Chapter 30 Elara And Kai
She put Adrian to bed and returned to find Kai sitting on the couch with his head in his hands.
"I looked for you," he said without looking up. "I have been searching everywhere trying to find you so I could apologize."
"I know," Elara said. "I saw the investigation reports in your office, fifty thousand dollars and you found nothing."
"Because you were better at hiding than I was at searching," Kai said. "And maybe that's what I deserved."
"You deserved worse," Elara said.
"Agreed," Kai said and finally looked at her. "For what it's worth, the woman I see now is stronger and braver than the one I rejected."
"That woman had to survive things you can't imagine," Elara said. "The borderlands broke me down and rebuilt me into someone I could call a Villian."
"I'm glad you survived," Kai said. "Even though it means you came back to destroy me."
"I came back to reclaim what you stole," Elara corrected again. "Adrian's inheritance, my dignity, and my life."
"Take it all," Kai said. "Take everything I have if it helps balance the scales."
"I don't want your money," Elara said. "I want acknowledgment, I want the pack to know what you did, I want your father held accountable for trying to have us killed."
"Then that's what we'll do," Kai said. "Once we figure out how to survive the next three days."
Elara sat on the opposite end of the couch. "Mandivus will be at the estate in three days expecting me to hand over Adrian."
"And when you're not there he'll come hunting," Kai said.
"He already is, he knew we ran."Elara said and told him about the text message.
Kai listen and after Elara finished talking, his jaw tightened. "How does he know?"
"Your father probably told him," Elara said. "They're working together remember?"
"Then we need to cut off that alliance," Kai said. "If we can expose my father's involvement with Mandivus, the pack council will have to act."
"Even though some people are against him, your father still controls the pack council," Elara pointed out.
"Well the ones who's against him are very powerful, all of them," Kai said. "These three elders who've been questioning his leadership, they are willing to do anything to get him down. And if I can get evidence to them directly we might have a chance."
"And how do you plan to do that from a cabin in the middle of nowhere?" Elara asked.
"The guard will act as our messenger," Kai said. "I'll compile everything we have and he'll deliver it to the elders personally."
"That could take time, and it's something we don't have," Elara said.
"Let's calm a bit, cause that's the only option I got," Kai said. "Or what else do you think we can do?"
"We could go to the authorities," Elara suggested.
"And tell them what?" Kai asked. "That the head Alpha of Silvercrest pack is working with a borderlands criminal? They'd laugh us out of the office without proof."
"We have proof," Elara said. "The documents from your father's office."
"Illegally obtained proof that would be inadmissible," Kai reminded her. "No, we need to handle this through pack law first."
Elara stood and walked to the window, looking out at dark forest. "But what if pack law isn't trustable enough?"
"Then we find another way," Kai said. "But right now it's the best option we have."
They spent the night planning and organizing evidence while Adrian slept, and by midnight they had a comprehensive file documenting Darius's crimes and his connection to Mandivus.
"This should be enough to force an investigation," Kai said. "If the elders act on it."
"And if they don't?" Elara asked.
"Then we take it public," Kai said. "Go to the media, expose everything, and let the court of public opinion force action."
"That'll destroy your family's reputation," Elara said.
"My family's reputation deserves to be destroyed," Kai said. "After what we've done to you and god knows how many others."
Elara looked at him and saw genuine remorse in his face, but remorse wasn't enough to erase two years of suffering.
"I'm going to bed," she said. "We can continue this tomorrow."
"Elara," Kai called as she reached the bedroom door. "For what it's worth, I'm glad you came back."
"Even though I'm here to ruin you?" Elara asked.
"Especially because of that," Kai said. "Because it means I get a chance to make things right."
Elara closed the door without responding and lay down beside Adrian, listening to his steady breathing and trying to process everything that had happened.
Kai knew who she was now, which changed everything and nothing at the same time.
She still needed justice, still needed to protect Adrian, still needed to destroy the people who'd hurt her.
But now Kai was helping instead of fighting, and she didn't know if that made things better or worse.
Her phone buzzed with another message;
"Day 1. 3 days left. Running makes it more fun."
\-MS
Elara turned off the phone and pulled Adrian closer, three days until Mandivus came for them and she still didn't have a plan.