Chapter 37
ELENA
The ride home from the Masquerade Ball felt longer than it should have. I asked my driver to put the partition between us up and I changed clothes in the back seat of the limousine, opting for a comfy pair of sweats; I needed something less constricting and light.
The weight of the evening pressed into my ribs, thick and suffocating, though I wasn’t
entirely sure why.
The ball had been a success. Many people had found their mates, alliances had been strengthened, and for one perfect night, the tensions between packs had been masked by music and candlelight.
But for me, it had been something else entirely.
It had been another night of missing pieces. Another night of chasing ghosts. Another night spent standing in front of Derek and pretending I wasn’t still haunted by him.
I had left him there, in the shadows of the playhouse hallway, his accusations still ringing
in my ears.
“How long have you been with Logan?”
“And Aiden? Is he his?”
I had let him believe it. Let him think Aiden wasn’t his, let him assume that Logan had
taken the place he had once held in my life. I didn’t know why. Maybe because it was easier. Maybe because I couldn’t owe him the truth when I didn’t even have it myself.
But that didn’t mean it didn’t hurt.
The estate came into view as the limousine took the last bend, the grand sprawl of Moonstone lands bathed in silver moonlight. The moon itself was waxing and I could feel the full moon approaching in my bones.
Chapter 37
+25 Bonus
I inhaled deeply as we pulled to a stop, hoping the crisp night air would settle something
inside me.
It didn’t.
By the time I stepped through the front doors, exhaustion dragged at my limbs, but I knew sleep wouldn’t come easily.
I wasn’t the only one still awake.
Laughter drifted from the courtyard beyond the great hall, a soft murmur of voices carried
through the quiet of the night. I followed the sound, stepping out onto the stone terrace that overlooked the garden.
Maggie, Carly, and Erin sat near the fountain, their bodies illuminated by the flickering torches lining the path.
They had been here for weeks now, living under my roof, eating at my table. I had offered
them sanctuary. A place to belong.
But the moment Maggie turned, the wariness in her gaze told me the truth. They still felt
like outsiders.
“Elena,” Maggie said, inclining her head slightly as I approached.
“I didn’t expect you all to still be up,” I said softly, taking a seat on the stone bench across
from them.
Carly huffed a small laugh. “Can’t sleep,” she said. “The beds are too soft.”
I opened my mouth to tell her that that could easily be remedied, but I read the look on her face. She was teasing. I had found modern comforts difficult to adjust to myself after living
as a rogue for those months.
“We were talking about maybe going for a run,” Erin said. Ah. So I wasn’t the only one feeling my wolf tonight.
2/3
Chapter 37
+25 Bonus
I had to admit that thought of changing and letting Nox run free held some appeal. I could let her take over for a while, tamp down all these feelings in me and just be a wolf for a few
hours.
Maggie sighed. “Decided against it, though,” she said glumly.
I sat up. “Why?”
“Because three rogue wolves running on Moonstone pack lands would probably get us
killed.”
“I’ve given strict orders to our Gamma not to-”
“Elena,” Maggie said softly.
She looked sad, but also resigned to her fate. Even the way the three of them were sitting; they were pulled into themselves, wary. Like they were somewhere where they didn’t belong.
“You’re safe here,” I said, wanting desperately to believe it. “You belong here.”
“Elena-” said Carly.
I frowned. “You do.”
I remembered that feeling. I had felt it in Derek’s pack up until the day I left.
“Do we?” Erin asked, her voice quiet. “Because no one else seems to think so.”
Maggie shot her a look, but I had already seen the flash of doubt in her eyes.
“This is your home now,” I insisted. “I promised you that.”
Maggie studied me carefully. “It’s not just about a place to sleep, Elena. It’s about belonging. And I’m not sure this pack will ever see us as anything but rogues.”
Comments
ப
Support
Share
