Chapter 23
ELARA’S POV
I gaped at him, completely floored. My breath snagged in my chest, my heart pounding like a trapped animal against my ribs.
He wasn’t messing around—not one bit. His gaze brimmed with honesty. Understand us both? My wolf was just as stunned and speechless as me.
Before I could choke out a response, before my mind could even wrap around what he’d said, the heavy oak door to his office groaned open.
We both whipped our heads toward the noise. Oh—it was Marcelline.
Perfect—just who we needed. Total buzzkill. She stood framed in the doorway, wrapped in her elegant royal purple silk robe, her flawless brows drawn together in bewilderment as she took us in, then twisting into a scowl.
Classic. She looked like she’d bitten into a raw lemon and was instantly regretting every second.
“I need to talk to Ronan,” she declared, her voice like a blade of frost, edgier than normal. Her eyes flicked to me, holding there with clear contempt. “Alone.” She tacked on, her words a flat demand.
No room for debate.
“Of course,” I said, plastering on a smile despite the storm raging inside. I rose, offered a quick bow, and slipped out. As I pulled the door shut behind me, their voices leaked through the solid wood.
“What was she doing here? And why were you two so close?” Marcelline’s words rang down the hall, the guards across from me shifting awkwardly. But their expressions stayed blank, like this was routine by now.
I exhaled heavily and started walking, but Ronan’s reply rooted me in place.
“How’s that your concern, Marcelline? What’s the issue with her being in my office?”
Marcelline’s scoff cut through the door like a whip. I couldn’t stomach their bickering anymore. I hurried off to my room, the tension too thick to linger.
I dropped into the padded chair by the window, gazing out at the trees where birds perched on branches, chirping softly. It was so serene, but it did nothing for the ache throbbing in my head.
Ronan’s piercing stare.
His bold, disarming question.
Marcelline’s rage.
My tangled emotions.
It all spun in my mind, leaving me dizzy. I was so wrapped up in the mess that I didn’t hear Clara come in until her light tap on my shoulder jolted me back.
“You alright, Miss Elara?” she asked, her tone gentle and truly worried.
“Yeah, yeah,” I said, nodding while still fixed on the view outside. “I’m fine,” I fibbed. She must’ve seen through it, because she didn’t budge or speak—just quietly dragged over a small chair and sat next to me, her brown eyes peering right into me.
“I know I’m only a maid,” she started, tentative, “but maybe you could…” She hesitated, nibbling her lip, staring at her folded hands. “Share with someone? It looks like a heavy load to haul solo.”
I turned to face her fully, a blend of surprise and mild irritation at how easily she’d pegged me.
Wow—she’s sharp already, and persistent too. Credit where it’s due.
She pressed on, her voice steadying. “It’s gotta be tough, really tough.”
“It’s not what you’re imagining, Clara,” I sighed, raking a hand through my hair. “It’s messy. Like a puzzle in ancient script, rewritten in another tongue by someone who stumbles over both.”
“Never claimed it was simple,” she said with a smile. “But if it’s love, isn’t it worth the shot?”
I stared at her, jaw dropping, eyes bulging. My mouth hung open like a fool. Did she seriously just drop “love”?
“Yeah,” she said, nodding, her smile growing into a soft laugh. “I get it. We’ve all got eyes, Miss Elara, and ears that catch whispers even through solid walls,” she added with a wink, and heat rushed back to my face.
“You mean…?” I stuttered, feeling utterly clueless.
“Yeah,” she laughed again, light and melodic. “At first, I figured it was just you and the Alpha sharing a professional bond, respect between leader and healer, but it’s deeper. Way deeper.”
“How?” I squeaked, barely audible.
She rubbed her palms together, exhaling a quick breath. “The way he watches you?” She paused for emphasis. “Like you’re the most incredible sight in existence.”
I choked back a bitter laugh, letting out a skeptical huff instead. “Sure, he sees me as his top medic, or maybe a tricky riddle he can’t crack.”
“It’s real!” she insisted, her voice pitching up a notch, startling me. “Sorry,” she said, catching my flinch, her face softening with regret. “But it is! Anyone paying attention can tell. He treasures you… immensely. He paces when you’re away, checks on you nonstop, frets if you’re not close. But with you around, he lights up, forgets the world, zeros in on just you… Haven’t you noticed?”
I shook my head, words stuck on my tongue.
She went on. “He hasn’t looked at Lady Marcelline like that in ages. I’ve only been here a short while, not even months, but I see it. It’s stronger than how Alpha Kane gazes at his Luna, and he’d lay down his life for her.”
I stayed quiet, her words buzzing in my brain like insistent insects, stirring up a wild mix of hope and dread. It was reassuring that it wasn’t all in my imagination, but that didn’t make it simpler.
“I don’t think Alpha Ronan cares for the lady anymore,” she added. “And he’s not bothering to hide it from the pack, even if he keeps things polite. He really likes you, Miss Elara. Maybe even loves… And I know you feel the same.”
I lifted my head, meeting her eyes. I couldn’t argue—she nailed it. My feelings for him had sprouted from fear and resentment, bloomed into respect, and now twisted into something far more complex and irresistibly dangerous. I’d fought it tooth and nail, but the harder I pushed, the fiercer it grew, day after day, moment by moment.
She laid her hands over mine softly. “You deserve the best. And I think Alpha Ronan is that,” she said with a smile. “A bit more push from you might shift everything.”
With that, she rose and slipped out, leaving me alone with my whirlwind thoughts. I released a shaky breath. Then, out of nowhere, a rush hit me.
Bravery? Foolishness? Something like that surged through.
Maybe she’s onto something. Maybe I should step up. But then the memory of being toyed with and discarded, like with Kael, crept back in.
This was gonna be tough.