Crowned in Fire

"Dad" I called out, my voice slightly strained as I saw my father walk past me and headed for their direction.

The two Alphas met halfway, shaking hands with a firm, mutual respect. "Silas, glad you could make it after all," my father said, his voice booming.

"Wouldn't miss it for the world," Silas replied, his voice a low, smooth baritone that made the hair on my neck stand up.

If he knew he was coming, why say he wouldn't. He must be enjoying how I made a fool outta myself by calling him and now I couldn't help but wonder where Elena was when he picked up my call.

“There you are" Jax’s voice hung behind me as he stepped up beside me, his hand circling around my waist as we joined the circle.

"Greetings Elena," I murmured, stepping forward to embrace Elena. She smelled perfect, radiating that motherly warmth, and for a second, I felt like a fraud for the thoughts I had about her husband.

"You look beautiful, Elara," she whispered, pulling back to pat my cheek.

I swallowed retracing my steps to Silas. If not for formal greetings, I would have preferred running off or hiding away.

"Dad," Jax greeted his father, oblivious to the war raging in my chest.

Silas didn't look at his son. His eyes were locked on mine, dark and unreadable as he reached out, his large hand enveloping mine. It was cold at first, then searingly hot. He bowed his head, his lips grazing my knuckles. The touch was lingering—longer than a father-in-law’s should be.

"Elara," he murmured against my skin. His eyes flickered up, catching mine as if he hadn't just yelled at me over the phone.

In that split second, the mask of the charming Alpha slipped, revealing the dark, intense hunger I’d felt in his bedroom. He didn't let go immediately; his thumb brushed my ring finger in a slow, possessive circle before he finally released me.

My heart was thundering so hard I was sure Elena could hear it. I couldn't look away from him, even as my father began leading us back toward the dining table.

"Shall we?" my father asked, wavering for everyone to seat.

We sat, but the peace lasted only seconds before Mia appeared like a ghost, sliding into the empty chair right next to Jax.

"Oh, Jax! I’ve been looking everywhere for you," she cooed, her voice a sugary needle in my ear, just as if she didn't see him when we dropped the dishes earlier.

She leaned in close, her shoulder pressing against his, her red hair spilling over his arm. "The border report you sent? I had some... questions about the night patrol details."

Her hand landed on his thigh, her fingers walking up the fabric of his trousers. Jax didn't move. He didn't push her away. He laughed, a low, easy sound, and leaned his head toward hers. "I'm sure we can find some time to go over the details later, Mia."

I watched them, my fork frozen halfway to my mouth, they didn't even care about my presence , about the gathering.

I almost scoffed at myself. If I hadn't known the truth, I’d always believed they'd a good chemistry, well a good chemistry in bed.

Mia slammed the table slightly, she was laughing at something he whispered, her hand now resting firmly on his knee, her thumb stroking the inside of his leg. The disrespect was so loud it felt like a physical scream in the room, yet everyone else continued eating as if nothing was happening.

I looked up and caught Silas watching the display. He wasn't looking at them with disgust. He was looking at me, his jaw set, his eyes tracking the tears I was struggling to hold back.

"I need some air," Jax suddenly muttered, standing up. He caught Mia’s eye, a silent signal passing between them that shattered the last of my resolve.

"I'll be right back, Elara," he said, not even looking at me as he headed for the back stairs.

A minute later, Mia stood up too, smoothing her dress with a smug, cat-like grin. "Excuse me, everyone. I think I left my shawl upstairs."

I couldn't breathe. I waited until they were gone, then I pushed my chair back. My chair screeched against the floor.

I didn't care.

I stood up, my injured ankle throbbing. I kicked off my heels under the table and walked toward the grand staircase in my bare feet state.

I didn't want to know…I didn't want to confirm what my gut was telling me, but I couldn't stop.

I reached the guest corridor. The silence here was heavy, broken only by muffled, rhythmic moans, grunts and slapping of skin coming from the end of the hall.

I stopped outside the door, my hand trembling so badly I couldn't even reach for the knob. It was real. It was happening right behind this thin piece of wood.

My hand hovered inches from the handle. I couldn't open it. I was a coward. I was terrified of what I’d see, but more terrified of the choice Jax would make if I caught him. I turned away, the first hot tear sliding down my face, and began to stumble back.

