Chapter Thirteen
Kaden's POV
My attention, as always, was on Elle. It was hopeless trying to push her from my thoughts. She was there in some way or another. A welcomed distraction. It had become as natural as breathing, considering her with every thought I had. Everything I did was for her, every decision, every word, every breath. I dedicated them to her.
Would Elle believe this agreement to be as beneficial as I did?
Would she have done things differently?
Could she have gotten better results?
Did she think I would be a good alpha?
It was the only opinion that mattered. The world could sing my praises, but if she told me I was wrong, I would believe her.
She was the reason I spoke to Peter Cutler, the Alpha of the Pecus pack, and why he had even agreed to come. But she wasn't by my side as we discussed contracts between our packs, an injustice I hoped to right as time passed. She deserved to be here, and if it had been within pack regulations, I would have had her sign the contract upon its finalisation.
I had never considered what an asset the Pecus Pack presented, but Elle had seen past the stigmatism and noticed their true worth in only a week of interaction. If I were to ask, I did not doubt that her suspicions wouldn't have taken nearly so long.
As Peter and I shook hands, agreeing to meet in the morning before he returned to his pack, I glanced across the clearing, finding Elle in the crowd.
She wasn't hard to find. She was a bright star in the night sky as she mingled with guests. She had been making her way around the clearing. Her attention heightened around our pack, and she listened with growing interest as people gravitated towards her. She was enchanting, enamouring everyone she met, but something wasn't right. She forced her lips into a bright smile, which didn't quite reach her eyes. Her fingers fluttered over her dress, smoothing out non-existent creases, ruffling the skirt between harried fingers. She hadn't looked my way throughout the night, the erratic beat of her heart a drum in my ears as I tried to understand what had happened.
Peter melted into the crowd, and it would be the last I saw of him till morning. I thought I had a moment of quiet to make a choice. Go to Elle or continue to take her lead and talk to those who had travelled far distances to see me.
I thought I had decided, but a hand clapped on my shoulder. As I almost stumbled into a Japanese dignitary, someone's fingers caught my sweater, righting my balance.
Abel didn't seem upset that he'd almost caused an international incident. He had a boyish grin which was a strange sight on the face of a forty-three-year-old man. 'Already signing contracts?'
I righted myself, straightening my sweater before gripping his hand in a warm embrace. 'It was Elle's idea.' I nodded sharply, 'She can't sign her own contracts yet, so I'm guaranteeing for her.' I offered a friendly smile to the man by his side. 'I'm surprised you're both here.'
Abel huffed indigently as though the idea of staying behind had been obscure. 'And miss the ceremony of the greatest Alpha to ever come from the Southern Hemisphere.' He knocked shoulders with his father, provoking a weary smile. 'We wouldn't have missed it for the world.'
Rickson waved a hand of dismissal, respectfully tilting his head downwards as he addressed me for the first time. 'While my son may have you believe that his intentions are purely that of friendship, I must inform you that not even four hours ago, he was confessing his reason for coming was to keep our most reliable ally content.'
Abel reared back with an overdramatised look of aghast, making the whole motion comical. 'Shh,' he covered his father's ears like a child, 'he's old. You've got to understand. I'm sure he's delusional, so you cannot believe everything he says.'
'Fret not, Abel,' I laughed, hoping he never changed. He had been the source of amusement at many international conferences. 'He was not there for your last birthday. He does not understand the depths of our friendship.'
Rickson huffed, though his eyes hinted at the lighthearted teasing that his tone did not. 'How Abel, of all people, has managed to run our pack without putting us in ruin will astound me till the day I leave this earth.' He didn't need words to express his pride in his son. 'Though if my Abel has found success, then you, Kaden, are destined to do great things.'
Abel's sigh was exasperated, and I half expected him to stomp his foot childishly. 'Haven't you heard? It's Alpha Delossa now.'
I'd heard the title a hundred times as the night wore on. It sent a thrilling tingle to my fingertips even after so many times.
'Well then,' Abel's face sobered, 'onto serious business. Where is this girl of yours that has the other packs so abuzz?'
She would stand out in a crowd of millions, and finding her among a thousand was easy.
