I’m bored, and I need something to do. Walking to the door, Yori looks at me.“I want a laptop, please, Yori.”“Erm, you’re not meant to have access to one. You shouldn’t see about the Luna Battle Elara.”“I don’t care about that. I want to look up my parents and find out more about my family, my pack, and everything else. I know nothing, and I’m fed up with it. How can I agree to be called Xenia when I have no idea about her?”I watch him smile. “I will get you a laptop. Just promise me that you will not look through competition things. I will get in trouble if you do.”“I swear.” My fingers are crossed. I need to watch and see if I can figure out why he’s acting differently. I walk back in and wait. Ten minutes later, he knocked and handed me the laptop.Walking back through, I sit down and open the laptop. I pull up the website with videos of today. Each one begins when we are sitting and ends as we walk out.He’s entirely different with me. Why? I continue to scroll through and lo
Walking in, I sit down. I have Kellan on one side and Sage on the other. Opposite us is Darius. He has Callista and Lyra on each side of him.“You left early, why?” Kellan looks at me.“I just didn’t feel like doing it anymore.” He sits, confused by my words. “Forget it, Kellan.” Maybe I did overreact, and Sage is right. Darius is making it look like he’s indifferent to me so people don’t suspect he’s choosing me.That thought washes away when I see him and Lyra laughing and talking. She’s leaning into him and touching him a lot. There are no cameras now, so why?Winter is still quiet, and I don’t understand why.“I’m not hungry.” Standing, I push the chair away from the table and walk away, hearing Kellan shouting at Darius. I don’t care. I shouldn’t care.“Elara.”“No, Yori, don’t make fucking excuses, or I will stab you.” He nods and continues following me. There’s no reason other than he’s back to picking Lyra.As I stepped into my room, Kellan joined me.“Okay, something is going
I barely slept last night. Kellan had come by, but I insisted he leave me alone more so I could consider the way forward. I don’t want to stay here and have Darius as my mate. That needs fixing. Walking down, I join the others for breakfast.Today, I need to update Sage. She has no idea what is happening, but hopefully, when I speak to her, she can give me advice. We eat in silence, or rather, I do. Lyra goes on and on about how Darius kissed her. Sage is clearly confused, and I don’t blame her.Last she knew, Darius and Kellan were choosing me. Darius was also trying to help the situation between her and Tony. Everything has changed now, though.As everyone finishes eating, I look at William. Walking to him, he smiles at me. He tried to warn Kellan not to go into that room with me so he knew about Lyra. He was all up for me, fighting to get Darius to let his guard down. Now I feel he’s team Lyra as well.“How are you, Elara?”“Fine, I need to speak to Darius.”“He’s in the music room
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