005

ELARA

“Miss Vance?” The guard looked shocked to see me. It’s been five years since I set foot into the Roux’s mansion. And it still looked the same as it was.

“I’m here to meet with the Alpha,”

“He’s at the pack house for a meeting currently. However, he will soon return,” he said.

“How soon?”

“In about thirty minutes? You can’t tell the activities of the Alpha.” He said and walked away, leaving me inside the house alone.

Then, fine. Just thirty minutes. If the Alpha doesn’t come after thirty minutes, I’ll either go to the pack house to meet him or send a very lengthy email, explaining forty reasons why Alistair and I were the wrong choice of couples. Anyone else, not Alistair.

My phone vibrated in my bag and I pulled it out. Kris.

“Elara, where are you?”

“At the Alpha’s house.”

“She’s at your house,” she repeated.

“Who are you talking to?”

“Who else? Alex, of course. How could you just run out that way? Anyways, there is a competition soon, but this time around it’s different.”

“What’s different? Have they chosen those going for it?”

“It’s one student per classroom. And it’s statistics.” 

I shrugged. “Oh okay, I’ll prepare for it. Thank you.”

“The thing is…” Kris muttered, trailing off.

“What is it?” I blinked.

“Because you and Alistair got perfect scores together, they are planning to host a mini competition between both of you first. The person with the highest score goes to the competition.” 

Alistair again. It had just been two days since he came back and he was invading every single area of my life.

The door pulled open and I turned. Talk of the devil.

“I’ll call you back, Kris.” 

Alistair stared at me blankly, “What are you doing here?”

“I should also ask you that. School hasn’t ended yet.”

He took a step closer. “You are in my house, sweetheart. I don’t think you should ask me any questions.” 

I scoffed. I hated that he was right.

“Fine, I came to meet the Alpha, does that satisfy your curiosity?"

“Not quite,” he shook his head. “What do you intend to meet the Alpha for?”

“And what’s your business with that?” I raised my brows.

Alistair smirked. “I can’t stay in the same house with you without knowing your intentions. After all, you’ve been plotting murder since I returned. There are many sharp objects in this house.”

“And I won’t hesitate to use one on you if you take that last step.” 

Alistair halted in his steps, his eyes dropping to the floor. With that one step, there would have been no gap between us any longer. 

He lazily pulled his eyes back to stare at me. “You are quite bold for someone who is in the wrong territory.”

From here, I could see his face clearly. He had changed. From that little boy who used to be all smiles and laughter, he looked different. His jaw was razor sharp, his eyes, an endless depth of dark green. His hair was tousled and looked wet every single time, completing his total bad boy look. He was a glaring walking red flag. 

“Would you hurt me here? You wouldn’t dare. After all, this is your father’s house,” I smirked. “Technically, both of us are powerless here.” 

Alistair smirked, walking past me. “If this is about the marriage, you can leave. I won’t be getting married to someone like you..”

“Oh,” I placed my hands on my chest. “Thank you very much. However, I would like to make it clear to your father myself. So he won't play this kind of game again.”

“Just leave, Elara,” he said flatly. “There’s no need.”

His expression was serious this time around as he stared at me.

I scoffed, taking my seat back on the chair. “I will wait…patiently.”

This was revenge for invading my privacy inside the cab this morning. Secondly,

“Did you say you wanted to join the competition?” The words left my lips before I could stop them. 

Alistair took his seat opposite me across the large living room, crossing his legs over each other. “Hmm,” he nodded.

My jaw tightened, heat flooding my chest. “Why? What game are you trying to play?”

“I heard you are the most brilliant. I couldn’t believe it, so…I decided to join.” 

My lips curled. “Are you kidding me?”

“I’m not, sweetheart.”

“Stop calling me that,” my teeth clenched. 

“Why not? If we get married, I’ll be calling you more sweet names.”

“Alistair,” my vision edged red.

He let out a short, humorless laugh. “I just couldn’t believe you were the most brilliant at school. So I decided to test that. I hope you pass tomorrow, Elara. I truly hope nothing happens to your papers.”

“That’s a threat, isn’t it?”

“You can take it however you want, Elara,” he shrugged, “I don’t care. Since that’s what you always do.” 

A familiar darkness clawed its way up my throat at that instant. My fingers clenched into fists beside me as I made to hurl some words at him, when the door suddenly opened.

“Oh my goodness,” Luna Maya stared at me in total shock. “Elara!” 

She rushed towards me, grabbing me into a tight breathless hug. Behind her, Alpha Lance stared at me, expressionless.

~~~

“It’s truly shocking to see you here,” he said five minutes later, when we were alone in the study.

“I came because of a very important matter.”

“The marriage?” He raised his brows, locking his fingers together. “Do you want to refuse it?”

“Yes, Alpha.”

“Why?” He asked flatly. 

I gulped.

“Do you still blame Alistair for what happened to your father?”

“I’m sorry,” I muttered, raising my head. “But I will blame Alistair till the day that I die.”

Alpha Lance nodded his head slowly. “It’s understandable, but also unfortunate. If you both keep acting this way, your marriage will never work out.”

“I’m not getting—“

“Your father suggested this, Elara.” 

The words punched my guts. 

“What?”

“This marriage is me keeping our promise.”