Chapter 54 - Buried Beneath
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Elara watched as Marder put the younger wolves through their paces.
The head warrior stalked across the training field, barking orders and corrections while the recruits scrambled to keep up.
Around them, older warriors sparred in pairs. Some fought in wolf form while others engaged in hand-to-hand combat. Grunts, growls, and the occasional curse echoed through the crisp morning air.
A sharp c***k rang out as one wolf landed flat on his back.
Marder didn't even blink.
"Again!"
The unfortunate wolf groaned before dragging himself upright.
A smile tugged at Elara's lips.
Kaia stepped up beside her.
"You look like you didn't get any sleep."
Elara glanced at the Beta.
"A little."
The answer earned her a look that clearly said Kaia wasn't buying it.
Most of the night had been spent staring at the ceiling while her thoughts chased each other in endless circles.
Rose and the growing list of mysteries surrounding both packs occupied most of her attention.
Thorne occupied the rest.
She had expected anger after being caught in his office.
Instead, he had offered her his phone.
Elara bit the inside of her cheek.
There were still pieces of his past she didn't understand.
She glanced at the Beta.
Kaia stood with her arms crossed, shoulders squared, and her attention fixed on the training field. Nothing ever seemed to escape her notice.
"Kaia."
The Beta glanced at her before returning her attention to the field.
"Hm?"
"Can you tell me more about Thorne?"
That got her attention.
Kaia slowly turned her head.
"Like what?"
Suspicion flickered across her face.y.
"Just... what he was like growing up. What his family was like."
She shrugged as though the question carried little significance.
Kaia's eyes narrowed slightly.
"I assume you've heard about Alpha Adiro."
Elara had.
Stories about Thorne's father had spread far beyond Draegon territory. Some painted him as a ruthless Alpha. Others described a man feared even by his own pack.
None of them had been particularly pleasant.
A shiver ran down her spine.
Kaia noticed.
"Yeah," she said with a grimace. "Most of those stories are true."
Elara's eyebrows lifted.
"Most?"
A sigh escaped Kaia.
"He wasn't always like that."
The answer immediately captured Elara's attention.
"What do you mean?"
For a moment, Kaia remained silent.
Her gaze drifted across the training field where wolves sparred beneath the morning sun.
"I don't remember much. I was still a kid myself."
The Beta rubbed the back of her neck.
"But I remember Luna Alira."
Something softened in her expression.
"Luna Alira meant everything to Alpha Adiro."
The words surprised Elara.
The man described in countless stories didn't strike her as someone capable of loving anyone.
Kaia glanced toward the field once more.
"Alira died bringing Rose into the world."
The sounds of training seemed to fade into the background.
Elara's breath caught.
"She died during childbirth?"
Kaia nodded.
"After that, Alpha Adiro was never the same."
A heaviness settled over her words, as though she was remembering something she wished she could forget.
"Neither was Thorne."
"What do you mean?"
Elara tried to picture Thorne as a child.
Grief had a way of reshaping people.
Her own life had split into two parts after losing her mother, a before and an after that never quite fit together again.
"Alira died when Thorne was ten," Kaia said.
Nearby, a warrior crashed into the dirt and earned a correction from Marder. The sounds of training continued around them, yet Elara's attention remained fixed on the Beta.
"Alpha Adiro withdrew after losing his mate."
A crease formed between Elara's brows.
"What about Thorne and Rose?"
Bitterness flashed across Kaia's face.
"One was mourning the loss of his mother. The other had only just entered the world."
A knot formed in Elara's stomach.
"For weeks, there was nobody. A grieving child and a newborn girl were left to navigate the aftermath while their father buried himself in his own pain."
The image alone was enough to make her chest tighten.
"That was when things started changing."
Kaia watched a pair of wolves sparring across the field.
"When Alpha Adiro finally returned, something inside him had hardened. The warmth people remembered was gone. Every decision became harsher and the war consumed more of his attention than ever before."
"How did that affect Thorne?"
A breath escaped Kaia.
"Childhood ended."
Elara swallowed.
"Responsibility found him long before it should have. Rose needed someone to care for her and Alpha Adiro needed an heir. Expectations kept piling up until there wasn't much room left for anything else."
A distant look entered Kaia's eyes.
"Most children spend years discovering who they are."
Her attention shifted toward the pack house.
"Thorne spent those years becoming who everyone else needed him to be."
The training continued around them while Elara struggled to reconcile the image in her mind.
The intimidating Alpha she knew suddenly felt very different from the lonely ten-year-old standing beside a cradle with no idea what to do next.
A small smile appeared on Kaia's face.
"Every now and then, I still saw glimpses of him. He never vanished completely."
Elara pressed her lips together.
Learning more about Thorne's childhood explained some things, yet it left her with even more questions.
"Kaia, can I ask you something?"
The Beta glanced at her and nodded.
"Are you absolutely certain Rose was attacked by Valamere wolves?"
Kaia's shoulders stiffened and whatever softness had been in her expression disappeared.
"Yes."
Elara held her gaze.
"How can you be so sure?"
A frown creased Kaia's forehead.
"Because everything pointed to Valamere."
"But Valamere never launched attacks against Draegon," Elara replied. "We defended our borders. We didn't cross them looking for fights."
Kaia turned fully toward her.
"And what do you think happened to Rose?"
Pain threaded through the question.
"A dead Valamere wolf was found beside her. Rose's scent covered him. The wounds on his body showed they fought and his skin was found beneath her nails."
Her jaw tightened.
"Thorne spent months looking into what happened."
She looked away briefly before continuing.
"He spoke to everyone. Followed every lead. Nothing suggested a different explanation."
Elara folded her arms.
"That doesn't mean there isn't one."
A harsh laugh escaped Kaia.
"He considered every possibility before reaching a conclusion."
"Then why can't I do the same?"
The Beta stared at her for several seconds.
"Because digging through the past won't bring Rose back."
The sounds of training continued around them. Warriors sparred while Marder shouted corrections across the field.
"I think there's something missing," Elara said.
Kaia shook her head.
"Whatever answers you're looking for won't change what happened."
She stepped away.
"Leave this alone, Elara."
Without another word, Kaia headed back toward the training field.
Within moments she was barking orders at a group of warriors.
Elara remained where she was.
The conversation had ended but her questions hadn't.
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