Chapter 11 I'm Coming With You
ADRIANA
Elijah's question cut through my thoughts.
Stay? Here? With these people?
I’d have to have lost my mind completely to even consider it. They’d turned my life into a waking nightmare. For years, I’d dreamed of the day I could finally escape.
After Mom died, I’d existed at their mercy, less than a servant, more like property they could abuse whenever the mood struck.
My father was staring at me with desperate, pleading eyes. As if he actually believed I might say yes. The man was completely delusional. He never could see reality for what it was.
That same delusion had killed my mother. When she got sick, he’d refused to take her to a hospital. “Werewolves don’t get sick,” he’d insisted, over and over. I’d begged him to call the pack doctor. Begged. And he’d refused.
Now he expected me to stay so he, his precious Lisa, and her pathetic boyfriend could continue destroying me?
Absolutely not.
“Over my dead body.”
Landon’s head snapped up, genuine shock written across his face.
What, did he actually think I’d choose to stay in this hellhole?
“Then will you come with me?”
Elijah extended his hand toward me, palm up. An invitation. A lifeline.
The request caught me completely off guard. Elijah was a Lycan—our supposed enemy. Everything I’d been taught said I should refuse.
But honestly? I’d rather live with the devil himself than spend another day here.
“Yes.” I didn’t hesitate. “Yes, I’ll come with you.”
My hand found his, and the decision felt right in a way nothing else had in years.
My father’s expression crumbled. Lisa remained on her knees, trembling with barely contained rage, probably already plotting my murder in increasingly creative ways.
I was done caring. This was my choice, and I’d live with whatever consequences came.
Even if Elijah’s pack turned out to be terrible—though I doubted it could be worse than this—at least the failure would be mine alone.
“Let’s go.”
His grip on my hand was firm, reassuring, as he led me toward the door.
Finally. I was leaving this nightmare behind.
I glanced back one last time at the three people kneeling there.
My father’s eyes begged me to reconsider.
I looked away. His pleas meant nothing to me now.
We’d almost made it out when Elijah stopped abruptly.
“One more thing.” He released my hand and walked back to where my father knelt. “I discovered something fascinating.”
“What’s that?”
“The Antil Cult.”
I had no idea what he was talking about, but whatever it was drained every drop of color from my father’s face.
“H-how do you know about that? Who told you?” His voice came out strangled, panicked.
“So you’re not denying it.” Elijah glanced at me, noting my obvious confusion. “It’s a secret organization. Werewolves who deliberately create conflicts and pin the blame on Lycans. They manufacture reasons for war, then point fingers at us as the aggressors. And your father here? He’s not just a member. He’s essential to their operations. They don’t make major decisions without consulting him first.”
I should have been shocked. But I wasn’t.
I didn’t know about this specific cult, but I knew my father. He’s power-hungry, manipulative, and willing to sacrifice anything and anyone to get what he wanted. He’d been prepared to sell me to some predator just to secure a treaty.
He couldn’t even defend himself. Just knelt there, frozen, staring at nothing.
“This is my fault,” Elijah continued, his voice hardening. “I was too lenient with your kind. Everyone warned me, but I didn’t listen. That changes now. Consider this your lesson.”
“What are you planning to do?”
“For starters, the treaty is void.”
“Please!” My father lunged forward, grabbing Elijah’s leg, practically groveling at his feet. Lisa watched with undisguised contempt.
Even now, even broken, she couldn’t hide her pride.
Elijah kicked him away. “All aid—financial, military, everything—is withdrawn immediately. And you can kiss goodbye to every ally I brought to your table.”
The pack had flourished because of Elijah’s support. Without it…
“No! You can’t! Please, you have to understand, I didn’t want any of this! They made me do it!”
Lies. Obvious, pathetic lies.
I’d never seen my father beg before. Never seen him on his knees like this.
It felt… good. Really good.
Elijah’s eyes found mine, silently asking if this was sufficient punishment.
My father. On his knees. Crying. Begging.
Was it enough?
I smiled and nodded.
ELIJAH
The silence in the car was suffocating.
Adriana sat beside me, face turned toward the window, lost in her own thoughts. Hazel drove, occasionally glancing at me through the rearview mirror.
Every time I tried to think of something to say, my mind went completely blank.
I wasn’t even sure if I should break the silence
“If you’re going to have an internal crisis, at least try to be subtle about it.”
Hazel’s voice echoed in my head, and when I looked up, she was grinning at me through the mirror.
“Glad my suffering amuses you.”
She actually laughed out loud at that. Adriana glanced over, clearly confused about what was funny.
Right. She didn’t know we were communicating telepathically.
“Just talk to her! Say literally anything! You’re acting like you’ve never spoken to a woman before!”
“How did you know?” I asked, ignoring her advice. “About her being my mate?”
Hazel was observant—annoyingly so—but this seemed like a stretch even for her.
“Because I know you. I’ve seen how you act with her. The protectiveness, the care. You don’t do that for random people. So I figured—second chance mate.”
Second chance mate.
The words felt heavy. Complicated.
“Hazel’s right, you know,” Ezra chimed in, because of course he did. “You should actually have a conversation with her. Novel concept, I know.”
I tried to formulate something—anything—to say.
“Would you just talk to her already?!”
“Back off, Ezra! I’m thinking! This isn’t exactly easy, okay? She just escaped one hell. I’m not about to drag her into mate bond complications when she’s barely had time to breathe.”
It was a weak excuse and I knew it.
“How would you know that when you haven’t even tried talking to her?” I groaned internally at Ezra’s insistence.
I knew he had a point, but that didn’t mean I had to acknowledge it.
Did I really need to speak to her right now? If she wanted to talk, she would’ve said something already.
“I need to figure out if she’s worth the risk first. If she’s worth… everything. I can’t just dive in blind again.”
Last time I’d rushed into things, it had nearly destroyed me. I wasn’t making that mistake twice.
“So what’s your plan for her then?”