Elara
After Alpha Dorian left, I sat in silence.
The room felt too quiet now. Only the soft ticking of the clock on the wall kept time moving. My fingers twisted the edge of the blanket on my lap as I stared at the door. The scroll he had left behind sat unopened on the table beside me, like a heavy weight waiting to crush me.
A mating ceremony within a few moon cycles. With Xavier.
My heart thudded just thinking about it.
He didn’t even look happy when he saw me last. Why now? Why push for a bond when he once treated me like I was invisible?
And yet… part of me still hoped. I hated that part.
I leaned back against the pillows, closing my eyes.
“Do I even know what I want anymore?” I whispered to the quiet room. “Do I want revenge? Peace? Love?”
A soft knock pulled me from my thou
