The Night He Finally Chose Me
1332 Words
Elaria’s POV
I woke up in his arms and for a moment, I forgot who I was.
I forgot the three years of silence, I forgot the nights I cried alone and I forgot that I was only a wife because my father’s life was traded for my marriage.
All I felt was Kaelith’s arm around my waist, his chest was against my back and his breath brushed my neck.
My heart beat so hard that I pressed a hand against it, he was holding me. My husband was holding me.
I slowly turned my head but Kaelith was still asleep.
His dark hair fell over his forehead and his face looked peaceful, it was nothing like the ruthless Alpha everyone feared and then I stared at him.
Last night kept playing inside my mind, his eyes were on mine and his hands were around me.
The way he kissed me as if he had been fighting himself for years and the way he whispered my name.
“Elaria.”
I then closed my eyes and my fingers rose to my neck.
The skin there still burned where his fangs almost broke through and a smile touched my lips.
Maybe this was it.
Maybe after three years, my husband had finally chosen me.
I then turned fully toward him.
“Kaelith,” I whispered and his eyes opened.
The warmth I saw last night disappeared, his face became unreadable and he removed his arm from my waist.
My smile faded.
He sat up and reached for his clothes and then I stared at his back.
“Are you leaving?”
He did not answer and I sat up and pulled the sheet against my chest.
“Kaelith?”
He put on his shirt and then he looked at me.
“We need to talk.”
Something inside me sank
“About last night?”
His jaw tightened.
“Get dressed.”
I stared at him.
“Why?”
“Come to my study.”
He walked out and I remained on the bed.
My fingers tightened around the sheet, perhaps he was nervous, perhaps he did not know how to tell me that he wanted me beside him, perhaps last night changed everything.
I dressed quickly and I even fixed my hair.
For the first time in years, I looked at myself in the mirror and smiled.
I looked like a woman who had hope and then I followed him to his study.
Kaelith was standing beside his desk when I entered and he didn’t look at me.
“Close the door.”
I did and he pointed toward the chair.
“Sit.”
I sat and then walked to the desk and placed a paper before me.
I looked down and my smile disappeared.
Divorce.
I stared at the word.
“No.”
Kaelith said nothing and I looked up.
“What is this?”
“You know what it is.”
My throat hurt.
“After last night?”
There was silence.
“Kaelith, you held me.”
He looked away.
“You kissed me.”
His fingers moved.
“You said my name.”
“Elaria.”
“Then why are you giving me this?”
His eyes finally met mine.
“Our marriage has served its purpose.”
I laughed once, but there was no joy in it.
“Purpose?”
“Your family is alive because of this marriage.”
My eyes burned.
“So that is all I am?”
He didn’t answer.
“What changed after last night?”
His face remained hard.
“You should sign.”
I then shook my head.
“Look at me and tell me you feel nothing.”
His eyes flickered and for one second, I saw pain and then the door opened.
A woman’s voice filled the room.
“Kaelith.”
I turned and my heart stopped.
Seraphyne Vaelora.
The woman I had heard about for three years, the woman he loved before me, the woman everyone said would become Luna before my father’s crime changed everything.
She walked straight toward Kaelith and she smiled and then she wrapped her arms around his neck.
I stopped breathing and she kissed him right in front of me.
Kaelith didn’t push her away and my fingers moved against my dress.
Seraphyne then pulled back and looked at me.
“Finally.”
I blinked.
“Finally what?”
She smiled.
“Finally, I can come home.”
Kaelith said nothing and she took his hand.
“I have waited long enough.”
My eyes moved between them.
“You never left?”
She laughed.
“Of course I left. I only left the pack’s sight. I never stopped waiting for him.”
She sat beside Kaelith and then she looked at the divorce papers.
“You should sign quickly.”
I stared at her.
“I didn’t ask you.”
“You don’t need to.”
Her smile became sharper.
“I don’t want to spend another day watching you pretend you’re his wife.”
I looked at Kaelith.
“Tell her to stop.”
He remained silent and that silence hurt more than her words.
Seraphyne then leaned back.
“Do you know why you became his wife?”
I said nothing and she looked at Kaelith and then back at me.
“Your father stole the Bloodmoon Pack’s sacred treasury.”
My chest tightened.
“My father was accused of stealing it.”
“Accused?” She laughed. “He was caught.”
“He saved Kaelith’s life during the war.”
Her smile disappeared for a moment.
“Yes. He did.”
She looked at Kaelith.
“And that is why your husband gave your family mercy.”
I stared at him but Seraphyne continued.
“The council wanted your entire family executed. Kaelith stopped them.”
My lips trembled.
“Why?”
“Because you begged.”
I remembered that day, I remembered falling to my knees, I remembered begging Kaelith to spare my mother and younger brothers, I remembered him looking down at me.
Then his words.
“Marry me, and your family lives.”
Three years.
I had spent three years thinking I could make him love me but I was never his choice, I was his payment.
I then picked up the pen and Kaelith finally looked at me.
“Elaria…”
I looked at him.
“Don’t.”
My tears fell.
“You already made your choice.”
I signed and the pen slipped from my fingers and for a moment, nobody spoke.
Then Kaelith suddenly gripped the edge of the desk and his eyes flashed gold.
His wolf growled inside him.
“Elaria.”
His voice sounded different, almost frightened and then I looked at him.
“Kaelith?”
He stared at me as if he had just realized something terrible but then Seraphyne quickly grabbed his arm.
“Kaelith.”
His eyes returned to normal and he looked away.
I stood and my legs shook.
“I’ll leave.”
No one stopped me.
I walked back to my room but when I reached the door, I stopped.
My belongings were lying outside, boxes, clothes, books, everything I owned.
Two guards stood beside them and I stared at them.
“What is this?”
One guard lowered his head.
“By order of the Alpha, you are moving to the omega quarters.”
I looked at my belonging and my chest ached.
And then I swallowed every tear that tried to escape.
“Now?”
“Immediately.”
I looked back at my room, the room where I spent three years waiting for my husband to love me.
I picked up one box and my hands shook.
Then I saw the divorce papers still in my hand and the ink was barely dry.
And I realized something worse. Kaelith had already thrown me away.
My divorce papers have not even dried yet.
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