Chapter 52

Elara

The room felt suffocating as I stood there on that stage with Alaric. Every eye was turned to us, every voice had gone silent, every mouth was now hanging open in shock.

I didn’t know what Alaric was planning when he led me to that stage, but I wasn’t expecting him to pull my hair aside and reveal my mating mark—the mark he had given me just last night, in the midst of aphrodisiac-induced passion—to everyone.

“In case you all haven’t heard,” Alaric announced, gesturing to the red mark on my neck, “Elara is now not only my wife, but my chosen mate. And as of last night, we have marked one another.”

A soft ripple of gasps worked its way through the room. Instinctively, my eyes found Emily; she was standing by the exit, her arms folded across her chest, and there was a smug look on her face.

A smug look that was quickly fading.

Suddenly, Alaric, as if sensing my thoughts, turned directly toward her and pointed.

“Emily Harrington,” he continued, “I understand that you, your parents, and my mother have conspired to wed us when I am already wed to another. I have no intention of marrying you. I never have. And from what I understand, you just purchased a bag of drugs from Mason, did you not?”

Emily smirked, opening her mouth to respond. But before she could, Alaric slipped the bag of powder out of his pocket and held it up for all to see. Her face immediately went pale, her mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water as she scrambled to come up with a response. But Alaric wasn’t done.

“Elara’s position in my life is irreplaceable, no matter what so many of you seem to think,” he went on, putting the powder in his pocket once more. “She is my wife, my chosen mate, the mother to my children in all the ways that count. I have no interest in marrying you, or anyone else.”

By then, the room had turned from silent to a low hum of murmurs and whispers. Guards were pushing through the crowd, headed straight for Emily now that Mason had been handled. She was trembling, her hands curled into fists at her sides, and looked as if she were about to be sick.

“If you show up at my home unannounced, force me to give you rides in my car under threat of business sabotage, or make negative social media posts about my mate ever again,” Alaric continued, his voice deepening and growing more dangerous with every word, “then it will be the last time you ever set foot in public without having to hide your face.”

Another ripple of gasps and murmurs worked its way through the crowd. Even I felt stunned at that information. The ride home Alaric had given her just this morning—she threatened to sabotage his businesses if he didn’t comply?

My eyes snapped back to Emily, whose spine was now ramrod straight as the guards advanced on her. But instead of going even paler like I expected, her face shifted to an angry shade of beet red.

“You’re going to regret this, Alaric Donovan!” she screeched, quickly backing away from the guards—and bumping into a passing waiter in the process, sending glasses of wine and champagne shattering across the floor. “My father will never do business with you again! Never!”

And just like that, she was gone.

The guards chased her as she ran, guests gasping and cursing as she shoved them out of the way. The last we heard before the doors to the exit slammed shut behind her was a vile curse slipping from her mouth, and a scream as the guards no doubt caught up with her outside.

After that, the room went silent again.

I didn’t know what to think, what to do. I didn’t even know if it was safe to breathe.

Alaric turned to me, and his gaze softened. “Are you alright, love?” he said gently. Before I could answer, he wrapped both arms around my waist and pulled me close. Impossibly close.

The soft gasps and applause that reached my ears sounded muffled, far away beneath the sound of the blood rushing through my ears. I felt like I would have collapsed were it not for Alaric’s warm arms around me, his broad palms pressing comfortably into the arch of my back.

And most of all, it wasn’t even the events of the night that had me stunned into such a haze.

It was so much more and so much less at the same time.

My love.

I knew he didn’t mean those words. I knew, in the bottom of my heart, that he was just saying these things as a part of our act—that it was the only way for either of us to find some reprieve from the gossip and the backlash that was sure to come after tonight.

But right now, with the mate bond buzzing like electricity between us, it felt real. Maybe even more real than anything I’d ever felt before.

Somehow, through the storm, my body moved of its own accord. I nodded and managed a small smile, and the crowd swooned. I said something, too, although it was so far away to my own ears that I couldn’t even comprehend it.

All I knew was that, thankfully, Alaric was soon leading me away from that stage and the onlookers were returning to their dancing and laughing and drinking.

And our little escapade, at least for now, was forgotten.

Alaric didn’t leave my side for the remainder of the night. Or maybe I was the one who never left his side—but it didn’t matter. After everything, we were inseparable for the rest of the banquet, going through the motions of small talk and drinking and laughing and dancing like the happy couple we were supposed to be.

Of course, the way that Alaric kept slipping his hand into his pocket to feel that bag of red powder wasn’t lost on me. It was as if he wanted to make sure it was still there, to ensure that no one had taken it. He wouldn’t even let security take it, using his status as an Alpha to confiscate it for testing.

That red powder held so many answers—I was sure of it. But answers to what, exactly… That was still a mystery. There was the illegal auction, of course, but somehow I had a feeling it was so much more than that.

At some point toward the end of the evening, I needed some air and slipped out into the courtyard. The evening breeze was warm against my skin, carrying with it the soft sound of the orchestra coming from inside, as I strolled up to the fountain. Tiny ripples played across the water’s surface, slightly distorting my face.

I took a deep breath as I stared down at my wavering reflection, and without thinking, lifted my trembling fingers toward the red mark that still stood out stark against my neck.

But before I could touch it, the sound of footsteps behind me made me jerk my head up.

“Are you okay?” came Alaric’s voice.

I turned, wringing my hands. “Yes. Just… taking a breather.”

He nodded as he strode toward me. The cool breeze ruffled his dark hair, and I had to look away just to hide the faint blush that rose to my cheeks at the sight.

“May I have this dance?” he asked, stretching his hand out to me.

My face flushed even more, but I nodded and let him take my hand, pulling me flush against his frame as we began to sway. His fingers wrapped gently around mine, his other hand resting lightly on my lower back.

Neither of us spoke, but as we moved there beneath the stars, I wasn’t sure if we needed to. Something felt… different.

Something told me that maybe, just maybe, this wasn’t fake after all.

Without entirely meaning to, I rested my head gently against his chest. Alaric stiffened, but didn’t pull away—just kept slowly swaying back and forth to the time of the music, the shuffling of our feet the only sounds between us.

But as I rested my head there, I could feel his heartbeat; not just coming from his chest, but echoing in my own. The mate bond felt alive, possibly even more alive than ever, like a thousand invisible fireworks going off in tune with that steady beat.

Did he feel it, too, I wondered? Did he notice my rapid pulse in his own throat? Did he know that I couldn’t bring myself to think of last night as a mistake, but rather as a blessing?

I had to know. I had to let him know.

And maybe that was why I pulled back to look at him.

Why I tilted my chin and let my eyelids flutter shut.

And why I moved forward, pressing my lips against his before I could think better of it.