by Sara Snow
“Why . . . why do you dislike me, Elinor?”
My face fell as I stared at him in shock. “I’m sorry, what? Why would you ever think that?”
He glanced to the side. “Well, you don’t . . . play with me, and you don’t talk to me.” He looked at me once more, and it felt like a hand was squeezing my heart as I saw the tears in his eyes.
Jackson and I had never been close, but a lot of that was due to our ages. While my mother kept him close to her, I was always off with Skye or Cyrus, or doing something that would keep me out of the house entirely. I hated being trapped inside, except when I needed space from everyone. I didn’t dislike my brother—I never could—but a bond had just never grown between us.
I reached out and pulled him closer, and he climbed onto the bed with me. "Never think that, do you hear me? I'm your big sister. Of course I love you. I just—" I sighed. "I just get busy doing my own thing sometimes."
"My friends talk to their siblings . . . but we don't talk." He scratched his head sheepishly, and I wondered what had possessed him to come to me about this now. I was happy he had because I'd hate for him to grow up thinking I hated him, but what had brought this on? "I know I stole the right to be the next Alpha from you, but I didn't mean to. You can be the Alpha if I give it to you, right?" He half-smiled. "Then, we can talk."
I couldn't look away from the hurt in his eyes, and at that point, my self-loathing knew no bounds. I had no excuse for not bonding with my little brother. How long had he thought I didn't like him?
I reached out and pulled him into a hug.
“You’re my little brother, Jackson. Never doubt that I love you and never, ever offer the position of Alpha to anyone. It’s yours, and yours only.” I pulled back and wiped a tear from his eye.
Although he looked so much like my father, I knew he had a soft heart like our mother. It was sad to know that becoming the Alpha would kill that part of him.
“Can you help me with my studies tomorrow?” he asked shyly.
I nodded and ruffled his hair. “Of course. And how about we go into town afterward and get you some treats? Our secret?”
He nodded vigorously, the sadness in his eyes gone, and I wished I had his ability to forget the things that hurt me so quickly. It had been four days since my argument with Will, and I couldn’t help feeling that I’d made our argument worse than it had to be.
It hadn’t been until the day after our last encounter that I’d realized how much effort he had put into pushing me away. He’d vamped out in an attempt to scare me off. While it had worked to some extent, it had also shown me that maybe I had gotten under his skin, the way he’d gotten under mine.
“There you are.” My mother walked into the room, and Jackson jumped off the bed and ran to her.
“Elinor and I are going to get treats tomorrow!”
My mother’s brow arched.
I chuckled sheepishly. “That was meant to be a secret, Jackson.”
“Sorry.” He pouted before looking up at our mother. “Can I still go?”
She nodded, pushing his hair back from his face, and I smiled. She’d done the same thing to me when I was his age. Back then, we’d been inseparable.
Her expression grew serious as she looked my way. "Your father is back. And he’s brought a guest."
My jaws clenched, but I decided to not say anything nasty in response with Jackson watching and listening closely. “I’ll be right down.”
She turned and left with Jackson, and I slammed my hand down on the bed. She didn't have to tell me who our guest was. A part of me had been expecting it.
Because I knew, without a doubt, that at this moment, there was a firstborn downstairs, waiting to see if I was his mate.
Elinor
After taking a few minutes to prepare myself mentally, I made my way downstairs. At this point, I had to psych myself up even to face my father. As I descended the stairs, I could hear them all speaking in the living room, and I began taking deep breaths. I could smell two unfamiliar wolves as I drew closer to the living room.
Neither of the scents invoked a reaction from me, and I smiled.
Despite Father’s best efforts, it looks like my elusive mate will remain a mystery—for now at least.
I entered the living room and found my mother and father seated beside each other. Across from them was a man with salt-and-pepper hair, beside him was a younger version of him with dark brown hair.
They both looked my way the moment I entered the room, their piercing green, calculating eyes boring into me.
“Elinor, let me introduce you to Alpha Kachon and his son, Elijah.” My father stood up, as did Alpha Kachon and Elijah.
Elijah wasn’t as muscular as the typical wolf, but there was something about his observant gaze that had me doubting his smaller stature would ever be a problem. Many people thought an Alpha had to be big for him to be powerful, but that was not at all true.
He placed his fist over his heart, as did his father, and they both bowed. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Elinor.”
I responded in the same way. “Likewise, Elijah.” I then turned Alpha Kachon. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Alpha Kachon.”
“Well, they aren’t mated. That’s obvious,” my mother added.
I stood up straight. I didn’t smile, despite wanting to. I glanced at my father. He wasn’t looking at me, however, but at Alpha Kachon. I frowned at the nod that passed between them.
“That’s of no consequence,” Alpha Kachon replied as he sat down. “Alpha Grayson and I have already discussed this possibility.”
“I don’t understand. Discussed what?” I asked as Elijah remained standing. I looked his way and saw he was equally confused.
“Alpha Kachon and I have decided that even if you aren’t mated to Elijah, you will still marry him and become the next Luna for the Red Lotus Pack.”
