CHAPTER FOUR: Elena

I walked into my mom’s hospital room with a heavy heart. The smell of medicine and cleaning stuff filled the air. Martha looked so small in the bed. Her face was pale and her breathing sounded weak. I sat down next to her and took her thin hand. It felt cold. I held it tight like it could keep me from falling apart.

“You look tired, Elena,” Mom whispered. Her eyes opened slowly and she gave me a weak smile. “Did you stay up late studying again? You work too hard, baby.”

I forced a smile even though my chest hurt. “I am finishing a big project, Mom. It is a lot but I am making it work. I promise.”

She squeezed my hand back. “You have such a kind heart. Just make sure you take care of yourself too. Do not let this world make you hard like stone. I know it has been tough since your father... since he sent us away.”

Tears burned my eyes. “He knocked up the maid and threw us out. But I will fix it. I will get the money for your surgery. You are going to be okay.”

Mom touched my cheek. “Elena, you are enough just like you are. I love you. Do not do anything dangerous for me.”

“I won’t,” I lied. My voice stayed steady but inside I was breaking. The bond with Ryder still pulled in my chest. It hurts every second. He felt it too that night but chose Victoria anyway. I kissed her forehead and left the room more angry and determined than ever. I had to make this revenge work. For Mom and for me.

I was crossing the campus quad when Aiden stepped out from behind some trees. He looked calm but his eyes were sharp.

“You look ready to burn everything down,” Aiden said as he walked beside me.

“I am,” I answered. My steps did not slow.

“Good. Stop hiding. Stop being the victim they expect. Hit Ryder where it hurts — his ego, his game, and that fated mate bond he is trying to ignore. He is the alpha son. He thinks he owns the world.”

“Everyone sees me as the pathetic janitor now,” I said. I stared straight ahead.

Aiden chuckled. “Then show them something different. Ryder and Victoria are at the student center for the pre-game rally. Come with me. Let us make him feel what rejection really tastes like.”

My heart pounded but I nodded. “I am coming.”

The student center was packed with people. I saw Ryder right away near the stage. He stood tall like the alpha he was. Victoria held his arm tight. She whispered something and he nodded but his jaw looked tight.

Aiden did not waste time. He put his hand on my lower back and walked us straight toward them. Ryder’s eyes snapped to us. He stopped talking mid-sentence. Victoria’s face turned sour when she saw me with Aiden.

“Aiden,” Ryder said. His voice went low and dangerous. “What the hell are you doing with her?”

Aiden laughed. “Just showing Elena how surprised I am that the big alpha captain let something so precious slip away. We were going to get a drink. Right, Elena?”

I looked straight at Ryder and saw the confusion and bond pulling in his eyes. It made my chest burn. I turned to Aiden, reached up, and wrapped my arms around his neck.

“I would love a drink, Aiden,” I said out loud so everyone heard. “Actually, I want more than that.”

I pulled him down and kissed him hard. Aiden kissed me back with heat. His arms held me tight. Cameras clicked all around us. I closed my eyes and tried to pretend it was Ryder. The bond screamed in pain inside me.

When I pulled away, the room was silent. Ryder stood frozen. His fists were clenched so hard his knuckles were white. His face flushed red with jealousy. The alpha mask cracked right there.

“You have to be kidding me,” Ryder muttered. His voice shook with anger.

Victoria grabbed his sleeve. “Ryder, do not. She is a fraud. She is nothing.”

Aiden kept his arm around me. “She is a lot of things, Victoria. But you are the one losing control here.”

Ryder did not say another word. He turned and stormed out. He ignored his coach and the cameras. Victoria called after him but he did not stop.

That night was the championship game. I sat in the stands hidden under a cap and scarf. My phone kept buzzing with videos of the kiss going around campus. Ryder played terribly. He skated wild and angry. He missed easy shots. He tripped over his own skates. The crowd booed. The announcers said the captain was having a breakdown.

I smiled a little in the dark. That is what you get for rejecting your fated mate after we shared that night.

At halftime the buzzer sounded. Ryder did not go to the locker room. He stared into the stands until his eyes locked on me. He jumped over the boards. Security tried to stop him but he pushed them away. Sweat dripped down his face. He stopped right in front of my row. His breathing was loud and rough.

“We need to talk,” he rasped. His voice was full of raw pain. “Now. You and me. No more lies.”

I stood up slowly. My pulse raced. Cameras turned toward us. The whole arena watched.

Before I could answer, Victoria pushed through the crowd and stood beside me. “Ryder, darling, there is no need to talk to this girl. She is just chasing fame. Let us go.”

Ryder did not look at her. His eyes stayed on me. The golden bond between us felt like fire. It pulled so hard I could barely breathe.

I knew if I talked now everything could explode. But looking at the hurt and need in his face, I saw he was really seeing me. Not the fake Victoria. Not the janitor. Me.

“Okay, Ryder,” I said. “Let us talk.”

He stepped closer. His voice dropped so only I could hear. “That night... the bond nearly made me shift right there. I have never felt anything like it. I wanted to mark you as mine. But my father... he arranged everything with Victoria’s family for the pack. He said if I choose wrong, he will cut me off and name someone else alpha heir. I panicked. I chose the safe path. But seeing you with Aiden... it is tearing me apart inside.”

My mouth fell open. Tears came fast. “You felt it all? You knew I was your fated mate and still picked her?”

Ryder reached for my hand but stopped. “I am sorry, Elena. I want to fix this. But my father is here tonight. He saw the kiss. He is coming down here right now. And there is something you do not know. Your mother... the maid... she was not just any maid. She has wolf blood too. That is why the bond is so strong with us. You are not fully human.”

Victoria stepped between us fast. Her face looked panicked. “Ryder, stop! Dad is watching. If you choose the maid’s daughter now, the pack deal falls apart. And Elena... if you tell him everything, I will make sure Martha never wakes up from that bed.”

The crowd noise grew. I saw an older man in a suit walking toward us. Our father. The billionaire alpha. His face looked furious.

Ryder looked torn between me and everything he was raised for. The bond burned hotter than ever.

“What are you going to do, Ryder?” I whispered. My voice broke. “Choose me this time? Or let your father take everything away?”

He opened his mouth to answer but the words never came. The arena lights seemed to dim as his father reached us. Everything was about to explode.