My man, her man.

                      Elara POV

I blinked once.

Twice.

Three times.

Snap out of it, Elara. You heard wrong.

There was no way, no possible way....my mother just said Ryder Thorne.

I forced a small breath into my lungs, steadying my hand before it betrayed me completely. Maybe I misheard. Maybe it was someone else with the same name. It had to be.

It couldn’t be him.

My mother’s gaze sharpened almost immediately. She leaned forward slightly, studying my face with quiet concern.

“Darling… are you alright?” she asked.

I swallowed quickly, straightening in my seat. “Y-yeah… yes, Mom,” I said, the words stumbling out before I could smooth them.

I picked up my fork again, pretending nothing had happened, pretending my chest wasn’t tightening with every second that passed.

“So,” she continued, unaware of the storm rising inside me, “as I was saying… you’ll see him tomorrow after school. He should already be home before you return. He’s a very busy man, you know.” She smiled faintly, almost fondly. “We’re quite alike in that way.”

My throat went dry.

She couldn’t be serious.

“Mom…” I started, my voice quieter now, more careful. “Who exactly did you say?”

She gave me a look, like she didn’t understand why I was asking again.

“Ryder Thorne,” she repeated. “You don’t remember him? We’ve been to his territory before.”

And just like that, any last hope of denial shattered.

My heart began to race, each beat louder than the last, pounding so hard it felt like it might give me away.

Ryder.

The name echoed in my head, over and over again.

“Ryder…?” I whispered, barely hearing my own voice.

My mother sighed softly, clearly growing impatient with my reaction.

“Yes, Ryder Thorne,” she said again, more firmly this time. “The Alpha from Nightfall Dominion. That… very striking man.”

Striking.

That was one way to put it.

I felt something inside me drop, heavy and final.

For a second, I wished the ground beneath me would split open and swallow me whole.

Because this.....this had to be some kind of cruel joke.

My mother… was with him?

The man I had once wanted

Once admired

Once....

No.

I couldn’t even finish the thought.

“You know how things are,” she continued, completely unaware of the way my world was collapsing right in front of her. “We’re a powerful family. Our influence, our reputation… we need someone who matches that energy. Someone who understands it.”

Her voice softened slightly, turning more sincere.

“But don’t misunderstand me, Elara. I’m not choosing him because of what he has. I’m choosing him because I love him.”

Love.

The word hit harder than everything else.

Oh no.

Ryder Thorne wasn’t just any man.

He was feared in this city. A name people spoke carefully, if they spoke it at all. Power clung to him like a second skin. Influence, control, wealth—he had all of it. And not the kind that needed to be displayed loudly. His was quiet. Calculated. Dangerous.

The kind of man who didn’t ask.

He took.

And I… I had never been able to get him out of my head.

Not even after all this time.

And now—

Now my mother was going to marry him?

Oh, Moon Goddess.

“So… you fell for him?” I managed, forcing the words out despite the tightness in my chest.

She smiled, almost amused.

“You know me,” she said lightly. “I’ve always had a taste for dangerous men.”

Something in my expression must have changed, because her smile lingered a little longer, softer this time. She looked… happy.

Truly happy.

And that realization made something inside me twist painfully.

After my father died, she hadn’t been the same. She had shut down in her own way, just like I had. Quiet. Distant. Existing, but not really living.

And now… this man had brought her back.

The man I once imagined.

And now…

He was going to be my stepfather.

“When is the wedding?” I asked, forcing a small smile that didn’t reach my eyes.

“Soon,” she replied easily. “Later this month. Not weeks away.”

My fingers tightened around the edge of the table.

“You’re just telling me now?”

“It was supposed to be a surprise,” she said with a small shrug. “But I couldn’t keep it to myself any longer.”

“Wow,” I muttered.

“What?” she asked, tilting her head slightly. “Are you nervous?”

Nervous?

No.

I was losing my goddamn mind.

Because the man she was about to marry was the same man I had quietly wanted for myself.

“So… I’m going to have a baby brother? Or sister?” I asked instead, deflecting quickly.

She shook her head.

“No. I’ve already spoken to him about that. I don’t want more children, and he agreed.”

That answer only made it worse.

They had talked about it.

Agreed on it.

Planned it.

“Wow,” I said again, my voice softer now. “You must have known each other for a while.”

She set her cutlery down and looked at me more seriously this time.

“I know he might seem intimidating,” she said gently. “Don’t let that fool you. He’s a good man, Elara. You’ll like him.”

Of course I like him.

That’s the problem.

My appetite vanished instantly.

The food in front of me felt heavy, tasteless. I pushed my chair back slowly and stood up.

“I’m happy for you, Mom,” I said, my voice controlled, steady enough to pass. “I should get some rest. I don’t want to be late tomorrow.”

“Baby?” she called softly. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Yes, Mom,” I replied.

I didn’t turn around.

Because if I did, she would see it.

The tears already gathering in my eyes.

And I couldn’t let her see that.

Not for this.

Not for him.

I walked out of the dining room, each step feeling heavier than the last, and made my way upstairs. The moment I reached my room, I shut the door behind me, the soft click echoing louder than it should.

Silence followed.

Thick. Suffocating.

For a second, I just stood there.

Then I moved.

Straight to my closet.

My hands trembled slightly as I reached for the small box hidden behind neatly folded clothes. I pulled it out carefully, setting it down before opening it with fingers that didn’t feel entirely steady.

Inside,

Paper.

Stacks of it.

I took one out.

Then another.

Sketches.

Him.

Every line, every shadow, every detail drawn from memory. From the night I first saw him. From the way he stood, the way he looked, the way he carried himself like the world bent around him.

I hadn’t been able to forget him.

So I drew him instead.

Over and over again.

Like that would make it easier.

Like that would get him out of my head.

But it never did.

And now…

Now he wasn’t just a memory.

He wasn’t just a distant, untouchable man anymore.

He was about to become part of my life.

In the worst way possible.

A broken laugh escaped me before I could stop it.

“This isn’t real…” I whispered, staring down at the sketches.

But it was.

Every part of it was real.

My vision blurred as the tears I had been holding back finally spilled over. I dropped the papers back into the box, closing it quickly like that could somehow undo everything.

I shoved it back into its place and stumbled toward my bed.

The moment I hit the mattress, everything broke.

The control.

The composure.

All of it.

I buried my face into the pillow as the tears came harder now, silent at first, then not so much. My chest ached, tight and unbearable, like something inside me had cracked open and refused to close.

I didn’t know how long I cried.

Minutes.

Hours.

It didn’t matter.

At some point, exhaustion took over, dragging me under despite the storm still raging inside me.

And just like that,

I fell asleep.

With his name still echoing in my head.