CHAPTER ELEVEN
1450 Words
One week passed by in a blur and frenzy of fabric swatches and vendor meetings and budget spreadsheets that made my head spin.
One week of watching the festival come together piece by piece, transforming from an idea into something real.
One week of not thinking about Thorne.
Well… trying not to think about Thorne.
He’d kept his promise, by completely staying away from me. One time I tried to convince myself that he was just too busy and caught up with Beta stuff, and not intentionally avoiding me. But self-deceit wasn’t an area I thrived in.
I’d catch glimpses of him sometimes… in hallways, during training sessions I’d watch from the balcony, standing guard during council meetings. But he never approached me, never spoke to me unless absolutely necessary. And even when he did, his words were clipped, tone way too professional for my liking.
And it pissed me off.
Especially the way he called me “Your Highness” like we were strangers.
Like his mouth hadn’t been on every inch of my skin just a week ago.
I should be fine with it, should be too busy to miss him—hell, busy or not I should not be kissing him at all. I should be a hundred percent focused on the festival and the planning and making sure everything was perfect for the people who needed it.
And I was… to some extent.
But sometimes… when I’d turn a corner and find him there, when our eyes would meet for a split second before he looked away… my entire body would ache. My wolf would whine and scratch at my insides, demanding I go to him. Every nerve in me aching for his touch, to be held and wrapped up in those huge arms of his.
But each time I had to give myself a mental check that this wasn’t me thinking but this stupid mate bond I never asked for anyway.
One more week.
Just one more week until the full moon, until we could reject this bond completely and I could stop feeling like half of me was missing.
I should be relieved. Should be counting down the days.
Instead, the thought made me want to cry.
“Stop it,” I muttered to my reflection in the mirror, “You don’t have time for this.”
I was standing in front of the full-length mirror in my room, wearing the gown my brothers had presented to me this morning.
It was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen.
Royal blue—the exact shade of midnight sky—with delicate silver embroidery that caught the light when I moved. The fabric hugged my curves before flowing out into a skirt that made me feel like I was floating. Off-the-shoulder sleeves framed my collarbones, and a silver circlet rested in my hair.
I looked like a princess.
An actual, real princess.
My hands trembled as I touched the fabric, so soft it felt like water beneath my fingers. Just a few weeks ago, I’d been wearing clearance rack clothes from Target, worried about whether Tom and Sarah could afford new shoes for me. I’d been sleeping in a room the size of this closet, eating ramen for dinner three nights a week.
And now I was standing here in a dress that probably cost more than their mortgage, preparing for an event I’d organized, in a palace I apparently belonged to.
Tears burned behind my eyes.
Tom. Sarah.
God, I missed them. Missed Sarah’s terrible jokes and the way she’d hum while cooking. Missed Tom’s terrible dad humor and how he’d always slip me an extra twenty when Sarah wasn’t looking, even though I knew they couldn’t afford it.
They’d given me everything they had. Loved me like I was theirs even though I wasn’t. Sacrificed and struggled and never once made me feel like a burden.
And I’d just left them. Ran away in the middle of the night without even saying goodbye.
Did they even know I was okay? Did they think I was dead? Or worse… did they think I’d abandoned them after everything they’d done for me?
The thought made my chest physically hurt.
I needed to see them. I needed to explain, to thank them, to tell them I was safe and that I loved them and that leaving them was the hardest thing I’d ever done.
I grabbed my phone—the new one Aiden had given me since my old one was evidence in Theo’s murder case—and headed downstairs.
I found my brothers in the war room, going over security arrangements for the festival.
“I need Tom and Sarah here tomorrow,” I blurted out, before I could allow fear to stop me from speaking.
My brothers looked up from whatever they were looking at, clearly startled.
Aiden set down the map he’d been studying. “Tom and Sarah are your foster parents, yeah?”
“Yeah.” I crossed my arms, already defensive. “I want them at the festival.”
Liam’s eyebrows shot up. “Elara…”
“I left without saying anything. They probably think I’m dead or arrested or…” My voice cracked. “They raised me. They gave me everything for nineteen years and I just disappeared without a word so I’m afraid that they might be worried sick… or heartbroken.”
“Well, it’s not like you had a choice,” Aiden said.
“That doesn’t make it okay.” I dug my nails into my palms. “They deserve to know I’m alright. That I’m safe. They should know that I didn’t just abandon them after everything they…” I had to stop, to take a breath before I continued, “I owe them that much.”
My brothers looked at each other, before Liam turned to me with a solemn expression.
“Humans aren’t allowed in Silverwood.”
“I know.”
“And it’s a rule that was set there for a reason, for our security and theirs too…”
“I know.” I stepped closer. “But I’m asking anyway.”
Aiden leaned back against the table. “The council would have to approve it and Mother would have to sign off. And even if they agreed, there would be restrictions. Guards everywhere, because they would not be allowed to see certain areas and they can’t interact with—”
“I don’t care about restrictions.” The words came out harsher than I meant. “I just need them to see that I’m okay. That’s it.”
“You know they’re going to ask questions, don’t you?” Liam pointed out. “About where you’ve been. What this place is. How we—”
“I’ll handle the questions.”
“Will you?” Aiden’s tone was careful. “Because trying to come up with a believable lie for all this isn’t gonna be easy, sister.”
“Leave that for me. Like I said, I will handle it.” I was surprised by how steady my voice was.
For a few seconds they said nothing, and I shifted, rocking on my feet uneasily.
Then Aiden exhaled slowly. “You’re really not going to drop this.”
“No.”
He looked at Liam, who shrugged. “It’s her call.”
“Fine.” Aiden straightened. “I’ll talk to Mother and see what we can arrange.”
I grinned and opened my mouth to speak, but he raised his hand, cutting me off.
“You are going to follow whatever conditions we set for you and them if I pull this off. Understood?”
“Yes.”
“And if they start asking too many questions…”
“I’ll handle it.” I met his eyes. “I promise.”
He sighed heavily, dragging one hand through his hair, before his expression softened slightly. “They must have been good people, to raise you the way they did.”
My throat went tight. “The best.”
“Alright.” He pushed off the table. “I’ll talk to Mother tonight. But Elara—don’t get your hopes up. The council can be difficult about these things.”
“I know.” I did know. But I also knew I’d find a way to make this happen, even if I had to sneak them in myself.
“But do not worry,” Liam cut in with a smile, “Aiden knows his way around those old men… and he can’t cope not giving you what he wants.”
Aiden rolled his eyes, and with a grateful smile I left them alone.
- Writer
