Chapter six

CHAPTER SIX

ELENA'S POV

I woke to the sound of rain striking the bedroom windows.

For a few seconds, I lay still beneath the unfamiliar sheets, staring at the high ceiling while I tried to remember where I was. Then the events of the previous day came rushing back, and my stomach tightened.

The wedding. Justice's golden eyes. The way he had looked at me after lifting my veil.

You aren't Vivian.

I closed my eyes.

He knew.

I had spent years imagining the day I would finally take something from Vivian, something she couldn't simply snatch back with a cruel smile. I had pictured her humiliation, her tears, the moment she realized she wasn't untouchable. But I hadn't imagined waking up in Justice Kane's bed, wearing a stranger's wedding ring, with the most powerful Alpha in the region knowing perfectly well that I had deceived him.

I shifted beneath the sheets and immediately regretted it. My entire body felt exhausted, and the memories of the night before made my cheeks burn. Whatever had happened between us, I couldn't pretend it had been part of my plan.

Justice had looked at me as though his wolf recognized something I couldn't understand.

And when he had held me afterward, I had almost forgotten why I was there.

Almost.

I pushed myself upright and discovered that someone had left a white silk robe on the chair beside the bed. I slipped it on, tying the belt around my waist before looking around the room. My torn wedding dress was gone, and the scattered pearls had been swept away. In their place, a small breakfast tray sat on the bedside table, untouched.

A knock sounded at the door.

"Come in," I called, then immediately wished I had kept quiet.

The door opened, and Justice walked inside.

He had changed into black trousers and a charcoal shirt, the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. His hair was slightly damp, and he held a cup of coffee in one hand. He looked annoyingly composed for a man whose wedding had been ruined by a deception he hadn't yet explained.

His gaze moved over me before settling on my face.

"You're awake."

"I am."

"Good. We need to talk."

I gripped the edge of the blanket. "About the fact that I'm not Vivian?"

"Among other things."

He placed his coffee on the table and approached the bed. I fought the urge to retreat, refusing to let him see how much his presence unsettled me.

"What's your name?" he asked.

"Elena Rose."

"Your real name."

"That's my real name."

His jaw tightened. "Don't play games with me, Elena. You stood at my altar wearing another woman's dress, carrying another woman's ring, and allowed me to marry you under false pretenses. I want to know why."

There it was. The anger I had been expecting.

I lifted my chin. "Your bride ran away. Your future mother-in-law decided I was an acceptable replacement. If you want an explanation, perhaps you should ask Beatrice."

"I will. But I'm asking you."

I stared at him, searching his face for some indication of what he intended to do with me. He could send me back to the Rose estate. He could have me arrested for fraud. He could destroy my family with a single phone call.

Yet he stood beside the bed, waiting for an answer instead of issuing an order.

"I didn't force your family to put me in that dress," I said. "But I won't pretend I was completely unwilling."

His eyes narrowed.

"What does that mean?"

"It means I had my own reasons for going through with the wedding."

"What reasons?"

"That's none of your business."

A strange silence settled between us.

I had expected him to explode. Instead, Justice studied me with an expression I couldn't read. His wolf stirred beneath his skin; I could see it in the brief golden flicker of his eyes.

"You have a remarkable amount of courage for someone who appears to have no idea what she's gotten herself into."

"Perhaps I'm tired of being afraid."

Something shifted in his expression, so quickly I almost missed it.

"Who taught you to live like that?" he asked.

I looked away. "It doesn't matter."

"It matters to me."

"Why?" I demanded before I could stop myself. "Because your wolf has decided I'm your mate? Does that mean you suddenly care about everything that has happened to me? Does it mean I belong to you now, and you get to ask whatever questions you like?"

His face hardened, but he didn't look away.

"No," he said quietly. "It means I need to understand why my mate was forced into a marriage she clearly wasn't prepared for."

The word mate made my chest tighten.

