Chapter 55 - Not This Time
1203 Words
Elara watched Kaia bark orders at the wolves, her shoulders tense.
The Beta didn't look back.
A low whistle sounded beside her.
"What did you do to piss her off?"
Elara glanced at Rafe.
"I asked a question."
The Delta groaned.
"That's never a good sign."
She rolled her eyes.
"It was one question."
Rafe looked toward Kaia, who was currently making a group of recruits run laps around the training field.
"Judging by the look on her face, it was the wrong question."
A groan echoed across the grounds as one of the recruits stumbled and landed hard on the packed dirt.
Neither of them missed it.
"Poor guy."
Elara followed Rafe's gaze.
"He looks fine."
"He looked fine five minutes ago."
The recruit pushed himself upright.
His legs immediately gave out beneath him.
Rafe winced.
"Actually, I take that back."
A laugh escaped her.
The young wolf stared at the ground as though questioning every decision that had led him to this exact moment.
Across the field, Kaia folded her arms.
The recruit somehow found the strength to stand.
Rafe shook his head.
"Fear is a powerful motivator."
Another laugh slipped free.
The Delta pointed toward the struggling wolf.
"See that?"
"What?"
"He just discovered muscles he didn't know he had."
Elara bit down on a smile.
The recruit stumbled again.
Marder immediately barked something at him from across the field.
The poor wolf nearly tripped over his own feet trying to obey.
"I almost feel bad for him."
"You almost feel bad?"
Rafe pressed a hand against his chest.
"Of course."
The grin spreading across his face ruined the performance.
"I simply don't want Kaia deciding I need extra training."
Elara snorted.
"You are scared of her."
"I am respectful of her."
"That's not what I asked."
His grin widened.
Before he could answer, it vanished completely.
"Uh oh."
Elara frowned.
"What?"
The Delta nodded toward the training field.
"Alpha incoming."
She followed his gaze.
Thorne was making his way across the grounds.
Warriors instinctively stepped aside as he approached. Conversations faded into the background and several recruits immediately straightened their posture the moment they noticed him. The morning sun glinted off sweat-slicked skin while dust hung in the air, stirred up by boots pounding against the dry ground.
A knot tightened in Elara's stomach.
She had seen him during training earlier, but she certainly hadn't planned on speaking to him.
Rafe caught her reaction immediately.
"Oh, this is definitely about you."
She shot him an unimpressed look.
"Why would it be about me?"
His grin returned.
"Because he's walking toward us and not literally anyone else."
Unfortunately, he had a point.
Out of all the people scattered across the training grounds, Thorne could have been heading toward Kaia, Marder, or any of the warriors sparring nearby.
Instead, he was coming straight for her.
The realization made her want to turn around and walk in the opposite direction.
Unfortunately, it was already too late.
Before she could think of a response, Thorne stopped in front of them.
"Rafe."
"Alpha."
The Delta straightened.
The brief exchange carried years of familiarity, reminding Elara just how long the two of them had known each other.
Then Thorne's attention shifted to her.
"Elara, can we talk for a moment?"
The request immediately put her on edge.
The bond stirred the moment his focus settled fully on her.
Awareness washed through her, unwanted and impossible to ignore.
She hated that she could tell when he was looking at her.
Hated it even more because her wolf seemed far less bothered by the fact.
Several possibilities raced through her mind.
Had he somehow discovered why she had used his phone?
Beside her, Rafe slowly took a step backward.
Then another.
"I should go."
Elara narrowed her eyes.
"Important Delta business."
"There was no business."
"There is now."
The traitor didn't even attempt to hide his amusement.
A second later he disappeared into the crowd of warriors.
Elara made a mental note to throw something at him later.
Turning back to Thorne, she folded her arms across her chest.
"What did I do now?"
The question slipped out before she could stop it.
Considering her recent track record, it felt safer to assume she was in trouble.
Breaking into his office once had been bad enough.
Breaking into it twice had probably earned her a permanent spot on whatever list he kept of people who tested his patience.
One eyebrow lifted.
"You assume you've done something?"
That wasn't an answer.
His gaze shifted toward the training field.
More specifically, toward Kaia.
The Beta was currently putting a group of warriors through drills with enough intensity to make several of them look ready to collapse.
"What happened?"
Elara followed his line of sight.
"We had a disagreement."
A slight crease appeared between his brows.
"A disagreement."
She resisted the urge to roll her eyes.
"Yes."
His attention returned to her.
"What about?"
The question came so naturally it almost sounded like he had a right to know.
Almost.
Elara narrowed her eyes.
"Why do you care?"
A breeze swept across the training grounds, carrying the scent of dust, sweat, and freshly cut grass.
"Because Kaia rarely loses her temper."
Elara nearly choked on her own laughter.
Images of Kaia over the past few weeks flashed through her mind.
The Beta had snapped at warriors, threatened Rafe more than once, and looked one inconvenience away from violence on a daily basis.
Several nearby warriors glanced in her direction as her laughter escaped.
"That might be the funniest thing I've heard all week."
A faint hint of amusement appeared in his eyes.
"You know what I mean."
Unfortunately, she did.
The problem was that she had no intention of satisfying his curiosity.
"What happened?" he asked again.
The persistence immediately grated on her nerves.
"I asked her something."
"What?"
Elara stared at him.
Really?
That was his plan?
Keep asking until she gave in?
"What did you ask her?"
The question earned him a glare.
One that would have sent most wolves looking for safer territory.
Thorne remained completely unaffected.
"Elara."
A strange heat crawled up the back of her neck.
Maybe it was frustration.
Maybe it was the way he said her name.
Either way, she wasn't about to let him win.
"Thorne."
Neither looked away.
Around them, warriors sparred, wolves growled, and Marder continued barking corrections. The sounds blended into a steady rhythm that filled the training grounds, yet Elara remained acutely aware of the man standing in front of her.
"If Kaia wants you to know, she'll tell you."
Before he could ask another question, Elara turned on her heel and walked away.
The bond flared with surprise.
Satisfaction warmed her chest.
For once, she was the one ending the conversation.
Several steps later curiosity got the better of her.
She glanced over her shoulder.
Thorne hadn't moved.
Sunlight caught against his dark hair as he stood exactly where she had left him, watching her walk away with an expression she couldn't quite decipher.
A smile tugged at her lips.
Good.
Maybe now he understood how frustrating it was when someone refused to answer a simple question.
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