I turned away, the first hot tear sliding down my face, and began to stumble back toward the hall.

"Excuse me, Luna?"

A waiter stopped me, his head bowed. He held out a sleek, expensive-looking phone.

"I found this on the floor just outside that room. I believe it belongs to... the Alpha’s father."

My chest tightened until it felt like my ribs would snap. Silas’s phone? What was it doing up here?

Before I could say a word, the screen lit up with a notification and series of immediately displayed.

I stared down, and the blood drained from my face. They were pictures of Jax and Mia. But they weren't like the ones from the anonymous sender. These were taken from a different angle and most definitely closer and precise, like someone had been standing right there, documenting every sordid second.

Just then, his words from that night flashed in my brain like a neon sign.

“This was the only way I could lure you into my arms.”

I felt my hands began to trembling and my heart racing as everything began to click.

The anonymous texts.

The unforeseen business.

The timing.

It wasn't just Jax and Mia betraying me…. It was a setup.

"Looking for something, Elara?" The same voice I wanted so much not to hear now, the same voice I wanted to run from so much right now.

I spun around, the phone nearly slipping from my numb fingers. Silas was standing there, there was no warmth in his eyes now, just the cold, calculating gaze of a predator who had just finished closing the trap.

This wasn't an accident.

None of it was.

He was ruining me on purpose but why??

My hand shook so violently the sleek metal of the phone felt like a live wire. It slipped, tumbling toward the floor, but Silas caught it in one fluid, terrifyingly calm motion. He stood upright, smoothing the front of his white suit, and looked at me with a small, haunting smile.

"Are you okay, Elara?"

I stumbled back, the images I’d just seen searing into the back of my eyelids.

"Your phone… it was laying here and…" I swallowed, my throat so tight I could barely breathe.

I waited for his shocked expression, for any frantic excuses, but he just brushed it off. A dark smirk danced on his lips as he pocketed the device.

"Oh, I must have dropped that when I came up," he mumbled, his voice a low hum of indifference.

He didn’t even flinch. It was almost like he placed it there for me to find… to find right outside the room where his son was currently betraying me.

He knew. He had stood exactly where I was standing, watched the same filth, and he was brushing it off like a misplaced set of keys.

"I saw those photos," I stuttered, my lips quivering. My heart was a frantic bird trapped in my chest. "I saw them. Are you… are you the anonymous sender?"

Silas froze for a fraction of a second.

And just when I thought I was overthinking, he let out a slow, deliberate sigh that made the hair on my arms stand up.

"You found out," he said, his voice dropping an octave. "I wasn't hoping you’d find out anytime soon. I guess I didn’t do well in hiding it."

The nonchalance in his voice tore at my throat. It wasn't guilt; it was relief. This man was a monster!

"So, you did know," I gritted out, my voice a harsh whisper.

I wanted to scream, to tear the walls down, but the muffled grunts coming from the room behind us acted like a gag.

I didn't want them rushing out. I didn't want the world to know I was just as tainted—that I had slept with my father-in-law because he’d pulled the strings to make me do it.

"You knew, and you still allowed me to walk into your bed? Why? Why?"

Silas stepped into my space, pushing a loose strand of hair behind my ear. His touch was scorching.

"Like I said, Elara… it’s the only way I could get you into my arms. I’m doing this for your own good."

"How dare you choose what’s good for me!" I hissed, my voice rising with every ounce of fury I had left.

He had always been this way—controlling my moods, my posture, my life. And the one time I thought I was taking control, I was just a puppet on his goddamn strings.

Silas clicked his tongue, a patronizing sound that made my blood boil.

"Calm down. Last I checked, I didn't force you into my bed. You wanted it too. Don't make it sound like I raped you when we both know you were screaming for it."

The narcissism, the sheer, cold-blooded pride of the man was suffocating. I felt like I was collapsing into a black hole.

"You fucking tricked me, Silas Vane!"

That smirk returned, wider this time, his blank expression fading into something predatory. "My full name sounds so sexy on your lips."

I gave him a look of pure disgust, but my body was a traitor. My pheromones were already working against me, the scent of him flooding my senses and turning me on despite the rage.

