Chapter 5 - Then Make It Break Me
1529 Words
The shift became obvious the moment Elara followed Kaia down from the balcony and into the center of Draegon territory.
The lower grounds carried a different energy from the council level above. Wolves moved through the settlement with the familiarity of people shaped by years of war, survival, and loss. Voices drifted openly through the night air while mounted lights washed pale color across the stone pathways winding between the buildings.
And every gaze that landed on her carried recognition.
Recognition mixed with resentment.
Kaia walked beside her at an unhurried pace, confidence surrounding her so naturally that wolves stepped aside without hesitation. Nobody questioned her presence. Nobody challenged her authority.
The Beta of Draegon carried herself like someone who had earned loyalty through action rather than title.
Elara noticed immediately that the wolves watching her only moved because Kaia stood there.
Conversations lowered as they passed. Some wolves stared openly while others looked at her with the kind of hatred war left behind long after the fighting ended.
Elara caught fragments of conversation trailing behind them.
“That’s her?”
“My brother died fighting Valamere wolves.”
“Council should’ve buried this before it started.”
A woman near one of the training rings muttered something beneath her breath before turning away the moment Elara looked in her direction.
The bitterness hanging over the territory felt old.
Familiar too.
Elara kept walking.
“The Alpha left already,” Kaia said after a moment.
Something about the comment felt intentional.
Elara glanced sideways. “You sound surprised.”
Kaia’s gaze stayed ahead.
“Thorne usually stays until the council finishes talking.” The corner of her mouth lifted slightly. “You clearly made the night more interesting.”
“That easy to do?”
“For everyone else?” Kaia gave a small shrug. “Impossible.”
Despite herself, Elara almost smiled.
The conversation lingered in her mind longer than it should have. She still remembered the pressure that filled the council room whenever she became too aware of him. Even after he walked away, part of her attention stayed fixed on him despite the distance between them.
The realization annoyed her more than she cared to admit.
Kaia studied her quietly before speaking again.
“You handled the council better than most wolves would’ve.”
“They deserved worse.”
A short laugh escaped Kaia.
“That answer explains quite a bit.”
They continued deeper into the territory while more wolves turned to watch them pass. The buildings surrounding them looked functional rather than decorative, built by wolves who valued strength and practicality over appearance.
Draegon reflected that mindset everywhere.
“You already understand why the territory doesn’t trust you,” Kaia said eventually.
“Elaborate.”
“The war destroyed families on both sides.” Some of the amusement left Kaia’s voice. “Draegon buried people too.”
Elara’s expression tightened slightly.
“So did Valamere.”
“I know.” Kaia glanced toward her briefly. “That’s exactly why this bond makes people angry.”
Silence stretched between them for several steps.
A group of younger wolves stood near one of the outer walkways ahead. The moment they noticed Elara approaching, conversation stopped completely.
One of them looked away first.
Another didn’t.
Hatred burned openly across his face.
Elara recognized it because she had seen the same expression inside Valamere whenever Draegon was mentioned.
Kaia noticed the exchange too.
“The council enjoys making decisions for Draegon while standing far away from the consequences,” she said dryly.
“You don’t agree with the bond.”
Kaia considered that carefully.
“I care about protecting this territory.” Her gaze remained forward. “Everything else comes after that.”
Pride threaded through the words.
Pride in Draegon.
Pride in the wolves standing guard over it.
Elara noticed immediately how deeply that loyalty ran.
“And Thorne?”
Kaia’s expression changed again, becoming steadier somehow.
“Thorne earned this territory,” she said. “Most of the pack would follow him into a war without asking why.”
The certainty in her voice came from experience rather than blind loyalty.
Elara found herself paying closer attention to that than she intended.
They approached the largest structure in the territory a few minutes later. Unlike the council chambers, the building carried less formality and far more presence. Wolves moved around it constantly, some entering while others left carrying reports, weapons, or paperwork.
Kaia slowed near the entrance.
“He’s in his office.”
Elara glanced toward her.
“You say that like he’s hiding.”
A faint grin crossed Kaia’s face.
“More like he’s trying very hard not to kill anyone from the council.”
That pulled a quiet laugh from Elara before she could stop it.
Kaia noticed immediately.
“You adjusted faster than I expected,” she said.
“Don’t sound disappointed.”
Kaia huffed softly beneath her breath before stepping aside near the office door.
“He’s through there.”
Elara nodded once before pushing the door open and stepping inside.
The office felt quieter than the rest of the territory. Large windows overlooked the lower grounds while muted lighting reflected across dark wooden shelves and scattered paperwork spread across a wide desk near the far wall.
Thorne stood near the opposite side of the room, his attention fixed on the documents spread across the table in front of him.
He didn’t turn when she entered.
He didn’t need to.
Awareness hit her immediately, unwelcome and impossible to ignore.
Elara stepped further inside, the door closing behind her.
“You took your time.”
His voice carried low and controlled.
Elara glanced toward the windows. “Sorry. I forgot this territory runs on your schedule.”
His eyes lifted to hers.
“I don’t wait.”
“That sounds exhausting for everyone around you.”
Something moved briefly across his expression before disappearing again.
“You always answer with sarcasm?”
“Only when people make it easy.”
Silence stretched briefly between them before his expression hardened slightly.
“You’ve already made a mistake.”
“That didn’t take long.”
“Walking through this territory like you belong here.”
Elara folded her arms.
“You say that like I had another option.”
A pause followed before he stepped closer.
“You move like you think you’ll walk through this untouched,” he said.
“I don’t expect flowers and a welcome speech if that’s what worries you.”
“You should expect resistance.”
“I already do. Mostly from you.”
The tension between them tightened instantly.
“This pack won’t adjust for you,” he said. “The council forced this bond through. That doesn’t mean Draegon has to welcome it.”
“Good thing I wasn’t planning to ask permission to exist here.”
His gaze stayed fixed on hers.
“And the wolves here won’t forget where you came from.”
“Neither will I.”
Something changed in his expression at that, brief enough that she almost missed it.
“I don’t suppose you will,” he said quietly.
Elara leaned lightly against the edge of the desk.
“The pack hates me already.”
“Some of them do.”
“And the rest?”
“They’re waiting to decide whether you survive this long enough to matter.”
That answer felt far more believable than empty reassurance.
Elara released a slow breath. “Right. Because forcing enemies into a political mating bond was clearly the brilliant solution.”
His jaw tightened slightly.
“No,” he admitted. “It wasn’t.”
The honesty in the answer caught her attention immediately.
For the first time since arriving in Draegon, his frustration sounded directed somewhere beyond her.
Toward the council.
Toward the situation itself.
Maybe even toward the bond neither of them wanted.
Still, none of it softened the coldness in his expression.
“This territory doesn’t stop moving for wolves who fail to adapt,” he said. “And it doesn’t care how important your bloodline is.”
Elara met his gaze without hesitation.
“Perfect. I was getting tired of people treating my bloodline like it’s my entire personality.”
Something unreadable crossed his face before disappearing again.
“Kaia will see that you’re settled.”
“And after that?”
He studied her for a long moment.
“After that, you learn.”
“And if I don’t?”
His expression darkened slightly.
“Then this territory will tear you apart.”
The warning hung heavily between them.
Still, Elara refused to look away.
“Then it’s going to have to try harder.”
Silence filled the room afterward, tension stretching tightly between them.
Thorne held her gaze another second before stepping back and turning away again.
“See that you last long enough to prove that.”
Elara stayed where she was after he turned, the weight of the room pressing around her while awareness of him lingered stubbornly beneath her skin.
She expected hostility.
What she hadn’t expected was how much she wanted to push back against it.
- Writer
