Chapter 37
Elara’s POV
The sun hung low in the sky, casting a golden hue over the training field. Sweat clung to the back of my neck, and though the day had been long, there was a satisfying kind of weariness that came with pushing ourselves hard. I was walking with Jory, listening to him go on about a new tactic he’d picked up during the training session. The enthusiasm in his voice almost made me smile, but I kept it neutral.
Then, a voice sliced through the chatter, heavy and deliberate.
“Elara.”
I stopped dead in my tracks, feeling a tight knot in my stomach even before I turned around. Thorne was striding toward us, all purposeful and determined, like he owned the damn field.
“Hey, Elara,” he called out, stopping just a few paces away. His gaze swept over my face, and I hated how he was studying me so closely.
I forced a smile, a polite one, but it didn’t reach my eyes. “I’m fine. Thanks for asking.”
He didn’t buy it. “You shouldn’t be training so soon,” Thorne said, his voice laced with something I couldn’t quite place- concern? Annoyance? “Garron’s still resting, and you should be, too.”
I shrugged, not letting his words sink in. “Lucky for my pack, I’m nothing like Garron.”
His eyes flashed, but he didn’t argue. Instead, he turned his attention to Jory, who stood quietly by my side. “Is this your soldier?”
I glanced at Jory, who gave a small nod. “Yeah. Jory, my junior captain.”
“Then he’s heading the wrong way,” Thorne said, his voice cool, barely concealing the hint of authority. “The soldiers‘ dining hall is the other way.”
Jory hesitated, his eyes darting to me, unsure. I gave him a small nod, signaling him to follow. But Thorne wasn’t finished.
“I invite him to sit with me in our dining room,” I said, my tone light but firm. “Is that a problem, Alpha Thorne?”
His face darkened instantly. There it was again. That possessiveness.
“You invite him often, don’t you?” Thorne’s words hung in the air, biting. His gaze narrowed, eyes locking with mine. “Are you two close?”
I didn’t flinch. Didn’t even blink. “I don’t think I need to explain my personal life to you, Alpha Thorne,” I said, my smile never wavering, but it was a smile that didn’t reach my eyes. “Now, if you’ll excuse me.”
Turning on my heel, I didn’t look back. I didn’t need to. I could feel Thorne’s stare burning into my back, and the tension in my chest only grew.
Jory walked beside me, his face scrunched in confusion. “Why does he care about you so much? He acts like you two have history.”
I kept my eyes forward, pretending I hadn’t heard him, but the words were like a punch to the gut. He didn’t know. No one did. Not even him.
“I don’t know,” I muttered, my tone light. “Maybe he’s just…weird.” Then, forcing a smile, I added, “But hey, I heard they’re
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Chapter 37
serving lobsters today. Let’s go before it’s all gone.”
The rest of the walk to the banquet hall was quiet, but there was an undercurrent of something unspoken. I didn’t want to talk about it. I didn’t want to dwell on the past that Thorne so clearly still clung to.
We reached the dining hall, and I could already see her–Miela. She stood out like a damn diamond in a field of dirt, dressed in a gown that had no business being in this sweaty, soldier–filled space. And of course, as soon as she saw Thorne, she was off, all bright smiles and flirty moves, skipping right past me.
“Alpha Thorne!” she called, her voice all sweetness as she scurried over to him. Then, with a quick flick of her gaze, she shifted her focus to Cael. “Alpha Cael!”
I didn’t even flinch. Just turned my attention to Thorne, still standing there like he had some kind of power over me.
“Do you know,” I started, my voice deliberately loud enough for everyone to hear, “that Miela was in Blood Moon’s training field today?”
The way Thorne’s face immediately tightened told me everything.
“What were you doing there?” Thorne’s voice dropped, hard and demanding. “Civilians aren’t allowed near the training field.”
“I–I didn’t go in!” Miela stammered, her face flushing bright red. “I was just…admiring the soldiers, from the fence…”
“Then why didn’t you visit your own pack’s soldiers?” I couldn’t stop the sneer in my voice. “Are they less impressive than ours?”
The words rang out, echoing through the hall, and a few of Direstone’s generals turned to glare at her. Miela went bright red, sputtering. “I didn’t mean that!”
“I don’t care what you meant,” I snapped, cutting her off, my voice growing louder. “Just stay away from my training field. Or the next thing that hits you won’t be a dodgeball.”
I turned sharply and walked away, the tension still crackling in the air behind me. I could almost hear Miela’s teeth gritting from here.
When I reached the bar with Jory and Vessa, I let out a slow breath.
“Do you believe that?” Vessa muttered, her voice dripping with disdain. “She’s asking her maid to seduce Cael now?”
I didn’t answer. My gaze flickered back to where Miela had settled into a seat with Cael. The whole scene played out in front of me like a bad joke.
“I’ll play their game,” I muttered, more to myself than to anyone else. “Let’s see how they like it when the rules change.”
I leaned in cloce lowering my voice so only Vessa and Ioru could hear. “We’ll handle this Our way”
