Chapter 0012
Elijah listened as I spoke, nodding to himself. I prattled off every single name on the list, along with à distinctive feature of each person, without looking at the papers. When I was finished, I was out of breath and my tongue was dry.
“Not bad. But this doesn’t mean you’ve passed the assessment,” he said coldly after I’d said the last name.
My stomach twisted at the reminder. I recalled the terms of the contract I had signed; it was supposed to last one year,
specific conditions under which Elijah could terminate it.
with
If I did anything to harm Thea or the pack, if I found my fated mate or was unfaithful, or if I failed to pass the Luna examination, the agreement would be nullified. I felt a chill at the thought–if Elijah even considered reuniting with Olivia, I would have to
leave Thea behind.
Cautiously, I asked, “You don’t seem to like your fated mate much, so I guess that clause is off the table…?”
Elijah’s expression turned colder, his voice dropping to a low growl
“Why do you think I divorced her?” His disdain for Olivia, who still tried to wield her former Luna status, was evident. But if she was supposedly sending people to come and snoop around for her, then that meant that she wasn’t entirely out of the picture.
And if Thea was my daughter and Olivia played any part in it… Well, she’d be on my shit list as well. I didn’t exactly want to battle
an Alpha and his fated mate for my daughter, but I would if I had to.
‘Anyway,” Elijah said, standing, “good work on memorizing that. “I’m… impressed ”
Despite myself, I felt a flicker of excitement at the look of approval in his eyes. “Thank you,” I managed, suddenly hating the way
my heart was pounding.
After work, we headed to pick up Thea from preschool. The moment she climbed into the car, her excitement spilled out like a pot
boiling over.
“Mommy, can you cook dinner and make cookies?”
“We’ll make it a feast!” I replied, even though I knew now that my plans to drop off the DNA sample today would have to wait.
How could I deny her anything?
Elijah pulled into the grocery store parking lot, claiming that if we were having a fast, we would need to pick up some things. As we strolled through the bustling aisles filled with vibrant produce and homemade goods, I couldn’t help but notice how out of place Elijah seemed in such a casual setting.
He looked sharp in his tailored suit, a stark contrast to the laid–back atmosphere of the market. But to my surprise, he interacted with nearly every vendor we passed, exchanging friendly banter and smiles. He stopped at the fish vendor and carefully inspected some scallops, chatting amicably with the vendor as if they were old friends.
I was shocked to see how approachable Elijah could be, shedding some of that cold, authoritative facade he often wore. It was
Chapter 0012
+15 BONUS
refreshing to witness a different side of him, one that contrasted sharply with the commanding Alpha I was accustomed to
On the way home, Thea chattered non–stop about how excited she was to finally taste my cooking.
“I’ve been dreaming of having Mommy’s homemade meals!” she exclaimed, kicking her feet in the back seat. “I want to try
everything that Mommy can cook!”
Elijah, watching her lively excitement through the rearview mirror, let a rare smile slip across his usually stern face.
I couldn’t help but tease him. “Wow, that’s the first time I’ve seen you smile.”
But Elijah’s expression immediately reverted to his usual icy demeanor, as if a wall was suddenly sliding back into place. The
moment passed as if it had never happened, and I couldn’t help but feel a pang of disappointment. I spent the rest of the ride
staring out the window.
When we arrived back at the house, I was surprised to see a woman standing on the front porch.
I knew it was Olivia before Elijah even grumbled her name under his breath.
Elijah’s ex–wife was beautiful–like a model. Her eyes were a striking forest green, and her red hair was up in a sleek bun. She
was tall and slim, her skin stretched smoothly over high cheekbones. My stomach sank a little as I saw the freckled dotted across
her nose.
So much like Thea’s freckles.
Thea instinctively hid behind my legs as we approached, peeking out at her like she was an intruder.
“You haven’t forgotten that we’re still fated mates, have you, Elijah?” she said without so much as a “hello“..
I felt Thea cling to me tighter at the sound of her mother’s voice, her small fingers gripping my shirt. It was so strange to see a little girl cower like this in her mother’s presence. They shared those freckles, but Olivia didn’t seem much like Thea’s mother at
all.
Elijah’s jaw clenched, his eyes hardening. “What are you doing here, Olivia?”
“I came to discuss our situation. You know we’re still bound by fate.” Olivia snapped her gaze to Thea. “And she’s my daughter.”
Thea trembled behind my legs, shrinking. She was… terrified of her.
“You need to leave,” I blurted out before I could stop myself, my protective instincts taking over. “This is our home now.”
Olivia slowly slid her gaze to me as if I were nothing more than a worm wriggling in the dirt. “And who are you to tell me what to
do? You think you can just waltz in and take my place?”
I held my ground despite my heart pounding in my chest. “I’m Thea’s mother, and I won’t let you disrupt our lives. You had your
chance.”
Olivia’s mouth hung open, shock and amusement flickering through her eyes. But at that moment, Elijah intervened. He put
himself between us. “Olivia, this isn’t a discussion. You’re not welcome here. I’ve moved on.”
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Olivia’s eyes narrowed as she looked at him once more. “You think this is over? I won’t let you push me aside that easily.”
“Try me,” Elijah shot back, his voice low and dangerous. I could see the tension between them, the remnants of their past bubbling just beneath the surface.
+15 BONUS
Thea was still clinging to me, her wide eyes darting between the two adults. I couldn’t bear to see her so terrified, so I scooped her up and rushed past without a word, heading inside.
The last thing I saw before I rushed away was a look of gratitude in Elijah’s eyes before they turned stone cold as he turned to Olivia again.
Then, the door shut behind me and all I heard was his raised voice.
