Chapter 48 Did You Sleep Well Last Night?
Elara's POV
I watched Kaelen's shoulders rise and fall as he fought for control, the muscles beneath his shirt still visibly taut, and when he finally turned to face me the gold hadn't completely faded from his eyes yet, remnants of Fenris still visible in the molten color that made my pulse skip erratically.
"Let me see your arm," he said quietly, his voice still rough with barely leashed aggression.
Before I could respond he'd already closed the distance between us, his fingers wrapping around my wrist with unexpected gentleness as he lifted my arm to examine where Nicholas had grabbed me.
The moment his skin made contact with mine the mate bond exploded between us with an intensity that stole the air from my lungs, heat flooding through my veins in a rush that made my knees weak and my vision blur at the edges.
I felt Astraea howl desperately in my mind, her need to get closer to our mate so overwhelming it took everything I had not to simply collapse against his chest and let the bond consume us both.
Kaelen's thumb brushed over the faint red marks on my skin, his jaw clenching as he stared at them, and I watched his breathing become noticeably heavier as the bond pulsed between us with demands neither of us could fully ignore.
His gaze lifted from my arm and locked onto my face, his pupils dilating as he seemed to register exactly how close we were standing, and then his eyes dropped to my neck with a focus so intense I felt it like a physical touch against my throat.
He was staring at the unmarked gland on the side of my neck, and I watched his throat work as he swallowed hard, his entire body going rigid with the effort of restraining himself. His breathing had turned ragged, chest rising and falling in a rhythm that matched my own racing heartbeat, and I could see his free hand clench into a fist at his side like he was physically fighting the urge to pull me closer.
"Does it hurt?" he asked, his voice dropping to that low rumble that made heat pool in my stomach and my wolf whine with desperate longing.
I tried to form words, tried to tell him I was fine and step back to put distance between us before I lost what remained of my self-control, but my body refused to cooperate and instead I found myself leaning slightly toward him without conscious decision. "I'm fine," I finally managed to say, though my voice came out breathless and unsteady. "Really, it's nothing."
Astraea was throwing herself against my mental barriers with single-minded determination, demanding I stop fighting and let our mate claim us properly, and the silver light that had gathered at my fingertips when Nicholas grabbed me flickered weakly as I struggled to focus on anything other than Kaelen's scent wrapping around me and the way his thumb was still absently stroking the sensitive skin of my inner wrist.
"You're not fine," Kaelen said, taking a step closer that eliminated what little space remained between us, and I felt the heat of his body seep through my clothes as his voice dropped even lower. "And from now on, you don't see any male who wants to court you alone. That's not negotiable, Elara. I won't stand by and watch another man put his hands on you."
The possessiveness in his tone sent a thrill down my spine that I desperately tried to suppress, my wolf responding to the dominance with eager submission that made shame burn in my chest even as my body betrayed me by swaying closer to him. Before I could formulate any kind of response the front door of the pack house burst open and Sebastian emerged with Damian right behind him, their expressions shifting from concern to confusion as they took in the scene.
Damian immediately positioned himself between Kaelen and me, his protective instincts overriding everything else as his eyes scanned me quickly for injuries before settling on Kaelen with obvious suspicion. "What happened?" he demanded. "Elara, are you alright?"
"A male was harassing your sister," Kaelen said before I could answer, his voice calm despite the fury I could still feel radiating from him through the bond. "He grabbed her arm and refused to leave when she told him to. I made sure he understood that wouldn't happen again."
Sebastian's expression darkened immediately, his Alpha presence flaring in response to the threat against a pack member, but before he could speak Nolan and Aurora appeared in the doorway. I watched Aurora's eyes widen when she spotted Kaelen, something calculating flashing across her features before she arranged her face into delighted surprise that looked too practiced to be genuine.
"Is everyone okay?" Sebastian asked, his tone carefully neutral as he looked between Kaelen and me with an assessing gaze that suggested he was noticing far more than I wanted him to.
"He won't be back," Kaelen said with absolute certainty.
Damian relaxed slightly, though his eyes remained sharp as they tracked the minimal distance between Kaelen and me. "Good. Elara doesn't need that kind of attention."
Sebastian gestured toward the pack house. "Kaelen, since you're here, perhaps you'd like to come inside? I assume this isn't purely a social visit."
I watched Kaelen's jaw tighten almost imperceptibly before he nodded, his gaze sliding to me one more time with intensity that made heat creep up my neck. "Actually, I should mention that I'll be staying in Silverstone territory for the foreseeable future. My father has approved the arrangement."
"Of course," Sebastian said smoothly. "You're welcome to stay as long as necessary. Please, come in."
As we all began moving toward the pack house, Aurora suddenly let out a delicate cough that drew everyone's attention exactly as she'd clearly intended. She pressed one hand to her chest, her eyes going wide and vulnerable as she looked directly at Kaelen with shy recognition.
"Alpha King heir," she said softly, her voice carrying breathless wonder that made me want to roll my eyes. "It's been such a long time since we last saw each other. I hope you've been well."
Kaelen didn't even glance in her direction, his eyes remaining locked on me with single-minded focus that made the mate bond pulse with satisfaction in my chest. He gave no indication he'd even heard her speak, and I saw Aurora's carefully maintained expression crack for just a fraction of a second before she recovered with a smile that looked strained.
Once inside we settled into the formal sitting room, and I found myself on one of the sofas with Damian immediately claiming the spot beside me while Kaelen took the chair directly across from us, positioning himself to maintain clear line of sight to where I sat. Sebastian took his usual seat at the head of the arrangement, his posture relaxed but his eyes sharp.
"So, Kaelen," Sebastian said, settling into his seat with the easy authority of an Alpha addressing an equal. "I trust the Alpha King is satisfied with the trade agreements we finalized last month? The timber shipments should have reached your pack by now."
Kaelen leaned back in his chair with deceptive casualness. "The quality exceeded expectations. My father mentioned expanding the partnership to include the mineral rights in the northern territories, if your pack is interested in negotiating terms."
Sebastian nodded thoughtfully, his expression revealing nothing of whatever calculations were running through his mind. "We can discuss that further. I assume you'll also be reviewing our security protocols while you're here? Given the recent coordination efforts between packs."
"Among other things," Kaelen replied, his tone perfectly diplomatic even as his gaze drifted to me again before returning to Sebastian. "The Alpha King wants to ensure all allied packs are prepared for potential threats. I'll be meeting with your patrol captains to assess current defensive measures."
It was perfectly reasonable, the kind of official business that would satisfy anyone not paying attention to the way Kaelen's eyes kept finding me despite the conversation. Damian made a noncommittal sound beside me, clearly unconvinced that pack security was the only reason for this extended stay, and I felt his attention shift between Kaelen and me like he was trying to solve a puzzle with missing pieces.
Aurora had positioned herself in a chair that should have drawn Kaelen's eye if he'd shown any interest in looking at her, and she leaned forward slightly with demure interest. "That sounds like such important work. You must be very dedicated to take on such responsibility at your age."
"Kaelen is the Alpha King's heir," Nolan added from where he stood near Aurora's chair, his tone carrying hero worship. "Of course he's capable of handling critical pack security. It's an honor to have him staying in our territory."
Kaelen still hadn't looked at Aurora even once, his attention fixed on me with intensity that should have been uncomfortable but instead made warmth bloom in my chest. "Elara," he said suddenly, completely ignoring Aurora and Nolan as if they hadn't spoken. "Did you sleep well last night?"