I didn't have to search for her, though she was on the opposite side of the clearing to when I had last seen her, now talking to a gamma of a Romanian pack. She was captivated by the words he was saying. One had to be when dealing with the Romanians, their accents were thick, and it took all your focus to understand them.
She nodded, listening with wide eyes.
A wistful sigh fluttered past Rickson's lips. 'I remember the days I had that look upon my face.'
'It's true then,' Abel mused, following my gaze. 'She's human.'
His realisation caused something to dislodge in my chest, ripping its way up my throat, clawing to come out. I held it back, my hands trembling as I breathed deeply, the air burning in my lungs. I nodded, afraid that if I opened my mouth, the unknown force would make itself known, and took another breath. This time I focused on her scent, picking it out of the crowd with little effort.
There were too many people in the clearing. He shouldn't have been able to tell her scent apart from the others. He would have to be nearly upon her before he could separate her from everyone else. I studied her, trying to see what he did when he looked at her.
I couldn't. And so I exhaled, releasing her scent. Attempting to pretend as though I wasn't scared by the truth. 'It's one of the many inspiring things about her.'
I could feel Abel's eyes, hot on my skin. His gaze felt prying, and suddenly, despite years of loyalty and friendship, my vision darkened at the edges, and fear bubbled up my throat. 'One might argue that this is her greatest flaw.'
Mihai, the man Elle strained to understand, stooped to take her hands inside both of his. She flustered at the farewell as he touched their entwined hands to his forehead, an age-old tradition for the Ursa pack. He backed away, taking several steps before turning from her. As he did, I watched Elle suddenly become entombed in loneliness.
She looked lost in the crowd.
Alone.
And for the first time all night, no one approached her.
Her hands began to flutter against her dress, a faraway look in her eyes.
I wanted to take that look away, to ease her back into comfort, but before I could, her eyes lit up, causing green-coated envy to pierce my chest.
Abel, who had noticed my half-step towards her, snorted listlessly. 'She's the life of the party, Kade. Either you're getting old, or you've got some catching up.'
Elle weaved through the clusters of werewolves, barely creating a ripple amongst them as she moved effortlessly across the clearing. No one reached out to stop her, and I wished our places had been swapped for a moment.
Her twitter of laughter rose above the tedious exchange of pleasantries filling the air. The source of her amusement appeared to be a girl. It was hard to see through the moving bodies, but they collided, limbs tangling, each sweeping the other into a bone-crushing embrace.
Elle pulled back first, and I was sucked in by the arresting smile overtaking her face. I should have been used to the way she could leave me breathless. It was her favourite past-time even though she didn't know it. Time slowed as she turned, my heart pulsating as I recognised the searching gaze.
She was looking for me.
It was pathetic how she overrode my entire system, but I didn't care, basking in her attention.
'Is that Thalia?' Abel broke me from her spell, peering at the women beside Elle.
She no longer slipped between groups as the crowd parted for them, peeling back to allow their passage. Whispers teetered on the edge of spoken words as the people around us noticed.
Abel whistled, his eyebrow shooting into his hairline. 'You really need to step up your game.' There was awe in his tone. 'Your soulmate isn't even Luna yet, and she's already arranged a contracted alliance and is evidently friends with Thalia Gheriston.'
Fallyn passed by, keeping up a steady perimeter. I held out a hand to stop her, unable to tear my eyes away from Elle and Thalia. I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts, as I took a shaky breath. 'How does she know Thalia?'
Fallyn settled back on her heels. She peered over her shoulder, directing a look of bemused acknowledgment to her future Luna. 'I believe they met at your twenty-first, sir. I am unsure as I have not had the chance to veto all her friends.'
I stared, blinking unnaturally fast. My mind whirled, calculating and confused. 'Elliot would have been only sixteen.'
'So was Thalia,' Fallyn grimaced, 'She was here for a week after your party, I believe, because your parents were in negotiations. I understand it was the reason they even came in the first place. Thalia likes her. From what I know, they've kept in contact ever since.'
'How come she didn't tell me?'
Fallyn's voice lowered, her gaze trained on Elle. 'I don't think she even knows how important Thalia is. To Elle, she was just a guest at the hotel. Did you not see them together at that party?'
