Luna Elara

Chapter 4

Elara's POV

Alpha Kael was a paradox, a walking contradiction. One moment, a hint of kindness would grace his features; the next, a chilling detachment would settle in its place. Since the unsettling proposal, my world had shrunk, my movements within the mansion curtailed. Sunshine was now a distant star, unreachable.

"The Alpha requires your presence immediately." The guard's voice was devoid of emotion as he delivered the message in the garden.

"Where is he?" I asked, halting him mid-stride.

"Follow me."

He led me through the labyrinthine corridors to the Alpha's wing, but not to his chambers. He vanished, only to reappear moments later with Alpha Kael himself leading the way. After a brief, enigmatic exchange, the guard escorted me back to the garden, dismissed with a curt nod.

"Tomorrow is the annual feast, and the wedding ceremony. My sister, Seraphina, may seek you out afterward to discuss certain matters. Much will begin after the wedding, so I advise you to rest and prepare yourself for what lies ahead." He offered a fleeting smile, a light touch on my shoulder, before departing.

I couldn't face this path without seeing Sunshine. Alpha Kael was proving to be an enigma, and the thought of being cut off from my best friend after the wedding was unbearable.

Pushing open the kitchen door, I was met with a sea of faces, all eyes fixed on me. Rumors, it seemed, traveled at the speed of light. Ignoring the stares, I scanned the room, searching for Sunshine.

She stood across the room, her gaze distant, as if I were a stranger. Perhaps she didn't understand the turmoil within me, but I was determined to ensure she was a part of this monumental step.

"We need to talk, Sunshine," I said softly.

"I'm listening."

"Not here. I need to tell you everything, but not here."

"We've discussed everything here, Elara. What's so special about this that it requires secrecy? Besides, I'm busy." She retorted, her tone sharp.

"Please," I lowered my voice. "I won't take much of your time. For our friendship's sake, please come with me."

Hesitation flickered across her face, but as the murmurs in the room grew louder, she relented and followed me.

"It hasn't even been five minutes, Elara!" She exploded the moment we were alone.

"I know, Sunshine. You saw what happened. How could I have escaped him?" I tried to keep the bitterness from my voice.

"You could have escaped if you wanted to, Elara. He's the infamous Alpha, I get that, but he didn't physically force you to agree. Do you realize what you've done?!"

"That's what you don't understand. He showed me I had no choice. He had to inflict pain on my palm just to make a threat, Sunshine! You were in the car, but you didn't notice, and even if you had, what could you have done?"

Her body stiffened at my revelation, rendering her speechless.

"Even though this is my fate, Sunshine, I have little say in it. To make matters worse, he's my mate!"

"No, he's not." She replied in disbelief.

"Yes, he is."

"Fine. Let's say it's a divine arrangement, and you'll soon be the Luna of the pack and the wife of a devil. Why did you accept the proposal of a man you barely know? You could have asked him to wait, knowing he was your mate, but no, you couldn't. Just one meeting, Elara, and you gave it all away. What do you think this says about you?" She pressed, relentless.

"Sunshine, can you at least try to understand..."

"There's nothing to understand. You did what you wanted, despite everything you know about him."

"All I know is that he's the opposite of what you've always portrayed him to be. I haven't spent a decade with him, but I can tell he's been misunderstood, just as you're misunderstanding me now." The words tumbled out before I could stop them.

"That's because he's worse! Isn't your father abandoning you and your mother for another woman enough for you?" She snapped, leaving me reeling.

I knew this would be difficult, but this reaction was unexpected. She was crossing a line we had drawn long ago, a shared resentment for men. This… this was not what I had prepared for.

I opened my mouth to speak, but shock rendered me mute.

"Sunshine?" I tried to call back the friend I had always known.

"Trust me, Elara. I don't even know you anymore." She sniffed.

"Are you seriously going to let our relationship crumble because of the Alpha's proposal? What if he had threatened to kill me instead? Would you prefer me dead over marrying the Alpha?" I asked, sensing her next words.

"You sealed it when you accepted his proposal, so don't blame me. And he didn't threaten to kill you. He knew you were scared of him, that's why he did what he did. He knew you wouldn't be able to reject him afterward." She pointed an accusing finger at me.

"Is it even worth the risk? You don't like him, I know, but… this isn't..."

"You'll understand what I'm trying to protect you from soon. Maybe then, you'll realize that all I care about is making sure you don't end up in hell while you're still alive."

"Fine. What happens now? Do we act like strangers or keep fighting? I don't want to lose you, Sunshine. You're the only family I have left." I pleaded, closing the distance between us in a desperate hug.

I waited for her to reciprocate, but to my dismay, I felt nothing.

"You're about to have a new family, though. A new life, a new husband, babies too, within a matter of time, and the truth is, I won't fit in anywhere." She whispered. "You don't have to lose me anymore because I won't even be there."

"No, Sunshine. You'll always be in the picture. You and I, sisters forever."

"You lost me when you accepted that proposal. I can't sit and watch you get handed over to a beast. I can't stop you either, but I must warn you. You still have time to reject that proposal. Alpha Kael is nothing but a cold-hearted devil!" She hissed, her voice firm.

"Since you've taken your stand, I'd appreciate it if you watched how you talk about my husband." I tried to sound brave, but my voice wavered.

"Until you're through with the marriage vows, he's only your mate." She laughed nervously. "Farewell to you on the journey that broke our friendship."

With that, she turned and walked back to the kitchen, leaving me shattered and heartbroken.