Elara nearly tripped down the stairs, arms straining around the heavy bag.
"Elle, slow down—" Sally tried, hurrying after her.
But Elara wasn't slowing even as she was out of breath, stumbling into the front yard, dragging the bag across the gravel.
Hauling it up with a desperate grunt and she heaved it into the back of Sally's jeep. The slam of the trunk echoed sharply in the quiet morning air.
"Elle—"
"No! I have to go!" Her voice splintered mid-sentence, breath hitching. "I would be long gone if you hadn't wasted my time on breakfast! I can't stay here, Sal. Don't you get it? I have to—"
She broke off, clutching her own hair.
"Elara, breathe," Sally whispered, gently reaching for her wrist. "You're not making sense. Time for breakfast is never time wasted. Besides, we need to make a strict appeal with a strong stance right now. We are suing him, we need to make sure they understand we are not backing down! You didn't do anything wrong, he did—"
"No, no, Sally! I don't want to! I just want to leave—"
"Leave? Why would you leave your home because of some bastard?"
"Listen, Sally—"
But before Elara could answer, a voice cut in—clipped, almost bored.
"I believe the Luna called for you?"
They froze.
Jacob, the future Beta, hopped the fence and stood at the driveway's edge, eyes fixed on the bag in the jeep's trunk.
His brows lifted, a smirk tugging at his mouth as he observed the girl. Luke wasn't wrong about her scent last night. Her scent was enticing for unmated male lycans. No surprise, Luke, an Alpha blood, could smell her even in the huge crowd. That would explain Damon's reaction, too.
She was Bambi for Alpha lycans, alright.
There was no mistaking it, she was a dangerous Alpha's mate, her body would have reacted with all the Alpha bloods in the room, but that was all the more reason to avoid her.
Elara dropped her gaze at his stare. Sally moved closer, half-shielding her.
Jacob stepped closer, eyes flicking between them. "Planning a trip?"
Elara stumbled back. Sally steadied herself quickly, glaring at him.
Observing for a sec, Jacob sighed, exhuastedly dragging a hand through his hair. "Look. Luna just wants to talk, then you can be on your little backpacking adventure."
"I can't," Elara snapped with a glare. "I've got a class scheduled—"
"On a Sunday?"
When she stayed silent, his tone sharpened. "Don't insult me, Bambi."
"Her name's Elara," Sally growled, her voice dropping. "And leave, I've got this."
"You clearly don't," Sally growled, but he just scoffed, turning to Elara. "Luna's already discussed compensation with Marcus. Let's sweep this under the rug fast and move on, eh?"
Elara's stomach dropped …Compensation?
'He accepted money after she was publicly violated?'
"We don't need compensation! We will see this in the Lycan Courts." Sally hissed through her teeth. "How dare you! How dare they try to buy her silence after what he did—"
"Watch your mouth." Jacob's voice cracked like a whip, the air suffocating with pressure as he forced submission on them.
Elara took a step, they were physically no match for him, but Sally growled louder despite the pressure she felt, "And will my watching my mouth undo what he did? In front of the whole pack?"
"I wasn't talking to you, half-blood!" His glare cut into her as he exerted more pressure on them. "He's a future Alpha. Know your place!"
Sally seemed ready to lunge, but Elara clutched her arm, her nails digging in. If they started a fight with the future beta, they would instantly be banished without a trial for challenging pack authority. Her being human, and Sally being a half-lycan, won't do them any favors either.
Her eyes darted away. Jacob misread it, taking it for disgust with the situation, not the horror boiling inside her.
He huffed, releasing the pressure on the girls. "Look… It's awkward for me too, okay? He's my bro and sometimes he acts out… I don't know what else to say." He rubbed his neck, frustrated. "What I know for sure, dragging this out doesn't help anyone."
"…I need to be somewhere else for now." Elara's voice cracked as she held back her friend.
Jacob stared, uneasy. Red rimmed doe eyes with those fluttering cherry lips made any man's heart throb. He tore his gaze away quickly, jaw tight.
He couldn't blame his bro; they were only mortals, impulsively hormonal at that.
"Just hear her out, alright? I'm only the messenger. We don't have a choice here. You get me?"
When she didn't move, he swore under his breath and took her by the arm, tugging her toward the passenger side.
"Jacob!" Sally barked, pushing in. "She's not going alone."
"Fine." His jaw clenched. "Then don't get in the way."
Moments later, the jeep was rolling, gravel crunching beneath its tires.
Jacob parked, muttering something about giving them a moment before sliding out.
Elara stepped out, unsteady, Sally immediately at her side.
And then—the heavy oak doors of the packhouse creaked open. A tall figure emerged, still as stone, the courtyard lanterns catching on his face.
Gray eyes.
The same shade. The same sharp glint.
Kaelen Duskbane
The same eyes that had glowed in the cabin last night as blood dripped from his fangs. Her knees nearly gave way. She clutched Sally's arm with a white-knuckled grip, voice a broken whisper.
"…It's him."
"What?"
She pressed a hand to her mouth, trying to swallow the bile rising in her throat. Her vision blurred as her chest hitched. Sally caught her by the shoulders, steadying her.
"Elara, listen to me—Luke isn't on the estate right now."
Elara almost gagged at the words, a strangled laugh bubbling in her throat that came out as gasps. Of course, he isn't. Her stomach twisted violently. He's rotting six feet under...
"Elara, breathe. Just breathe!"
Before Elara could answer, a voice cut through the air like a blade.
"What's the hold up?"
Both women spun around.
Jacob's gaze flickered from between them, then to the Alpha-blood who was staring daggers at Elara, "Ah, is it about... Kaelen?" He whispered, pointing at the car now leaving, "I don't know what's going on here, but he was urgently called in to work, and everyone else is out for the week, too. Luke... is in the city for the weekend, out at the club, and I reckon you will be in your dorm for the weekdays so—"
"What?!" Elara lept at him in shock, grabbing his arm. "H-He's in the city? Ho-How?"
She clearly saw him dying yesterday night. His head snapped before her very eyes!
"Bamb-Elara, calm down—"
"How do you know he's in town?"
"Well... He's been posting about it on his Insta?" Jacob winced uncomfortably but showed them his phone.
Elara snatched the phone in disbelief; his last post was in an ice cream parlour an hour ago.
"...What?"