30

ELEANOR
“Clara, I’d advise you to start talking now or you’d leave me no choice but to force it out of you and you know you wouldn’t like an alpha wolf forcing the answers out of you. So start talking right now.” My hands went to cross over my chest as I stared at her. I watched as she shifted nervously on her feet before lifting her head to look between Jasmine and I.
“Well, Clara, we are waiting. Start talking… you almost cost Eleanor her life, so I think you atleast owe us an explanation regarding that. What was that about?” Jasmine added, and she finally sighed, chewing at her lower lip.
“I’m sorry guys… Eleanor, I’m so sorry, I really am. I wanted to tell you but I was just scared. I hesitated because I didn’t know how you would react. I’m so sorry you both, ” Clara apologizes, tears beginning to stream down her face as she bows her head.
“Clara!!!” Jasmine suddenly yelled, causing her to flinch at the tone, “This is no time for you to cry. We want to know what happened. So please, talk to us. ”
“Clara, no matter what happens or whatever it is you’re about to say to me right now, you know I’d never get irrationally angry at you. You mean so much to me, and I just want to make sure you’re safe and well. So wipe your tears, please, and whatever it is, tell me about it” I said in a low, hopefully comforting tone as I gently placed a hand on her shoulder to reassure her that she would always have me by her side.
Clara wiped her tears with her hands before clearing her throat, “I should have come clean earlier but I had thought it was something I would’ve been able to handle myself, but clearly, I was wrong. I had come to the decision to tell you about it earlier b-but the announcement distracted us, and we had to separate.
“Now is the right time, Clara. I’m all ears, and don’t leave anything out, please,” I begged, and she nodded, sniffling again.
“I-I-I-I have found my m-m-mate,” she stuttered out almost immediately, and I felt my existence screech to a halt.
“You what!!!?” Jasmine and I yelled out at the same time.
“How… how?” I asked. I was too stunned to speak or even start to show my disbelief. Everything was surprising to me, and I didn’t expect her to have kept something so huge from me.
If she had told me the truth, and earlier, a lot of these happenings could’ve been avoided. I would have found a way to help hide the mark and to at least keep her away from the guard’s line of sight.
“Eleanor… I was going to tell you about it, especially that night we found each other. I was going to tell you, but when you asked about the bruise mark on my neck, it was like my mind went into overdrive, and I couldn’t find a way to say it. I acted out of fright. I’m sorry,” Clara apologized.
“Are you saying that the bruises were all a cover-up and you were already marked…. even right before then?” I asked, still unable to believe the words she was saying.
“Yes… I’m sorry Eleanor, I really am. I chickened out when you asked me about the bruises. I couldn’t tell you then even if I wanted to. Thinking about it now, it was stupid of me to continue to lie and try to hide it from you. I thought you would scold me or hate me. I made a mistake, and now my actions almost cost you your life. I’m really sorry. ” Clara continued to apologize, and more tears had now begun to escape her eyes.
It came as a surprise to me, too, when I suddenly burst into laughter. I couldn’t even begin to process the words that were now making rounds in my head. Clara had found her mate. It felt so unreal. I also couldn’t believe she had all the time in the world to tell me what was going on, and she decided to hide it from me. She scolded me that night, making it seem like I was all wrong, and she was right.
Then it struck me, the conversation we had yesterday, Clara agreeing for me to go in search of Easton without so much as an argument. Her encouragement, urging me to find him no matter what and promising to fight beside me, come what may. All that wasn’t real. It wasn’t because she trusted or actually believed in me. It was all for the mark.
I knew she wouldn’t push me into the enemy’s den, but her agreeing to do it almost immediately meant she would be willing to do anything just for her to be with her fated mate. I knew the answers I was going to get from her were going to hurt. I shouldn’t ask because I knew it would bring nothing but pain to me, but for a second I wanted her answers, whatever it would be to be a “no” that she was just looking out for us, and all that was because she really did believe we all deserved another chance.
I needed to know if her answer was to save us or for her to be with her fated mate, not caring if I died or not.
“Clara… I’m going to ask you a question and……I want you to give me the truth, I just want you to answer me truthfully, please,” I said, fighting back the break in my voice.
“Eleanor, don’t… Please don’t,” Jasmine hurriedly intercepted. It was as if she could read my mind and knew exactly what I was thinking and what I was about to ask. I shook my head before turning to fix my gaze on Clara again.
I wanted to know where I now stood in her life. Was I still a friend? A sister or whatever it was that we had earlier on in our lives, or was I now just some sacrificial lamb she would be willing to push into the beast’s mouth if it meant for her and her mate to survive?
“Clara……. when you urged me to find Easton, to meet him no matter what so he could help us with my revenge, that…. were you doing that for us, for our pack members, or were you doing it so you could save yourself and your mate?” I asked, trying hard to fight the tears that were threatening to drop from my eyes.