My jaws clenched as I tried not to react the way my mind was telling me to. The glare my father sent my way, the one silently telling me to behave or else, didn’t go unnoticed. I looked at Elijah, but he was staring at his father, his jaws clenched.
It looks like I’m not the only firstborn that has father issues.
“And after Elinor and I are married, what happens if either of us meets our mate? Are we to reject them?" Elijah's voice had dropped, and my respect for him grew. He wasn’t about to accept this quietly.
"I'm sure if we ever get to that bridge, we'll cross it then. Our focus, for now, is for the two of you to be married," Alpha Kachon replied. I couldn’t help myself—I pinned him with a glare I didn't bother to try and hide. He chuckled, seeming not to care that I was obviously angry. "Your father told me you're a stubborn girl, Elinor, and very opinionated. I don’t mind that. You’ll make a wonderful Luna. My people will love you. There is no doubt about that. So maybe this marriage won’t be as bad as you think.” He leaned forward. “I heard about your exceptional performance in the Guard examinations. I’m sure you understand, however, that once you’re married to my son, you’ll be required to stand by his side, not go out hunting dark creatures.”
I gave him a tight-lipped smile. “Thank you for your kind words, Alpha Kachon.” I turned to my father. “May I speak to you in private?”
“We can talk later, Elinor,” he replied.
My smile widened. “Are you certain you want me to say what I must right here, Father?”
He exhaled heavily. “Excuse us.”
We left the room and made our way upstairs to his office. All the while, I was trying my best to avoid foaming at the mouth with rage. How could he do this to me? An arranged marriage! Had he completely lost his mind? Elijah’s question about our possible mates was the very reason no one ever arranged marriages between werewolves.
He closed his office door behind him. “Don’t start, Elinor.”
“How could you?” I asked softly, my voice and tone normal, which I was sure he hadn’t been expecting.
He turned to face me, hi
s eyes narrowed. “You’re getting older and haven’t been able to find your mate. I won't stand for anyone gossiping about my daughter as if she’s . . .”
He stopped speaking, and I tilted my head to the side. “As if she’s what, Father? Broken? Is that it? People are gossiping about me?”
He didn’t reply as he walked around his desk to sit down. I watched him silently, realizing that I didn’t know him at all. When I was a girl, before the truth of what being a firstborn female entailed was explained to me, I loved no one like my father.
Back then, I’d been intimidated by him, as most people were, but I loved him. He wasn't just my father, but the Alpha, and I felt proud to be called his daughter. Now all I felt when I thought of him was shame—shame at being related to someone who could do the kind of things he had done to me.
"You know what?” I exhaled. "You and I have never been able to see eye-to-eye on this, and after what you did, we never will." My reference to his trickery during the Werewolf Guard examination had his jaw clenching. "You insist on treating me like a bag of rice you need to sell as soon as possible. And I have no more interest in arguing with you. You're my Alpha, and as I've said before, what you say goes. I will marry Elijah if he wishes to go ahead with the marriage." He stared at me with confusion as I stepped forward. I knew he was expecting me to argue or throw a fit, but I was done with all of that. And I was done with him. "Just know this. Once I marry Elijah, I will take his name, and you will no longer have a daughter."
He didn’t respond, and his eyes became unreadable. I stood there, barely holding on to my composure.
“You did well to conduct Keith’s burial,” he suddenly said, and I nodded, fine with the change of subject.
“Thank you.” I meant to walk away at that point, but I couldn’t. I needed to know what was going on. “I’ve had a bad feeling for some time now that you’re keeping something a secret, something dangerous. I heard you and Connor talking about it the other night.” He looked away, which only confirmed my suspicions. “Do you know what killed Keith? Hilary couldn’t tell if it was a vampire or not.”
“Keith’s is the sixth murder so far, and Guards are still looking for the killer.” I was a little surprised he answered so easily but remained quiet, hoping he’d go into more detail. He did. “Out of the six victims, he’s the second wolf. The others were two witches, an elf, and a centaur. So far, all we know is that it’s not a Bleeder—the bodies would have been more badly damaged. Still, we’ve noticed a spike in the number of Bleeders in our area, as well.”
I frowned. “Maybe it’s a Skin?” He shook his head as he pinched the bridge of his nose, and I noticed just how tired his eyes were. “Was this why you were gone for so long?”
He nodded, then continued. “It’s not a Skin. There were no bite marks left on any of the bodies, so it has to be another supernatural. We’ve been keeping this quiet because if word gets out, it will create a lot of tension among all the supernatural groups in the vicinity. All victims were drained of their blood, yet there were no wounds.”
Now I know why this has been kept silent. Supernaturals who are friendly with each other could suddenly become suspicious of each other. Fingers will be pointed. Still, people need to be told about this. They need to be on guard.
“I’ll be leaving again next week. An Enchanted is being sent from the Council and will be staying a few towns away from here. We’re arranging a meeting between all the species who have a victim.”
“You’re going to increase patrols, though, right? I mean, I know that was already done after I was attacked, but do we have enough men?” I was starting to feel panicked. There was some unknown creature stalking supernaturals, and even the Guards were at a loss about what exactly they were tracking.
“That’ll be taken care of.” He sighed. “Darian and his team will be called back to look after the pack while I’m gone.”
