Chapter 24 - The Human
1125 Words
*Elara – pov*
Raidin led me onto the dance floor before I could fully recover from what he had said to Isabelle.
*The right one.*
The words lingered dangerously in my chest.
Music drifted softly through the ballroom while he pulled me against him with effortless confidence.
One hand rested against the small of my back.
The other held mine to his chest.
Every part of me was acutely aware of every part of him.
The heat of his body.
The strength beneath the tailored suit.
The steady rhythm of his heartbeat beneath my palm.
I tilted my head slightly.
“You realize everyone is staring.”
“Let them.”
Adira preened happily.
We moved slowly across the polished floor while conversations quieted subtly around us.
Not silent.
But aware.
People watched us openly now.
Especially the women.
Raidin, meanwhile, seemed completely focused on me.
It was unnerving.
“How are you this calm?” I asked softly.
His thumb brushed lightly against my spine.
“I’m not.”
The honesty in that made my pulse stumble.
I looked up at him.
Raidin’s amber eyes darkened slightly as his gaze lingered on my mouth for one dangerous second too long.
“If I keep thinking about kissing you,” he murmured quietly, “we’re going to scandalize this entire room.”
Heat flooded straight through me.
Adira fully approved.
The traitor.
Before I could respond, the music slowly faded.
The ballroom lights brightened slightly while several servers appeared near the dining hall entrances.
Dinner announcement.
Probably for the best.
Because another minute pressed against Raidin like this and I might’ve forgotten basic self-control entirely.
---
Dinner was elegant.
Uncomfortably elegant.
Long black tables.
Crystal glasses.
Enough silverware to confuse royalty.
Raidin sat beside me at the head table while Lucien remained across from us.
And every single time I looked toward him—
I caught him watching me.
Not casually.
Calculating.
Assessing.
Like he was trying to solve a problem. It made my skin crawl.
Adira stayed deeply hidden beneath in my mind, silent but alert.
Conversation flowed around us but tension lingered constantly beneath it.
Especially whenever anyone mentioned lineage, pack alliances, or mating.
Celeste Knight, one of the alpha’s daughters barely spoke all evening.
But her icy stare toward me could’ve frozen hell over. I preferred her silence to Isabelle’s sharp smiles.
By the time dinner finally ended, I desperately needed a moment alone.
“I’ll be right back,” I murmured to Raiden.
His eyes tracked me immediately.
“You okay?”
“Yes.”
Mostly.
He brushed his fingers lightly against mine before letting me go.
“I’ll find you.”
The promise settled warmly beneath my ribs.
---
The ladies room was quiet compared to the ballroom chaos outside.
Marble counters.
Soft lighting.
Silence.
I splashed cool water against my wrists and stared at myself in the mirror.
This entire evening felt surreal.
Less than two weeks ago I was divorcing Ethan.
Now I stood inside a werewolf mating ball wearing diamonds while my apparently fated mate looked at me like I hung the moon.
Life was absurd.
Adira sounded smug.
Good absurd.
I smiled slightly despite myself.
The bathroom door clicked shut behind me.
Every instinct sharpened instantly.
I turned slowly.
Celeste Knight stood near the entrance.
Tall.
Beautiful.
Cold.
Adira rose immediately beneath my skin.
Alert.
She crossed her arms slowly while studying me.
“So you’re the human.”
I sighed internally.
Another one.
“Yes and apparently very popular tonight.”
She didn’t smile.
“You need to leave.”
Straight to the point.
I leaned lightly against the counter.
“That seems to be a recurring suggestion.”
Her expression hardened.
“You don’t belong here.”
Adira growled softly.
The woman stepped closer.
“Raiden has responsibilities bigger than playing house with a human distraction.”
That irritated me instantly.
Not because of the insult but because of the entitlement in her voice.
“You all seem very comfortable deciding what Raiden wants.”
Her eyes flashed.
“You have no idea what you’re interfering with.”
“And you have the full picture?”
“Yes.”
The confidence in that answer carried history.
Claim.
Possession.
Adira hated her immediately.
Then the woman lowered her voice.
“If you value your life, leave tonight and never come back.”
Silence.
Something dangerous moved beneath my skin instantly.
Not fear.
Power.
Cold powerful instinct surged upward before my logical brain could stop it.
When I spoke again, my voice no longer sounded entirely human or my own.
“You should be careful who you threaten.”
The air shifted. The lights flickered once overhead. The woman froze instantly.
Adira pushed forward fully now.
Royal.
Powerful.
The woman’s face paled slightly. For the first time tonight…someone looked afraid of me.
My next words came sharper.
“I am not a simple human to intimidate.”
The pressure in the room intensified briefly.
The woman stepped back instinctively.
Shock flashed across her face as she started baring her neck to me.
Without another word she turned sharply and left.
Adira simmered beneath my skin.
Pathetic wolf.
I exhaled slowly.
“What the hell was that?”
No answer.
Unease crawled down my spine immediately afterward.
I exited the bathroom moments later. Just in time to see the same woman stride directly toward Lucien Black and another older Alpha standing near the ballroom entrance.
She whispered something urgently.
The older man’s expression changed instantly.
Rage.
Pure explosive rage.
Chaos erupted seconds later.
“You lied to me!”
The Alpha’s furious roar silenced the entire ballroom.
Music stopped abruptly, conversations died instantly and everyone turned.
The man pointed directly toward Lucien.
“You promised my daughter would be Luna!”
Murmurs exploded around the room.
The Alpha swung suddenly toward Raiden.
“You dishonor our families for a human?”
Then his eyes landed on me fully.
Hatred burned there instantly.
My stomach tightened. Lucien’s face had gone terrifyingly still. But when his eyes met mine…murder was all I could see in his eyes.
Raiden appeared beside me so quickly I barely saw him move. One arm wrapped protectively around my waist while his body positioned slightly in front of mine.
Shielding.
The furious Alpha kept shouting.
Accusations.
Betrayal.
Dishonor.
But all I could focus on was Lucien, because in that moment, he looked exactly like a man losing control of a secret he’d buried for years.
Lucien’s voice cut through the ballroom coldly.
“My office. Now.”
The command cracked like a whip.
No one moved.
Raiden’s body remained tense beside mine.
Protective rage simmered beneath his calm exterior.
Tonight had just changed everything.
- Writer
