Chapter 5: Elena’s Necklace

CHAPTER 5: ELENA’S  NECKLACE

~ Kim ~

The world tilted pleasantly as Richard's face drew closer to mine. Scotch had a way of making everything feel inevitable, like gravity itself was pulling us together. His hands were warm against my face, his thumbs brushing the curve of my cheekbones with a gentleness that contradicted everything about his presence, the Alpha dominance, the cold dismissal, the sharp edges.

For just a moment, I let myself believe that maybe this wouldn't be a complete nightmare.

My hand, still searching for balance, knocked against the fruit basket on the hall table.

The entire arrangement toppled.

Apples, oranges, and bananas scattered across the marble floor with what seemed like impossibly loud thuds. One rolled past us like it was making a grand escape, bouncing off the wall with an almost comedic finality.

The spell shattered.

Richard stepped back so quickly he nearly tripped over a wayward apple, his face darkening as reality crashed down on him. His hands dropped from my face like they'd burned. I stumbled forward, my foot coming down on a banana peel, and would have gone sprawling if he hadn't caught my elbow, a reflexive save that lasted only a second before he released me like I was poison.

"Goddammit, Kimberly." His voice was sharp, angry, directed entirely inward. He released me and bent down to aggressively gather the scattered fruit, shoving pieces into the basket with more force than necessary. "This is exactly what you've been doing since you got here, isn't it?"

I blinked, trying to process the accusation through my scotch-hazed brain. The shift was so abrupt, so vicious, that for a moment I couldn't even formulate a response.

"What are you talking about?" My voice came out smaller than I intended.

"You show up in Elena's nightgown in the middle of the night, knowing I'll be there." He said it like an accusation, like I'd been orchestrating his downfall. His words came out clipped and furious. 

"Then you conveniently appear at my cabin, uninvited, with me practically naked, and now you're deliberately putting yourself in my space, trying to seduce me."

The words hit like a slap.

"Seduce you?" I stared at him in disbelief, my voice rising. "I didn't… Richard, I can't believe you would actually think—"

"Don't lie to me." He stood abruptly, his eyes blazing with something that looked like hurt beneath the anger. His whole body was vibrating with tension. "I know exactly what you're doing. You want to cause problems between me and Elena."

The accusation was so vicious, so unfair, that it cut through the alcohol fog in my brain.

"That's insane!" I grabbed his arm, my words slurring slightly. "I didn't even know you existed until two days ago! How would I have planned any of this?" I gestured wildly, nearly losing my balance as the room tilted. "I was in the Rogue Space, Richard. The Rogue Space. I didn't know about your cabin or your nighttime kitchen trips or anything.

He jerked his arm away so violently that I stumbled backward. His jaw was clenched so tight I could see the muscle ticking.

"Oh please, like you don't abuse your powers to get what you want," he snapped, turning back to the scattered fruit with barely contained fury. "First the kitchen…"

"I was hungry!" My voice rose to match his fury. "Four years of stale bread and gruel, Richard. Four years." I stepped closer to him, my fists clenching. "And you want to judge me for stealing cookies? I didn't even know you'd be there!"

He whirled around, his eyes flashing gold with the anger of his wolf. For a moment, I thought he might actually shift right there in the hallway.

"What about the cabin then?" he demanded, his voice low and dangerous.

"Curiosity isn't a crime!" I gestured wildly, nearly losing my balance on the slippery marble. My heart was pounding so hard it felt like it might burst from my chest. "I'm going to be bonded to you whether we like it or not, and I wanted to know where you disappear to. Is that really so scandalous? Is it so terrible that I wanted to understand something about the man I'm going to…"

"You had no right—"

"And for your information," I cut him off, my drunken courage overriding every ounce of self-preservation I had, "I wasn't trying to seduce you just now. If anything, YOU were the one who initiated that almost-kiss. I was just standing here, trying not to fall on my face, and you just… attacked me."

The words hung in the air between us, a challenge and a confession all at once.

Richard opened his mouth, then closed it again. His jaw clenched so hard I was surprised it didn't crack. For a long moment, we just stared at each other, both breathing hard, both flushed, both caught in something neither of us knew how to handle.

"WELL, WELL. This is quite the scene."

We both froze.

Catherine Fell stood at the top of the grand staircase in her silk robe, looking down at us with an expression of pure amusement. There we were, surrounded by scattered fruit, flushed and breathing hard, clearly caught in the middle of something neither of us wanted to explain.

Perfect. Absolutely perfect.

"I'm impressed you both are already getting along so well," she said, descending the stairs elegantly. Her sharp eyes landed on me, twinkling with mischief. "You've seen him naked. That was fast."

My face erupted into flames. Every single cell in my body seemed to be on fire. I felt the heat spread down my neck and across my chest.

Richard's expression went absolutely deadly. His hands curled into fists at his sides. "She didn't… that's not… you heard wrong." The words came out clipped and angry, each one a denial. "I'm going to bed. Now."

He walked away without another glance, his shoulders rigid with tension, leaving me alone with his mother and my mortification. I watched him disappear up the stairs, and I felt something crack inside my chest.

Catherine surveyed the fruit situation with an amused smile. She bent down to help me collect the remaining apples and oranges. There was something knowing in her expression, like she could see right through me, like she understood what had almost happened.

"I understand that you're finding this difficult, Kim," she said gently, handing me an orange. "No one wants to marry their sister's husband. I'm truly sorry we've put you in this position." She placed a warm hand on my shoulder, and for a moment, her touch was the only thing keeping me grounded.

 "But I do believe you'll make a good wife. A good mother, hopefully."

I forced a smile that felt more like a grimace. My whole body ached with exhaustion and emotional whiplash. The crash after the almost-kiss, the argument, the accusation, it was all too much.

"Sure. I'll gladly sacrifice my own feelings to make everyone else feel good," I said bitterly, my voice hollow. "It doesn't hurt at all."

The words came out more bitter than I'd intended, and Catherine paused, really looking at me for the first time. There was sympathy in her sharp eyes, genuine sympathy.

"Do it for the pack," she said softly. "Keep Richard's title intact. Help our family survive this."

I nodded, that forceful smile still plastered across my face, and tried not to think about how her son had almost kissed me. How my wolf had been practically purring beneath my skin, recognizing something in him that I couldn't quite name.

Later that night, lying in bed and staring at the ceiling, I could still feel the ghost of his hands on my face. Could still taste the scotch and something else on my lips. Could still hear the accusation in his voice.

And I hated myself for wanting him to touch me again.

…

Elena appeared at my door the next morning, while I was preparing for the wedding, looking perfect as always. She had a necklace in her hand, delicate gold chain, sapphire pendant, and held it out.

"Wear this today. Please, Kim. I want you to have it."

I was reluctant at first, but she kept looking at me, pushing it in my hand, so I took it.

I came downstairs and found Richard at the table. In my wildest imagination I thought he might look at me differently.

His eyes dropped straight to my neck.

"What are you doing with that?" He said dangerously.

"Elena gave it to me."

"That's not possible."

Just then Elena came in, smiling. Richard turned to her immediately. "Did you give her the necklace?"

A small pause. A gentle tilt of her head.

"Kim insisted on having it," she said softly.

What? Was she serious now?