The Alpha's Secret
2317 Words
Elara didn't sleep.
She tried.
For approximately eleven minutes.
Then she gave up.
How was anyone supposed to sleep after discovering their dead mother might not actually be dead?
She sat at Maeve's kitchen table watching the sunrise through the window.
Her mother's note rested in front of her.
If Elara's seal breaks, do not let the Blackthornes find me.
She had read it at least fifty times.
The words never changed.
Neither did the anger building inside her.
Six months.
Maeve had kept this from her for six months.
Elara understood fear.
She understood protection.
What she didn't understand was everyone believing they had the right to make decisions about her life without her.
Her parents.
Maeve.
Darius.
Kael.
Everyone knew something except her.
That ended today.
A mug appeared beside the note.
Elara didn't look up.
“Coffee isn't going to fix this.”
“No,” Maeve said. “But you're unpleasant without it.”
Elara almost smiled.
Almost.
She wrapped both hands around the mug.
Maeve sat across from her.
Neither spoke.
Finally, Maeve sighed.
“You have every right to be angry.”
“Good.”
“I should have told you.”
“Yes.”
“I was afraid.”
Elara looked at her.
“Of what?”
“Losing you.”
That softened something.
Not enough.
Maeve folded her hands.
“When that letter arrived, I spent weeks trying to determine whether it was actually from your mother.”
“And?”
“The magical signature matched.”
“So she's alive.”
“I don't know.”
Elara slammed the mug down.
“You keep saying that.”
“Because magic can be copied.”
“Can handwriting?”
“Yes.”
Elara hated reasonable answers.
“Where did the letter come from?”
“There was no return address.”
“How did it arrive?”
“Raven.”
Elara blinked.
“Seriously?”
Maeve raised an eyebrow.
“You discovered you're descended from an ancient supernatural bloodline last night, but magical ravens are where you draw the line?”
“Fair.”
Maeve reached into her robe and placed a small black feather on the table.
Elara touched it.
Warmth traveled through her fingertips.
Then the feather moved.
It rotated until its tip pointed north.
Elara stared.
“What is it doing?”
“Returning to its sender.”
Hope exploded inside her.
“Then we can follow it.”
“No.”
“Why?”
“It didn't do that when it arrived.”
Elara frowned.
“What changed?”
“You.”
The answer settled heavily.
“My seal.”
Maeve nodded.
“Your magic is awakening.”
Elara studied the feather.
“So whoever sent this might know my seal broke.”
“Yes.”
“Good.”
Maeve frowned.
“Good?”
“If my mother sent it, she knows I'm coming.”
“And if someone else sent it?”
Elara looked toward the forest.
“Then they'll know I'm coming too.”
A knock sounded.
Elara's shoulders stiffened.
“Please tell me that's not Kael.”
Maeve looked through the window.
“Worse.”
The door opened before either woman reached it.
Alpha Darius Blackthorne walked inside.
Elara stood.
Behind him came Kael and Lyra.
Kael's gaze immediately found hers.
She looked away.
Darius shut the door.
“I understand we have a problem.”
Elara laughed.
“A problem?”
His eyes narrowed.
“I wasn't referring to your mating situation.”
“Good, because there isn't one.”
Kael flinched.
Elara noticed.
She refused to care.
Maeve crossed her arms.
“Sit, Darius.”
“I'd rather stand.”
“And I'd rather turn you into a goat, but we don't always get what we want.”
Lyra snorted.
Even Elara couldn't stop herself.
Darius glared at Maeve before sitting.
Elara remained standing.
“Did you know my mother was a witch?”
Darius's expression revealed nothing.
“Yes.”
Kael stared at his father.
“You knew?”
“Yes.”
“And you never told me?”
“It wasn't your concern.”
Elara laughed bitterly.
“Apparently my life wasn't my concern either.”
Darius looked at her.
“Your parents wanted it hidden.”
“My parents are gone.”
A pause.
“Are they?”
Something flashed in his eyes.
Elara stepped forward.
“You know.”
“I know nothing for certain.”
“Maeve received a letter.”
Darius's head snapped toward her.
“What letter?”
Maeve placed it on the table.
He read it.