I want to ask why he’s so forthcoming, but I don’t dare, in case he stops talking. I’ve always wanted to be included in what happens in and around the pack.
“Okay,” I answered. I turned and started to leave but stopped when he called my name.
“Keep this to yourself, Elinor. Cyrus and Skye don't need to know. Not yet.”
I nodded, despite knowing it would be near impossible to keep something so important from them. “Okay.”
Elinor
I kind of liked the feeling of the damp grass beneath me. It had rained for hours earlier today, but when it had finally stopped, I was able to slip out of the house.
Thanks to the storm, the air was so cool and smelled so fresh. I closed my eyes for a moment as the wind blew across my skin, and when I opened them again, a shooting star shot across the sky.
Will he come?
I bit down on my lip as the sound of crashing waves hit my ears. This was tranquility. This was peace. When I married Elijah—since that was now a done deal—I’d miss this. I’d miss Cyrus and Skye and my town. I swallowed hard as my emotions started to consume me.
No, I won’t cry. Crying will solve nothing. Maybe leaving this town and this pack will be good for me.
After speaking with my father and giving him my nerve-wracking declaration that I would no longer be his daughter, we went back downstairs and discovered, of course, that Elijah had lost the debate with his father.
He and I had then been left alone to get to know each other, which hadn’t happened until after ten minutes of awkward silence. I liked him for the most part, and we ended up discussing how unfair our situation was, especially after I learned he had a girlfriend.
Elijah would be forced to end a relationship with a woman he loved and marry me, even though I was not his mate. I shook my head as I listened to the ocean. I couldn’t imagine how she must be feeling and how awkward it’d be when I finally met her. I felt dirty knowing that she would have to watch me living out my life with the man she loved.
Sure, she would have had to do the same if he had found his mate, but he hadn’t. He’d be marrying someone who wasn’t his mate, the same way he could have married her.
What’ll be worse is the day his mate turns up—if she ever does.
What would happen then, especially if I’d already had a child or children by him? My father agreeing to something like this only solidified my belief that he cared about nothing other than seeing me become a Luna for another pack. He saw no other path in life for me, and so he didn’t care that this might end badly for me. That was why I needed to see Will tonight. I needed to see him one last time. Our friendship had been doomed from the start, but I didn’t want it to end the way I’d left it at our last meeting.
I’d been trying for weeks to put meaning to what I felt for him. Actually, I’d been avoiding admitting what was suddenly so clear to me. I was intrigued by him, at his way of seeming so normal while also being the strangest person I’d ever known.
Thunder rumbled in the distance, and I sighed. “I know you’re there.”
A soft chuckle met my ears, and I didn't sit up but just listened to Will's shoe crunch on the grass as he made his way over to me. He sat by my side, and I glanced his way, seeing the black strands of his hair dance wildly in the wind.
“Where have you been?” he asked.
“Where have you been?” I asked back. “You told me to stay away, remember? I was doing what you asked.”
He turned to face me. “So, you’re doing as you’re told now?”
“I’m turning over a new leaf. You’re looking at a new Elinor.”
“So, why are you here tonight then?” His head slowly tilted to the side as he watched me nervously play with a strand of my hair.
“I figured this would be a nice spot to relax for a little while.” I inhaled. “And you? Why are you here, then? Hunting again?”
“No,” he replied simply.
I waited for him to elaborate, but he didn’t. “Okay, so why are you here?” I sat up finally and brushed the leaves out of my hair. “Don’t think
for a second you can claim this spot,” I chuckled. “I really love this place.”
He reached out and removed a leaf I’d missed from my hair, then looked away, turning his attention back to the sky. I sighed. Getting information out of him was, as always, a task.
Why do I feel like I’m going to miss it?
“Do you always have to be so close-mouthed?”
“Yes, it helps maintain my mysterious aura.”
He said that so casually—and with a straight face! I couldn’t help laughing. He smiled, watching me, and I shook my head. “You’re impossible,” I breathed as a heavy wind blew in from the sea.
However, I was happy he had come. I was not sure how I was going to say goodbye to him without telling him about my marriage. Then again, why did I need to keep it a secret? Given the fact that Elijah had a girlfriend, I had a feeling things weren't going to go smoothly. I’m sure everyone would hear about it, wolf or supernatural. Basically, I just wanted to clear the air between Will and me before I started on my journey to become a wife. I frowned then. Somehow, I couldn’t picture myself as a wife.
We sat in comfortable silence until it started to rain a little. We remained there, letting the small droplets of water slowly soak us both.
“Do you wish to go home?”
"Thanks for asking, instead of telling me to," I answered. He smiled.
“I think I learned the hazards of telling you that at our last meeting.” His soft eyes became guarded, and as he looked away, his smile faded.
I wiped the raindrops from my eyes, watching him comb his wet hair back from his face. I couldn’t help staring at his stunning side profile. “I’m sorry about the other night. I was upset about . . . something.”
“I know,” he replied. “You don’t need to apologize.” He looked my way.
As I pushed my soaked hair back from my face, I caught the moment his eyes changed from blue to red and then back to blue.