Marked by the Alphas

Chapter 14: Chapter 14

Elara POV

I thought Mason’s betrayal hurt, but this ... this is inhumane. Anger, betrayal and humiliation surge through me, leaving me numb. In disbelief, I stare at Axel and Kane. How could they? I gave everything to these two bastards, and this is the thanks I get. What the fuck?

My wolf, Lily, howls in agony, fighting to escape from the pain and humiliation. I fight to control her, but give up, and she breaks free. What is the use of fighting? I have been humiliated, insulted, and tossed aside. There is nothing left to fight for. My robe rips into shreds as I shift and run from the hundreds of eyes staring at me. Why did they have to do this in front of an audience? Why could they not do it with just Anton? It is not like anyone has a say in any of this. Not even me, and I am the one being branded as unclaimable.

Guards block my way, and I bare my teeth, growling at them. I am ready for a fight. I had had enough, and if they kill me, Kane and Axel get what they desire – me out of the way.

“Let her go,” Zanader commands, and for a split second, I consider shifting back so I can flip him my middle finger.

The guards step aside, and I dash past them into the hallway. freēwēbnovel.com

A part of me wants to believe that Kane feels remorseful for what he did to me, but he probably just wants me gone and not to deal with me.

How did I let myself be tricked into thinking there could be something between us? That last night meant something. That they wanted me. Everything I felt last night was just them having fun with me as part of their plan.

Oh, goddess, this is mortifying. I will never be able to look anyone in the eye again.

My pads skid a bit as I turn into the main foyer too quickly, heading for the front door. Thankfully, the door is fitted with a handle and not a doorknob. I press down with my paw and push it to open it.

I run down the front steps, and the long driveway, reveling in the crips fall breeze flowing through my fur.

My mind still cannot wrap around what happened.

First, they were openly displeased when I was assigned to them, making a show and comforting Alice in front of everyone, and now I am the first she-wolf to be publicly announced as unclaimable.

Seriously? Unclaimable! Unsatisfactory! Fuck that! They should declare Alice unclaimable because she fucks everything with a dick. How can they choose her over and over again? What kind of Luna fucks around?

What is even going to happen to me now?

Then it hits me.

Kane’s words had been that they would be taking a second mate, not a new mate. Does that mean I am still mated to them? How the hell is that going to work? Will it be like a custody agreement? Like, I get every second weekend in a month. Do they still expect me to have sex with them to have pups? What does it even mean to be an unclaimed mate?

I push my thoughts aside. For now, I cannot bring myself to think of the what-ifs. I just need to run, and to burn off all these excess emotions I do not know how to deal with. It is overwhelming, and the human me does not know whether to laugh, cry, scream, or curl up into a ball. Lily, however, knows exactly what we need.

We need freedom.

We need to run.

We need to hunt.

We need to ground ourselves with the earth.

We run and run and run, until exhaustion takes over. With burning lungs, we trot to the lake on the far side of town, on the other side of the forest, stopping at the edge to drink water before lying down to rest, panting.

The sun is high above, gleaming on the deep-blue water, and the rust-colored leaves decorating the trees provide a peaceful, rustling backdrop which calms me. The solitude is a balm, a serenity I thought I might never feel again, so I bask in it, rolling over onto my back and baring my white stomach to the gentle breeze.

I close my eyes, concentrating on the sounds of nature, trying to shut out everything the best I can. I need calm and tranquillity before I must face everyone at home. I dread to think about what my parents will say about this, because this will devastate them. And I pray to the goddess that this will not have an impact on Selena when she turns eighteen.

Leaves crunching underfoot snap me to attention, and my silver ears perk up as I look for the sound and sniff the air. My nose twitches when a peculiar scent reaches it.

Who or what is that? It does not smell like any kind of animal I know. Nor is it another wolf. A human? But what would a human do here?

We do not segregate ourselves from humans as a rule, but no one lives here. We like to keep within our pack for comfort and safety. Not to mention the ability to completely be ourselves and not have to worry about humans overhearing or accidentally seeing something they should not.

Though ... this scent does not seem entirely human, either.

It is something I have never smelled before. Spicy, like cloves and cinnamon, but with a hint of something that was reminiscent of parchment paper or an old book. And it is absolutely intoxicating.

My mouth waters, and I want to lick the air to see if I can taste it.

I peek my ears when there is more crunching, this time closer. I stand up, sniff the air, and look in the direction the scent is coming from.

A few yards away from me, a man emerged from the tree line, staring right at me.