Chapter 51 Kaden's POV
Elara listened without interrupting, her expression growing darker with each revelation.
When I finished, she was quiet for a long moment.
"So she's coming back," she said finally. "When?"
"Tomorrow, probably. Maybe the day after. The agreement is already signed."
"And there's nothing you can do to stop it."
"No. The elders made the decision. It's done."
I expected her to be angry and scared to rage at me for letting this happen. Instead, she surprised me.
"Then let her come back," She said, her voice steady and calm.
I stopped walking. "What?"
"Let her come back, let her think she has won. Let her believe she's gotten everything she wanted."
"Elara, she tried to kill you. She tried to get you to abort our child. How can you be so calm about this?"
"Because being angry won't help. Being scared won't protect me or the baby." She turned to face me fully. "Elder Miriam came to see me today."
"She did?"
"Yes. And she told me something I needed to hear. That I can't afford to be weak anymore. That I need to protect myself and my baby because no one else can do it for me."
"I'm trying to protect you-"
"I know but you can't be everywhere at once. You can't watch me every second. And Selena knows that. She's going to wait for her opportunity and then she's going to strike again."
She was right, painfully, obviously right.
"So what are you going to do?" I asked.
"I'm going to be ready this time. I'm going to stop hiding in my room and start making allies in the pack. I'm going to learn to defend myself. And I'm going to show Selena that I'm not the scared omega she thinks I am."
Pride swelled in my chest. This was the Elara I'd fallen for the one who'd survived a brutal attack and kept fighting. The one who was stronger than anyone gave her credit for.
"Miriam suggested training," She continued. "Self-defense. Things I can do even while pregnant. Will you help me arrange that?"
"Of course, whatever you need."
"And I need you to stop treating me like I'm made of glass. Stop hovering, stop trying to control everything. Let me make my own decisions, even if you don't agree with them."
That would be harder but I nodded. "I will try."
We started walking again, moving deeper into the gardens.
"There's something else," Elara said quietly. "Something I've been thinking about since Elder Miriam left."
"What?"
"The pack doesn't know about us, about the bond, about the baby. They think I'm just some omega you are protecting for reasons no one understands."
"I thought it was safer to keep it secret-"
"But it's not safe. It makes me more vulnerable. It makes pack members question your judgment, wonder why you are so protective of someone who seems insignificant."
She looked at me. "Maybe it's time to tell them the truth."
The suggestion caught me off guard. "You want me to announce publicly that you're my mate? That you're carrying my child?"
"I don't know, maybe. I need to think about it more. But keeping secrets isn't working. Selena knows the truth. She is going to use it against us somehow, maybe we should control the narrative before she can."
She had a point again.
"Let me think about it," I said. "Let me talk to Ethan and Miriam. See what they think about the timing and how to handle it."
"Okay."
We walked in silence for a while longer, just being near each other. It felt good and peaceful like for a few minutes we could forget about Selena and Erebus and all the other threats circling us.
But peace never lasted long.
My phone buzzed. I pulled it out and saw a message from Ethan.
‘Selena's here. She's moving into the guest wing now.’
I showed the message to Elara. She read it and nodded slowly.
"So it begins," She said.
We walked back to the pack house together. When we entered, I could feel the tension in the air. Pack members standing in small groups, whispering all of them watching as we passed.
News of Selena's return had spread quickly.
I escorted Elara back toward her quarters, but as we approached, I saw Selena.
She was in the hallway with several servants, directing them as they carried boxes and suitcases into one of the guest rooms. She was dressed perfectly, her hair styled, looking every inch the proper pack member she was pretending to be.
She saw us and smiled. "Kaden! Elara! What perfect timing. I was just getting settled in."
I felt Elara tense beside me but she didn't move.
"This is the guest wing," Selena continued, gesturing around. "Just two doors down from Elara's quarters. We'll practically be neighbors!"
The words were innocent. The meaning was clear: she was as close to Elara as the restrictions would allow.
"The agreement specified you couldn't enter certain areas," I said coldly.
"And I'm not this wing that is permitted. I checked with Elder Marcus myself." She smiled wider.
"We're going to see so much of each other. Isn't that wonderful?"
I felt my hands clench into fists then I made a decision.
"Elara," I said, turning to her. "I want you to move your quarters tonight."
She looked surprised. "Move where?"
"Closer to my room in the private wing where Selena isn't allowed. Where I can keep you safer."
"But-"
"Please," I said quietly.
"Let me do this, let me keep you as close as possible."
Selena's smile faltered. "That seems extreme, doesn't it? I'm sure Elara is perfectly safe here-"
"She's moving," I said, not taking my eyes off Elara. "Tonight. I will have the guards transfer your things immediately."
Elara looked between me and Selena. I could see her weighing her options. Deciding.
"Okay," she said finally. "I will move."
Selena's expression darkened. "How cozy the Alpha and his favorite omega, living just steps away from each other. I'm sure the pack will have plenty to say about that."
"Let them talk," I said.
"My priority is her safety, not gossip."
I guided Elara away, leaving Selena standing in the hallway.
But I could feel her eyes on us the whole way watching, calculating and planning her next move.