Chapter Forty seven
Chapter Forty seven
AUTHOR'S POV
Kaida knew not to listen to her. The witch was not beyond lies. She knew Elara would say anything in an attempt to get under her skin. In her head, she knew this, and yet, in her heart of hearts, the Luna could not help but want to listen. She clenched her hands into fists in annoyance, not just at Elara but also at herself for allowing herself to take the bait, even when she knew Elara's character.
An unpleasant, bitter sound of laughter filled the air as Elara let it out loud. Kaida was standing a few steps away from Elara, her breath coming in short pants. Every cell in her body wanted her to fight; however, she did not. She had to wait—timing was everything.
"I know everything there is to know about your mother's death. Aren't you curious about it?" Elara said tauntingly.
Kaida cast a withering glare toward the older woman. "You are stalling," she pointed out.
"Am I?" Elara asked in mock innocence. "Actually, you are right. You are quite perceptive." The admission came as a surprise to Kaida. She narrowed her eyes at Elara, wondering what trickery the witch was up to. It didn't take long for Elara to return to the real topic she wanted to discuss. "You know who else was perceptive? Your mother," she said, to Kaida's annoyance. "She knew the second she saw me that something was wrong and tried to ruin my plans. Thank the... how do you say it? Moon Goddess? Thank the Moon Goddess that I had already made Luther susceptible to my charm. It was only a matter of getting rid of her then," she stated with twisted satisfaction.
"You know, when I staged that affair, I almost got caught. I had forgotten just how much of a nuisance the mate bond could be. But I had grown a lot stronger over the years; the mate bond was no match for me," Elara boasted darkly.
A wave of nausea hit Kaida, and she shivered at Elara's words. Elara's statements confirmed her suspicions and fears. "So, it really was you. You did that to my mother."
Elara shot a bored look her way. She shrugged nonchalantly. "How was I to know it would kill her? You mated wolves are so weak when it comes to your mates. What a fatal weakness to have."
"You're evil, vile. How are you able to sleep well at night with so much blood on your hands? I could have gone through my whole life without meeting a creature like you. However, now that this has happened, I will be sure to stop you here, Elara, so that the next generation never gets to know of your existence.”
Elara’s gaze darkened, and her eyes flashed with anger. “How about we talk about you, Kaida? Did you enjoy the show I produced?” Elara asked jeeringly and with as much contempt as she could muster. “How many years did you spend thinking that your mother betrayed your family? Believing your father’s coldness was her fault? It was almost too easy.”
She frowned slightly. “To be honest, her death turned out to be both a blessing in disguise and a pain to deal with. Luther, that idiot, was so broken after her death that I had to pause my plan. But then, it made the rogue pack's attack much easier, and I was there to pick up the broken pieces of his heart, especially after he lost so many pack members.”
Kaida’s chest had begun to burn from suppressing her rage.
Elara glanced at Kaida with an evil, lopsided smile. She mistook Kaida’s silence for a sign of defeat. “I’ll give her credit, though. Your mother was resilient. She held on for far longer than I had expected, even after your father abandoned her. But in the end, the mate bond always wins, doesn’t it? The shame helped her wither away.”
Kaida shook her head in disgust. Elara embodied the word "witch" in every possible way. The woman had taken great pleasure in deceiving her and erasing anything good from her life. Everything Kaida had ever thought to be true, every moment of suffering, had been orchestrated by this woman. “You’re wrong, though,” Kaida said firmly, her voice steady. “Shame didn’t win. You manipulated her, just like you’ve manipulated everyone else. But that ends here. I carry her rage with me—hers alongside everyone you have ever harmed because of your selfishness and thirst for power.”
Elara’s laugh was cruel. “Oh, Kaida. Do you really think you can stop me? I'll admit that you’ve surprised me by coming this far, but that means nothing. You’re just a child playing in a world you don’t understand.”
Kaida took a threatening step forward, her smile growing. “You’re so sure of your power, but you’ve made mistakes before. Like underestimating my mother. Like underestimating me.”
Elara’s eyes narrowed, and she blinked. For the first time, she seemed less controlled. “You must consider yourself clever, don’t you? But you don’t understand the forces at play here. I have been building this world for years, molding it to my liking. You’re nothing but a footnote in my story.”
Kaida stepped forward, her hand tightening on the handle of the dagger. She knew the time for action was near. She could sense through the mate bond that Thoran was ready.
“Perhaps I am just a footnote,” Kaida replied, her tone calm. “But a historian once said that even a footnote can alter the story.”
Elara narrowed her eyes at Kaida with a sneer. But before the witch could act, Kaida sent a signal to Thoran, who had been hiding in the shadows. The Alpha, in wolf form, seemed to materialize from nowhere. He charged toward Elara at full speed, his claws extended.
Elara panicked and quickly raised her hands to summon a wave of dark magic to block his attack. But Kaida had already sprung forward with her dagger drawn; she slashed at the magic, and the dagger glowed faintly as it absorbed the dark energy in the air.
Elara scowled, and it struck her that they were going to be a problem.