Chapter 56 Elara's POV
"What are you doing here?" Kaden demanded.
"I heard the commotion. I wanted to see what all the fuss was about." She looked at me with false sympathy.
"Having a difficult pregnancy, are we? How unfortunate. Some women just aren't built for childbearing."
"Get out," Kaden said, his voice dangerously low.
"I was just expressing concern-"
"You were gloating," Damian interrupted, standing. "And you are disturbing my patient. Leave."
"I have every right to walk these hallways-"
"Not anymore," Ethan said, moving toward her. "The Alpha gave you an order to leave now. Before I throw you out myself."
Selena's smile faltered as she looked at Kaden, clearly expecting him to soften. To defend her right to be here.
Instead, Kaden just stared at her with an expression of pure contempt.
"If I see you anywhere near Elara's quarters again," He said quietly, "I will personally escort you off pack lands. Permanently do you understand?"
The threat was clearly unmistakable.
Selena's perfect composure cracked. "You can't do that the agreement-"
"The agreement says you can live on pack lands. It doesn't protect you if you harass other pack members. Now get out before I decide the agreement isn't worth the paper it's written on."
She left, her heels clicking sharply against the floor, her anger radiating off her in waves.
After she was gone, Damian administered the sleep medication. Within minutes, I felt drowsiness pulling at me.
"Stay with her," Damian told Kaden. "At least until the medication takes full effect. She shouldn't be alone right now."
Kaden nodded and sat in the chair by my bed, taking my hand in his.
"Sleep," He said softly. "I'll be right here. I promise."
I wanted to tell him about the moonlight. About the glow about how the baby had responded to it.
But the medication was too strong. My eyes closed against my will. The last thing I felt was his thumb gently stroking the back of my hand.
I slept through most of the next day. When I finally woke, it was late afternoon and Kara was sitting in the chair by my bed, reading.
"You're awake," She said, setting down her book with relief. "How do you feel?"
"Tired, sore but better."
"Damian's been checking on you every few hours. He says you and the baby are both fine, but you need to take it easy."
"Where's Kaden?"
"Council meeting but he left strict instructions to call him the moment you woke up."
I sat up slowly, testing how my body felt. The pain from last night was gone completely. Just a dull ache remained.
"Kara, can I ask you something?"
"Of course."
"Last night... Did you notice anything strange? About the room? About me?"
She looked confused. "Strange how?"
"Never mind it's nothing."
But it wasn't nothing. It was something I needed to understand. Something I needed answers about.
And there was only one person who might have those answers.
Elder Miriam.
Two days later, when I was feeling stronger, I asked Kara to take me to Elder Miriam's quarters.
"Are you sure you should be walking around?" Kara asked. "Damian said to rest."
"I have been resting for two days. I'm going crazy in that room. Please, Kara. I just need to talk to her about something."
Kara reluctantly agreed and walked with me through the pack house to Miriam's quarters.
The older woman answered the door with a warm smile. "Elara. What a pleasant surprise. Come in, dear."
I entered and Kara started to follow, but I stopped her. "Would you mind waiting outside? I need to talk to Elder Miriam privately."
Kara looked uncertain but nodded. "I'll be right out here if you need me."
Once we were alone, Miriam gestured for me to sit. "You look troubled. What's on your mind?"
I hesitated, unsure how to begin. "Things have been... difficult. At the pack house. With Selena back."
"I've heard the servants talk, you know. They say you've stood up to her several times."
"I couldn't just watch her abuse people. It felt wrong to stay silent."
"Good. That takes courage but courage makes enemies."
"I know. I can feel the pack members resenting me. They whisper when I walk past. Call me names when they think I can't hear."
Miriam's expression grew sympathetic. "Are you sleeping?"
"Not well, pregnancy makes everything harder. I'm tired all the time but I can't seem to rest properly."
"And the baby? How is the baby doing?"
"Damian says a fine strong heartbeat is growing normally." I paused. "But there are moments when I feel... strange. Like something's changing inside me that I don't understand."
Miriam studied my face carefully. "What kind of changes?"
I almost told her about the moonlight, the glowing skin, the way the baby responded.
But something held back some instinct that said this was too private. Too dangerous to share until I understood it myself.
"Just normal pregnancy things, I think," I said instead. "Heightened senses mood swings that kind of thing."
Miriam watched me for a long moment, and I had the distinct impression she knew I was holding something back but she didn't push.
"Well, if you ever need someone to talk to, my door is always open," She said gently.
We talked for another hour about safer topics. About pack politics. About how to handle Selena's provocations about the small ways I could build relationships with other pack members.
As I was preparing to leave, Miriam stood. "Actually, there's something I'd like to show you. If you're feeling up to a short walk."
"Show me what?"
"A place somewhere peaceful. Somewhere I think you might find... helpful."
I hesitated. "How far?"
"Not far just into the forest a bit we will take it slowly."
I should have been more cautious and asked more questions. But something in Miriam's expression, a kindness, a genuine desire to help made me trust her.
"Okay," I said. "Let's go."
We left through a side door, Kara following at a respectful distance. Miriam led us into the forest along a narrow path I had never noticed before.
The trees grew denser as we walked. The sunlight filtered through the canopy in golden streams. It was beautiful but also isolated and private.
After about fifteen minutes, we reached a small clearing. Hidden secret with a single stone marker in the center.
"Where are we?" I asked, looking around nervously.
Kara had stopped at the edge of the clearing, seeming to understand this was a private moment.
"This is a special place," Miriam said quietly. "Very few people know about it. Kaden comes here sometimes when he needs solitude."
I looked at the stone marker more closely. It was simple, elegant. Just a symbol carved into the surface of a crescent moon.
"Why did you bring me here?" I asked.
Miriam turned to face me, her expression serious. "Because you need to understand something about Kaden. About his history. About where he comes from."
My heart started beating faster. "What do you mean?"