Chapter 3

Elara

The journey was long, but the music worked its magic and I managed to sleep for most of it.

The taxi driver tapped on the glass partition to wake me when we were five minutes away. As we entered the territory, a vibrant pack town opened up before us. Rows of beautiful houses lined the streets, and children were playing safely in nearby fields. I stared out the window in awe. This didn’t look like the ruthless territory of elite warriors I had imagined.

I could feel curious eyes tracking the taxi as we drove deeper into the town, but I ignored them. It was up to my mother to introduce me, not myself.

Then, the pack house came into view. I gasped. It was massive a grand, imposing structure that looked less like a house and more like a medieval castle, meticulously kept and gleaming in the sun. The cab pulled up to the front steps. Before I could even open the door, the heavy front entrance swung wide and my mother walked out, flanked by Alpha Silas.

I took a deep breath. Here goes nothing.

I needed to pull myself together and be the bigger person, but everything about this situation felt completely surreal.

I climbed out of the car. As I reached the base of the steps, my mother hurried down and wrapped her arms tightly around me. I froze, my arms pinned to my sides. I couldn’t bring myself to hug her back.

In my mind, Nyx immediately woke up and let out a low growl. “Get her off us. A real mother doesn’t play pretend for an Alpha.”

I ignored my wolf. The truth was, part of me desperately missed my mom or at least, the version of her that existed before my father died.

My mother pulled back, and Alpha Silas stepped forward with a warm smile. “Elara,” he said, offering his hand. I shook it, noting his firm, respectful grip. “It is wonderful to finally have you here. Let’s take this inside, shall we?”

I knew why he was rushing me. I could physically feel the weight of dozens of eyes staring at me from the surrounding grounds. Some were just curious, but others felt distinctly hostile. Pack members rarely like outsiders, and a newcomer arriving at the Alpha’s house was bound to stir up gossip.

Alpha Silas paid the driver, and a pack warrior immediately stepped up to carry my suitcases inside. I watched my bags disappear up the stairs with a pang of anxiety. If I suddenly needed to run, my wallet and clothes were locked in those bags.

I followed Silas and my mother up the grand stone steps. Right at the threshold, a sudden chill ran down my spine. Someone was staring at me intensely. I glanced up at the windows but couldn’t see anyone.

“I don’t like this place,” Nyx muttered.

“Me neither,” I thought back as we stepped into the foyer.

The interior of the pack house was stunning. It had the high ceilings and stone architecture of a fortress, but it was fully modernized, warm, and built to accommodate a massive family.

“Elara,” Alpha Silas said, drawing my attention down. “I want you to meet my youngest son, Thomas.”

Standing right next to the Alpha was a little boy, around seven years old, holding his father’s hand. He was sporting the widest, most cheerful grin I had ever seen.

I couldn’t help but smile back. “Hi, Thomas. I’m Elara.”

Thomas’s eyes lit up. “You have bright red hair!” he beamed, looking up at his dad. “That is so cool!”

I laughed, the tension in my shoulders melting slightly. “Thanks. I like to change it up. Last month it was bright pink, and a few months before that, it was purple.”

“Wow,” Thomas gasped, his jaw dropping. “I want to color my hair! Dad, when can I do that?”

Alpha Silas let out a booming laugh. “When you’re older, buddy. Maybe when you turn sixteen.”

“Silas,” my mother cut in, her voice sharp and warning. “Don’t encourage him.”

I stared at her, the laughter dying in my throat. This strict, controlling tone felt so foreign. Was this really the same woman who had completely abandoned me?

“Sorry, honey,” Silas said smoothly, giving her a reassuring look. “We’ll talk about it when you’re older, Thomas.”

Thomas pouted. “Fine. But Mum, I’m going to have rainbow hair just like Elara when I grow up.”

The word hit me like a slap to the face. Mum. Thomas called my mother Mum. I knew she had been raising him since he was a toddler, so it made sense, but hearing another child call her that while she had completely ignored her own daughter for a decade cut deep.

“Stop it,” Nyx growled, sensing my pain. “She shut down after your father died. She was a coward, but you can’t blame a little kid.”

“I know,” I replied silently.

Realizing I had gone completely quiet, I noticed the entire room was staring at me. I needed an excuse fast. “Sorry,” I cleared my throat. “My wolf was talking to me. She was just saying how beautiful the pack house is.”

My mother’s eyes locked onto me, studying my face, but I purposefully avoided her gaze. I couldn’t look at her without a flood of mixed emotions pulling me under.

“Ah,” Alpha Silas smiled, breaking the awkward silence. “Tell her thank you. We’ll have to see what she can do on the training fields later. I’d love to meet your wolf.”

I tensed up. Nyx was a touchy subject. Very few people in my uncle’s pack knew the truth about her early awakening, and my mother certainly didn’t. “Maybe,” I murmured.

Suddenly, the heavy sound of footsteps echoing down the grand staircase made me look up.

A man came into view, and my breath caught in my throat. He had the most striking, intense blue eyes I had ever seen. He was tall, muscular, and completely breathtaking. My mouth literally went dry just looking at him.