'I was part of the negotiations,' I explained, a fog settling in my mind. 'They went all night. I only made an appearance.' I grasped for understanding, trying to fathom what this meant. 'How did Jacobi not know of this?'
'I don't know,' she was apologetic. 'He might have been on a training trip, but I'm unsure. I didn't even realise this was the Thalia until I saw her.'
'Hey, I'd like you to meet someone.'
Pressure built at the base of my skull, Elle's voice creating an ache I'd never experienced. I had to make a choice.
Thalia belonged to the most powerful pack in the world. For whatever reason, she hadn't told Elle. If it was important to her, and I betrayed that secret, we would lose the potential of a great ally one day. But deceiving Elle was not an idea I wished to entertain.
I laughed, hoping the tension building in my head wouldn't manifest in my movement as I snaked an arm around Elle's waist, tugging her to my side. 'You would like to introduce someone to me?' I teased, praying she couldn't pick up on my hesitations. 'Are you forgetting who created the guest list?'
She rolled her eyes to suppress a smile, nestling into my side comfortably. 'You sent out an open invitation to each pack, even you don't know who decided to come from each. Anyway,' she tittered, oblivious to the internal war that took over my thoughts. 'I want you to meet-'
'Thalia,' I cut in, pressing a kiss to the tip of Elle's nose as she tilted her head back in astonishment. I turned back to the young Luna in training, 'It's a pleasure to see you again.'
I leaned past Elle, offering my hand to Thalia, and she took it, her mouth painted in a weary smile. 'It seems congratulations are in order.' She nodded to Elle, 'A lot has changed since last we met.'
Elle was still gazing up at me with gorgeous green eyes, innocent annoyance blazing in their depths. 'Show off,' she grumbled, pouting irresistibly. Everything around us fell away as she looked up at me through fluttered lashes. What she could do with a look should be a sin. She splayed her hands over my chest as if trying to make my heart stutter, sighing softly. 'How do you know Thalia?'
She had my rapt attention, but my throat had grown thick, words failing me. Thalia answered for me, and I wasn't sure what game she was playing as she announced, 'Our fathers are old acquaintances.' She had the decency to look bashful. 'Though I suppose it will now be my father and you, Kaden, who are now acquainted.'
I didn't appreciate her making a fool of Elle, so I waited until Elle had turned in my arms before offering Thalia a steeled gaze as though I was unappreciative of how she had undersold the relationship between our packs. 'Have you heard of the Corvus pack?' I asked against Elle's ear, unable to enjoy the shiver that travelled between us.
'Of course.'
Thalia tittered nervously as if surprised. I wasn't. I'd expected Elle to be well-versed in their importance. 'Really.' Thalia squeaked.
I knew her eyes had lit up from how she seemed to expand within my arms. She leaned forward, pulling against my arms. It would have been almost worth it to let her recount the knowledge she had gained over the years, but that desire to flatten Thalia came from a place of fierce protection.
'Elliot,' I said before she could pick something to say, she twisted, letting me swim in her eyes. I wanted nothing more than to stay there in her splendour, but so much more needed to be said. 'Meet Thalia Gheriston, the next Luna of the Corvus pack.'
***
I couldn't find the strength to pull myself away from Elle's side for the remainder of the evening. Even when she declared that she was going home, I'd followed her, wishing I didn't have to stay. But I'd spent most of the afternoon and well into the evening surrounded by the most significant leaders of the world nations, and I'd brushed them off to be with her.
Now that she was gone, I had no choice but to smooth over any ruffled feathers, working my way around the clearing to converse politely with passing dignitaries.
They all wanted the same thing now that the evening was ending– a meeting in the coming days. I'd only had to explain my upcoming Iter Coronam de Terra to a few, but they'd graciously accepted it as inevitable, conjuring up other ways of moving forward.
As it was, my schedule for the next day was filled, held by the most promising leaders who had flown long distances to meet with me.
As I bid a final farewell to several diplomats and promised to contact them upon my return, Ashen's number flashed across my phone, turning my blood so cold that it felt frozen in my veins.
My hands shook as I answered the call, and it took all of my efforts to hit the accept button on the third try, fearful that the call would run out. 'Is she alright?'
