KellanAs I step back, Elara runs, I watch Yori chase after her, and I shift following. I should have known she would bolt. I kept running before catching up with Yori, but I couldn't see Elara. Focusing, I try to feel her, but the connection is weak.I begin to search for her while Yori and the others do. I get she wants to hide from this, hide from the pain, and I would usually let her if it were safe. It isn't safe, though. My only reassurance she is safe is that she can't go past the border.After running around for a while, I shift back. It's been hours. I still can't sense her, and right now, I hate how fucking quick she is."How far do you want us to search?" Yori looks at me."She shouldn't get past the border.""Shouldn't, but the magic didn't affect her like it should others. Does that mean the border won't stop her?"I don't want to consider that. If Elara makes it past the border, she's gone."Search to the border and back, I will go get more people to come help find her."
I wake up hearing a noise. Raising my head, I see Hades, and I turn, running away. I'm so busy watching him chase me that I don't realise when I slam into something hard and fall down the hill.Hearing a groan, I open my eyes and see Kellan. Shifting back, I stare at him.“Kellan?” Did I run into him while he was unshifted?“Don’t fucking run again!” His arms wrap around me. He looks exhausted. “It’s been three fucking days, Elara!”My head shakes. It can't have been."We couldn't find you. We searched and couldn't. You somehow passed the border." He stares at me."No, I was running in circles so I wouldn't go too far out."His body deflates slightly. "No, you weren't. Maybe you thought you were, but you went past the border. Only me and Darius can go past it, and you, apparently." He sits staring at me."I'm sorry." My head falls, and I cry."Don't apologise; it was my fault. I should have realised that shifting at that moment was wrong. You weren't in the best mind space. We have a
KellanSitting, I look at Darius, waiting for the truth.“William should never have shown or told you.”“That’s how you choose to start? He did it, so I would let you help find Elara.”“You shouldn’t have needed to see or know anything to let me help Kellan.”“I’m not here to talk about that, Darius. I’m here purely to get answers and find out the truth. If William would tell me everything, I wouldn’t even speak to you.” It’s his fault.“Fine. Dad isn’t dead.” I laugh at his words. “I reached out, thought you know what, he has answers. I can get them and find out the truth. He’s the one who knows about the tunnels, so I met him in the west wing.”“You saw Dad?”“Listen, I tried speaking, but there was no talking to him. The most I could do is get him to agree that I stay away from Elara and pick Lyra so he doesn’t hurt her.”“He can’t hurt her. You’re just making excuses to run.”“Kellan, I thought I could just subdue him and lock him up. He had no issues taking me down. Ask William.
I wake up with Kellan wrapped around my body, and I almost smile until I remember all the shit that’s happened. I was gone for three days. I need to see Sage and make her aware that I’m fine.“So, we figured out the Sage situation.” I smile, hearing Kellan.“Then tell me.” I am happy they figured this out.“She’s staying. As your best friend, she can’t possibly leave when this is over. She has to stay for the weddings.”I laugh and nod. “That doesn’t solve the issue, Kellan.” For a bit, sure, but that’s all.“Tony has spoken to Sage a lot. When this mess is cleared up, and the battle ends, Tony will be given a position as one of your Betas.” He stays grinning.“Right, but Sage has her pack, she’s needed there.” It doesn’t help.“Was. She’s decided she doesn’t want to take over her father, so she plans to find someone else to. Tony will be given leave. Sage’s father being sick and dying kind of gives Darius a good enough reason to let him have a break from the contract he signed.”So,
It’s the event tomorrow. This week has been painful, partly because I’m trying to reject Darius, and it is failing. Then there’s every day I’m with him, Sage and Lyra.I’m unsure what is more painful, smiling and playing happy for the cameras, watching Lyra and Darius, or trying to reject him and failing. Maybe it’s everything combined?No, it’s playing the part, showing how I can be an amazing queen when I know that Sage and I are not being chosen. We never were going to be.“Elara?” I look up and see Darius. Everyone has left. Where is Kellan? I glance around, searching the room. Kellan has stayed by my side or made sure Sage was here if Darius was.“Yes.” My word is quiet.“We have this to work over. You avoided it.” Sighing, I nod and move next to him. I know I’ve avoided it. It means sitting with him and discussing it. I have to, though. It was my idea. It was me who made him open his eyes to the orphanage.“So, there are currently one hundred and twenty children there. She’s ove
I sit with Lyra and Sage. I hate Lyra more because of Darius, but in the past week, she has changed. Sure, she would call me names and throw abuse at me.She’s made amends, though, and she’s actually herself. I realised her and the peanut shaving incident was real. She really is that gullible and easily fooled.So it makes sense she ran along with Aurora and everyone. We’ve spent a lot of time together, and her own family has apologised to me after the way they treated me at that ball, giving me zero points.I still have the letter. It’s nice, though. It also proves just how easily people can be manipulated and turned evil for the wrong reasons.We sit, drink, and talk. We stand, drink, laugh, dance, and fall over. Lyra wasn’t lying when she said she liked to party. She is drinking way more than Sage and me.“We will all be living together! We can do this every weekend.” Lyra laughs and falls off the chair.“You realise it is Sage and me that will get in trouble for how drunk you are?
Darkness surrounds me. My body pulls against the restraints, but nothing seems to work. My eyes look across the room, seeing the things.Growling, I pull harder and watch as people move around me.“Before you return it, we need more samples.” I watch his body walk to mine, the needle piercing through me. Growling, I snap forward, but it’s useless. I’m locked in. “Cut some skin off.” He turns as he speaks.I feel the blade slice across me. Howling, I fight, but it’s useless. Darkness sweeps away the images.Suddenly, bright lights surround me. My body radiates in pain.“Her parents’ wolves are different from her; they are just like normal wolves.” The words flow through my mind. “There are over three hundred wolves, and only this one is different.”Growls erupt from within me.“Nothing weakens it. We could find a way to match its strength. Watch.” Pain pierces through my chest. “It heals quicker than it should as well.”Darkness once again washes away the images. More slowly pouring th
Breakfast is quiet, no doubt, because we're hung over. Lyra has apologised at least fifty times to me and Sage. Then, another hundred times to Kellan for her comments. Then her apologies continue after to Darius. Apparently, William had failed to tell her Beta outside her room not to let her leave, so they escorted her to Darius's room soon after she was put there.From her conversation with Sage and me, she actually did strip, climb into Darius' bed and wait for him. It's highly amusing. For us, not her and Darius, however. They both are sat far away from each other, looking horrified."Are you ready?" I look towards William as he stands waiting. This interview is scaring me. I have to do it, though. I've gone over it multiple times with Darius and Kellan.Nodding, I follow him through. I sit with the cameras in front of me. Just as many as before when we told them I was Xenia.I walk over and take a seat."Luna Xenia, it's a pleasure to interview you again." I go to say I'm not Luna