Chapter 12 Family Dynamics
Elara's POV
I held Maple closer as I walked back across the lawn toward the Pack House. She had finally stopped squirming.
The mansion loomed ahead, its windows dark except for a few scattered lights on the lower floors. I had hoped everyone would be asleep by now, that I could slip back inside unnoticed. But as I approached the side entrance, I saw a figure standing in the main hallway through the glass doors, backlit by the soft glow of the chandelier.
Damian was waiting for me.
I pushed through the door, and he turned immediately, his expression shifting from concern to relief when he saw me. He was still dressed in his earlier clothes, like he had never gone to bed, and I realized with a sinking feeling that he had probably been waiting here the entire time I was gone.
"Elara," he said, his voice low and warm. "Are you alright? I saw you from my window, running across the lawn."
Before I could answer, I heard footsteps on the stairs above us. James appeared at the second-floor landing, leaning over the railing with barely concealed curiosity. His eyes widened when he spotted Maple in my arms, and his expression immediately soured.
"What is that?" he demanded, his voice sharp despite the late hour. He started down the stairs, his movements quick and aggressive. "You brought a dog into Pack House? Don't you know the rules? We don't allow furry pets here!"
I glanced at Damian, then back at James, keeping my voice deliberately quiet. "It's late. Everyone should be asleep."
James stopped halfway down the stairs, his face flushing. He opened his mouth, closed it, then shot me a venomous look before turning and stomping back up to his room, his footsteps heavy with suppressed anger.
I waited until I heard his door slam before turning back to Damian. He was watching me with that same gentle expression, his peach-blossom eyes warm and patient, giving me space to explain without demanding anything.
"This is Maple," I said, my voice softer now, more uncertain. "She's my pet dog. She knew I had moved, and she found her way here tonight. I already rented a place outside, so I'll only keep her here for one night. I'll take her away tomorrow."
Damian stepped closer, and I noticed how carefully he moved. He reached out and gently touched the top of Maple's head with one finger, his smile widening when she didn't flinch away.
"This is your home, Elara," he said, his voice carrying absolute certainty. "You live here. You can keep whatever you want in your own home."
"But James said there are rules—"
"You said it yourself," Damian interrupted, and there was a hint of amusement in his tone now, his peach-blossom eyes crinkling at the corners. "If he can live here, why can't your dog?"
He tapped Maple's head again, more playfully this time, and she finally relaxed in my arms, her tail giving a tentative wag. "Don't worry," he continued, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "Your brother will handle everything."
Something warm unfurled in my chest, spreading through my body like sunlight breaking through clouds. I wanted to say thank you, the words rising automatically to my lips, but I remembered what he had told me earlier about family not needing gratitude. So instead, I just nodded, letting myself smile at him for real this time.
"Okay," I said simply, and the word felt like acceptance, like trust, like the beginning of something I had never known how to have before.
Damian's smile widened, genuine pleasure lighting his face. "Get some rest," he said. "You've had a long night."
I carried Maple upstairs. Maple whined softly, drawing my attention back to her. She was staring out the window again, her whole body rigid as she focused on something in the distance. I followed her gaze and felt my stomach drop when I realized she was looking toward Kaelen's estate, toward the mansion where we had just been.
"No," I said firmly, setting her down on the bed and crouching in front of her so we were eye to eye. "You do not run away like that. Do you understand me? You scared me half to death, and you could have gotten hurt."
Maple's ears drooped, but she didn't look away from the window. There was something in her eyes that I had never seen before, a kind of desperate longing that went beyond simple animal instinct.
"Come on," I said, scooping her up and carrying her to the bathroom. "Let's get you cleaned up."
I gave her a quick bath in the sink, washing away the dirt and grass stains from her escape. She submitted to the process without complaint, too tired to put up her usual resistance to water. By the time I had dried her off and carried her back to bed, my own exhaustion was catching up with me.
I climbed under the covers with Maple curled against my chest, her small body warm and solid. Tomorrow I would figure out what was happening, would try to understand the connection between my dog and the Alpha King. But for now, I just needed to sleep.
---
I woke to the sound of screaming.
"Ah! There's a dog! Where did this dog come from?!"
Another voice, higher and more panicked: "Quick! Someone get the butler! Catch it!"
I jerked upright, my heart pounding as I looked around the room. The pink princess decor seemed even more surreal in the morning light, and for a disorienting moment, I couldn't remember where I was or why everything looked so different from my old room at Shadowveil.
Then reality crashed back, and I realized Maple was gone.
I threw off the covers and ran to the door, yanking it open just in time to see a golden blur racing up the stairs. Maple launched herself at me, her claws scrabbling against my pajama pants as she climbed up my legs and into my arms with practiced efficiency.
I looked down at the main hallway and felt my stomach sink. Half the household seemed to be gathered there, all staring up at me with varying degrees of shock and disapproval. Benedict, the head butler, stood with several other staff members, all of them slightly out of breath from chasing Maple. Moira was there too, along with Aurora, James, and Allen, their expressions ranging from curious to hostile.
"Elara," Moira said, her voice carefully neutral but tinged with concern. "Did you bring that dog into the house?"
Before I could answer, she continued, her tone becoming more worried. "There are children living here. What if it bites someone? We can't take that kind of risk."
A small girl I recognized as Sophie, one of my younger cousins, was clinging to Moira's leg, her face buried against her mother's dress. "Mama, I'm scared!" she wailed, her voice muffled. "Make it go away!"
James stepped forward, his expression triumphant. "I told her last night that pets weren't allowed, but she completely ignored me!"
Allen's voice was cold and measured, his eyes fixed on me with undisguised disdain. "Dogs are animals with wild instincts. You can't just claim it won't hurt anyone and expect us to believe you."
"Exactly!" James added, his voice rising. "How can we trust—"
Maple must have sensed the hostility in James's tone because she suddenly lifted her head and bared her teeth at him, letting out a low growl that was surprisingly fierce for such a small dog. James stumbled backward, his face going pale.
"See?!" he shouted, pointing at Maple with a shaking hand. "It's already trying to attack me!"
Sophie's crying intensified, her small voice rising to a shriek. "Mama! I don't want it here! Make it leave!"
I opened my mouth to defend Maple, to explain that she was only reacting to James's aggression, but before I could speak, the front door opened and Damian walked in.
He took in the scene immediately, his gaze sweeping over the gathered crowd before settling on me, standing at the top of the stairs with Maple clutched protectively to my chest. Something shifted in his expression, the usual warmth in his peach-blossom eyes cooling to something harder and more dangerous.
He walked forward with deliberate slowness, and I felt the air pressure change as his Alpha aura began to seep out, subtle but unmistakable. The crowd parted automatically, everyone taking an unconscious step back as he moved through them.
"I gave Elara permission to keep this dog," Damian said, his voice pleasant but carrying an edge of steel underneath. "If anyone has a problem with that, you're welcome to discuss it with me directly."
James opened his mouth, then closed it again as Damian's gaze landed on him. The Alpha pressure increased slightly, just enough to make everyone in the room acutely aware of the power differential, and James's face flushed as he looked away.
Aurora was the only one who seemed unaffected by the display of dominance. She stepped forward with a gentle smile, her movements graceful and unthreatening as she approached Damian.
"Damian," she said softly, her voice carrying just the right note of concern. "No one is trying to challenge your decision. We're just worried about the timing. This dog appeared so suddenly, and with Grandmother returning from the rehabilitation center in three days..."
She trailed off meaningfully, letting the implication hang in the air.