I had heard stories about the bond between werewolves. People spoke about it as though finding your mate was the greatest blessing the Moon Goddess could bestow. But nobody had ever explained what happened when the bond chose someone who had entered the relationship for all the wrong reasons.

I had come here to hurt Vivian.

I hadn't come here to become Justice Kane's mate.

"I don't know anything about being your mate," I admitted.

"Neither do I, not with you." He paused. "But my wolf recognized you the moment I touched your hand. That isn't something I can ignore."

"And if I don't want to be your Luna?"

His expression became unreadable.

"Then we will have a conversation about what you want. But first, I need the truth about this marriage."

I swallowed. "What happens if I tell you?"

"That depends on what you tell me."

It wasn't a promise of safety, but it was more than I had expected.

Before I could answer, someone knocked sharply on the door.

Justice turned toward it. "What is it?"

A man's voice came from the other side. "Alpha, the Rose family is here. Beatrice Rose is demanding to see you. She says there has been a misunderstanding concerning the wedding."

A humorless smile touched Justice's mouth.

"A misunderstanding?"

"Yes, Alpha. She also says Vivian is expected to return soon."

My heart lurched.

Vivian was coming back.

For one foolish moment, I had imagined that she would stay away long enough for me to enjoy my victory. I had pictured her hearing that Justice Kane was married to her stepsister, watching her carefully constructed future crumble while I sat beside the man she had intended to use.

But I hadn't considered what she would do when she discovered that her abandoned groom had recognized me as his mate.

Justice looked back at me.

"Does your stepsister know you're here?"

"No."

"Does she know you married me?"

"Not yet."

He studied me for another moment before turning toward the door.

"Bring Beatrice to my office. And tell her that if she intends to explain anything to me, she had better be prepared to tell the whole truth."

The guard acknowledged the order and left.

Justice reached for his coffee, but I spoke before he could take a sip.

"Don't send me back."

He stopped.

I hated how small my voice sounded. I hated that, after everything I had endured, asking for something as simple as a place to stay still made me feel weak.

He turned slowly.

"Is that what you think I'm going to do?"

"I don't know what you're going to do." I forced myself to meet his gaze. "But I know what my life will be like if I return to that house."

For the first time since he had entered the room, his anger seemed to shift toward something else.

"What happened to you there, Elena?"

I pressed my lips together.

I could have told him about the chores, the insults, the threats, and the years of being treated as though I had no right to exist. I could have told him about my ruined sketchbook and the pictures of my mother dissolving beneath the kitchen faucet.

But the words refused to come.

If I told him everything, he might pity me.

I didn't want his pity.

"I can take care of myself," I said instead. "I only need you to let me stay until I figure out what comes next."

Justice watched me in silence. Then he picked up his coffee and moved toward the door.

"You can stay."

I stared at him, startled by how easily the words came.

"But understand something, Elena." He paused with his hand on the door handle. "You are not a prisoner here, and I won't force you to remain my wife simply because my wolf has chosen you. However, I will not tolerate being lied to again."

My throat tightened.

"Understood."

"Good. Get dressed. A member of my household will bring you clothes, and someone will show you around the estate. You will have everything you need."

He opened the door, then glanced back at me.

"And Elena?"

"Yes?"

"Whatever happened before you walked down that aisle, it ends here. No one in my household will treat you like a servant."

For a moment, I couldn't speak.

I had spent ten years learning not to expect kindness from anyone. Now the man I had deliberately married to spite my stepsister was offering me something I had almost forgotten how to ask for.

Respect.

When he left, I sat motionless on the bed, staring at the closed door.

I should have been celebrating. My revenge had worked better than I could have imagined. I had taken Vivian's place, married the man she intended to exploit, and found myself under the protection of an Alpha powerful enough to make my stepmother tremble.

But instead of feeling victorious, I felt afraid.

Because Justice had just given me a choice, and for the first time in years, I wasn't sure what I wanted.

A soft knock interrupted my thoughts.

"Miss Rose?"

A young woman entered carrying several shopping bags. She had warm brown skin, dark curls tied neatly at the back of her head, and a friendly smile that made me relax slightly.