“Eleanor… It’s not wh-”
“Answer the damn question, Clara. Is it for us or for your own damn self!!?” I yelled, not caring if my voice would attract the attention of the rest of the slaves or maybe even some nosy guards. I was already at a loss. Soon, it would be found out that a guard was nowhere to be found, and one thing led to the other. The slaves would have to sell me out to save their own heads, while mine would be separated from my body.
I now had even more limited time to try and find Easton, hopefully get him to agree to what I had in mind and carry out my revenge, but now I needed to know… if it ever got to the point where I faced my death, would there be anyone willing to fight for me or would I just be handed over to my executioners.
“Clara!!!” I roared, startling both Jasmine and Clara.
“Yes!!!” she replies back in a startled yell before dropping to her knees and crawling towards me, “Yes, I was urging you to go for us. I was selfish and a coward. After watching that innocent slave get beheaded right in front of my eyes, I lost my sanity. The thought of dying clouded my thoughts, and I was scared! Just when I thought there was no more hope for me and that soon I would have to die a meaningless death, you gave me hope.”
She frantically wiped her tears before grasping at the hem of my dress and slowly lifting her head to meet my eyes. She was now a crying mess, and I wasn’t any better. It was like the dam finally broke, and there was no holding back the tears as they poured out. I knew her answers would hurt and I thought I had prepared myself for it all, but clearly, I’d been wrong, it fucking hurts….. so bad.
“Fuck!!” I cursed lowly, my fingers grabbing at the strands of my hair as I carelessly ruffled it.
“Eleanor, I’m sorry. I didn’t want to die, I was selfish and I just wanted to live and be happy with my mate, I wanted to have pups with him and…. And you were there too, Eleanor, holding my pups. You are my alpha and at that moment I wanted to lean on to you again, I wanted the protection of my alpha. I should not have been selfish and thoughtless. I just wanted to live… I’m sorry, please don’t hate me” she pleads, unconsolable at this point.
I could feel Alpine’s growing rage as she snarled in my head. I knew Clara always depended on me, but not to the extent of just being plain selfish. Never at the expense of my life.
I growled out in frustration before slamming my fist hard against the wall and I screamed in pain and even more frustration when I was greeted with the sound of my bones cracking.
“Fuck… Fuck!!” I cried out in pain, cradling my no doubt, now injured hand. Jasmine frantically shuffled closer to try to get a closer look at it and so did Clara and I didn’t even spare it a thought before I ripped my hand away even before she could touch it, “Don’t fucking touch me, Clara! You broke me. You fucking broke me, this-” I spat, pointing to my fist, “- doesn’t hurt compared to what I’m feeling in here right now,” I finished, now hitting at my chest where my heart felt like it was being stomped on by a thousand feet.
“You were my person, my friend, my family, the only one I thought I had on my side. I had to go through hell just to make sure that no harm comes your way, but what do I get in return? Yes, I am your alpha and it is with that exact thought in mind that I have plotted our revenge from the second I got here! I wanted nothing more than to avenge our pack, my people… but you, you just had to go and break me into pieces, didn’t you?” I continued to cry, ignoring the soft soothing sounds from Jasmine. All I could think of was the pain from my bleeding heart.
I heard the sound of footsteps approaching and I quickly wiped my tears. I watched as Clara did the same, hurrying to her feet and Jasmine quickly adjusted herself to try and look more presentable.
A guard approached us and I was quick to realize that with Alpine back, I could now detect the ranks of each werewolf that was in the pack and this guard standing in front of us was a sentinel-ranked wolf, the rank right below the Betas.
His eyes quickly scanned the girls that stood in his presence before they landed on me and I sniffled, the tears were still making my vision blurry, “Eleanor, come with me, you are wanted by Alpha Zane,” His voice was stern and commanding and I nodded in understanding as I quickly adjusted myself, starting to walk behind him.
I didn’t spare a glance back at Clara or Jasmine, I was hurt and overwhelmed, and for the first time in my life, I actually found myself considering the sex with Zane as a welcome distraction. It was probably the next best thing at the moment. The physical pain from his careless penetration and harsh, unforgiving thrusts would be enough to make me forget about the emotional and mental pain I was in at the moment.
As we approached his chamber, I suddenly took a pause as I was struck by a particularly enticing pheromone that drew me in. It all happened so quickly and my whole body immediately grew so pleased with these scents and whoever the pheromones belonged to. I was so immersed in the pheromones that for a moment nothing else mattered to me. I continued to take long drags of the air that grew thicker with it as I finally found it in me to continue walking and it felt like a soothing balm was being massaged into my entire body.
I heard the sound of the guard pushing the door to Zane’s chamber open at the same time that the pheromones hit me with the force of a thousand boulders. And it is with that earthshaking realization that my eyes fly open, my hands going up and over my mouth.
Zane was my mate.