Elara’s POV
I took a deep breath, forcing myself to calm the storm that was building inside me
“You’re doing it again,” I muttered, tilting my head away. The edge of accusation crept into my voice, whether I wanted it there or not
“Doing what?” His voice was deceptively calm, like he wasn’t i
tore what I mean
I pulled away from his hold, stepping back as if his touch was a searing reminder of everything I was trying to forget. “You’re acting like I’m some nan little girl. Like you can sweet talk me into believing your nensente”
He raised an eyebrow, confusion flickering in his eyes, but he didn’t let me leave. “What nonsense?”
I threw my hands up in exasperation. “You!
u taking a bullet for me? My ve “That’s a joke, right?“:
voice cracked on the last word, and I regretted it the second it left my mouth,
His eyes darkened, but he stepped into my path, blocking my escape. “You don’t think could do it
I stared at him for a moment, stunned by his unwavering certainty. The words caught in my throat, and for a second, I wondered if he could really It Could he?
“Well, of course, you could. You’re the Alpha,” I said, my voice firming as squared my shoulders. “But it doesn’t make sense for you to throw your te away for me a Gamma from another pack
Thorne’s face softened, and something flickered in his eyes. “Who says an Alpha can’t protect his loved one?”
The words hit me like a punch to the gut. “Loved one”
I froze, my mind scrambling to process his meaning. Was he saying that I was his loved one? No. That wasn’t possible. It couldn’t be
I opened my mouth, but no sound came out. My mind was a storm of confusion and panic.
“Elara,” Thorne’s voice was softer now, almost like a plea, but I couldn’t listen to him. Not anymore.
I had to leave.
I turned away without another word, my feet moving before my brain could catch up. I sprinted toward my car, the sound of Thome calling my name fading behind me.
Slamming the door shut, I cranked the engine, heart racing as I sped down the dark, empty road. The tension h my chest started to loosen, but my grip on the steering wheel was iron tight.
What was wrong with me? Why did his words affect me so much? I hated it. I hated that he could still make me feel this way, twisting my emotions, dragging me back into the past when I was so vulnerable, so desperate for him..
But that was then.
Right now, I had soldiers to train, a war to prepare for, and Thorne… Well, Thome could chase after whoever he liked Just me. Not again.
The week that followed brought a storm of whispers that rattled the Direstone Pack.
Gamma Garron, the man everyone had trusted, was now facing accusations so severe they shook the very foundations of the pack. Corruption, false imprisonment, torture–his name was now synonymous with every vile crime in the book.
The news hit like a bombshell. Thorne had presented the evidence to the elders an account book detailing Garron’s embezzlement of the military budget, along with witness statements from the Cedar Camp where Garron had held people captive.
1/3
Chapter 61
Garon’s fall from grace was hard to beleve
shattered so completely.
stop to him – respected his father, and by extension, him to have those foundations
mare some of themunemy
snews spread, Lomuldn’t help but notice the tension growing among the soldiers. It was more than just the shock of Gam of what this meant for the pack Who would lead the troops now? if Garon was out of the picture, who would take his plara as Gam questions. Theyneeded answers. And in the midst of this chaos, the with the rogues loomed larger than ever
Temild see it on the faces off i seddiers during training Distracted Ansious
mes it was the fear
The soldiers had
Even as the news dominated every conversation, I found myself lost in thought. Thome had done this–exposed Garron–but even that wasn’t enough convince the soldiers. To many of them, Thorne’s disdain for Garron clouded their judgment. They suspected the whole thing was a contoracy.
Fabricated.
“Why are they still defending him?” Lasked Triss during a break
Triss gave a sharp laugh, though there was no humor in it. “Because father was a here to many. To those soldiers, Garron’t just a reflection of
fuse to believe that one of their own could do something like this, Garron’s
They can’t accept the truth.”
1shook my head, frustrated. “But the evidence is there. How can they ignore 17
“it’s not that simple,” she said quietly. “Some soldiers think Thome’s just playing a game. They don’t trust him. They think this is all part of some power gab
I clenched my fists, the weight of it all sinking into my chest. The soldiers had to trust Thome–had to believe in him, if they didn’t, the army would fall apart. And we needed every soldier we could get for the war that was coming.
Triss shitted uncomfortably, then handed me her phone. “You need to see this.”
I glanced at the screen, Texts from Garron. Threats Panic. Desperation.
The first one made my blood run cold.
You bitch… You gave the account book to Thome, didn’t you?”
Then, as if he was trying to salvage what little control he had left, the tone shifted.
How did you get your family out? Did you ask Elara for help?!!
does he want to meet with you!”
I scoffed, handing the phone back to Triss. “You’ve got him right where you want him. But why doe
Triss bit her lip, hesitation clouding her expression. “He thinks I’ll take the fall for him. He’s done it before. He’s always wanted me to cover for him.”
“That bastard,” I muttered. “You don’t have to meet him, Triss. He’s hot worth it”
“I know,” she said, but there was a lingering doubt in her voice. “But… Some people still don’t believe he’s guilty, Elara. Especially in the army. They’re
holding out hope that it’s all a setup.”
1 frowned. “But why? The evidence is inelutable.”
“Because they trust Garron’s father more than they frust Thome. The soldiers think Thorne’s a tyrant, using this as an excuse to get rid of him, it’s a dangerous situation.”
was more complicated than I thought.
I sighed. This was more
“Do you think we could do something?” Triss asked, her voice full of determination
1 thought for a moment, weighing my options. “I do have an idea. But it might require you to meet with Garron again. And understand if you don’t
want to do it.”
2/3
10:51 Wed, 30 Jul G
Chapter 61
Triss didn’t hesitate “I do it. My family’s safe now, Garron has no hold over me. I want to help Thorne take him down?
I smiled at her resolve. “Good. Let’s go see Thorne. We might need his help to make this happen.”