"My name is Nora. I'm the head housekeeper. The Alpha asked me to make sure you have everything you need."

"Thank you."

She placed the bags on a nearby chair and glanced at the wedding ring on my finger.

"I must admit, we weren't expecting a bride this morning."

I managed a faint smile. "Neither was I."

Nora laughed softly, then lowered her voice.

"Don't worry. The staff won't ask questions. But there's something you should know before you go downstairs."

My smile faded. "What is it?"

She glanced toward the door as though checking whether anyone could hear us.

"The Alpha has never brought a woman to this estate. Not once in all the years I've worked here."

I looked down at my ring.

"Perhaps he simply hasn't found the right woman."

Nora's expression softened.

"Perhaps."

She left me to dress, and I spent the next few minutes staring at the clothes she had brought. They were beautiful, expensive, and completely unlike anything I had ever owned. I chose a simple cream dress, brushed my hair, and followed the directions she had given me to the breakfast room.

Justice was already there, seated at the head of a long table with his phone beside his plate. A man in a dark suit stood near the windows, discussing security arrangements.

Justice looked up as I entered.

"Elena. Sit."

I took the chair beside him, careful to keep a little distance between us. A servant placed breakfast in front of me, and I murmured my thanks.

For several minutes, we ate in silence. I was beginning to think he had forgotten our earlier conversation when his phone rang.

He glanced at the screen, and his expression darkened.

"Speak."

A voice came through the speaker, too faint for me to understand.

Justice listened without interrupting. Then his gaze shifted toward me.

"Are you certain?"

Another pause.

"When did she arrive?"

My fingers tightened around my fork.

Vivian.

I knew it before he said her name.

Justice ended the call and placed his phone on the table.

"Your stepsister has returned."

The room seemed to grow colder.

"Where is she?" I asked.

"At the Rose estate, according to my security team. She's telling everyone that she was abducted and prevented from attending her own wedding."

I stared at him.

"That's a lie."

"I assumed as much."

His calm response startled me more than anger would have.

"She's claiming someone stole her wedding dress and forced you to impersonate her," he continued. "She wants the marriage annulled and intends to have you arrested."

My stomach twisted, but beneath the fear, something familiar began to stir.

Anger.

For once, Vivian wasn't the only person who knew how to play a game.

"She ran away with Marcus," I said. "I heard them planning it. She never intended to stay married to you."

Justice's eyes sharpened.

"Marcus who?"

"Marcus Vale. He's a Beta from another pack. They were together in the library three days before the wedding."

The man standing by the windows exchanged a glance with Justice.

"Alpha," he said cautiously, "Vale is connected to the Red Fang Pack. If the Rose woman is telling the truth about being abducted, this could become a political issue."

"She's lying," I insisted.

Justice raised one hand, not to silence me harshly, but to reassure me that he had heard.

"I believe you have a reason to say that. But belief isn't proof, and I won't let this become a war based on accusations."

He turned to the man.

"Find out when Marcus Vale left the region. Get the security footage from the Rose estate and the roads leading away from it. I want facts, not rumors."

The man bowed and left.

Justice looked back at me.

"Until I know exactly what happened, you will remain here. If anyone asks, you are my wife, and no one will remove you from this estate without my permission."

I should have felt relieved.

Instead, I felt the first real crack in my carefully constructed plan.

I had wanted Justice to become a weapon I could use against Vivian. I hadn't expected him to become the one person standing between her and me.

And I certainly hadn't expected the thought of losing him to frighten me.

Justice reached for his coffee, his expression unreadable.

"Finish your breakfast, Elena. We have a long day ahead of us."

I lowered my gaze to my plate, trying to steady my breathing.

Somewhere across the city, Vivian was preparing to destroy me.

She believed she was coming back to reclaim her life.

She had no idea that the man she had abandoned was already beginning to choose mine.

And neither of us knew that, before this day ended, the first secret about my bloodline would begin to reveal itself.