Chapter 8

Elara POV

Anxiously, I enter the bathroom and lock the door. I open the tap and splash cold water on my wrists. I reach for the paper towels, wet them, and rub the back of my neck.

I close the tap, placing my hands on the counter as I inhale deeply and close my eyes.

I was so caught up in the day’s events that I did not consider how my future would be if I refused to mate with them tonight.

And now … well, fuck.

I have two options, and both are awful.

Either I mate with these two assholes who are hot as hell, or I take my chances with another match.

Choosing the twins sounds easy. They are hot as hell, and I am sure it will be an enjoyable experience, but they are in love with someone else. They will never be completely devoted to me.

The alternative could go either way. But if today was any indication of my luck and future, I will get stuck with whatever limp-dicked old-ass guy they can dig up from their graves.

“Life. Is. Grand,” I murmur to my reflection in the mirror, my green eyes dark with concern.

I stare at my auburn hair curling over my shoulders and down my back to my waist. I love my long hair, but will Kane and Axel like it?

My stomach dives at the image of them running their fingers through the curls or draping around them as I ride one of them … whoa, now I am getting ahead of myself.

I look at my watch, and it is less than two hours until midnight, and I have no idea where to go or where to hide.

I do not want to return to the office because I do not have an answer for them, but the last thing I want is to roam the hallways and run into Alice.

With limited options, I leave the bathroom and accidentally bump into a woman.

“Oh, I’m so sorry,” I apologise, reaching for her arms to stop us both from falling.

“It’s okay,” she chuckles, and looks at me intensely. “You’re Elara, right? The alphas’ mate.”

“I guess so,” I shrug.

“Yes, I’m Elara,” I say quickly when she looks at me confused. I cannot expect her to understand our drama.

“Pleased to meet you, I’m Erin,” she smiles. “Axel asked me to find you and take you to your room. They’re still busy in the office.”

“Thank you,” I nod politely, and follow her. Finally, a place where I can hide.

“How are you holding up?” Erin pushes a stand of straight black hair behind her ear. The chic cropped cut looked amazing on her.

“I’m…” I pause, not entirely sure how to answer. “I’m here. That’s about all I know right now.”

“I get that,” Erin nods. “When I was mated, it was terrifying. I had no idea what to expect, and then having to live in this place on top of it? Yeah.”

She opens a door, and I follow her inside. Holy shit!

Everything is newly updated, with sleek, modern appliances all in stainless steel, and the decor is simple and elegant. It is mostly black, cream, and grey, which I love. Whoever decorated the room added splashes of emerald green, deep blue, and rich purple. I could not have done it better if I designed it myself. Mesmerised, I inspect the rooms. Wow, it is big. I basically have my own fully furnished luxury apartment with a bedroom, living room and bathroom.

“I get what you’re saying,” I laugh nervously. “This is something else. The bath is the size of a pool, complete with jets.”

“It’s overwhelming, but you’ll get used to it,” Erin smiles.

“Honestly, I have no freaking idea what I’m doing,” I sigh, taking a seat on the luxurious couch in the living room. “How is this supposed to work? Like, everyone saw what happened today. I’m simultaneously terrified they are going to walk in here to complete the mating and desperately want it to happen.”

“Girl, you and everyone else who’s ever been mated.” Erin laughs softly. “I know you’re in a different situation than most, given the whole Alice situation, but it could be worse. You could be the one mated to Gregory and Lucas.”

We look at each other and shudder simultaneously before we burst out laughing.

“I’m sorry for Alice. I don’t care who you are, nobody deserves Greg and Luke,” I roll my eyes. “I just wish I didn’t have to be stuck in the middle. I think what Kane and Axel are doing is commendable. And I can’t imagine being in her shoes, but …”

“But now you’re the meat in a shit sandwich,” Erin says sympathetically when I trail off.

“Yes!” I exclaim. “Exactly.”

“I know it might not seem like it, but Kane and Axel aren’t as scary as they look,” she smiles. “I’ve got to know them, and I promise you, they’ll make a decision that will protect you both. You can count on that. Trust them.”

“Trust,” I snort. “The only thing I ever got from trusting a person was pain and humiliation.”

“The key to trust is to know whom to trust,” Erin smiles before she leaves.

Kane POV

My head is spinning, and my eyes are burning. It feels like an eternity since Axel and I started looking at the bylaws, and we are still not close to a solution.

I have no idea what we are going to do, but if we do not mate with Elara tonight, we will not have a choice anymore. And I do not do well with choices.

I know for certain I expected to have my way when it came to Alice. We bided our time and waited … and waited … for four mating ceremonies after we started sleeping with her when she turned eighteen. I sighed somewhat wistfully.

“I know,” Axel looks at me with the same despair I feel. “Remember when we first saw her?”

“I do,” I smile nostalgically.

“The fucking pigtails and ice cream cone,” Axel chuckles. “She knew what she wanted and how to get it.”

It is forbidden for anyone, no matter their age, to sleep with a she-wolf until she is eighteen, and then she is mated. But sometimes, there was a bit of a grace period, depending on when their birthdays were. Alice had six months of freedom before she was mated, and she decided that those six months would be spent with us.

She made her move, and we were toast, panting after her with our tongues hanging out. We have been inseparable since.

Most Alphas chose their mates, although it was a bit of an unspoken rule. If an Alpha were pretty set on a particular she-wolf, it was more than likely that the elders would assign that woman to them. After all, it was beneficial for them to have a happy Alpha.

So, what in the fuck happened with us and Alice?

“Kane,” Axel calls, and I snap out of my thoughts.

“Look at this,” he taps his finger on a notation below one of the laws.

“How did we miss that?” I mumble.

“It’s a bit harsh,” Axel replies. “But is the only way to get what we want.”

We look at each other, nod and stand up.