Nyx shifted restlessly in my mind, but she remained completely silent.

“Ah, there you are,” Alpha Silas said as the man reached the bottom of the stairs. “Kaelen, I want you to meet Elara.”

Kaelen. This gorgeous, intimidating man was Alpha Silas’s oldest son. My stepbrother. Oh great, I was checking out my own stepbrother.

I quickly extended my hand to be polite. Kaelen looked down at my hand, his face hardening into ice. He didn’t take it.

I stood there, mortified, before slowly dropping my hand back to my side. What a jerk.

Kaelen ignored me entirely, looking straight at his father. “It was nice to meet you. I have to get back to the training grounds.” His tone was completely cold.

“So soon?” my mother asked, trying to smooth things over, but Kaelen was already walking past us. Another warrior who had been following him gave me a sympathetic smile, nodded in greeting, and hurried out the door after him.

“I’m sorry about that, Elara,” Alpha Silas said, his voice laced with annoyance. His expression was stern as he watched the front door close, but it softened when he looked back at me. “Kaelen takes his Alpha duties very seriously these days.”

I just nodded, trying to hide how stung I was by the rejection.

“How about I show you around the house?” Silas offered.

Before I could answer, my mother cleared her throat. “Actually, honey, don’t you have that budget meeting with the elders this afternoon?”

Alpha Silas blinked, then groaned, rubbing his temples. “Oh, right. How could I forget? Susan, why don’t you show Elara around? You two could use the time to ”

“I can’t,” my mother interrupted quickly, not even letting him finish. “The pack school asked me to come speak to the children today. I’m already late.”

A cold weight settled in my stomach. Some things never change. She couldn’t wait to get away from me.

Nyx snarled loudly in my head.

“Susan...” Silas began, his brow furrowing in clear disapproval, but I didn’t want to be the reason they started arguing. I didn’t want to be a burden to anyone here.

“Honestly, it’s completely fine,” I spoke up, forcing a polite smile. “If it’s okay with everyone, I’d actually just love to unpack and rest. It was a long drive.”

My mother instantly brightened. “See? She’s tired.”

A sharp pang of rejection hit my chest. Her eagerness to leave me was painful, but I shouldn’t have expected anything else. This was mild compared to how she used to treat me.

“I can show her to her room, Dad!” Thomas piped up, breaking the tension by tugging on his father’s shirt.

Bless this kid.

Alpha Silas looked down at him. “Are you sure? Don’t you have homework to do?”

“No,” Thomas lied seamlessly.

Silas narrowed his eyes. “Are you lying to me, Thomas?”

I decided to rescue my new little savior. “Actually, Alpha Silas, if Thomas shows me to my room, I can sit with him and make sure his homework gets done while I unpack.”

Thomas’s eyes went wide, but Alpha Silas smiled warmly. “You would do that? Thank you, Elara.” He looked over at my mother, who looked incredibly uncomfortable, and let out a small sigh. “We have a family welcome dinner tonight at six o’clock. Thomas can bring you up to the dining quarters when it’s time.”

“Sounds perfect,” I said.

Thomas grabbed my hand, practically dragging me toward the stairs. “Come on! This way!”

I laughed as he led the way up. I risked a glance back over my shoulder and saw Alpha Silas and my mother speaking in hushed, tense voices.

“The Alpha wanted our mom to stay with us,” Nyx murmured. “He was trying to force her to spend time with you.”

“I know,” I thought. “But you can’t force someone to be a mother.”

Thomas led me up three flights of stairs, chatting the entire time, before stopping at a door down a wide, carpeted hallway. “This one is mine,” he said, pointing to the door directly opposite.

I smiled. “So you’re right across the hall. Where do your dad and my mom sleep?”

Thomas pointed toward the ceiling. “They have the penthouse suite on the top floor. That’s where we eat dinner, too.”

I looked down the long corridor and noticed a massive, heavy double door at the very end. Thomas noticed me looking. “That’s Kaelen’s room,” he whispered.

My heart did a strange little flip. We were all on the same floor. I was going to be sleeping just down the hall from the terrifyingly handsome stepbrother who already hated my guts.

“Go ahead, look inside!” Thomas urged, pushing my bedroom door open.

I stepped over the threshold and stopped in my tracks. The room was beautiful and massive. It was twice the size of my room back at my uncle’s house. A king-sized bed sat in the center, flanked by dark wood nightstands.

“There’s a walk-in closet over there, and that door goes to your private bathroom,” Thomas explained proudly.

A private bathroom? Back at my uncle’s house, I had to share with three other warriors. This felt like total luxury.

I turned to the little boy. “Alright, buddy. Go grab your homework. You can bring it in here and work at the desk while I start sorting through my bags.”

Thomas grinned. “Okay! I’ll be right back!”

I watched him sprint across the hallway to his room. I looked at my heavy suitcases sitting by the closet, but I didn’t have the energy to unpack just yet. I would help Thomas with his schoolwork, take a long, hot shower to wash off the travel grime, and mentally prepare myself for the six o’clock dinner.

I had a feeling surviving a meal with my mother and Kaelen was going to require all the strength I had.