Chapter 41 Truth She wants
Elara slipped away from the community center while Kai was coordinating the search, taking her car and driving to the address the mysterious woman had sent.
It led to an abandoned warehouse on the edge of neutral territory, the kind of place where bad things happened and nobody asked questions.
She parked and walked inside, finding the space empty except for a woman standing in the center holding Adrian's hand.
"Mama!" Adrian cried and ran to her.
Elara scooped him up and checked him over frantically. "Are you okay? Did she hurt you?"
"She gave me cookies," Adrian said. "And let me watch cartoons."
"I told you he was safe," the woman said.
Elara finally looked at her properly—mid-forties with dark hair and familiar features that made something click in Elara's memory.
"I know you," Elara said slowly. "You worked in pack administration when I was there."
"Elena Morrison," the woman confirmed. "I was your supervisor before Darius had me transferred to archives."
"Why did you take my son?" Elara demanded.
"To get you here without Kai," Elena said. "Because what I need to tell you can't be said in front of him."
"Then say it," Elara said, holding Adrian tighter.
"Kai knew about his father's plan to have you killed," Elena said. "He knew before you were exiled, he knew while you were pregnant, and he did nothing to stop it."
"That's a lie," Elara said but her voice shook.
"Is it?" Elena asked. "I have documents proving Kai met with Darius multiple times to discuss 'the omega problem' as they called it, I have emails between them strategizing about how to handle your pregnancy claim."
"Why would you have those documents?" Elara asked.
"Because I was Darius's assistant for fifteen years," Elena said. "I handled his confidential correspondence and filed his private documents, and when I realized what he was planning I started making copies."
"Why?" Elara asked.
"Because I'm an omega too," Elena said. "And I've watched Darius destroy women like us for decades, I wanted insurance in case he ever came after me."
"So why are you telling me now?" Elara asked.
"Because Kai is lying to you," Elena said. "He's playing the reformed villain but he knew everything his father did and he approved it, the only reason he's protecting you now is because you have his heir."
"You're trying to turn me against him," Elara said.
"I'm trying to show you the truth," Elena corrected and pulled out a folder. "These are copies of the documents, read them yourself."
Elara took the folder with one hand while holding Adrian with the other, and inside she found emails between Kai and Darius discussing her pregnancy.
One email from Kai read: "The omega is becoming a problem. We need a permanent solution that doesn't trace back to the family."
Darius's response: "I have contacts in the borderlands who handle such problems discreetly. Leave it to me."
Elara felt sick because the dates matched—this was sent one week before she was exiled.
"He was part of it," she whispered.
"He orchestrated it," Elena said. "Darius provided the muscle but Kai provided the plan."
"Why are you showing me this?" Elara asked.
"Because you deserve to know who you're trusting with your son's life," Elena said. "And because Kai is about to become head Alpha with authority over hundreds of wolves, if he's willing to order your death once, he'll do it again when it's convenient."
"What do you want from me?" Elara asked.
"I want you to expose him," Elena said. "Take these documents to the pack council, show them what their new Alpha really is."
"That would destroy the pack," Elara said. "Leave them without leadership during a crisis."
"Better no leadership than corrupt leadership," Elena said.
"Why don't you expose him yourself?" Elara asked.
"Because I'm nobody," Elena said. "A former archive worker with no credibility, but you're his fated mate and the mother of his child, people will listen to you."
Elara looked at the documents and felt everything she'd been building with Kai crumble. "I need to verify these are real."
"Of course," Elena said. "I expected that, the metadata is intact and you can have them authenticated by any forensic document examiner."
"I need time," Elara said.
"You have twenty-four hours," Elena said. "After that I'm taking these documents to the media and Kai's reputation burns regardless of what you do."
"Why give me any time at all?" Elara asked.
"Professional courtesy," Elena said. "You were always kind to me when we worked together, and you deserve the chance to make this choice for yourself."
She left through a side door and Elara stood there holding Adrian and the folder, her mind spinning through implications.
If Elena was telling the truth, then Kai had been lying for months about his level of involvement in her exile.
If she was lying, then someone was trying to destroy Kai's new Alpha authority by turning Elara against him.
Either way, she needed to know the truth.