Chapter 83
83
~Elara’s POV
My chest lifted, my hands trembled slightly, and a warmth spread through me that made me feel alive in a way I hadn’t in a long time. Alpha Darlon… my mate… my past life and my present life were connected through him. The thought made my heart flutter. I could hardly wait to tell someone, to share the happiness that bubbled inside me.
And then, just like the talk of the devil, they appeared. Lira and Ronan stepped into the room, their movements measured, formal. They both bowed deeply to my mother and Alpha Rowan, the gesture precise and careful. My parents smiled faintly at the display. They left us alone after a moment.
I didn’t even wait. I ran toward them, the excitement in my chest was too big to hold in. My smile was wide and bright, my heart racing. “Finally,” I said, rolling my eyes playfully, “you two decide to show up. How are you hearing I wasn’t feeling well, and yet you only arrive now p>
Ronan’s lips pressed into a thin line, his face calm, almost unreadable. But I caught it, something moving behind his eyes, maybe guilt, maybe something else. “We… we apologize, Elara,” he said carefully. “We didn’t know p>
I waved my hand, cutting him off. “Don’t bother. It’s fine,” I said lightly, but inside, the excitement wouldn’t let me keep a calm exterior. I wanted to tell them, I wanted to share it with them.
“I have news,” I said, trying to control the tremor of excitement in my voice.
They both leaned in, their eyes fixed on me, waiting, the room suddenly feeling smaller with their attention. I shivered slightly from the rush of anticipation, my heart hammering in my chest. “I finally… I’ve found my true mate,” I said, each word careful but full of meaning, full of relief and joy.
Ronan’s expression didn’t change, but I caught that flicker again, something quick, that betrayed his calm facade. Lira’s mouth opened slightly, and she gasped, her hands tightening at her sides, fingers curling almost reflexively.
My grin widened. “And it’s Alpha Darlon of the Silvermoon Pack,” I said, letting the words settle in the air between us.
Lira froze completely, as if I had thrown ice water over her. Her eyes were wide, her breathing shallow, and I could see the shock in her every line, every movement. Ronan blinked once, then again, his face carefully neutral, but I could see it, the surprise he tried so hard to hide. Both were silent for a long moment, as if the weight of the news had hit them like a physical blow.
I leaned back slightly, raising an eyebrow, a playful smirk tugging at my lips, trying to push the tension a little, to lighten the moment. “Aren’t you both happy for me?” I asked, my voice teasing.
They smiled. “Of course,” Ronan said smoothly. “We are happy for you p>
“Yes,” Lira added, her voice too bright, too sharp around the edges. “Truly p>
The past Elara didn’t see that, but I caught it immediately. The way their eyes didn’t fully meet mine, the slight stiffness in their posture, the tension behind their smiles. My present self, still wrapped safely inside the shield, felt it all, the unease, the subtle resentment that neither of them wanted me to notice, though it screamed louder than words ever could. I scoffed quietly to myself, a low, bitter sound. I knew it, I thought.
I always knew it. All their kindness in the past… all that laughter, all that care, it was only for show. Nothing more. Always for appearances. And now, it’s showing, even here, even in this vision.
I shook my head slowly, trying to push it aside. I didn’t want to dwell on their false smiles. That would let them take a little piece of this happiness from me. I focused on the truth of my own life, on the warmth of the joy I had found with Darlon, on the pulse of excitement that still ran through me. I wanted to hold onto that, not get tangled up in the bitterness radiating off them.
They exchanged a glance, eyes flicking to each other and back to me. Something passed between them, unspoken, but it was sharp. Lira straightened her shoulders, her tone firm and unwavering. “We need to leave, Elara,” she said. “We will come back and check on you p>
“But I’m better now, we can play all we want p>
“We need to leave, we need to attend to something important,” Ronan added.
After that, I allowed them to leave. They finally left. Their bows were stiff, calculated, the smiles still barely hiding the tension beneath
Outside the palace, I saw them clearly, their anger and frustration spilling into the air around them. Lira’s face was red, her hands clenching at her sides, and her voice was low, sharp, dripping with venom. Even from inside my shield, I could hear her words echo clearly. “She wants him! That bitch she wants Alpha Darlon! She wants him p>
I couldn’t help but roll my eyes, a scoff escaping me despite the shield keeping me calm and separated. The jealousy radiating off them was so raw, so obvious. Pathetic, I thought. Just like I always knew.
Then Ronan’s voice cut through, deep and strained, heavy with something darker, something almost painful to hear. “I… I love her. And she chooses another man over me… over me because of his wealth and fame.” There was a tremor in his tone, a helplessness that I couldn’t ignore. But I also knew the truth behind it. This wasn’t just love; it was entitlement, a belief that I owed him my heart simply because he claimed it first in the past.
I stayed silent inside the shield, letting their anger and despair swirl around me without touching me. I could watch, I could see everything, and it only made me more certain of the things I had always known about them. Their jealousy, their need to control, their resentment, it had always been there, buried beneath the surface of politeness and friendship, and now it was exposed, just like in the present.
Lira’s voice cut through again, sharper this time, a hiss of frustration and hurt. “I… I was the one who first fell in love with Alpha Darlon! I told her about it, and she… she wants to marry him anyway!” Her hands shook, her words almost breaking as she spoke. The pain, the frustration, the sense of betrayal, it all poured out of her.
I knew what she was saying wasn’t even true. She had lied about telling me first, trying to stake a claim that didn’t exist. And yet, here she was, angry and desperate, as if my happiness was somehow a personal attack on her. I felt a small hint of amusement, though it was mixed with annoyance at how childish and predictable their behavior was.
Ronan’s tone rose again, rougher, almost pleading now, though it carried a sharp edge of accusation. “And she… she just accepts him, like it’s nothing! She doesn’t care about me at all, or about what we He broke off, rage and pain clashing in his voice.