'She is safe,' Ashen explained, his voice taut. 'But I'm watching her right now while she climbs out the window. I don't know what she plans on doing, but I expect it doesn't involve me tagging along.'
I tried to imagine her scaling the wall of her second-storey room but couldn't conjure the image. 'The window?'
'That is correct, Alpha Delossa.'
I gave a hurried farewell to an Irish Elder, retreating into the trees, 'I'll be there shortly. Follow her, but keep your distance. She might spook.'
I didn't know what to think, what it could mean. She shouldn't be alone in the woods, especially not on a night like tonight. I tore through the forest, following the soul-line until her scent tantalised my senses.
I waited for her further up the path, watching her silently. She hadn't even bothered to throw on a coat, only wearing pale blue flannel pyjamas, a recent Christmas gift from her grandmother. She kept her head bent, a delicate frown drawn across her brow.
Traipsing along the path, she didn't notice me for some time, almost passing me before she looked up. She startled, fear flashing in her eyes before she recognised me, and then she sighed. 'Ashen?'
'He called me as soon as you were scaling the walls,' I informed her plainly, crossing my arms to my chest. 'Are you okay?'
She nodded robotically, working her lip between her teeth, her frown deepening. She wouldn't meet my gaze. 'I just needed some air.'
I frowned at her recklessness, 'Tonight is not the night to be out by yourself.' I denounced, desperate for her to understand. I thought I was angry, or at the very least upset, but it dawned on me as she curled her arms around herself that I had been terrified since Ashen's call.
I buried my hands into my pockets, struggling with my selfish need to pull her into my arms.
Holding her would only soften the fear and lessen its ache, but it was something she needed to understand. I'd hidden it from her before, but it was insanity. I'd made that mistake one too many times, and we'd both suffered because of it. 'Too many people on our land don't belong to our pack. They have no loyalty to us.'
'I'm sorry,' she whispered, shivering. 'I couldn't sleep. I needed to get out of there.'
'Then call me,' I stressed, moving towards her, pinning my hands to my chest. My fingers twitched as I fought every urge which screamed at me to wrap her into my arms. 'Or someone else. You could have talked about it.'
She finally looked up at me, peering apprehensively across the path. 'What if you're what I was thinking about?'
'All the more reason to call me,' I forced out, my pulse picking up. 'Have I done something wrong? Are we okay?'
'What.'
I couldn't resist the need anymore, pulling her into my arms, studying the emotions which flickered across her eyes fleetingly. An imagined answer emerged, and I heard her telling me she couldn't do it. I could see the trick of my mind with the stillness of her lips, but that reassurance didn't stop the dizzying sensation from hitting me, weakening my limbs.
'I know things have changed recently,' I admitted, breathless. My whole body felt too hot, and I wanted to rip the layers from my body to relieve the burning of my skin. 'If things are moving too fast-'
'Are they?' She choked, looking up at me with watery eyes. 'Because sometimes it feels like it's not moving at all. It's been a year. I doubt everyone else thinks we're moving too fast.'
There was a false bravado in the way she laughed bitterly, pushing away from me as though it didn't pain her, even though her eyes said something different. 'Hey,' I called, catching her and drawing her pack into my arms. 'I don't care what everyone else thinks.' I promised, tangling my fingers into her hair and guiding her eyes toward mine. 'I only care what you think.'
Her gaze dropped, her jaw tightening. I didn't know how to prove to her that I would wait. I would stay with her forever – just as we were – if the alternative was being without her. How could she not understand that?
She toyed with the collar of my sweater, her eyes drifting shut for a moment before they opened with blazing light. She held fear in them and hesitation, but her determination struck me the most. 'I want to do this right.' She whispered. The breath on her lips caused a shiver across my skin. Her eyes lifted, holding mine captive, 'But I'm scared, Kaden. I'm scared that you'll shatter my heart into more pieces than ever before – that the damage will be irreparable. But I'm also scared that you won't. That you'll heal what scars remain, and I would have spent so long pushing you away for no reason.' Tears brimmed her eyes, and she tried to blink them away, but one fell, clinging to the curve of her cheek. I watched it fall, unable to stop the torture it caused. 'Please,' she choked back a sob, her gaze falling away. 'I need you to heal me.'