The glass shattered against the wall, sending shards flying everywhere. Elara stood in her bedroom, breathing hard. She had just thrown her water glass at the wall because she couldn't take it anymore.
Three days. Three whole days since Alaric left her by that pond. Three days of waiting for him to come back and explain why he was marrying someone else.
He never came.
"Elara!" Lira burst through the door. "I heard something break. Are you okay?"
"No," Elara said, her voice shaking. "I'm not okay. I'm angry and hurt and I don't understand anything anymore."
Lira carefully stepped around the broken glass. "Maybe you should eat something. You haven't eaten since yesterday."
"I'm not hungry."
"You have to eat. You're getting too thin."
Elara looked at herself in the mirror. Lira was right. Her face looked pale and gaunt. Her eyes had dark circles under them. She looked sick.
"I keep thinking he'll come back," Elara whispered. "I keep thinking there's some mistake. That he loves me too much to just throw me away like this."
"Honey..." Lira sat on the bed. "Maybe it's time to accept that he's not coming back."
Before Elara could answer, someone knocked on the door. Hard and urgent.
"Miss Elara!" It was one of the pack guards. "Your father wants to see you. Right now. It's urgent."
Elara's stomach dropped. Her father never summoned her unless something was seriously wrong.
She and Lira rushed downstairs to her father's office. When they got there, Zane was pacing back and forth like a caged animal. His face was red with fury.
"Sit down," he told Elara.
She sat. Her hands were trembling.
"I just received some very interesting news," Zane said. "About your precious Alpha Alaric."
"What news?"
Zane slammed a paper down on his desk. "He's not just married to that Luna girl. He's been sleeping with three different women since his wedding night. Three women in three days."
Elara felt like someone had poured ice water into her veins.
"That's not true," she whispered.
"It is true. My spies confirmed it. He spent last night with some blonde from the city. The night before that, it was a brunette from his own pack. And tonight..." Zane's voice grew crueler. "Tonight he's planning to visit the redhead who works at the tavern."
Each word felt like a dagger in Elara's chest. The mate bond was screaming in agony, confirming that her father was telling the truth.
"Why are you telling me this?" she asked.
"Because I want you to understand what kind of man he really is. He used you, Elara. He got what he wanted from you, and now he's moved on to the next girl."
"No," Elara said, but her voice was weak. "He said he loved me."
"Men like Alaric don't love anyone but themselves," Zane said coldly. "They take what they want and leave. Just like he did to you."
Elara put her head in her hands. The mate bond was pulling at her heart, making her want to run to Alaric and beg him to come back. But her mind was telling her that her father was right. Alaric had used her and thrown her away.
"I have a solution," Zane said quietly.
Elara looked up. "What solution?"
"Kian is still willing to marry you. Even after everything that's happened. He says he'll treat you with respect and give you the life you deserve."
"I don't want to marry Kian."
"Why not? He's handsome, powerful, and wealthy. He'll never cheat on you or abandon you. Unlike some people."
Elara's mind was spinning. Everything felt wrong and confusing. Part of her still loved Alaric desperately. But another part of her was so angry and hurt that she wanted to hurt him back.
"I need time to think," she said.
"You don't have time," Zane said. "Kian is leaving for his territory tomorrow. If you want this opportunity, you have to decide tonight."
That's when Lira spoke up. "Mr. Zane, maybe Elara should talk to Alaric first. Get his side of the story."
Zane laughed bitterly. "His side? What side could there possibly be? He's sleeping with other women while his mate sits here heartbroken. That tells you everything you need to know about his character."
Elara stood up suddenly. "I want to see him."
"What?" both Zane and Lira said at the same time.
"I want to see Alaric. I want to look him in the eyes and ask him why he left me. Why he's with other women. I deserve that much."
"Absolutely not," Zane said firmly. "I won't let you humiliate yourself like that."
"I'm not asking for permission," Elara said, surprising herself with how strong her voice sounded. "I'm telling you what I'm going to do."
She walked toward the door, but Zane grabbed her arm.
"If you go to him, you're no daughter of mine," he said furiously. "I won't help you when he breaks your heart again."
Elara looked at her father's hand on her arm, then at his angry face. For the first time in her life, she saw him clearly. He wasn't trying to protect her. He was trying to control her.
"Let go of me," she said quietly.
"Elara—"
"Let go of me. Now."
Something in her voice made him drop his hand. Elara walked out of the office with Lira right behind her.
"Are you sure about this?" Lira asked as they headed upstairs.
"No," Elara said honestly. "But I have to know the truth. I can't make any decisions until I understand what really happened."
"What if he hurts you again?"
"Then at least I'll know where I stand."
An hour later, Elara was walking through the dark forest toward Alaric's territory. She had never been so scared in her life, but she kept walking anyway. She had to know the truth.
She was almost at the border when she heard voices ahead. Male voices, laughing and talking loudly. Elara hid behind a tree and listened.
"The Alpha's really lost it this time," one voice said. "Three different girls in three days. He's trying to forget that omega, but it's not working."
"Yeah," another voice agreed. "He keeps calling out her name when he's with them. Really pisses the girls off."
"I heard he's going to challenge Kian to a fight. Something about getting his mate back."
Elara's heart started racing. Alaric was trying to get her back?
"That's stupid," the first voice said. "Everyone knows Kian's planning something big. Something about the omega's real power. If the Alpha fights him now, he'll walk right into a trap."
"What kind of trap?"
"The kind that gets people killed."
Elara's blood turned to ice. She started to back away from the voices, but her foot stepped on a branch. It cracked loudly.
The talking stopped.
"Did you hear that?" one of the men asked. "Someone's out there."
Elara turned and ran as fast as she could. Behind her, she could hear footsteps chasing her. She ran until her lungs burned, then kept running. She had to get home. She had to warn someone about what she'd heard.
But when she finally made it back to her father's house, she found something that made her forget everything else.
Kian was sitting in the living room with her father. Both men turned to look at her when she stumbled through the door, out of breath and covered in dirt.
"Perfect timing," Kian said with a cold smile. "Your father and I were just discussing your wedding. Which will be tomorrow morning."
"What?" Elara gasped.
"You've had enough time to think," Zane said firmly. "Kian has been very patient with you, but his patience is running out. You will marry him tomorrow, or I will disown you completely."
"But I heard something," Elara said desperately. "About Alaric. About danger—"
"I don't want to hear another word about Alaric," Zane snapped. "He's done enough damage to this family."
Kian stood up and walked over to Elara. He was so close she could smell his strange, cold scent.
"Don't worry, little omega," he said softly. "After tomorrow, you'll forget all about your precious Alpha. I have ways of making sure of that."
Something in his voice made Elara's skin crawl. The way he said 'ways' sounded like a threat.
"What do you mean?" she whispered.
Kian smiled, but it wasn't a kind smile. It was the kind of smile that made her think of predators hunting prey.
"You'll find out soon enough," he said. "Sweet dreams, future wife."
As he walked past her toward the door, he whispered something in her ear that made her blood freeze:
"Your mother sends her love."