, which says they have been busy. Getting ready, I walk down to breakfast and sit with Sage. Everyone is quiet today.

"I saw Kellan this morning." Lyra's words get all our attention. "He was leaving our corridor, anyone know why he was there?" She looks between us.

"Kellan had come up to pass a message onto me, Lyra; he wasn't there for a contestant." Yori smiles at her.

"Oh, I wasn't suggesting he was there to see one of us. Just, we hadn't seen him or the king in days, then he was just there."

Surely she hadn't seen him leave my room? Then again, if she had, no doubt she would have told everyone.

"You will be happy to know that both the king and prince will be by later." Yori smiles and steps away from us.

Sage talks to me, and I try to listen and focus, but my mind keeps going back to Kellan and Darius. I watch as everyone finishes eating and begins to leave.

"Elara, you need to stay behind, remember. Your event requires assistance from Betas, so you need to discuss it with them." William looks at me from across the room.

I watch as everyone leaves. He's given me a reason to be here.

"Okay, follow me." William walks out and I follow him at a distance. Soon we step into a room, Kellan, Darius and Maze are sat together.

"Please sit, Elara." Darius looks up briefly. I want to ask how he is, I've not seen him since that day he found out about his mum. He clearly isn't in a place to say now, though.

Walking over, I sit.

"Tomorrow morning, we will be going for your wolf." He glances at Kellan and seems to frown. "You will be coming with us, even though I would rather you didn't."

"It makes it easier, Darius."

"It puts her in danger." Darius snaps back, and I can see they have been arguing over this a lot. Darius' hand rubs across his face in frustration. "Tomorrow morning we will leave, Maze will turn the wolf back into magic form and place it back inside of you."

"Why are we doing it there?" I thought they wouldn't do it there.

"Removing the wolf as it is now will take a lot more time." That's not all. I look between them.

"When I change the wolf back into magic form, the less time it spends outside of your body, the better. They can't get your wolf out how it is, not without weeks of planning."

Darius looks between me and Kellan. "You follow the rules, Elara. You stay with us. You don't walk off and focus primarily on why we are there."

"I will, I swear." I'm not about to go walking around the place.

"You getting your wolf back may mean we need to cancel your event."

What? "No." I can't cancel my event.

"Elara you will have only had your wolf maybe six hours before your guests arrive, considering the issues you may face, it's safer if you hold off on it." Darius might be right, but I can't just cancel it.

"No, if I have issues, fine, but if this gets cancelled, then what? I lose all the points and go home." He can't make me cancel.

"You wouldn't. We would give a reason for your event being cancelled." Kellan looks at me. "If your event is cancelled, you had no event to gain points from, so you simply won't take part in this round, and only those who did will be at risk of leaving."

That's more foolish. "Yeah, and how will that look? There is no way any of those ladies will happily walk away knowing I didn't do my event and stayed! I'm doing my event."

Darius groans. "If I see any signs you can't handle your wolf, you get no choice."

"I'll be fine." I think, I hope, anyway. "Why are you all so worried?" I don't understand.

Kellan turns to face me. "Your emotions, feelings and everything will be heightened, we have no idea how you will react around people. Especially the other contestants when they come near us."

Do they think I will snap, shift and try to kill a contestant? I laugh slightly.

"Don't Elara. Kellan is right, any jealousy you feel at seeing him with other contestants, will intensify." Maze smiles at me.

"I don't feel any jealousy, I never have."

"See, she's an alien." Kellan laughs.

"I'm not. I just think I realise whoever you're with doesn't matter." I know Kellan has picked me and will, regardless of everything going forward.

"Darius?" I glance up, confused, and Maze looks between us. "You say you feel nothing seeing others with Kellan, likely because he's told you he is picking you. How about with Darius?"

I don't know. I look at them, and they wait. Do I ever feel jealous seeing others with Darius? No, I don't. "I don't feel jealousy, just anger." Mainly because of him, not them.

"Which is worse." Darius laughs. "I will agree; we will see how you are, but any signs of issues and you're not having your event. You will need to take some time to get used to your wolf."

He means no Sage, either. "I'm going to Sage's. I can't leave her alone." I can't do that. She needs me there.

"If it comes to it, I will personally stay with Sage, okay?" Kellan glances at me. "Or, I can have Beta Tony keep her company."

"Either, just don't leave her alone." Sure, there will be guests, but we're not allowed to invite our family or friends. So Sage won't know anyone.

"Okay, we leave at four am. That is when the least amount of security is there. You stay outside and hidden until we find your wolf and secure everything. Only then will you be brought in."

"I'm fine with that, Darius." I am, and I understand why he would rather keep me hidden until they make sure everything is safe. I want to feel excited that in less than twenty-four hours, I will have my wolf.

I can't, though; anything could go wrong before then.