Chapter 22: Chapter 22
Elara POV
Every piece of life drains from me through my pores. He said what?! Over my dead body.
“Do you enjoy mocking me?” My voice climbs an octave.
“We’re not mocking you,” Axel replies sternly. “You’re remaining our mate, but you’re allowed to ...uhm, have some fun, as long as you don’t get knocked up with bastard pups.”
“Well, then,” I smile sweetly. “You two can go fuck yourselves ... and Alice.”
“You will not talk to us like that!” Kane roars, his nostrils flaring. “As your alphas, and your mates, we ...”
“Oh, cut the bullshit propaganda,” I shove him against his chest, and he stammers backwards in surprise. “I’m not your mate. I’m a captive, a ... a fucking slave who must raise your demon spawn with Alice. You’re soothing your conscience by giving me three hot meals and a pretty room. Convincing yourself it’s a good life. Well, fuck that and fuck you.”
“Enough!” Kane hollers, grabbing me by the throat, lifting me into the air.
“Go ahead,” my voice is hoarse as I force the words past his tight grip. “Kill me, I’d much rather be dead than live like that.”
“Kane, let go,” Axel orders, and Kane obeys. I drop to the floor, coughing and holding my throat.
“Okay,” Axel’s voice is calm and steady. “We should all take a step back and calm down.”
“Right,” Kane clears his throat. “Elara, I’m sorry, are you okay?”
“Get ... the fuck ... out,” I hiss, standing up.
“That’s a good idea,” Axel grabs Kane by the arm. “We’ll revisit this conversation tomorrow.”
I fall onto the couch and bury my face in my hands when the door slams shut behind them. Until now, I was prepared to do whatever was necessary to protect my parents and sister, but not anymore. Now is the time to figure out a way to escape this utter madness.
I do not know how or ... Braden! His name pops up in my head without warning.
He knows about vampires and the war and goddess knows what else. Hopefully, he will know about a law which can get me out of this mess. If anybody has answers, it will be him.
It is still surreal that vampires exist. If they were hidden from us, what else are they hiding? And I am pretty sure the High Council is behind it – they are behind everything. And since so much of our history was lost in the Great Wars, it would be easy for them to create whatever narrative they wanted.
But for now, I only need to talk to Braden to learn more about the chunks of our history that had been left, and a loophole to get my freedom. Besides, Braden is the only one I can trust right now. I do not even have Mindy because her mates can read her thoughts.
With renewed energy, I get up and grab a bag. I know we arranged to see each other tomorrow, but I cannot wait any longer. I must get out of here before I kill someone, or they kill me. Either way, murder is on the table.
With determined strides, I leave the mansion and walk to the nearest tree. I strip naked, pack my clothes in the bag and shift. I bite into the bag and trot towards the lake.
Braden and I did not set up a specific place to meet, but I assume my best bet is where we met the first time. Before I can see the lake, I can smell Braden. Is it because I am looking for him, or is his smell more potent than I realised before?
“Did I miss a day or something?” Braden chuckles as he emerges from the tree.
I bark a quick reply before dashing behind a tree and shifting back.
“No,” I shout, walking towards him. “I need answers, and ...”
“I can sense that,” he snorts. “Your emotions are all over the place.”
“Can we not talk about my emotions?” I sigh, closing my eyes in exhaustion. “I’m really trying to forget ... a lot of things.”
“Sure,” he shrugs. “What’s on your mind?”
Elara POV
“Sure,” Braden shrugs. “What’s on your mind?”
“Mass murder suicide,” I sigh theatrically, and he bursts out laughing.
I look at him and it strikes me again how attractive he is. From his boyish, lopsided grin to his broad shoulders.
I blink ... and blink again ... this is no good. I need to get my shit together and focus on why I am here.
He tilts his head, and a lock of dark hair falls over his forehead, and I fight the urge to reach up and brush it back.
“Let’s sit here,” he motions to a huge rock, and I follow him. “And then you can tell me all about it.”
“Okay,” I inhale deeply, looking at the sky. I have a million questions, but I decided to start with the most obvious one. “Do other werewolves know you exist?”
“I would assume so,” he snorts, giving me a funny look. “Since some tried to kick my ass in the Great Wars, and others I fought beside.”
“Key word being tried.” He puffs out his chest dramatically. “Obviously, they didn’t succeed.”
“I’m being serious,” I roll my eyes, but cannot help but smile. “Aren’t you worried that other shifters would discover you if you’re out here prowling around our territory?”
I still sense I can trust him, but I do not know why. Even Lily, who would warn me if she felt uncomfortable or sensed danger, is quiet. But I cannot help but wonder if Braden knew the High Council had kept this information a secret? Or was he using me to find out?
“I already told you,” he narrows his eyes, and his gaze seems to darken. “I wouldn’t have let you see me if I didn’t want you to.”
Is he ... flirting with me? I cross my arms and raise my eyebrows. Two can play this game.
“So, you’re saying I’m so irresistible that you couldn’t help revealing yourself to me?” I smile.
“Maybe you’re right,” he shakes his head, and his eyes twinkle with mischief. “Or maybe you’ve got a big head.”
“That’s nice,” I scowl at him.
“Honestly,” his laughter dies down. “I came to you because I smelled your distress. And I was ... intrigued.”
“And I’m hearing that you prey on emotionally vulnerable women,” I shake my head.
“If I wanted to do that,” he smirks at me. “You’d already be dead.”
“Is that a threat?” I challenge him, but my heart is beating faster, suddenly wondering if I am making a huge mistake, meeting him out here alone like this.
“No threats,” he holds up his hands defensively. “Just the truth. Since it seems like no one else is willing to tell you, I guess it’s my job.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I ask.
“You grew up thinking shifters were the only supernatural creatures who existed,” he continues. “But werewolves aren’t the only ones who live here. And they’re not the only ones who fought in the Great Wars, either.”
“Oh, really?” I cannot tell if he is teasing me because I am clueless or if he is serious. “And
I suppose next you’re going to tell me that mummies walk the forest at night ripping out people’s organs?”
“No,” he says, looking at me skeptically. “But you know about the witches, don’t you?”
I studied his face for a moment. It was impossible to tell if he was fucking with me or not.
“Damn, you really have no idea what I’m talking about,” he shakes his head. “For many years, witches and shifters lived in harmony. It was almost like you couldn’t have one without the other.”
He trails off and takes a deep breath, leaving me on the edge of my seat for more.
Braden scrubbed a hand over his face.
“But then the war broke out,” he continues. “And there has been a lot of mistrust between species since then. The High Council thought it’s best to pretend we don’t exist.”
“Why did shifters lose trust in vampires?” I ask softly.
“That’s a long story,” there is a sadness in his voice. “And the ending is ugly.”
A wolf howls in the distance, and Lily starts pawing at me. Dammit! I have not even had time to ask him about our laws.
“I must go,” I stand up quickly. “They’re looking for me, and they might see you.”
“But ...”
“I’ll see you soon,” I shout over my shoulder as I run back.