His face changed.
Not surprise.
Fear.
Elara saw it.
“Why is she afraid of your family?”
Darius returned the letter.
“She wasn't.”
“She literally wrote not to let the Blackthornes find her.”
“That doesn't mean she feared us.”
“Then explain it.”
Darius looked toward Kael.
“Leave.”
Kael's expression hardened.
“No.”
“That wasn't a request.”
“I'm twenty-seven, not twelve.”
“This doesn't concern you.”
Kael laughed without humor.
“She is my mate.”
Elara's head snapped toward him.
“Was.”
Kael looked at her.
The pain in his eyes was unmistakable.
“You haven't accepted the rejection.”
Silence.
Elara's stomach twisted.
He was right.
A rejection wasn't complete until both mates accepted it.
She hadn't.
She'd been too busy trying not to die from heartbreak.
Darius looked between them.
“You didn't complete the rejection?”
Kael's jaw tightened.
“Elara was in pain.”
“You should have completed it immediately.”
Kael growled.
“No.”
Elara stared at him.
Interesting.
Last night he'd been willing to throw her away in front of hundreds of people.
Today he suddenly cared about causing pain?
She folded her arms.
“Fine.”
Kael's attention snapped to her.
“Fine what?”
“Let's finish it.”
His face went blank.
“Elara.”
“You rejected me.”
“Elara, wait.”
“You just reminded me I didn't accept.”
“That isn't why I said it.”
“Doesn't matter.”
She faced him fully.
The bond immediately reacted.
Cedar.
Rain.
Smoke.
Damn him.
Even after everything, his scent made something inside her ache.
She forced herself to continue.
“I, Elara Vale—”
“Stop.”
Kael's command shook the room.
She stared.
“What?”
His chest rose and fell.
“Not now.”
A bitter laugh escaped her.
“You don't get to decide when I'm allowed to accept your rejection.”
“I know.”
“Then what's the problem?”
He couldn't answer.
Again.
Elara shook her head.
“Exactly.”
She opened her mouth.
Kael moved toward her.
“I said I made a mistake.”
“And?”
“I need time.”
Her anger exploded.
“You need time?”
The windows rattled.
Everyone went still.
Elara didn't care.
“You had years to know me.”
“Elara—”
“You knew exactly who I was when that bond hit you.”
Her voice cracked.
“You knew I didn't have a wolf. You knew how people treated me. You knew what finding my mate meant to me.”
Kael looked sick.
“And you still rejected me.”
“I panicked.”
“So?”
His eyes widened.
Elara wiped away an angry tear.
“I am so tired of everyone having reasons.”
The room became silent.
“Maeve lied because she was protecting me. Your father kept secrets because my parents asked him to. My mother sealed whatever I am because she was afraid.”
She pointed toward Kael.
“And you broke my heart because you panicked.”
Her voice lowered.
“Everybody has a reason.”
She pressed a hand against her chest.
“But I'm still the one who has to live with what you did.”
Kael looked away.
Darius spoke quietly.
“Your rejection may have saved her life.”
Everyone turned toward him.
Elara froze.
“What?”
Darius stood.
“The mate bond broke the seal.”
Maeve's face hardened.
“We know.”
“No.”
Darius looked at her.
“You don't understand.”
He faced Elara.
“The seal wasn't designed to last forever.”
Elara's pulse quickened.
“What was supposed to break it?”
Darius hesitated.
“Your first shift.”
Elara stared.
“But I never shifted.”
“Exactly.”
Maeve whispered, “The seal suppressed her wolf.”
Darius nodded.
“It suppressed everything.”
Elara touched the place where her necklace had rested.
“Then why did Kael's rejection break it?”
“Because a mate rejection damages the soul.”
Kael went pale.
Darius continued.
“Your mother's spell recognized that damage as a threat to your life.”
“So it released my power to protect me.”
“Yes.”
Elara looked toward Kael.
His rejection hadn't created her power.
It had unlocked it.
Darius sighed.
“Which means the people your mother spent twenty years hiding you from now know you're alive.”
Elara thought of the corpse.
Welcome home, Queen.
“The First.”
Darius became completely still.