"Stop nagging me," he said, stepping closer until I was trapped between him and the marble. "We both know your marriage is a wreck and I’m saving you from it. And we both know Elara… you’ve been craving that one night. I just made your dream come true."

"That’s my damn marriage!" I choked out. "Who gave you the right to set the rules? I never asked for your help! You’re my father-in-law!"

His tone suddenly dropped, turning lethal. "Fuck your marriage. I couldn't care less about it."

He slammed his hand against the wall next to my head, leaning in until his breath fanned over my face.

"Let me make this clear to you. The moment you begged me to make you forget him, you became mine. Mine and entirely mine to ruin. The second you said my name in that room was the day your every decision became mine to make and when I set my eyes on something, Elara… I get it."

My heart raced, a treacherous heat pooling low in my stomach. I pushed at his hard chest, trying to maintain some shred of sanity.

"That night was a mistake," I muttered. "Forget it. We both need to forget it."

A low, guttural growl escaped him and I gulped hard.

He leaned forward and bit hard on my earlobe—a sharp, stinging claim that sent a cold shiver down my spine.

"It didn't feel like a mistake when you were clinging to me for dear life," he rasped. "Moaning my name like praises while I fucked you like my little pet."

My cheeks flushed deep crimson and even as much as I tried to stop myself, those memories displayed vividly my brain.

All I could see was my legs wrapped around his waist, the relentless power of him ruining me.

I tried to find words to bite back, but I just ended up stuttering.

He pulled back, staring into my eyes with a dark intensity before he lunged, slamming his lips against mine.

I froze, my mind screaming ‘no’ even as my body screamed ‘yes’. I could feel myself getting wet, the hunger in my gut going crazy.

With a final surge of will, I bit down hard on his lip.

He broke the kiss immediately, a thin line of blood appearing on his lip.

I waited for satisfaction, but all I felt was a dull ache.

He didn't step away. Instead, his hand wrapped around my neck, his fingers tangling in my hair and yanking my head back so I had to look at him.

"He doesn't deserve you, Elara," he mumbled, his eyes boring into mine. "Run into my arms and I’ll treat you right. Let me be the one you can’t breathe without. Let me show you how it feels to be loved."

I bit my lip, trying to stay upright. The moans from the hallway seemed to fade into the background. All I could see was him.

"If you think Elena is an obstacle," he whispered, his hand caressing my lip, "just say the word and she’ll be gone. You’ll have me all to yourself. You won’t have to crave me in silence anymore, or go to bed without your pussy getting the right... treatment."

I shivered, my eyes fixed on his mouth and all I wanted was to claim those so badly. I was losing. I was losing so fast.

"Stop biting your lip," he growled. "The smell of your pheromones are over the place already. I'm not complaining, I should be the only one to get this reaction from you. You should only be horny for me, little pet.”

My breathing was becoming heavy and labored.

His eyes scanned mine, before his lips slowly dropped to my ear again.

"Wouldn't it be fun? To be fucked right here while your husband screws your sister? To be wrecked by your father-in-law in the hallway?"

I could already feel his hand moving down as he spoke, sliding under my dress, and before I could stop him, he was grabbing my breast, squeezing it hard.

I bit back a moan, the heat engulfing me as he slammed his lips onto mine again. This time, I didn't fight him, I reciprocated, my hands tangling in his hair, wanting more—wanting all of the corruption he was offering.

His hand trailed lower, his fingers finding my center and sliding inside.

I melted, wrapping my arms around his neck, hugging him as he fingered me fiercely, his movements high-paced and demanding.

And then, like a bucket of ice water, her voice echoed in my mind, dragging me out of his sanctuary.

“Of course she'd always look out for me, she's my daughter after all.”

“You don't know how lucky I am to have her as my daughter in-law.”

“If I should choose a daughter-in-law again, I would definitely choose her.”

Elena.

The woman who had patted my cheek. The woman who loved me like a mother should.

I pushed him off, panting, my eyes wide with a sudden, sharp clarity.

No, I couldn't betray her again. She didn't deserve this. She didn't deserve to have her life dismantled by the two men she trusted most.

"I can't... I’m sorry," I stuttered.

Before he could say a word, I turned and bolted. My heart hammered against my ribs as I rushed down the stairs.