Elara threw her pillow across the room. It hit the wall with a soft thud and fell to the floor. She had been tossing and turning for hours, but sleep wouldn't come. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw Alaric's face. She felt his hand touching hers. She heard Kian's terrible words repeating in her head.
*She was promised to me.*
"This is all wrong," she whispered to the empty room.
The mate tie was supposed to be sacred. It was thought to be chosen by the Moon Goddess herself. But if Kian was telling the truth, then everything she felt for Alaric was fake. It was all because of some stupid chain.
Elara touched the metal pendant at her throat. It felt warm against her skin, like it was alive. She wanted to rip it off and throw it away, but something stopped her. What if taking it off made the pain come back? What if it made the pulling feeling in her chest even worse?
She couldn't stay in this room anymore. The walls felt like they were closing in on her. Elara slipped out of bed and tiptoed to her door. The house was quiet. Everyone else was asleep.
She turned the handle slowly and peeked out into the hallway. Empty. Good.
She crept through the house like a ghost, avoiding the creaky floors she had memorized years ago. When she reached the back door, she held her breath and turned the lock. It clicked softly.
The night air hit her face like a cold slap. It felt good. Clean. Real.
Elara walked to the yard behind her house. It was her mother's yard, full of roses and lavender that still bloomed even though her mother had been gone for five years. This was where Elara came when she needed to think. When she needed to remember who she was.
She sat down on the old wooden bench and pulled her knees up to her chest. The stars were bright tonight. Her mother used to tell her that the stars were the Moon Goddess's way of watching over them. But right now, Elara felt completely alone.
"Why did you do this to me?" she whispered to the sky. "Why him?"
The wind rustled through the roses, but it didn't give her any answers.
That's when she felt it. The pulling feeling in her chest got stronger. Much stronger. Like someone had grabbed the unseen rope around her heart and was tugging on it.
He was close.
Elara stood up and spun around. At the end of the garden, a shadow moved between the trees. Her heart started beating so fast she thought it might burst.
"I know you're there," she called out. Her voice sounded braver than she felt.
The shadow stepped into the moonlight, and Elara's breath caught in her throat.
Alaric.
He looked different than he had a few hours ago. His beautiful hair was messy, like he had been running his hands through it. His shirt was wrinkled. His cold blue eyes looked tired and confused.
"You couldn't sleep either," he said. It wasn't a question.
"Why are you here?" Elara asked, even though she already knew the answer. The mate bond had pulled him here, just like it had pulled her outside.
"I tried to stay away," Alaric said, taking a step closer. "I went back to my hotel. I took a cold shower. I even tried drinking myself asleep. But nothing worked. I kept thinking about you."
Another step closer.
"About how your hand felt in mine. About the way you looked at me when the link first snapped. Like you were seeing me for the first time."
"Maybe I was," Elara whispered.
They were only a few feet apart now. Close enough that Elara could see the dark rings under his eyes. Close enough that she could smell his scent—pine trees and rain and something wild that made her stomach flutter.
"This isn't real," she said, backing away from him. "The necklace. The charm. Kian said—"
"Forget what Kian said," Alaric interrupted. "What do you feel right now? In this moment?"
Elara wanted to lie. She wanted to tell him she felt nothing. But the truth came out instead.
"Like I'm home," she whispered. "Like I've been waiting my whole life for you to find me."
Alaric's eyes went soft. "That's not the necklace talking. That's your heart."
"How do you know?"
"Because I feel it too. And I'm not wearing any magic charm."
He was right. The warmth spreading through Elara's chest felt too real to be fake. Too deep. Too right.
But that made everything so much worse.
"It doesn't matter," she said, tears burning her eyes. "You heard what Kian said. My father promised me to him. I don't get to choose."
"There's always a choice," Alaric said fiercely. "I won't let anyone force you into anything."
"You don't understand. My father made a deal. If I don't marry Kian—"
"What? What happens if you don't marry him?"
Elara had never said the words out loud before. They tasted bitter in her mouth.
"He'll kill our pack. He'll kill everyone I love."
Alaric went very still. "What kind of deal did your father make?"
"I don't know all the details. But Kian has been planning this for years. The charm, the chain, even you showing up tonight—it's all part of his game."
"Then we'll beat him at his own game."
"How?"
Alaric reached for her hands. The moment their skin touched, lightning shot between them again. Stronger this time. Like electricity.
"Trust me," he said. "I've been fighting wars my whole life. I know how to win."
Elara wanted to believe him. But she had seen the way Kian looked at her. Like she was a prize he had already won.
"What if you can't?" she whispered. "What if he's too strong?"
"Then we'll run," Alaric said simply. "Tonight. Right now. I'll take you somewhere he can never find you."
For a moment, Elara imagined it. Running away with Alaric. Starting over somewhere new. Being free.
But then she thought about her father. About Lira. About everyone in her pack who would pay the price for her freedom.
"I can't," she said, pulling her hands away. "I won't let innocent people die because of me."
Alaric's jaw tightened. "So you'll sacrifice yourself instead?"
"If I have to."
"No." The word came out like a growl. "I won't let that happen."
"You don't get to decide—"
"Yes, I do. You're my mate. That means I protect you. Even from yourself."
The possessiveness in his voice should have made Elara angry. Instead, it made her feel safe. Wanted. Like someone finally cared enough to fight for her.
But before she could say anything, a slow clap echoed through the yard.
They both spun around.
Kian stepped out from behind the rose bushes. He had been watching them the whole time.
"How romantic," he said with a cold smile. "But I'm afraid this little love story ends here."
Behind him, six men emerged from the darkness. They were all huge, with the build of fighters. They surrounded Elara and Alaric in a perfect circle.
"You see, little omega," Kian continued, "your father and I decided it would be best if the wedding happened sooner rather than later. Tonight, in fact."
Elara's blood turned to ice. "Tonight?"
"Mm-hmm. The ceremony is already prepared. My pack is waiting. All we need now is the bride."
Alaric stepped in front of Elara. "Over my dead body."
Kian's smile grew wider. "That can be arranged."