Maeve noticed.
“You know that name.”
He didn't answer.
Kael stepped forward.
“Father.”
Darius walked toward the window.
“Before the Crimson War, there was a ruler.”
“Werewolf?” Lyra asked.
“No.”
“Vampire?”
“No.”
“Witch?”
Darius turned.
“All three.”
Elara's skin prickled.
“Eclipse-Born.”
“Yes.”
“What was his name?”
Darius looked at Maeve.
She shook her head.
“Don't.”
Elara laughed.
“We're doing secrets again?”
“It isn't a secret,” Maeve said. “Names have power.”
Darius ignored her.
“Malachi Vale.”
Elara stopped breathing.
Vale.
“My family?”
Darius nodded.
“The first known Eclipse-Born king.”
“What happened to him?”
“No one knows.”
Maeve scoffed.
“That's another lie.”
Darius glared.
“You want truth? Fine.”
He looked at Elara.
“Your ancestor became so powerful that wolves, vampires, and witches united against him.”
“Why?”
“Because Malachi believed the supernatural races should be one people.”
“That doesn't sound terrible.”
“It wasn't the idea that terrified them.”
Darius paused.
“It was how he planned to accomplish it.”
Elara's stomach tightened.
“How?”
“By removing free will.”
Silence.
“He could control them?”
“All of them.”
Darius looked toward the forest.
“Wolves bowed when he commanded. Vampires couldn't resist his blood. Witches lost access to magic when he ordered it.”
Elara remembered the wolves stopping when she'd shouted.
Her stomach dropped.
“No.”
Darius saw the realization.
“Yes.”
“I'm not him.”
“No one said you were.”
“The wolves obeyed me.”
“Because you're his descendant.”
Elara backed away.
Maeve reached for her.
She pulled away.
Darius continued.
“Malachi was eventually defeated. The Blood Moon Covenant was created afterward.”
“To keep peace?”
Darius shook his head.
“To keep him imprisoned.”
Elara remembered Maeve's words.
The First is awake.
Her blood ran cold.
“Where?”
“No one knows.”
“Then how do you know he's imprisoned?”
“Because your family helped create the prison.”
Elara stared.
“Why would his own family imprison him?”
Darius's expression became unreadable.
“Because the woman who stopped Malachi was his mate.”
Elara's heart skipped.
“A mate defeated him?”
“She betrayed him.”
Maeve closed her eyes.
Darius continued.
“And before they imprisoned him, Malachi promised that one day an Eclipse-Born woman would be born powerful enough to break the Covenant.”
No one spoke.
Elara already knew what came next.
She just didn't want to hear it.
Darius looked directly at her.
“Your mother believed that woman was you.”
Kael stepped between them.
“No.”
Darius ignored him.
“That is why she hid you.”
Elara's knees weakened.
“That is why she sealed your power.”
He pointed toward the broken necklace.
“And that is why your parents disappeared.”
“Disappeared?”
Elara caught the word.
Darius realized his mistake too late.
“You told Maeve they were murdered.”
Maeve turned toward him.
“What?”
Darius's jaw tightened.
Elara walked toward him.
“My parents disappeared?”
“Your father is dead.”
“My mother?”
Silence.
“Darius.”
He looked away.
Rage surged through Elara.
“Where is my mother?”
“I don't know.”
“You're lying.”
“I don't know where she is now.”
Elara caught the difference.
“But you knew.”
Darius said nothing.
“Where was she?”
Maeve stepped forward.
“Darius, answer her.”
He finally looked at Elara.
“Twenty years ago, your mother didn't die in that fire.”
Elara stopped breathing.
“She survived.”
Tears filled Elara's eyes.
“Where did she go?”
Darius's expression hardened.
“She didn't go anywhere.”
Elara's heart began pounding.
“What does that mean?”
Darius took a breath.
“Your mother was captured.”
“By who?”
He hesitated.
Too long.
Elara's stomach turned.
“By who?”
Darius finally answered.
“Me.”
Kael stared at his father.
Lyra gasped.
Maeve's magic exploded through the room.
And Elara understood why her mother had written one sentence after twenty years of silence.
Do not let the Blackthornes find me.
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