Chapter 0050
Agnes
+25 BONUS
The night felt unusually still, the kind of quiet that made you feel like the world was holding its breath. I sat at my desk, staring at the letter before me. Its content was simple enough–an apology signed by Elijah–but the handwriting was unmistakably Thea’s.
A smile tugged at my lips as I recognized her childish scraw, imagining her determined face as she crafted this little scheme to fix the tension between Elijah and me.
She was a child who saw everything in such simple terms, unaware of the complexities that tangled the lives of adults. For Thea, the solution was easy; write an apology, and everything would be better.
If only it were that simple.
I tucked the letter away, the warmth of her gesture still lingering, though it didn’t lessen the knot in my chest. There was so much between Elijah and me that had been left unsaid, so many unanswered questions, and I wasn’t sure I was ready for those answers yet.
A knock at the door pulled me from my thoughts. I opened it, expecting to see Thea grinning on the other side, but instead, it was Elijah. He stood there, his broad shoulders filling the doorway, the tension between us hanging in the air like a tangible force.
“I think we need to talk,” he said, his voice low but steady.
I nodded, stepping aside to let him in. We didn’t speak as we walked downstairs to one of the smaller lounges, away from the bustling noise of the estate. It felt strange–so formal, so distant–but I could sense the weight of what Elijah was carrying.
There was something in his eyes tonight, something deeper than the usual composed calm.
“I got a letter,” he began, sitting down across from me, a hint of amusement in his voice. “Apparently from you, though I think we both know who really wrote it.”
I chuckled softly, shaking my head. “Thea’s got a good heart.”
“She does,” he agreed, his gaze softening for a moment. “But she’s also right. We do need to talk.”
The air between us felt thick, heavy with everything that had been left unspoken for so long. I could see the exhaustion in Elijah’s face–the strain of leadership, of fatherhood, and of the confusing emotions I knew he was trying so hard to suppress.
“I’m sorry,” he said, his voice softer now, more sincere. “For how things have been. I know it hasn’t been easy for you, especially with Olivia…”
His words trailed off, and I nodded. There was no need for him to explain further. We both knew that the situation was complicated, but what struck me was the fact that he was apologizing at all.
It wasn’t just about Olivia or the confusion surrounding Thea. It was more than that–something unspoken, something deeper.
“I understand,” I replied quietly. “It’s not easy for me either, trying to figure out where I fit in all of this.”
“You fit,” he said, his voice firm. “You and Thea… you belong here.”
His words hit me like a punch to the chest. They were simple, but they carried so much weight. I didn’t know how to respond, so I sat there, letting the silence fill the room.
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Chapter 0050
+25 BONUS
There was a current between us, a pull that I couldn’t quite define, but it was there–stronger than before.
For a moment, it felt like there was more he wanted to say. But instead of speaking, Elijah shifted his gaze out the window, where the moon hung low in the sky, casting its silver light across the dark landscape.
As the moonlight spilled into the room, something changed. It was subtle at first–just a shift in the atmosphere. But then, I saw it. The light seemed to cling to Elijah’s skin, casting a faint, ethereal glow over him.
His eyes, always so controlled, darkened with an intensity hadn’t seen before. It was as if the moon itself was pulling at him, calling forth the wolf inside.
“Elijah?” I whispered, feeling the energy around us shift.
He didn’t answer at first, his eyes locked on the moon outside, his body tense. For the briefest moment, I thought I saw something more–an aura of power radiating from him, something ancient and raw. The intensity of it sent a shiver down my spine, and I couldn’t look away.
Then, just as quickly as it had come, it was gone. Elijah blinked, the tension in his frame easing as he turned back to me, his expression guarded once again.
“It’s nothing,” he said, though I could tell it wasn’t.
I didn’t press him, though. There was too much between us already–too many other things to deal with. But I couldn’t shake the feeling that I had just witnessed something important, something tied to the bond he shared with the moon and the wolf inside him.
Elijah cleared his throat, breaking the moment. “Olivia wants to see Thea.”
I felt my body tense. “And what did you tell her?”
“I haven’t given her an answer yet. I wanted to talk to you first.”
His consideration caught me off guard. I had expected him to make the decision on his own–after all, Thea was his daughter, not mine. But the fact that he wanted my opinion, that he was including me in this decision, made my heart ache in a way I hadn’t expected.
“If she sees her, we need to be there,” I said firmly. “To make sure Thea is safe.”
Elijah nodded, agreeing without hesitation. “We’ll be there.?‘
After a long pause, Elijah stood, his gaze lingering on me for a moment before he turned toward the door. “Come with me,” he said, offering his hand.
I hesitated, but took it, the warmth of his palm sending a spark through me. He led me outside into the cool night air, down a path I hadn’t noticed before. We walked in silence, the sound of our footsteps muffled by the soft earth beneath us.
He brought me to a small clearing just beyond the estate, a place where the moon seemed to shine even brighter. The trees here were tall and ancient, their leaves shimmering silver in the moonlight. There was a strange energy in the air, something primal and powerful.
“This is where I come when I need clarity,” Elijah said quietly, his voice reverent. “It’s a place connected to the moon, to our pack’s history.”
I stood there, taking in the stillness of the place, the way the air seemed to hum with life. There was something sacred about it, something that made me feel like I was standing on the edge of something important.
“Elijah, this place is…” I trailed off, unsure of how to describe what I was feeling.
2/3
+25 BONUS
Chapter 0050
“Special,” he finished for me. “It’s where I come when I need to make difficult decisions.”
We stood there together, the silence between us no longer heavy but full of meaning. There was a connection forming here, something deeper than words, something tied to the earth, the moon, and the wolf that lived inside
both of us.
As we stood there, bathed in moonlight, I felt something shift inside me. Elijah’s apology had been subtle, his care unspoken, but there was no denying the pull between us.
As we made our way back to the estate, I couldn’t help but feel like this moment, this night, was just the beginning of something much bigger.
And yet, Elijah’s following cryptic words lingered: “Tomorrow, we’ll talk about your next task.”
