The weeks that followed that night in Killian's room were a blur of sweat, agony, and a strange, intoxicating hope. If the academy was my purgatory, then the Thorne mansion's private gymnasium became my sanctuary. It was a glass-walled fortress overlooking the dense pine forests of Northwood, and for four hours every morning before my Business Law lectures, it was where I went to kill the girl I used to be. The amazing transformation that readers of my life story would eventually whisper about didn't happen overnight. It was a slow, brutal process of breaking and rebuilding. Every mile on the treadmill was a middle finger to Sarah's laughter. Every heavy lift was a strike against Jason's betrayal. I wasn't just losing the excessive weight that had made me a target; I was forging a body that could carry the weight of the crown Killian promised me.
I stood before the floor-to-ceiling mirrors, gasping for air, my skin slick with perspiration. My old, baggy gray t-shirt was drenched, clinging to a frame that was rapidly becoming leaner, tighter, and more defined. I looked at my reflection, the curve of my jaw was sharper now, the soft roundness of my cheeks replaced by high, proud bones. My strong heart hammered against my ribs, no longer in fear, but in triumph.
You're pushing too hard, Elara, a deep, vibrating voice echoed through the gym.
I didn't need to turn around to know it was him. Killian was always there, leaning against the doorframe, his obsessive gaze tracking the rise and fall of my chest. He was dressed in his own workout gear, a black compression shirt that left nothing to the imagination regarding his alpha physique.
"I have to," I panted, wiping sweat from my brow. "The semester gala is in three weeks. Everyone will be there. I won't go back as the girl they can kick around."
Killian walked toward me, his movements fluid and predatory. He didn't stop until he was standing directly behind me, our eyes meeting in the mirror. He reached out, his large, warm hands settling on my waist. The mate bond jolted through me, a searing heat that made my knees weak.
"They won't recognize you," he whispered, his lips grazing the shell of my ear. "But don't do it for them. Do it for the girl who survived them."
"Is that why you're here?" I asked, my voice trembling as his thumbs traced the new, firm line of my hip. To remind me of who I was?
I'm here because I can't stay away from you, he growled, a low roar that vibrated against my skin. I'm here because every time I close my eyes, I see you in my bed. I see you looking at me like I'm the only man in the world.
He turned me around in his arms, forcing me to face him. The erotic tension between us was a physical weight, thick and suffocating. I could feel the hard planes of his chest against my own, the heat of his body acting like a magnet to mine. My economic status didn't matter in this room; only the raw pull of our connection existed.
Killian, we can't, I breathed, even as my hands found their way to his shoulders.
"Silas... my mother... they're already suspicious. If they find out what we are"
Let them find out, he snapped, his eyes flashing that fiery gold. I am the alpha of this bloodline, Elara. I don't answer to my father, and I certainly don't answer to the woman he married. You are my mate. That is an ancient law, one that predates their petty social games.
He leaned down, his mouth inches from mine. I could smell the forest and the storm on him.
Show me," he whispered. "Show me the power you're hiding."
I didn't understand what he meant until he took my hand and pressed it against a shallow cut on his forearm, likely a lingering injury from his own training. As my palm touched his skin, that familiar tingle started. It was like a golden thread of light was spinning beneath my skin. The wound on his arm began to knit together, the skin closing and smoothing over until only a faint pink line remained.
I gasped, pulling my hand back as if I'd been burned. "What... what was that?"
Your rare healing ability, Killian said, his eyes filled with a terrifying pride. The Vances weren't just a fallen business family, Elara. Your father came from a line of healers that was thought to be extinct. That's why Silas wanted your mother. He wanted the bloodline. He wanted to control you.
The realization hit me like a physical blow. My life wasn't just a series of tragedies; it was a chess game. My life had been sabotaged by the very people I was supposed to trust.
He's using me, I whispered, my heart hardening into something cold and sharp.
He's trying to, Killian corrected, his grip on my arms tightening. But he didn't count on me. He didn't count on the fact that the Alpha wouldn't just take his prize, he would protect her.
He pulled me into a kiss that tasted of salt and desperation. It was a forbidden act in this house of secrets, but in the heat of his touch, I didn't care. I felt the power humming in my veins, the healing light and the vengeful fire.
I want them to pay, Killian, I said against his lips. I want Sarah to see what she couldn't break. I want Jason to feel the weight of what he threw away.
They will, he promised, his hands sliding down to the small of my back, pulling me flush against him. "At the gala, you won't just be Elara Vance. You will be the Thorne Princess. And I will be the one at your side, making sure no one dares to breathe in your direction."
We stood there in the center of the gym, two forbidden souls bound by a bond that could destroy the world. The amazing transformation was almost complete. My body was ready. My heart was a weapon. And my power was waking up.
Go to your Business Ethics class, Killian murmured, reluctantly releasing me. Study hard. Learn their rules so we can break them later. And tonight... come to my room. There are more things you need to learn about our bond.
Is that an order, Alpha? I teased, a newfound confidence dancing in my eyes.
It's a plea, Elara," he said, his voice dropping to a low, erotic rumble. "Because I'm starving for you."
I walked out of the gym, my head held high. For the first time, I didn't feel the weight of my imperfections. I felt the weight of my destiny.
As I passed the hallway toward my room, I saw my mother standing near the window, watching the rain. She looked at me, her eyes widening as she noticed the change in my posture, the way my clothes hung loosely on a frame that was now lean and athletic.
You look... different, she said, her voice trembling.
I am different, Mother, I replied, not stopping. "I'm exactly what you were afraid I'd become."
I left her standing there in the cold shadows of her own ambition. I had a transformation to finish, a revenge to plan, and an Alpha to claim.