Chapter 50

Elara

The girls clung to my legs, sobbing when they discovered we would be going to a fancy party

without them.

Zoe’s face was buried against my thigh, her muffled cries pulling at my heartstrings. Ella wasn’t

much better, her wide eyes brimming with tears as she stared up at me, her hands clasped

together.

“We want to go to the party!” Zoe wailed into the skirt of my dress. “Please, Mommy, we’ll be

good!”

“Sweetheart, it’s not that kind of party,” I said gently, crouching down to meet their tear-streaked

faces. “It’s just for adults. But I promise we’ll have our own party when we get back home, okay?

With cookies and games and anything you want.”

“But why can’t we come now?” Ella sniffled.

I brushed her hair back and cupped her cheek. “Because this isn’t a fun party, my love. It’s

going to be nothing but boring speeches and grown-ups talking about things you wouldn’t like.

Don’t you think it’ll be much more fun to stay here with James?”

The girls glanced at James, unconvinced, but finally seemed at least somewhat satisfied. “Yeah,

I guess that sounds okay,” Ella said glumly.

“Hey!” James said with a mock-insulted look on his face. “We’ll bake cookies and watch a

movie, won’t we?”

Zoe’s eyes lit up just a little at the mention of cookies, and Ella reluctantly released my hand. I

stood, giving Alaric’s Beta a grateful look as he ushered the girls toward the living room.

Grace had offered to watch them earlier, of course, but the thought of leaving the girls alone

with her made my skin crawl. When I told Alaric that I didn’t want his mother left with them, he

understood right away and had James do it instead.

Even after last night, I still trusted James far more than that awful woman.

As I turned back toward the front door, Alaric was already waiting for me. Without a word, he

placed his hand on the small of my back—sending an involuntary shiver through me, which I

wondered if he could feel through the bond—as he guided me outside. The night air was crisp

and quiet, and the silence continued as we climbed into the car. I settled into my seat, staring

out the window as the vehicle pulled away.

The mating mark on my neck still pulsed faintly, a constant reminder of the bond I didn’t quite

know how to process. My fingers brushed against it absentmindedly, the skin tender beneath

my touch.

Every time I thought of it—thought of him—it stirred something deep inside of me, but I couldn’t

stop thinking about her.

Emily.

Was she really a threat to our tentative arrangement? When these six months were up, even if I

somehow mustered the courage to confess my true feelings to Alaric, would he still choose her

over me?

And most of all, was I really okay with letting myself be nothing more than a choice and not an

automatic given?

“What’s your problem?” Alaric’s voice cut through the silence. Stunned, I turned to look at him,

his sharp profile illuminated by the streetlights outside. “Is it the mark? If it’s bothering you, I’m

sorry. I’ll… I’ll figure out a way to fix it.”

My chest tightened at his words. He sounded apologetic. But that only made the bitterness well

up stronger inside of me.

“It’s nothing. I’m fine,” I said as coolly as I could manage as I turned back to face the window.

Was he really that blind? Did he not see how much I was struggling? Could he not feel it

through our new bond?

Or did he just not care?

The rest of the drive passed in silence, but the tension between us was thick enough to cut with

a knife. When we finally arrived at the banquet, Alaric once again placed a hand on my lower

back as we entered, and we put on our facade like a well-worn mask. I forced a smile, stiffening

under his touch but pretending to play the part of the composed Luna.

Inside, the room was already bustling with elegantly dressed guests. Candles lit the room with

dancing shadows swaying across the walls, and soft classical music filled the air. I pasted a

polite smile on my face, nodding at the occasional stranger as we made our way through the

room.

But then I heard it.

“She’s not fit to be Luna,” a woman’s voice whispered, just loud enough for me to catch. My

stomach twisted as I glanced toward the group of women huddled nearby, their eyes darting

toward me before quickly looking away.

“Did you see what Emily posted?” another murmured. “Pouring tea in her dressing gown? How

embarrassing.”

“She’s an Omega. What do you expect?” The words hit me like a slap to the face, and my

forced smile faltered.

Alaric, for his part, didn’t seem to notice. He leaned down, his voice low in my ear. “I have to

speak with someone. I’ll be right back. Enjoy a glass of champagne.”

And just like that, he was gone, disappearing into the crowd. I stood there for a moment, frozen,

before heading toward the bar. I needed something—anything—to steady myself. Something

stronger than champagne.

The gin and tonic I ordered was crisp and cold, but it did little to soothe the heat rising in my

chest. I sipped it slowly, watching the crowd as they mingled. No one approached me, no one

even looked my way. I tried to introduce myself to a group of women nearby, but they turned

their noses up at me and walked away without a word.

Humiliation burned as hot as embers through me, but I forced myself to keep my head high. It

was better if I didn’t let them see me break, even if I felt like a puppet on strings.

After waiting for what felt like an eternity, I decided to look for Alaric. The champagne glass

trembled in my hand as I made my way through the room, scanning the crowd. And then I saw

him.

He was standing near the corner, his tall frame unmistakable even in the crowded room. But he

wasn’t alone. Emily was with him, her hand resting lightly on his arm as she leaned in close. Her

lips moved as she whispered something in his ear, her smile coy and intimate.

My blood boiled.

Before I could stop myself, I was marching toward them, my heels clicking sharply against the

polished floor. Emily glanced up as I approached, her smile faltering just slightly before she

quickly slammed it back into place.

“Am I interrupting?” I asked, stopping beside them.

Emily straightened, her eyes narrowing. “This is a private conversation,” she said calmly.

I smiled tightly. “Whatever you have to say in front of my husband, you can say in front of me.”

Her jaw clenched, but she didn’t argue. Instead, she excused herself with a forced smile,

brushing past me as she walked away. I turned to Alaric, my heart pounding.

“Are you okay?” he asked, his brow furrowing as he studied me. “We were just talking about

business matters.”

I hesitated, suddenly feeling a bit foolish. “I… I’m just anxious after last night,” I admitted quietly,

which was partially true. “I didn’t want to be alone anymore.”

To my surprise, Alaric’s expression softened. He stepped closer, his voice dropping to a low

whisper as he leaned toward me. “I won’t let any harm come to you,” he murmured, his breath

warm against my ear.

My cheeks flushed, and although his words were comforting, I suddenly felt in need of air. I

quickly stepped back, trying to compose myself. “I’ll be right back. I just need to use the

restroom,” I blurted out, turning and walking away before he could respond.

I had no doubt he was staring after me, wondering why I had come to him and told him I needed

to not be alone, only to walk away right after, but I couldn’t bear to look back at him.

The restroom was a welcome reprieve, the quiet space giving me a moment to collect myself. I

splashed some cold water on my wrists, taking deep breaths, before stepping back into the

banquet.

But as I scanned the room to locate Alaric again, something caught my eye. A face I hadn’t

expected to see tonight.

Mason.

He was standing in the corner, talking to…

Emily.

My breath caught as I watched her slyly hand him a thick stack of cash. He took it without

hesitation, quickly slipping it into his pocket before surreptitiously handing her something in

return.

A bag of red powder.

My heart stopped. The powder—it was the same shade as the traces on the earring. My mind

raced, piecing together the implications, but before I could move, Mason’s eyes snapped up and

met mine from across the room.